News — In a move designed to advance opportunities for students to expand their access to cutting-edge research and education in the field of biomedical sciences, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and The Wistar Institute have announced an academic collaboration to offer degree programs, courses and other educational opportunities to students at each institution.
"I am thrilled about this collaboration,” said Gregory McDonald, DO ’89, dean of the School of Health Sciences at PCOM. “Wistar has a long track record of effective and relevant education programming that prepares students for success, so to be able to offer courses like 'Life Science Innovation' to biomedical sciences students starting next year is an exciting opportunity."
“PCOM’s commitment to educating tomorrow’s biomedical leaders through diverse educational programs is perfectly aligned with The Wistar Institute’s goal of exposing students to authentic training opportunities,” said Kristy Shuda McGuire, Ph.D., Dean of Biomedical Studies at Wistar. “This collaboration will provide students with the foundational knowledge and the hands-on training they need to successfully pursue careers in the ever-advancing field of biomedical science.”
“PCOM’s collaboration with The Wistar Institute offers our students tremendous opportunities to integrate and apply their knowledge of clinically relevant basic science to drug and vaccine development and validation, and the process of bringing a product to market,” said Mindy George-Weinstein, Ph.D., PCOM’s Chief Research and Science Officer. “The agreement also has the potential to lead to inter-institutional research collaborations.”
The collaboration brings together PCOM, renowned for its commitment to educating students in holistic health with an emphasis on evidence-based practice and The Wistar Institute, a global leader in biomedical research in cancer, immunology and infectious disease. As part of the agreement, trainees at Wistar will have access to PCOM’s foundation year biomedical science curriculum. In addition, students enrolled in PCOM’s Biomedical Sciences program will have access to courses in the rapidly evolving fields of Cancer Biology, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, and the option to pursue a concentration in Translational Life Sciences. Excitingly, this concentration will be available to students at all three PCOM campuses. Both institutions also recently received grant funding to implement the new courses and for student travel to Wistar for their annual presentation and event.
PCOM will also offer adjunct status to some Wistar faculty, with PCOM faculty offered reduced rates for shared resource services at Wistar.
This collaboration is intended to foster an environment where students can explore, learn, and contribute to the cutting-edge fields of biomedical research and life sciences. PCOM and The Wistar Institute hope to use this collaboration as a model to develop additional collaborative educational opportunities in the future.
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