PCOM Georgia sponsored the Gwinnett American Values Dinner which raises funds for the Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
PCOM Georgia recently sponsored the 2019 Gwinnett American Values Dinner held on March 5 at the Infinite Energy Forum in Duluth. The dinner helps to raise money for the Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Two Eagle Scouts along with other PCOM Georgia representatives attended the dinner on the campus’ behalf including Ojaswa Prasad (DO ’22). A first year osteopathic medicine student, Prasad of Johns Creek, Georgia, who earned the Eagle Scout rank in 2011, credits some of the skills he learned in scouting—perseverance and dedication—to helping him make it through college, graduate school and now medical school.
“Scouting taught me to be a leader and to make a difference for my family and community,” he said. “Part of that process requires effort and completion of tasks. When something has to be done, it has to be done, especially when it comes to bettering the lives of others.”
PCOM Georgia Research Assistant and Eagle Scout Devin Mills also attended the dinner. He said he has been heavily involved in scouting throughout his life and became a third generation Eagle Scout alongside his brother in 2009. Mills even worked for the scouts at one time and now volunteers on the training committee for the Atlanta Area Council.
Scouting continues to help him along his career path. He said, “Scouting laid the foundation for not just my career, but in the core values I use every day to conduct myself. Going through school you learn all of the necessary skills to perform the job, but often miss out on the soft skills that scouting taught me.”
Both Prasad and Mills completed their Eagle Scout projects at elementary schools in their hometowns. Prasad landscaped a 1,000 plus square foot area in front of a Johns Creek elementary school, including installing 800 square feet of sod, and planting bushes and flowers. Mills laid a five by 120 foot sidewalk around the front and sides of a Merritt Island, Florida, elementary school that aligned with county and state requirements including proper ramp connections for people with mobility issues. Both scouts raised money to pay for their projects, along with providing the labor.
“A lot of the things I learned in those years, I still carry with me to this day,” Prasad said. “My experiences in scouting certainly help me through the rigors of medical school.”
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
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