Published 3:04 pm Monday, August 17, 2026 MOULTRIE — When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Colquitt County, Selena Meza watched her rural community struggle as some residents lost their lives. “I wanted to understand why this was happening instead of just hearing, ‘Here’s your medicine,’” Meza said. “Watching people depend on a diagnosis and treatment plan strengthened my desire to become a pathologist and give back to rural communities like the one I grew up in.” But for Meza, the journey to medical school felt like a distant dream as a first-generation college student and the daughter of immigrants. “My parents didn’t have the opportunity to complete a traditional education, and they spoke very little English when they came to America,” she said. “Their sacrifices made it possible for me to be where I am today.” Meza enrolled in PCOM South Georgia’s Certificate of Graduate Studies (CGS) in Biomedical Sciences program, where she attended lectures alongside Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) students, providing an early introduction to medical school. “It was very special that this school is in my backyard, and I didn’t have to adjust to a new town,” she said. “People at PCOM South Georgia know me and know my family. It makes me emotional to know how close we all are.” During her graduate studies, Meza collaborated with Thomas J. Last, PhD, a professor of biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics, on an award-winning research study examining emergency department utilization and…
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