PCOM Georgia Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Georgia Campus, located in Suwanee, GA, is a branch of PCOM that emphasizes an osteopathic, community-oriented approach to medicine. Interviewees can expect a traditional, conversational interview format that previous candidates have described as welcoming and low-stress studentdoctor.net. The school’s mission to serve Georgia and the broader Southeast community is reflected in its curriculum and values, which prioritize holistic care, diversity, and addressing healthcare needs in underserved regions aacom.org catalog.pcom.edu. Effective interview preparation for PCOM Georgia involves understanding the program’s key features—such as its early clinical exposure philosophy and regional clinical training sites—being aware of relevant healthcare policy issues in Georgia and nationally, and appreciating the personal qualities and competencies that PCOM values in its students. Keeping track of the application timeline and deadlines (for the 2025–2026 cycle) is also vital for a successful application journey.

PCOM Georgia’s interview process is conducted in a traditional (non-MMI) format that is typically conversational. Notable characteristics of the interview include:

• Format: Traditional interview style (non-MMI), focusing on open dialogue rather than timed stations aacom.org.
• Interview Panel: Typically two interviewers (often faculty or administrators) conduct the interview in a panel-style conversation studentdoctor.net.
• Open vs. Closed File: The interview is open-file, meaning the interviewers have access to the applicant’s full application during the meeting studentdoctor.net.
• Setting: Interviews can be attended in-person or virtually (a practice continued from recent years); most applicants in the latest cycle interviewed via a virtual platform studentdoctor.net.
• Atmosphere: The tone is generally relaxed and friendly – most past interviewees reported a low-stress experience studentdoctor.net.
• Post-Interview Outcomes: Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis; the program tends to offer acceptances to a substantial proportion of those interviewed. (In a recent cycle, about 135 students matriculated out of ~3,400 applicants, roughly a 4% overall acceptance rate) premedcatalyst.com.

PCOM Georgia’s guiding mission is to educate physicians who will serve the needs of Georgia and the Southeast, training them in the osteopathic tradition with an aim to improve healthcare in underserved communities aacom.org. This ties into PCOM’s overarching philosophy of educating health professionals to care for the whole person and advance health in diverse communities catalog.pcom.edu. The college places high value on traits like integrity, respect, teamwork, and innovation as part of its institutional culture, and it actively promotes diversity within its student body catalog.pcom.edu aacom.org. PCOM Georgia seeks students who resonate with these ideals of compassion, community service, and inclusivity, reflecting the school’s mission in their own values.

Established in 2005 as an extension of PCOM’s Philadelphia campus, PCOM Georgia is located on a 25-acre suburban campus in Suwanee (about 30 miles from downtown Atlanta) aacom.org. The campus features state-of-the-art facilities including dedicated labs for Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OMM), a clinical simulation center, a large anatomy laboratory, and an information commons with extensive digital resources aacom.org. Each incoming DO class at PCOM Georgia is approximately 130–135 students, fostering a close-knit learning environment within the larger PCOM community aacom.org.

Academically, PCOM Georgia’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program uses an integrated curriculum that combines basic and clinical sciences from the start. Students participate in Doctors from Day One, meaning they receive clinical skills training (e.g., Primary Care Skills and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine) early in the first two years alongside fundamental science courses aacom.org. During the third and fourth years, students complete clinical rotations at affiliated hospitals throughout Georgia and the Southeast, gradually taking on more responsibility in a broad range of medical settings under supervision aacom.org. These program features – early clinical exposure, hands-on OMM training, and diverse regional clerkships – provide excellent talking points for interviews. For example, candidates might ask about the simulation-based learning experiences or about the variety of rotation sites, demonstrating genuine interest in PCOM Georgia’s training approach.

In preparation for interviews, it’s important to be aware of current healthcare policy issues that intersect with PCOM Georgia’s mission and the healthcare landscape in its region. At both the state and national level, several topics stand out as relevant background for discussion:

• Rural healthcare access in Georgia – Nearly 41% of Georgia’s population lives in rural areas, yet only about 8% of the state’s physicians practice in those rural communities pcom.edu. This disparity underlies PCOM’s efforts (including establishing a South Georgia campus) to train more doctors to serve underserved rural regions pcom.edu.
• Medicaid expansion and insurance coverage – Georgia’s state leadership has opted for a limited Medicaid expansion program with work requirements instead of full expansion, which affects how low-income residents access healthcare apnews.com. This policy context often frames discussions about healthcare access and preventive care in the region.
• Integration of osteopathic physicians – A major change in medical education policy was the 2020 transition to a single graduate medical education accreditation system for both DO and MD programs. This means osteopathic graduates from schools like PCOM Georgia have equal access to residency programs nationwide, while still preserving their unique training in holistic care acgme.org.
• Public health initiatives – Topics such as vaccination policies and addressing vaccine hesitancy have been prominent nationally and in Georgia (indeed, PCOM interviewers have asked about applicants’ opinions on vaccination) studentdoctor.net. Awareness of broader public health challenges (e.g., managing pandemics, the opioid epidemic, mental health access) can also be useful in interview discussions.

