Geisinger College of Health Sciences Programs: Opportunities and Education

Geisinger is dedicated to fostering the next generation of healthcare professionals. Through a variety of programs, Geisinger provides college students with opportunities to develop their skills and launch their careers in healthcare. These programs range from financial aid and scholarships to internships, externships, and employment opportunities, all designed to provide valuable resources and hands-on experience.

Financial Support Programs

Geisinger understands that financing a healthcare education can be a significant challenge. To help students overcome this obstacle, they offer several programs that provide financial support for those pursuing degrees in specialized healthcare fields. These programs often involve a work commitment with Geisinger after graduation in exchange for the financial assistance.

Geisinger Nursing and Health Sciences Scholars Program

The Geisinger Nursing and Health Sciences Scholars Program provides up to $40,000 in financial support to students pursuing careers as Registered Nurses (RN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Certified Medical Assistants (CMA), Respiratory Therapists, or Surgical Technologists. In return for this financial assistance, recipients are required to fulfill a work commitment with Geisinger after completing their education.

Medical Imaging Scholars Program

This program awards up to $40,000 in financial support for students pursuing a career in Medical Imaging. Similar to the Nursing and Health Sciences Scholars Program, recipients are required to fulfill a work commitment with Geisinger after completing their education.

Pathology Assistant, Cytologist, and Histotechnologist Program

Geisinger offers a program that awards up to $50,000 in financial support for students pursuing a career as a Pathology Assistant, Cytologist, or Histotechnologist. As with the other financial support programs, recipients are required to fulfill a work commitment with Geisinger after completing their education.

Hands-on Experience: Internships and Externships

To complement classroom learning, Geisinger offers internships and externships for college students. These opportunities provide hands-on experience in departments that align with a student's area of study. The availability of these opportunities varies based on business needs.

One former extern describes their experience in the emergency room: "The externship was a great experience to really see what the emergency room was like. I feel that I learned so much more in the 10 weeks of the program compared to my clinicals at school. I also think that it gives me a head start into nurse orientation because I know the unit and have a background."

Employment Opportunities

Geisinger offers per diem employment opportunities for college students in many different areas. This provides a flexible, part-time job option that allows students to gain valuable work experience while earning extra income.

One student, working as a Radiologic Technologist Student at Geisinger Muncy, shared: "My position as a Radiologic Technologist Student at Geisinger Muncy has allowed me to gain more experience and confidence in my practical skills, which has positively impacted my performance in my Radiography program. It has also allowed me to make professional connections to help me advance my career with Geisinger post-graduation. The team here has been exceptionally kind and informative!"

Another student noted: "Geisinger employees have always shown me immense kindness, both as an employee and as a nursing student during clinicals."

Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)

The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) is an innovative model of volunteer programming for volunteers currently enrolled in a clinically-based curriculum of study at a college or university. HELP student volunteers participate in 20 hours of specialized program education that enables them to serve Geisinger patients by implementing strategies that focus on the prevention of delirium and mental decline in patients ages 65+, improving the quality of a patient’s hospital stay and lessening the likelihood of readmission.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM)

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) is a private medical school associated with the Geisinger Health System. It emphasizes a community-based model of medical education.

History and Accreditation

The foundation of GCSOM began with the establishment of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Medical Education Development Consortium (MEDC) in 2004. The consortium included business, medical, community, and government representatives. After acquiring funding from various sources, the Commonwealth Medical Education Corporation was formed. The school was granted degree-granting authority in 2008 and received preliminary accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) in 2008.

In June 2011, the LCME placed GCSOM on probation due to financial stability concerns. Provisional accreditation was granted in 2012, with full accreditation granted in June 2014. GCSOM was also granted full accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in June 2014. Geisinger Health System acquired the Commonwealth Medical College on September 28, 2016. The acquisition integrated aspects of the health system, such as residency training programs, into TCMC, and also introduced new Master's programs.

In September 2021, Geisinger announced that Julie Byerley, M.D., M.P.H., would serve as the new president and dean of the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, executive vice president and chief academic officer, effective January 1, 2022.

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Academics and Admissions

GCSOM offers a Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Entry into the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine is competitive. In 2022, the school received 5,992 applications for a class size of 111. The MD Class of 2026 had an average MCAT score of 511.62 and GPA of 3.75 on admission. Twelve percent of the class is from groups historically underrepresented in medicine, and 71% of the 108 students in the class are from Pennsylvania.

In 2021, the school launched the Total Health Curriculum, designed to align the medical school program with the Geisinger Health System. Graduates complete objectives in 6 major categories: patients, families and communities, professional identity, health system science, critical thinking, clinical skills, and knowledge for practice.

Regional Campuses

GCSOM operates with a community-based model of medical education with six regional campuses:

North (Scranton, PA)
South (Wilkes-Barre, PA)
Central (Danville, PA)
West (Lewistown, PA)
Atlanticare (Atlantic City, NJ)
Guthrie (Sayre, PA)

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