The Office of Diversity and Community Relations celebrates the unique accomplishments of first generation students. This series features PCOM faculty, staff and students who were the first to attend college, graduate school or medical school within their families. We believe spotlighting our first generation community members will encourage our students to use their talents to shine during professional school and as future healthcare providers.
About Dr. FeldsteinJay S. Feldstein, DO '81, serves as the eighth president and chief executive officer of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). Dr. Feldstein earned his bachelor's degree from Penn State University and his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from PCOM. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at the Medical Center of Delaware and his internship at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Stratford, New Jersey. He is board certified in emergency medicine and occupational medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine.
No physicians in immediate family including parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings.
I am one of those kids who always wanted to be a doctor. I was a medical explorer in high school, volunteered at my local hospital, pre med in college and volunteered at the hospital in State College. My grades suffered a little in my last year as I completed my BA in three years because I started in summer session. I took a year off and worked full time as an orderly and autopsy assistant at Mountainview Hospital in State College and then continued working part time while I took graduate courses in biochemistry and physiology (to enhance my science GPA) as well as studied for the MCATS. I was a late acceptance to PCOM in August of 1977.
I loved every aspect of medical school especially the third and fourth years. I suffered from impostor syndrome early in my first year, with intermittent bouts throughout the first two years.
I lived at home and my parents did not understand my time management decisions when I chose not to go to certain classes in medical school.
Once you realize the pressure is really internal it becomes easier to deal with. I was rejected my first time around applying to PCOM so that helped put things in perspective.
Many of my college peers had been accepted to medical school in their first application cycle, so that made me feel like a failure at times.
My advice is to understand how you learn; whether you are visual, auditory, tactile, experiential or a combination and maximize those styles. Couple that with time management and always stay curious and never stop learning because medicine is always changing. Seek out advice from upperclassmen and form a solid peer group for support and friendship. I think the impostor syndrome affects all of us at some point in time to varying degrees.
Coming back to serve as president of my alma mater at PCOM is the highlight of my professional career. My professional life has come full circle and helping form the physicians and health care professionals of the future is why I get up in the morning. I also really enjoyed teaching medical students and residents as an attending ER physician.
I did stand up comedy, love movies, earned a varsity letter at Penn State for fencing and collect Marilyn Monroe memorabilia.
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