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Georgia’s Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

I hosted Dr. Bill Craver to talk about the Georgia campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Dr. Craver is the dean and chief academic officer of the osteopathic medical program at the Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is also known as GA-PCOM, in Suwanee.

Dr. Craver is a professor of surgery, is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery, and is a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. Dr. Craver earned a degree in physical therapy from the University of Delaware. He worked in the areas of physical therapy and sports medicine at the Hershey Medical Center before enrolling at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree with honors.

Dr. Craver completed a residency in general surgery at the Osteopathic Medical Center of Philadelphia. He cared for patients in Jasper, Georgia and Hardinsburg, Kentucky before coming to GA-PCOM.  GA-PCOM is a private, not-for-profit branch of the fully accredited Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has a 117-year tradition of excellence. Located in Suwanee, GA-PCOM was established in 2005.

It offers a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences, and a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies.   The campus also includes the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, which is an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic that is open to the public by appointment.

What is osteopathic medicine and what does it mean to be a D.O.? Andrew T. Still, M.D., was dissatisfied with the effectiveness of 19th century medicine. He was one of the pioneers of osteopathic medicine – and he was one of the first of his time to study the attributes of good health to better understand disease. Dr. Still’s philosophy is based on the unity of all body parts and views the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health.

Dr. Still introduced the idea of returning the body to health through manipulation based on a thorough understanding of the body’s systems.  Along with M.D.s, today’s D.O.s are licensed to prescribe medication and perform surgery in all 50 states.  Osteopathic physicians practice a “whole person” approach to medicine, treating the entire person rather than just the symptoms.

With a focus on preventive health care, D.O.s help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don’t just fight illness but help prevent it as well. D.O.s are trained to be doctors first and specialists second. The majority of D.O.s are family-oriented primary care physicians. Many D.O.s practice in small towns and rural areas,
where they often care for entire families and communities.

Special Guest:

Dr. Bill Craver, Dean and Professor of Surgery, Georgia campus, Philadelphia College of Medicine