Doctor of Pharmacy and Graduate Students Mark Commencement
July 31, 2020
PCOM Georgia held a virtual commencement on Wednesday, July 29, for the Doctor of
Pharmacy (PharmD) and graduate programs Class of 2020.
In a 47-minute online ceremony viewed 4,000+ times to date, 162 PCOM Georgia students ceremonially received master’s and doctoral degrees while family members
and friends engaged online and cheered them on.
The commencement video hosted by PCOM Provost Kenneth Veit, DO ’76, MBA, premiered on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, on Facebook and YouTube. Veit said, “Your
service will be to lead in an uncertain environment, to further biomedical research,
to prevent disease, to cure when possible, and most of all, to comfort those who are
ill and infirmed.”
Following a rendition of the national anthem by Doctor of Pharmacy grad Taylor Bailey,
PharmD ’20, Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, PCOM President and CEO, addressed the class of 2020. He said, “Your job will require flexibility, adaptability
and creativity, meaningful new ideas, approaches and discoveries.”
He added, “It will demand cultural sensitivity, a focus on equity, tolerance and justice
for all. It will take time and touch, and it will demand that you show respect to
patients and clients and to their families.”
Shawn Spencer, PhD, RPh, dean and chief academic officer of the PCOM School of Pharmacy, offered final words to the Doctor of Pharmacy students. He said, “Follow your passion,
be compassionate with yourself, and be true to what you have become. Our nation needs
you. The world needs you. Those who think they can impact the world are the ones who
do. Press onward and upward.”
Following a recitation of the Oath of a Pharmacist, the class of 2020 Pharmacy Chair
Obinna Ekechukwu, PharmD ’20, encouraged his classmates. He said, “The path is clear
and it is up to us to choose what our legacy will ultimately be. Be sure to leave
your mark because you are remarkable, and now you are ready to show the world just
how remarkable you are!”
Greg McDonald, DO, dean of the School of Health Sciences, told the physician assistant and biomedical sciences graduates that they now have
skills needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. He said, “If you’re a physician assistant,
you play a key role in treating and curing the afflicted. Those of you in the biomedical
sciences may soon be working on a COVID-19 vaccine or more accurate screening methods.”
“Please don’t shy away from these difficult times,” he said. “Given the societal changes,
we need your technical skills and humanity now more than ever.”
After their final collegiate roll call, the graduates symbolically moved their tassels
from right to left
Skyler Tuholski, was selected to speak on behalf of the biomedical sciences and physician
assistant graduating classes. She said, “My hope for us all is that we thrive in our
strengths and are humbled by our mistakes. That we find fulfilling joy in our work
each and every day and never stop seeking the knowledge to change or save someone’s
life.”
She encouraged her classmates to “treat each patient with so much dignity and respect
that there’s no acceptable level of bias.” She added, “As prepared as we are, this
next step is inevitably scary, but with diligence, collaboration and time, we will
learn the art of medicine. Our experiences thus far have given us a canvas. Now let’s
create a masterpiece together. Congratulations to the class of 2020!”
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.
Contact Us
Jamesia Harrison, MS Assistant Director, News and Media Relations Email: jamesiaha@pcom.edu Office: 678-225-7532 | Cell: 470-572-7558