President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO '81, was joined recently by Alicia Hahn, Director of Program Initiatives for PCOM's Office of Diversity and Community Relations. On the PCOM Perspectives podcast, they discuss the annual Opportunities Academy, a weeklong enrichment program for local high school students at each of PCOM's three locations, and why pathway programs like these are crucial in helping to ensure a diverse and inclusive healthcare workforce.
PLAY PCOM PERSPECTIVES: Inspiring High School StudentsSome Philadelphia-area high school students enjoy the weeklong enrichment program Opportunities Academy, held each June at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine's three locations, that they return year after year. In 2024, for example, nine students were either in their second or third year of the program, which supports students who are traditionally underrepresented in medicine.
For those returning students, Alicia Hahn, Director of Program Initiatives for PCOM's Office of Diversity and Community Relations, arranged for them to shadow clinicians in PCOM's Hassman Family Medicine Center so that they could observe patient appointments with PCOM students, residents and physicians.
“They'd tell me all about their encounter with the patient and how kind the patients were in really including them in the appointment. They didn't have to just stand in the back of the room,” Hahn said of the high school students. “The patients were really interested in what they were doing and why they were passionate about being healthcare providers and really encouraging to them.”
Opportunities Academy focuses on hands-on learning, as Hahn doesn't want participants to feel like they're in school again after they just started summer break. At PCOM South Georgia, participants learned from a wide range of activities such as the basics of CPR, how to handle a sprained ankle and how to build a résumé. At PCOM Georgia, activities included a college fair, and at PCOM in Philadelphia, students learned how to treat and diagnose appendicitis in standardized patients.
Hahn said four to five students have already reached out after the program to connect to PCOM in different ways, such as seeking research experience or an internship, or a letter of recommendation to continue in accelerated STEM programs in their high school.
During the podcast, PCOM President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO '81, said Opportunities Academy brings a special energy to campus.
“They're our future healthcare providers, whether they be osteopathic physicians, psychologists, behavioral health providers, or physician assistants,” Feldstein said. “We need to invest in our future. We need to develop these pathway programs so these kids can really see what's available to them. When they come on campus, it's a whole new world for them.”
Opportunities Academy also underscores the importance of mentorship, which is provided by PCOM students who serve as role models for aspiring healthcare leaders of the future.
“We always say in medicine it's a pay-it-forward profession, that someone mentored me at an early age; someone mentored everybody at an early age,” Feldstein said. “And to give our medical students the opportunity to mentor these students, what better way to pay it forward.”
Learn more about Opportunities Academy, a free STEM summer camp for high schoolers, held at each of PCOM's three locations.
To hear the full conversation or listen to past episodes of PCOM Perspectives, visit Spotify, Soundcloud or the Office of the President.
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
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