PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE extraordinary impact 2012 ANNUAL REPORT mission statement Philadelphia College of educational Osteopathic Medicine is dedicated to the education of goals students in medicine, health and behavioral sciences. The College The College’s educational goals fosters the growth of the focus on presenting high-quality, osteopathic profession by train- comprehensive programs of ing physicians through programs study that embrace the following of study guided by osteopathic expectations of student learning: medical tradition, concept and • Students will demonstrate a practice. Philadelphia College central core of biomedical or of Osteopathic Medicine is behavioral science knowledge committed to the advancement in their field of study including of knowledge and intellectual theory, foundations, clinical growth through teaching and skills and applied clinical/ research, and to the well-being of practical applications as the community through leader- appropriate to the specific ship and service. academic program. • Students will demonstrate communication skills through clinical assessments, group discussion and/or written or oral presentation in their respective fields. • Students will demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry by designing, conduct- ing, presenting or interpreting research in their field of study as appropriate to their academic program. • Students will identify, retrieve, understand, analyze, synthesize and apply infor- mation collected from various sources and in varied formats including those requiring skills in the use of information technology. 2 | PCOM ANNUAL REPORT 2012 • EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT If there is one thing that unites all members of We celebrate and thank all the members of our the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic community for their loyal dedication to and Medicine community, it is this: a shared aspira- support of PCOM. We invite ideas and suggestions tion to engage the world and to make it better. from our community to enhance the well-being of the College as we meet today’s challenges This desire has inspired PCOM alumni for with energy and confidence. generations as they have employed compassion- ate, holistic approaches to clinical, didactic and With warmest regards, other professional responsibilities required in ever-changing healthcare and scientific environments. This desire likewise encourages Paul W. McGloin, CPA, LLD (Hon.) our administrators, staff, faculty and students, Chairman of the Board researchers and scientists, caregivers and patients, donors and friends. Individually and together, we make an extraordinary impact. Matthew Schure, PhD President and Chief Executive Officer PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE | 3 devoted healers holistic ad inspired influential innovatorsextraord practitioners humanistic d compassionate im colleagues rese great 4 | PCOM ANNUAL REPORT 2012 • EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT dvocates exceptional mentors teachers inary committed mpactdedicated scholars earchers We are 14,000 humanistic practitioners and holistic healers, committed researchers and consummate scholars, intrepid innovators and inspired entrepreneurs, dedicated teachers and devoted mentors, steadfast colleagues and staunch advocates. We serve communities in every state in the nation and in foreign countries and territories around the world——diverse populations with unique needs. Individually and together, we make an extraordinary impact. PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE | 5 6 | PCOM ANNUAL REPORT 2012 • EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT John Chovanes, DO ’00 Attending Surgeon, Trauma Center, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey; Assistant Professor, Cooper University Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey; and Clinical Assistant Professor, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Fast-paced and protocol-driven, his job is among the most intense in the field of medicine. An attending surgeon at Cooper University Hospital, one of only three New Jersey State-Designated Level 1 Trauma Centers, Dr. Chovanes and his team are called at a moment’s notice to care for severely injured patients including persons involved in motor vehicle accidents, falls and acts of violence. On average, the Center, the old- est in the Delaware Valley, admits more than 2,700 trauma patients each year. “Trauma is a great equalizer,” Dr. Chovanes says. “Everyone——despite age, race or socioeconomic status——is suscepti- ble to traumatic injury. Care must be deliv- ered rapidly and consistently. Patients must be resuscitated, given fluids and sometimes ventilated; their injuries must be assessed and required surgical inter- vention, if any, must be determined.” A former paramedic and emergency room nurse, Dr. Chovanes also serves as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve Med- ical Corps. He has completed three tours of duty at combat support hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan. His sense of duty —— solidified on the front lines of battle—— helps him to be emotionally resilient. “Despite public perception, there is little heroism or glamour involved in my day-to-day work. The hours are long and irregular, and I must submit to a pager buzzing endlessly,” he says. “But I like the challenge of restoring patients back to their normal lifestyles. I strive to show compassion for my patients—— whose lives have been dramatically altered in a split second.” PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE | 7 Charles J. Sophy, Jr., DO ’86, FACN Medical Director, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, Los Angeles, California, and Psychiatrist, Beverly Hills, California Since his appointment to the Los Angeles County privileged individuals. He participates regularly on Department of Children and Family Services in 2003, reality television shows, treating star personalities on Dr. Sophy has worked to create a child welfare struc- “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” “Celebrity ture that standardizes physical and mental health Rehab with Dr. Drew” and “Sober House.” And he services and ensures that all evaluations are con- frequents various media circuits as a guest, expert ducted on a best-practices basis in order to create and author of the parenting guide Side by Side: immediate and comprehensive treatment plans for The Revolutionary Mother-Daughter Program for each child, in particular for those entering the sys- Conflict-Free Communication. tem. “Baseline, standardized assessments and reassessments are critical steps in support of our “My public-sector work and my private practice are goal to place children in permanent and secure envi- very much segregated,” Dr. Sophy says, “but the ronments,” he says. dichotomy isn’t as great as many may believe. Money doesn’t define psychiatric challenges; all patients Dr. Sophy, who is board certified in adult psychiatry, need accurate assessments and diagnosis, followed by child and adolescent psychiatry, and family practice, a concrete plan of action and support along the way. has received acclaim for his strong management of They need to be seen as individuals rather than disor- and commitment to the largest child welfare system in ders. The extremes of my workweek keep things in the United States, which ensures the safety of approx- perspective for me. There are days I see patients in imately 40,000 foster care children annually. At the Hollywood mansions and I’m thinking, ‘Do you have same time, he draws attention from the media for his any idea that I was just in a home where they couldn’t private practice care of some of the nation’s most afford dinner?’” 8 | PCOM ANNUAL REPORT 2012 • EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT La Dawn Hackett, MS/Biomed ’08 (Georgia Campus – PCOM), MD Medical Intern, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia A plaque on her desk reads: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the rest of the staircase.” The words have always resonated with Dr. Hackett, who graduated from Georgia Health Sci- ences University (GHSU) in May, and is presently an intern in the GHSU hospital system. She intends to pursue a resi- dency in radiology. “It took me a while to get into medical school,” she says. “But I believe each step of my journey has prepared me to be a better physician.” To gain hands-on clinical experience, Dr. Hackett worked in a cardiology practice as a nuclear medi- cine technologist and office manager. She later enrolled in the biomedical sciences program at Georgia Campus – PCOM, a program that she credits with expanding her research skills, strength- ening her medical school applications and helping to substantiate her goals. As she now balances independence, fatigue and an 80-hour workweek, Dr. Hackett is more focused than ever. She remains inspired by her pediatrician, Lynda Zivalech, MD, who taught her, at an early age, the importance of compas- sion: “Dr. Zivalech took the time to teach me, a sick kid, how to use a stethoscope, the time to touch my hand, to talk to me as a person. To an eight-year-old, she was beautiful, smart, interesting——a model doctor. I hope to be the same for my patients. Medicine is all about devel- oping trust relationships with others as they confront illness.” Furthermore, Dr. Hackett dedicates each day to the mem- ory of her mother, who suffered from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, losing her battle in March——two months shy of her daughter’s graduation. “Mother always encouraged my dreams of becoming a physician. She was at peace knowing that I would be a caring, com- passionate healer.” PHILADELPHIA