Geisinger Commonwealth hosts Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science students
For the ninth year, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) hosted several local high school students for a fellowship research experience at the school.
The invited students are members of the elite Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS).
PJAS is a statewide organization sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, whose mission is to provide a forum where secondary students can conduct scientific research and present the results of that research on both a local and state level. In 2009, Dr. Clay LaCoe, STEM supervisor for the Wallenpaupack Area School District and regional director of PJAS, sought to forge a relationship between PJAS and GCSOM, resulting in the research program.
Sonia Lobo Planey, PhD, associate dean for research & scholarship and associate professor of biochemistry at GCSOM, said, “The fellowship experience involves a two-day visit to the School of Medicine. Students are provided with career counseling specifically focused on improving their competitiveness for future careers in science/medicine; given opportunities to network with medical students, physicians and research scientists; and given complete access to our medical school’s state-of-the-art biomedical and bioinformatics research facilities.”
During the two-day experience, students conduct experiments and participate in biomedical research projects focused on a broad range of health topics of particular significance in northeastern Pennsylvania, including cancer, osteoporosis and obesity.
“Together with Dr. LaCoe, we saw an opportunity for students in the region to experience and understand what it means to be a working scientist and to gain access to a network of professionals who could mentor them about science/medical career opportunities,” Dr. Planey said. “As a result, we established the GCSOM/PJAS Fellowship, awarded annually to a very small and select group of PJAS students.”
Fellowship awardees are selected as part of a competitive process that involves the completion of an essay concerning a regional health problem and personal interview during the annual PJAS regional competition. To date, GCSOM has hosted 46 students.
About Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) is a member of the Geisinger family. Geisinger Commonwealth offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Atlantic City, Danville, Doylestown, Sayre, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger Commonwealth offers Doctor of Medicine (MD), Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) and Professional Science Master's (PSM) degrees. The school’s innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from within its region, as well as from across the nation. The school also has more than 500 residents and fellows in 31 accredited residency programs and 27 accredited fellowships. Geisinger Commonwealth is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. For more information, visit www.geisinger.edu/gcsom, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is committed to making better health easier for the more than 1 million people it serves. Founded more than 100 years ago by Abigail Geisinger, the system now includes 10 hospital campuses, a health plan with more than half a million members, a Research Institute and the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. With nearly 24,000 employees and more than 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger boosts its hometown economies in Pennsylvania by billions of dollars annually. Learn more at Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
For GCSOM media inquiries
Elizabeth Zygmunt
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Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Office: 570-504-9687
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ezygmunt@som.geisinger.edu