PCOM Georgia Students Provide ‘Real-World’ Experience

April 21, 2022

PCOM Georgia students Idara Akpan, Ifreke King, Donna Thomas and Charbel Aoun enjoyed working with Hull seventh graders on their STEM certification.

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PCOM Georgia pharmacy and physician assistant students recently collaborated with a Gwinnett County middle school to provide seventh graders with a “real-world experience” as they work to complete their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) certification.

Led by Darnae Parks, PCOM Georgia’s director of Diversity and Community Partnerships, the students taught lessons on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Physician assistant (PA) studies student Tamia Wayne (MS/PA ’23), who grew up in Gwinnett County and attended Hull Middle School where the experience took place, said, “I remember sitting in their seats curious about math and science.”

Pharmacy student Charbel Aoun (PharmD ’25), who also grew up in Gwinnett County and attended Twin Rivers Middle School, said, “Seeing students’ first-hand experience in understanding how medications affect the human body was such a rewarding experience. Being able to show students how to connect math and health sciences proved to be more effective when students were engaged and curious about the topic.”

Hull Middle School seventh grade STEM teacher Carrie Sammons is very appreciative of the partnership with PCOM Georgia. She said, “The PA and pharmacy students really connected with the students and engaged them about human body systems and the need for math in the fields of medicine. The lessons were perfectly tailored for middle schoolers. It was great for students to complete math problems as actual pharmacists do. Students directly connected to college paths and careers in science. What a wonderful real-world experience the students gained!”

Wayne explained that her fellow students showed the seventh graders the pathway of blood through the heart. They then described how medications work and incorporated math into the lesson by teaching the students how to calculate BMI and the proper dosage of medicine.

“I truly was excited at how eager the students were to learn,” Wayne said. “They were engaged and had questions. I felt that I served as a representative for students who were like me and wanted to learn about future career options.”

She added, “It felt good to be able to teach them what physician assistants are and to use the knowledge that I have learned so far in my journey in PA school.”

Parks appreciates the collaboration. He said, “PCOM Georgia students were able to apply what they’ve learned in their coursework and share it with the seventh graders who were inquisitive and enthusiastic. This was an amazing start to a fruitful partnership with Hull Middle School as they complete their STEM certification.”

Other students who participated in the experience included Idara Akpan (PharmD ‘24) Vanessa Frans (MS/PA ‘23), Donna Thomas (PharmD ‘24) and Ifreke King (PharmD ‘24).

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