A new mentoring initiative in the DO program pairs students with faculty to assist
with personal and academic issues.
Even before medical students set foot in their first class, they face an enormous amount of pressure to perform at the highest levels: to get the best grades and land the best residency spot. That can take its toll mentally; a 2015 study published in BMC Medical Education found that the risk of depression rose significantly between a medical student鈥檚 first and third year, and also showed an increase in perceived stress levels.
One way PCOM is helping combat those issues among its doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) students is to pair them with faculty members who can offer a unique perspective, as those who have been through the same situations the students have and are now successfully practicing in their specialties. (, run out of the Office of Institutional Advancement, offers students mentoring opportunities with alumni as well.)
In 2015, Emily Eshleman (DO 鈥19) approached the DO Curriculum Committee with an idea: have students meet with those who had similar experiences and can offer trusted and effective career and personal advice鈥攂ecause they had lived it themselves.
鈥淲e took a survey among the students and the consensus was that they were interested in having a mentor,鈥 said Ms. Eshleman, now a student liaison with the program. 鈥淭his is an upstream solution to a lot of problems some students may otherwise face later and allows the faculty to identify students who may be at-risk and who can benefit from early intervention.鈥
Michael Becker, DO 鈥87, assistant dean of clerkship education and professor, family medicine; and Pat Lannutti, DO 鈥71, co-vice chair and professor, internal medicine, worked with students to implement
a formalized mentoring program. First- and second-year students were assigned a DO
faculty member who could serve as a counselor of sorts and help them deal with issues
from the academic, to the professional, to the personal. While not mandatory, students
are strongly encouraged to meet with their mentors as either part of a group鈥攖heir
鈥淔amily鈥濃攐r one-on-one at least once per semester.
Donald Allison, DO 鈥09, assistant professor, OMM
Joshua Baron, DO 鈥03, clinical assistant professor, emergency medicine
Michael Becker, DO 鈥87, MS, assistant dean of clerkship education and professor, family medicine
Kristen Berry, DO 鈥00, instructor, family medicine
Peter Bidey, DO 鈥08, MEd, assistant professor, family medicine
Charmaine Chan, DO 鈥05, assistant professor, family medicine
Izola David, DO 鈥85, assistant professor, pediatrics
Larry Finkelstein, DO 鈥87, associate professor, family medicine
David Fuller, DO, professor, OMM
Katherine Galluzzi, DO, professor and chair, geriatrics
Joan Grzybowski, DO 鈥87, assistant professor, family medicine
Joseph Guagliardo, DO, professor, surgery
Michelle Hobson, DO 鈥80, clinical assistant professor, OMM
Joanne Kakaty-Monzo, DO 鈥97, clinical associate professor and academic chair, Ob/Gyn
David Kuo, DO 鈥96, associate dean, GME and associate professor, family medicine
Erik Langenau, DO, MS, chief academic technology officer and associate professor, family medicine
Pat Lannutti, DO 鈥71, co-vice chair and professor, internal medicine
Michael Levin, DO 鈥01, chair, Division of Nephrology and clinical associate professor, internal medicine
Harry Morris, DO 鈥78, MPH, professor and chair, family medicine
Marta Motel, DO 鈥88, assistant professor, family medicine
Laura Noto-Bell, DO 鈥06, associate professor, OMM
Daniel Parenti, DO 鈥87, professor and chair, internal medicine
Brian Penza, DO 鈥07, instructor, internal medicine
Erik Polan, DO 鈥07, assistant professor, internal medicine
Arthur Sesso, DO 鈥81, professor and chair, surgery
Madeline Sine-Karasick, DO, clinical assistant professor, radiology
Michael Srulevich, DO, MPH, associate professor, geriatrics
Michael Venditto, DO 鈥77, professor and chair, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
鈥淲e want to affirm that what students are feeling is normal, and to show that they鈥檙e not in it alone,鈥 said Dr. Becker. 鈥淭hrough PCOM, we can offer a network of friends and colleagues who can help with those issues, and we want the students to feel that their school cares about them and is working to support them.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e discovered a solution that complements the services PCOM currently offers for students who may be struggling,鈥 added Dr. Lannutti. 鈥淣o student should feel like they鈥檙e falling through the cracks.鈥
The program formally launched in 2016, and students have responded positively to the experience. In a recent survey given to first- and second-year DO students, more than 60 percent of respondents said that overall, they were either 鈥渟atisfied鈥 or 鈥渧ery satisfied鈥 with the program.
Brisha Bhikadiya, (DO 鈥20), said that she was able to shadow her mentor, Erik Polan, DO 鈥07, assistant professor, internal medicine, during his rounds at Roxborough Hospital several times.
鈥淚t was a great way to get clinical experience and learn about how medicine works in the real world,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 was there when he gave a patient a poor prognosis, and it was interesting to encounter that so early in my medical career. We practice on standardized patients, but it鈥檚 different to see it with a real patient.鈥
Each faculty mentor is provided with a handbook which includes information related to financial aid, lists of local alumni, frequently asked questions about the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States, the United States Medical Licensing Examination and more, to help mentors as they guide their 鈥渇amily members.鈥
鈥淲e do our best to put their stress into perspective,鈥 said Dr. Polan. 鈥淲e try to help guide them and uncover any struggles the students may be having, and if we see any, direct them to the resources that PCOM offers for both emotional and academic support.鈥
Not only do DO students gain academic and emotional support; Student Liaison Danielle Estrada (DO '20) says they also gain a better understanding of what it means to be a compassionate, caring physician.
鈥淲e learn how to be human beings through our interactions with faculty,鈥 she said.
Established in 1899, 色中色 (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥 approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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