Gwinnett Daily Post

SUWANEE -- Students, faculty and administration at Georgia Campus--Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine got a visit Tuesday from one of the most renowned physicians in the field.

Dr. Martin Levine, president of the American Osteopathic Association, said the local college is doing its part in preparing new talent to be successful.

"I think the osteopathic profession is the answer to the needs of the American public," Levine said Tuesday. "I'd say this school is doing a tremendous job in meeting those needs."

Levine was named president of the American Osteopathic Association in July. He has a family practice in Bayonne, N.J., and Jersey City, N.J. He serves as associate dean for educational development at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City.

Levine has served on the AOA's board of trustees since 2000. In addition to his role on the board, he has served on the AOA in a number of other capacities.

With 30 years in the practice, Levine said he grew up watching his grandfather complete work in the same profession.

The profession, he said, "hasn't changed at all. The basic concepts are the same. The patient/physician trust is still the most important thing and still the mainstay. Medicine has gotten increasingly complex, and when you're with a patient it all comes down to whether that patient trusts you as their physician."

GA--PCOM Dean H. William Carver said students at the school learn those same lessons locally. He has worked at the campus since it opened in 2005.

"We came here with a focus on Georgia and the southeast, so we actively make our presence known and look for individuals to come here and receive the training," Craver said.

The campus goal, Craver said, is "helping this community, because we came here to become a part of this community."

For more information about GA--PCOM, visit hwww.pcom.edu/general_information/georgia/georgia.html.