Georgia CampusPhiladelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) held the Colleges eighth annual commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 27 in the Tommy P. Hughes Grand Ballroom of the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth.
About 58 candidates received Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences degrees, and around 100 students were awarded Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) School of Pharmacy. The Class of 2016 is the third graduating class for PCOM School of Pharmacy which is located on the Georgia Campus. During a second ceremony at 3:30 p.m., about 128 students were awarded Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degrees.
The commencement ceremonies each featured a distinguished speaker. United States Representative Earl L. Buddy Carter addressed the graduates at the 11 a.m. ceremony. The only pharmacist currently in Congress, Representative Carter is serving his first term in the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, as well as the committees on Homeland Security and Oversight and Government Reform.
John R. Potts III, MD, spoke at the 3:30 p.m. ceremony. A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Southern Surgical Association, the American Surgical Association and the Southeastern Surgical Congress, Dr. Potts became the Senior Vice President for Surgical Accreditation at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in 2012.
In honor of the graduating students, the College hosted a Commencement Dinner Dance at the Infinite Energy Center on May 24. Other pre-commencement activities have included honors brunches, graduation rehearsals, and class photographs followed by a barbecue.