TIFTON/SUWANEE — An agreement was recently reached which will allow Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) students seeking careers as pharmacists to earn doctoral degrees a year early at PCOM Georgia. The Suwanee campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is the home of the College’s PCOM School of Pharmacy.
Dr. Matthew Anderson, Dean of the ABAC School of Arts and Sciences, said, “We are very excited about this new venture with PCOM, which is sure to be of tremendous benefit to our students and the broader region. This agreement will allow students to complete their combined bachelor and doctoral level education in a shorter time frame, which will make this advanced training more accessible and prepare more pharmacists to enter the workforce.”
According to Shawn Spencer, PhD RPh, Dean of the PCOM School of Pharmacy, the agreement will allow eligible ABAC students to enter the pharmacy school after completing their junior year of college. Students who meet the School of Pharmacy requirements may matriculate into professional school before graduating from ABAC and will have the opportunity to earn a combined BS-PharmD while at PCOM Georgia.
Dr. Spencer explained that after completion of the second year of pharmacy school, these students will be eligible to receive their bachelor’s degree from ABAC having earned the required credits during their first two years at PCOM Georgia. Therefore, students can begin their careers early while saving tuition dollars.
Dr. Spencer said, “We continually strive to add value for our students. We’re very pleased about ABAC’s partnership with us and will continue to support Georgia residents entering the region’s healthcare workforce.”
An articulation agreement similar to the agreement with ABAC is also in place at Middle Georgia State University in Macon and Valdosta State University in Valdosta.
Students enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at PCOM Georgia may enhance their credentials by pursuing concentrations in three pharmacy practice areas including acute, ambulatory and managed care. In addition, PharmD students may pursue one of three graduate business programs offered in partnership with Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa.
PCOM President and CEO, Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, said, “Now with two campuses in Georgia, PCOM strives to impact all regions of the state. With this new partnership with ABAC, we will save our students from the South Georgia region both time and tuition dollars in hopes that they will return to South Georgia to practice pharmacy.”
About Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Since 1908, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton has provided unique, hands-on learning opportunities for students as the South’s premier destination for agriculture and natural resources. The ABAC curriculum has grown tremendously, now including a wide range of more traditional four-year degrees and paths to success including a highly regarded nursing program, innovative arts and science tracks, and an ever-growing list of learning opportunities and majors for its students. A unit of the 26-member University System of Georgia, ABAC supports an enrollment of almost 4,000 students from 155 of Georgia’s 159 counties, 18 states, and 30 countries. Over 1,300 of the students live on campus in modern, apartment-style residence halls in Tifton. ABAC also features instructional sites in Moultrie, Bainbridge, Blakely, and Donalsonville.
About PCOM Georgia
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a private, not-for-profit, accredited institute of higher education dedicated to the healthcare professions. The Suwanee, Georgia, campus is affiliated with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine which has a storied history as a premier osteopathic medical school. PCOM Georgia offers the doctor of osteopathic medicine degree, the doctor of pharmacy degree, the doctor of physical therapy degree, as well as graduate degrees in biomedical sciences and physician assistant studies. Emphasizing “a whole person approach to care,” PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the wider community. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit www.pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500.
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