Recently, two students from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and one student from PCOM South Georgia were elected to national student leadership positions in the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA). These students were part of a national application pool of both allopathic and osteopathic medical students. To be considered, candidates were required to provide a brief written biography, as well as provide a video or written message outlining why they feel they are qualified for the role. AMWA’s medical student members were then invited to vote for their preferred candidate.
Below are the names and titles of these students, as well as a brief overview of their positions and goals for these positions.
Lauren Jones (DO ‘23)Programming Chair
As programming chair, Ms. Jones oversees current initiatives and helps develop new projects administered by the medical student branch of AMWA. She will also serve as a liaison between the pre-medical, medical and residency branches with the aim of improving communication and building relationships. Ms. Jones is the immediate past vice president of the PCOM chapter of AMWA.
In this role, Ms. Jones also hopes to create programming that will address gender workforce disparities and equity for women in medicine. “As I plan my time as programming chair, I hope to create and promote initiatives that help women medical students grow, thrive and succeed in their careers,” shared Ms. Jones.
Region 3 Director
As Region 3 director, Ms. Burns is responsible for the communication efforts of chapters located in Washington DC, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. She is also responsible for planning programming and workshops for this region as well as organizing the region’s annual conference. Ms. Burns shared one of her main goals in this position is to empower the leaders of AMWA chapters within the region to succeed. Ms. Burns is the immediate past president of the PCOM chapter of AMWA.
Region 4 Director
As Region 4 director, Ms. Shah is responsible for the communication efforts of chapters located in Florida, Georgia, North Caroline and South Carolina. Ms. Shah will also take on the responsibility of planning programming, events and the region’s annual conference.
“Here in the Southeast, women’s health professional's advocacy has long been an issue. My hope is to expand mentorship opportunities and chapter involvement to gain adequate representation for women in healthcare across the Southeast,” shared Ms. Shah. Ms. Shah is a founding member of PCOM South Georgia’s AMWA chapter.
AMWA brings together women at all stages of the career in medicine. Since 1915, their mission has been to advance women in medicine, advocate for equity and ensure excellence in health care.
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
Brandon Lausch
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6312 | Cell:
717-371-0609
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