With a nine-fold mission statement, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine has established a Medical Education Center of Excellence, under the direction of Art Sesso, DO, senior associate dean and chair of the Department of Surgery.  According to Dr. Sesso, the center, which is the first in the nation, "strengthens the college's ability to prepare the next generation of osteopathic physicians."

The founding documents state that the center will strive to educate the finest osteopathic physicians, assure an understanding that student outcomes equate to patient outcomes, produce leaders in patient-centered care, and develop a campus-wide community of educators.

According to PCOM President Jay S. Feldstein, DO '81, the establishment of the center, which has developed the PCOM ONE curriculum for the osteopathic medicine program, underlines the fact that "PCOM is three distinct locations, but one university."

He said, "We want to assure there is not a difference when our students graduate from the Philadelphia, Suwanee or Moultrie (Georgia) campuses. We want the standardization and quality assurance, the PCOM brand, to be the same when our students start their residency programs."

He added, "MECOE strives to assure that our students have the same opportunities with the same curriculum the first two years. I don't think we can understate that in today's world," he said, "because residencies will continue to be more competitive. There are more and more osteopathic schools and allopathic schools which continue to increase their class sizes."

Not only is the content different with a new emphasis on wellness and nutrition, but curriculum delivery has changed. Dr. Feldstein explained that "PCOM ONE involves small groups, active learning, critical thinking skills and team building. That's the world we live in today."

The center's mission prioritizes the integration of basic and clinical sciences in a translational education model, communicates and shares outcomes data for future curricular development, and inspires and supports research, scholarship and innovation.

Finally, the center addresses cultural competency, issues of health equity and the delivery system, in addition to providing an atmosphere that encourages new ideas and promotes faculty and student initiatives.

The center utilizes a structure with seven faculty directors across PCOM's three campus locations in Pennsylvania and Georgia. The directors ensure the progress of each student throughout their educational journey.

Dr. Feldstein said, "It was a massive undertaking and it's a credit to everyone's passion that the center has been accomplished."