It was profound . . On clerkships like this, students get to apply what they learned in the textbooks, and it's a great feeling. Lehigh Valley, along with institutions such as Geisinger Health System and Deborah Heart and Lung Center, is one of the more recent partners in PCOM's affiliated hospital network. With their help, PCOM is exposing students to the most varied clinical education ever, with more clerkships in specialties such as surgery, emergency medicine and cardiology and in sub-specialties. We've also implemented new academic programs in our network, called PCOM MEDNet, with a focus on osteopathic manipulative medicine.
Faculty development is also a priority.
Another way PCOM has become enriched is by the increased breadth of the curriculum - with a campus that includes psychology, physician assistant and biomedical master's students in addition to DO students. Distance learning sites for our doctor of psychology program in Harrisburg, Pa. and East Stroudsburg, Pa. have further extended our reach. We were proud to hold the first commencement ceremony for our graduate programs this year, with 28 graduates receiving degrees. We continue to explore adding degree programs to make the College stronger for the future. Offering students more health care career options is our goal, just as we're committed to giving students like Kevin O'Donnell more choices in medicine with expanded clerkships - and more chances to help save a life.