PCOM Georgia uses a holistic admissions process, meaning that beyond grades and test scores, the school looks closely at personal qualities and experiences. The admissions committee evaluates a range of non-academic factors that reflect an applicant’s character and potential as a physician, such as:

• Demonstrated passion for osteopathic medicine – a clear motivation for pursuing the DO path and an understanding of the osteopathic approach to healthcare aacom.org.
• Leadership and initiative – examples of taking on leadership roles or significant responsibilities in organizations, work, or community service projects aacom.org.
• Service and compassion – a commitment to volunteering, community service, or helping others, and the ability to show empathy (qualities that PCOM Georgia highly values in future physicians) aacom.org.
• Clinical experience – exposure to healthcare settings through activities like shadowing physicians, working as a medical scribe or EMT, or other patient-care experiences that demonstrate firsthand familiarity with clinical environments aacom.org.
• Research and scholarly involvement – participation in research projects or other scholarly academic work, indicating intellectual curiosity and contribution to medical knowledge aacom.org.
• Extracurricular involvement – engagement in meaningful extracurricular activities (such as clubs, sports, arts, or other personal interests) that contribute to a well-rounded background and personal development aacom.org.

As an osteopathic medical school, PCOM Georgia expects students to develop competencies aligned with the professional standards of osteopathic medicine. The American Osteopathic Association outlines seven core competency domains for osteopathic physicians. Understanding these can give insight into the qualities and skills the program will cultivate (and likely look for) in students:

• Osteopathic Principles & Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine – Demonstration and application of osteopathic philosophy and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT); dedication to continual learning and incorporation of osteopathic principles in practice dcomcme.lmunet.edu.
• Medical Knowledge – A thorough knowledge of biomedical, clinical, and behavioral sciences, with the ability to apply this knowledge and stay current with medical advances dcomcme.lmunet.edu.
• Patient Care – The ability to provide effective patient evaluation and treatment that incorporates osteopathic philosophy, emphasizes empathy and preventive care, and promotes healthful living dcomcme.lmunet.edu.
• Interpersonal & Communication Skills – Effective communication and interpersonal abilities that facilitate professional relationships with patients, families, and healthcare team members dcomcme.lmunet.edu.
• Professionalism – A commitment to upholding ethical principles, putting patient welfare first, maintaining integrity, and showing sensitivity to diverse patient populations while engaging in continual professional development dcomcme.lmunet.edu.
• Practice-Based Learning & Improvement – The capacity to evaluate and improve one’s own practice, integrate evidence-based medicine, and understand research methods to advance patient care quality dcomcme.lmunet.edu.
• Systems-Based Practice – An understanding of healthcare delivery systems and the ability to effectively and efficiently use system resources to provide optimal, cost-effective patient care dcomcme.lmunet.edu.

Looking at the themes of past interview questions can help applicants anticipate the topics they might need to discuss. Based on feedback from previous PCOM Georgia interviews, common question themes include:

• Motivation for medicine (especially osteopathic medicine) – Interviewers often ask about an applicant’s reasons for pursuing a career as a physician and choosing the DO route (e.g. "Why DO?" and "Why do you want to be a physician?") studentdoctor.net.
• Personal background and attributes – Open-ended prompts such as "Tell me about yourself" that invite you to discuss your experiences, strengths, and personal qualities (including what qualities you believe make a good physician) studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net.
• Ethical and professional scenarios – Queries that probe your decision-making in challenging situations (for example, how you would handle a non-compliant patient studentdoctor.net or how you would approach telling a terminal patient bad news when they don’t want to know studentdoctor.net).
• Healthcare and societal issues – Questions about current issues in healthcare or policy, such as your opinion on vaccination mandates or healthcare reform, to gauge your awareness of the medical environment studentdoctor.net.
• Handling challenges and growth – Inquiries into how you manage adversity or conflict, for instance describing a time you dealt with a significant failure or stress, or how you resolved a conflict within a team studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net.

PCOM Georgia operates on a rolling admissions schedule, so timing is important – applying early can secure an interview slot while spots are still available. The key dates and deadlines for the 2025–2026 application cycle are:

• May 5, 2025 – AACOMAS opens for submissions of the primary application (this is the first date you can e-submit your application) aacom.org.
• February 1, 2026 – Primary application deadline for PCOM (your AACOMAS application must be submitted and verified by this date) aacom.org.
• March 1, 2026 – Deadline for all secondary application materials to be received by PCOM Georgia (including the supplemental application fee and required recommendation letters) aacom.org.
• Rolling admissions process – Interview invitations and acceptance offers are given on a rolling basis. It is strongly recommended to submit applications early in the cycle, as interview slots fill up and decisions are made continuously aacom.org.

In summary, thorough preparation for a PCOM Georgia interview involves understanding the school’s mission and values, being familiar with its program features and the healthcare context it operates in, and reflecting on how your own experiences align with what the school seeks. By knowing the interview format in advance, anticipating common question themes, and staying informed about relevant healthcare issues, you can approach the interview confident and well-informed. Moreover, keeping track of application timelines and presenting your genuine passion for osteopathic medicine will help convey to the interviewers that you are a strong fit for PCOM Georgia’s community.