PCOM Georgia students recently gathered to honor those many medical students consider their first patients: 55 individuals who donated their bodies to medical education and science. More than 200 PCOM Georgia students benefited from the donors' contributions, gaining crucial hands-on experience across osteopathic medicine, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, and biomedical sciences.
During the service, held May 11, student representative Shervin Hovanloo (DO ’27) spoke about the impact these donors have on education and training. “This is the most memorable and valuable aspect of our student education,” Hovanloo said.
“It is a privilege and an honor to have you in attendance to remember those wonderful people who have contributed so much to better our society by advancing medical education and research,” said Jeffrey Seiple, Director of PCOM Anatomical Labs and Services.
One of the event's highlights was the presentation of cremains to the families of the donors, a gesture of respect and appreciation for their loved ones' enduring contribution to medical education.
PCOM Georgia students and members of the Body Donor Program gathered at the Body Donor
Memorial Service on May 11.
R. Bryan Ginn Jr., Chief Campus Officer at PCOM Georgia, added, “You have invested through your selfless sacrifices, and the sacrifices of your family members and friends in such a significant way, to advance education in medicine and health sciences. We simply have to take the time to say thank you.”
PCOM Georgia’s Body Donor Program provides anatomical material which allows medical students at the College to study firsthand the intricacies of the human body and the relationships between body systems. Those who donate their remains to science make a tremendous contribution to the knowledge of future physicians and healthcare providers.
More information is available online regarding PCOM Georgia’s Body Donor Program at: pcom.edu/bodydonor
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education with a storied 125-year history dedicated to the healthcare professions. 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.
Jamesia Harrison, MS
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Email: jamesiaha@pcom.edu
Office: 678-225-7532 | Cell: 470-572-7558
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