2021
IMPACT REPORT PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
“ Each person must live their life as a model for others.” – Rosa Parks Each one of you has modeled how to share, support and stay connected to PCOM. Every student club marvels at the wealth of information you share.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is incredibly thankful for your dedication, contributions and support of our students, employees, alumni and our communities. Over the past year, you provided invaluable resources and opportunities for PCOM to continue its work of shaping the future of health. Although the past year was extremely challenging, your support of PCOM never wavered. Whether you mentored students, served as volunteer faculty, spoke to student organizations or made gifts to increase scholarships, you contributed to PCOM’s success. Together, we are shaping the future of health. My sincerest thanks,
Jay S. Feldstein, DO ‘81 President & Chief Executive Officer
Every scholarship recipient knows that your support lessened their financial burden. Every student imagines coming back to lecture to future classes as you do so before them. Each one of you has inspired others to follow your lead. Your investment in PCOM has an impact on not just these students but on the next generation of healthcare professionals.
CAROL L. HENWOOD, DO ’83, RES ’85, FACOFP: SHARING INSIGHT AND INFLUENCE For over 35 years, Carol L. Henwood, DO ’83, RES ’85, FACOFP, has given back to PCOM. Whether she is sharing her expertise with students or making a financial contribution, Dr. Henwood’s desire to give back to PCOM comes from a place of pride. “I’m proud of our high-quality students who are a testament to the importance of osteopathic medicine and the quality of a PCOM education. I’m proud of our second to none faculty who recognize the responsibility and importance that they bring to moving the profession forward, and I’m proud of our alumni because they understand the importance of giving back,” says Dr. Henwood. As a PCOM Pillars volunteer, Dr. Henwood dedicates time each academic year to speak with student organizations and to serve as volunteer faculty. Over the years, she has developed a strong connection with PCOM’s American Women’s
SHARE
STAY CONNECTED
SUPPORT
Medical Association student organization which seeks to advance women in medicine, advocate for equity, and ensure excellence in care. “Now, more than half of the classes at PCOM are composed of women. When I was in school, there wasn’t that same majority,” explains Dr. Henwood. “I had role models and mentors who helped me achieve my goals and I think it’s important for students to see what women can accomplish. I hope to show young women that they can achieve anything they want to achieve.” In addition to donating her time and talent to PCOM, Dr. Henwood has been a loyal financial donor to the College since 1987 saying, “excellence takes dollars. If you can’t mentor or volunteer, you can give your dollars and contribute in your own way to the excellence that PCOM has achieved and will continue to achieve.” Dr. Henwood adds that many alumni, herself included, wouldn’t be where they are today without the generosity of others before them. “One of the reasons I give back is because I can’t imagine where I would be without PCOM. My professional accomplishments were possible because of the education I received at PCOM and the opportunities that followed. It’s about preserving the profession and instilling all of the important things in our students so they can carry the torch moving forward.”
FISCAL YEAR 2021 FUNDRAISING RESULTS
$9,467,820 in total commitments to PCOM
Largest amount in PCOM’s history 199% of FY 21 goal
100%
giving by PCOM board of trustees
YOUR INVESTMENT
The Fund for PCOM Strategic Initiatives
Capital
100%
giving by PCOM executive leadership
14%
Student Aid
5% 7%
2% 72%
Academic Programs
PCOM PILLARS PROGRESS VOLUNTEER CATEGORIES WITH GREATEST NUMBER OF ALUMNI HOURS DONATED
2,019 volunteer faculty
980
1,473 number of alumni volunteers
3,811 number of volunteer hours
56%
mentoring students
alumni volunteers graduated in last 10 years
447
31%
service to the College
334 speakers
Class of 2020 served as volunteers
34%
*
alumni volunteers from PCOM’s graduate programs * as compared to volunteer service in FY2020
STRICKLANDS SUPPORT PCOM GEORGIA As residents and business owners in Gwinnett County, Georgia for over 50 years, Clyde and Sandra Strickland are well known in the region for supporting local organizations. This year, citing the importance of medicine to their family, the Stricklands established the Clyde and Sandra Strickland Endowed Doctoral Scholarship at PCOM Georgia in Suwanee. Realizing how much debt students undertake in order to earn a healthcare degree, Mr. Strickland said, “We want to help them reduce [their] debt so that they can spend more time not only being doctors, but being with their families.” Three students, one from each doctoral program at PCOM Georgia (doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of pharmacy and doctor of physical therapy), will be selected annually to receive funding. Staying true to their devotion to Gwinnett County, the Stricklands stipulated that recipients must be graduates of Gwinnett County Public Schools. Mrs. Strickland said, “We want to help our neighbors here. We can’t help everybody around the world and in other states, but we can surely do something right here in our own community.”
