Being from the small town of Lakeland, GA, Teighlor Livingston (MS/BS 鈥�22) has seen
first-hand the need for healthcare professionals in underserved communities鈥搃t鈥檚 part
of what drove her decision to become a physician and receive her education at 黑料传送门 South Georgia.
鈥淚 want to work with a community similar to that in which I grew up,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is a shortage of rural physicians which creates health disparities in many regions. I want to practice in a rural area and help alleviate the health burden for that community. Practicing in South Georgia would give me the opportunity to give back to those communities who have supported me throughout my medical education.鈥�
After receiving her undergraduate degree at Valdosta State University, Livingston joined the biomedical sciences program to better prepare herself for medical school. While completing her graduate degree, she continued working on research with partners at VSU.
鈥淚 began working in research at VSU in 2019, shortly before I graduated,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 applied to 黑料传送门 South Georgia's biomedical sciences program specifically for the research concentration so that I could continue my work, as well as prepare myself for medical school. I believe my engagement in research has helped me to better understand the 鈥榦ther side of medicine鈥� and how ideas become developments.鈥�
While in the program, graduate students complete their first year of classes alongside the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students鈥揼iving them a feel and preparing them for the rigors of medical school.
鈥淚 can't imagine any other program would have better prepared me for medical school,鈥� Livingston said. 鈥淭he course content is challenging and gave me a taste of what medical school is really going to be like. The medical students always made themselves available to offer advice and answer any questions that I had. Hearing their many different experiences often gave me the confidence to continue working hard to reach my goals. I believe that completing the graduate program better prepared me for the rigor of medical school and will make the transition easier. I firmly believe the graduate program helped me to stand out among applicants and contributed to my acceptance into the DO program.鈥�
Krupesh Patel shares a similar story鈥揳nd a similar educational background. A former
VSU undergraduate classmate of Livingston鈥檚, and now a current graduate classmate,
Patel is also using the graduate program as a bridge to medical school.
鈥淭his graduate program has been a really good step for me before starting medical school,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 allowed me to witness what it's like to be in a medical school without actually being a medical student. Taking classes with the medical students during the first year of the program was helpful because I was able to see the challenges that I will face, and now I feel much more prepared to take them on when I begin my journey later this year.鈥�
All graduate students experience the same curriculum during their first year of the program, but they have the opportunity to pursue a concentration during the second year. While Livingston concentrated in research, Patel concentrated in forensic medicine. With that concentration, he travels to 黑料传送门 in Philadelphia once a month to learn from the forensic medicine faculty members there.
Patel, like many graduate and medical students at 黑料传送门 South Georgia, felt a calling and inspiration to become a physician through a personal experience.
鈥淭he inspiration to become a physician came to me when I was young and would spend
my summer breaks with my grandparents in the Indian village where they lived,鈥� he
said. 鈥淢y grandfather would take me with him to meet his close friend, a doctor, who
managed a clinic in the village. Every day, I observed the doctor treat the villagers
who often did not have easy access or money to pay for medical care. This was my inspiration
to pursue osteopathic medicine. My goal is to become a physician and serve the underprivileged
communities.鈥�
Come July 2022, Patel and Livingston will graduate from the biomedical sciences graduate program. Then, in August 2022, they鈥檒l join the 黑料传送门 South Georgia Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2026.
In 2019, 黑料传送门, a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing 黑料传送门 South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, 黑料传送门 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. 黑料传送门 is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining 黑料传送门 Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, 黑料传送门 South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
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