Students, faculty, and community members gathered to honor those who donated their bodies to science at the PCOM South Georgia Body Donor Memorial Service.
PCOM South Georgia held its annual Body Donor Memorial Service on campus in May. For the first time, family members from the Moultrie area attended the event, highlighting the program鈥檚 growth across South Georgia since 2019. Over 100 people, including students, faculty, and community members, gathered to honor those who selflessly donated their bodies for science and research.
This year鈥檚 event was coordinated by first-year students from the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2028 and the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences Class of 2025.
Jonathan Ortiz (DO 鈥�28) greeted the crowd and reflected on his experience working with what he considers his first patient: 鈥淭hrough their gift we received an education that goes beyond science, skills, lectures, or textbooks. This opportunity for learning鈥攕o intimately鈥攊s one we do not take lightly, for it has shaped the way we think, how we approach medicine, and has sculpted the kind of doctors we hope to become.鈥�
Class Chair Daniel Chanelo (DO 鈥�28) spoke as well as Lily Dywer (DO 鈥�28) and Alexandria Branch (MS 鈥�25), Biomedical Class Chair, noting how the donors have given them each a vital lesson鈥攖hat medicine is not just a science but also an act of service.
Associate Professor of Anatomy Emranul Huq, PhD, shared how the program deepens our understanding of the human body, but also emphasized how it teaches empathy: 鈥淚t is also essential in our pursuit of knowledge, healing, and compassion,鈥� he said.
Kristie Petree, DO '13, Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and a graduate of PCOM Georgia鈥檚 Class of 2013, said: 鈥淔ar beyond anything described in a lecture, these teachers offered the opportunity to encounter the human body in its truest form. They granted our students front row seats to lessons that transcend anatomy; lessons in humility, mortality, and empathy.鈥�
To learn more about the PCOM South Georgia Body Donor Program, visit the webpage for more information or contact Jeremy Dickens, anatomical coordinator at PCOM South Georgia, at danielldi1@pcom.edu or 229-668-3261.
In 2019, 色中色 (PCOM), a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing PCOM South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, PCOM South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. PCOM is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining PCOM Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, PCOM South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
Cindy B. Montgomery
Public Relations and Social Media Manager
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: cindymo@pcom.edu
Office: 229-668-3198 | Cell: 229-873-2003
© 2025 色中色