EMERGENCY AID TO STUDENTS As students work to meet the demands of professional and graduate school while coping with the hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic, they have continued to demonstrate incredible strength, compassion and leadership in the face of adversity. Like so many others, a significant number of PCOM students had their education, training and lives impacted by COVID-19. The PCOM Student Emergency Fund was created to distribute funds for students’ most basic needs including food and nutritional essentials, housing or travel expenses. “The COVID pandemic has brought numerous challenges to medicine and medical students, not the least of which is finances,” said Sufyan Ahmad (DO ’22), a beneficiary of the Fund. One first-year student gratefully expressed, “No one could have predicted what a year 2020 would be—learning online with limited social interactions and time away from my support system has been extremely difficult, both emotionally and financially. Without this support, I can’t imagine where I would be academically and mentally.” Generous donations from alumni, including the PCOM Alumni Association, faculty, staff and friends allowed the Office of Financial Aid to award over $150,000 to more than 175 students from all three College locations. Even once COVID has ended, the Student Emergency Fund will remain open to receive contributions and available to students to apply for assistance in the face of other emergencies.
MOCK RESIDENCY INTERVIEWS HELP DO STUDENTS Last fall, PCOM launched the Virtual Mock Residency Interview Program, a joint venture between the Office of Institutional Advancement and Residency Planning Services. Due to the pandemic, most residency programs conducted their interviews virtually last year. While PCOM offers numerous interview preparation resources to students, the virtual environment was uncharted territory. Fourth-year DO students from PCOM and PCOM Georgia were paired with alumni in their preferred specialties for 30-45 minute mock interviews via Zoom. Thanks to the 102 alumni who generously gave their time to participate in this activity, PCOM provided over 230 students with a practice interview. The Class of 2021 went on to achieve a 99.6 percent match rate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Congratulations to the DO Class of 2021!
IMPROVING ACCESS TO FOOD IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES Food insecurity is a crippling problem in the communities where PCOM’s campuses are located. Thanks to a multi-year commitment of funds, all three PCOM locations will be able to purchase and distribute food directly to local communities or use the funds in partnership with organizations that already work to address food access challenges. Noting the impact of the contribution, Stephen Castellano, chief practice operations officer said, “Our work to address food insecurity does more than help people have access to better nutrition. We are creating new alliances, strengthening relationships and providing for a healthier future.” These funds are in addition to efforts that are already in progress. As part of a joint venture with Bebashi, a non-profit agency that offers health education and social services, PCOM established a food pantry at PCOM Healthcare Center – Cambria in November 2020. Food items are purchased, packaged and distributed several times a week. The Lancaster Avenue Center food pantry started operations in May 2021 with the help of staff and student volunteers. PCOM South Georgia sought out local organizations including the United Way of Colquitt County, the Colquitt Food Bank and the Southwest Georgia Community Action Council to bolster existing feeding programs for families and school district children. PCOM Georgia will distribute its funds by the end of 2021.
JOINT EFFORT VACCINATES OVER 200 AT PCOM GEORGIA In the spring, a joint effort between Kaleb Zhang, PharmD ’20, Bethelview Pharmacy, and PCOM Georgia helped vaccinate over 200 PCOM Georgia students, faculty, staff, and their families for COVID-19. Dr. Zhang was working as the pharmacist-in-charge at Bethelview Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy in Cumming, Georgia, when he contacted Kim Lucier, PCOM Georgia administrative services and events manager, to see if any PCOM Georgia community members would want to receive vaccines through the pharmacy when they had leftovers. Initially, Dr. Zhang and Ms. Lucier worked together to send students, faculty, and staff to the pharmacy for vaccinations as they were available. Soon after, Dr. Zhang, Ms. Lucier, and Pam Marquess, PharmD, co-owner of Bethelview Pharmacy, arranged two vaccination clinics on campus in April and May. In addition to providing the campus community with vaccinations, the clinics also provided a learning experience, with all 32 first-year physician assistant students volunteering to vaccinate. Reflecting upon why he helped PCOM, Dr. Zhang said, “I felt like it was my duty as an alumnus of PCOM Georgia to help provide this service to the fine establishment that educated and shaped me into the healthcare professional that I am today.”
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Office of Institutional Advancement 4180 City Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage P A I D Upper Darby, PA Permit No. 167
PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE
IMPACT REPORT
2021