Funds raised by the event will be used to purchase personal care items and cover operating
costs of the student-run clinics located in Philadelphia neighborhoods.
On Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (PCOM) Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) hosted their first-ever 5K run to benefit the PCOM Hearts Student-Run Clinics, located throughout the Philadelphia area. To ensure participant safety, the event was hosted virtually. 43 runners, made up of PCOM students and community members, ran over the weekend and raised a total of $620. This total was matched by SOMA, making the donation amount $1,240.
“While we originally planned to do this run in-person, the coronavirus pandemic pushed
us to do it virtually,” shared Brenda Tester (DO ’23), treasurer and secretary of
SOMA. “We wanted to use this run as an opportunity to raise funds for the student-run
clinics that are in need right now,” continued Ms. Tester.
In addition to the virtual 5K fundraiser, SOMA also hosted a virtual raffle for participants. Participants could submit a photo of themselves during or after their run to be included in the raffle. Raffle prizes included free Panera bread, free Barry’s bootcamp classes, gift cards to Starbucks and more.
The PCOM Hearts Student-Run Clinics are located in underserved areas of Philadelphia. In the wake of COVID-19, students have been prevented from doing their monthly visits. The patients and residents of these sites were still able to access the health resources provided by PCOM Hearts, things such as first aid supplies and personal care items, but supplies have dwindled in recent months. SOMA’s donation will allow sites to purchase essential items for their patients and residents, as well as cover other operating costs.
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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