Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)

Vcom is an Osteopathic medical College guided by a mission that will produce the physicians this country needs.education:as a medical school, vcom continues to make extraordinary progress towards improving healthcare in rural america through research and the work of faculty, students and alumni. The accomplishments of this year are landmark steps in educating the next generation of physicians. Vcom has now graduated 5,655 physicians and is becoming one of the largest sources of physicians in the southeastern united states. While vcom has grown into one of the largest medical schools in the country, each campus maintains the feel of a small private College, with a dedicated focus on the community, state and medically underserved regions that the campus serves.from the admissions process to graduate medical education programs, the vcom mission focuses on rural and medically underserved populations in student academic programs and alumni outcomes. This commitment to rural health is evident in the admissions process, with 25% of our students coming from rural communities of less than 10,000 and 45% from communities of less than 30,000. Diversity outcomes also demonstrate this commitment across the four campuses. Vcom was awarded with the 2023 insight into diversity higher education excellence in diversity (heed) award in recognition of its variety of programs, all designed to help recruit and support a wide range of students. Currently, 70% of vcom graduates work in medically underserved communities, incuding primary care health professions areas after residency, and 70% practice in a target area in an appalachian or delta county or city. Vcom actively recruits students from these areas because they are most likely to return to their home regions, enhancing health in those communities. Furthermore, recruitment philosophy provides the opportunity for those from rural and medically underserved communities to become physicians. The compass that guides success is the strength of this mission and a vision for healthier appalachian and delta regions. It points to a future where every person has access to good medical care and good health, regardless of the size of the community where they live, their diverse backgrounds or their socioeconomic status.vcom's initial vision was to provide healthcare for southwest Virginia, other medically underserved regions and the greater appalachian region. That vision included a commitment to engaging in collaborative biomedical research with Virginia tech. Under a public/private partnership with Virginia tech, vcom opened its doors to its first students in blacksburg, Virginia, in the fall of 2003 and graduated its first class in 2007. The Virginia campus has now graduated 3,070 physicians.in 2010, vcom founded its second campus, vcom-carolinas, in collaboration with spartanburg regional health system to address the healthcare shortages in the upstate region of south carolina. The first students began their medical education at vcom-carolinas in the fall of 2011, and the campus graduated its first class in 2015. The campus has graduated over 1,537 physicians.auburn university administration learned of the success of the vcom/vt collaboration and through a public/private collaboration, a third vcom campus at auburn university was opened. Vcom-auburn's inaugural class entered in 2015 and graduated in may 2019. Vcom auburn has 901 graduates to date, with a growing number of alumni already returning to practice in the state, and a large number committed to practicing within the state when their residencies are completed.vcom and the university of Louisiana monroe (ulm) formed a public/private partnership and vcom opened its fourth campus to students in 2020. The Louisiana campus currently has 618 students in its four classes. The inaugural class graduated 139 physicians in may of 2024. This campus is working to address the physician shortage in Louisiana, which in 2021-the most recent data available-ranked 34th in the u.s. for per capita primary care physicians. Nearly 94% of the state has been designated a health professional shortage area by the Louisiana department of health, leaving room for future vcom graduates to make a real difference on the health of its citizens.

Outreach:a key part of vcom's purpose and mission is ensuring that its students are globally minded and community-focused. Vcom's goal of serving the underserved draws students from all across the united states, and they are committed to becoming physicians who serve those most in need. This is perhaps most visible in vcom's ongoing outreach efforts, both in the appalachian and delta regions, as well as internationally. The outreach programs are built into the curriculum and provide students with rewarding service experiences in surrounding communities and beyond.these programs are designed to address healthcare disparities, including those related to rural locations, minority populations, poverty and access to primary care. An emphasis on the teaching of preventive care through outreach experiences allows vcom faculty and students to not only treat patients, but also guide students in improving the overall health of rural and underserved populations, reinforcing the vcom mission. To support the students' efforts to fulfill the mission, vcom works year-round to develop partnerships, research endeavors, clinical opportunities and facility improvements to ensure students and alumni can follow where they are led.medical outreach experiences are a key component in educating students to meet the healthcare needs in challenging environments. Through community outreach, vcom students experience the impact of providing care for patients who live in poor socioeconomic conditions. From the time they commence their medical education, vcom students gain skills in patient-centered Medicine through outreach activities in the communities around each campus and across the regions served by the College. Beginning in their first year, vcom students participate in local health fairs, free screening events, community health clinics, prevention education programs, mini-medical schools at rural high schools and other learning opportunities within the community, all while receiving instruction from experienced faculty and staff. Regional outreach programsfrom the time they begin their medical education, vcom students are actively involved in community service. Across the four campuses, vcom's students regularly support a variety of organizations with food and supply drives, offering health screenings and providing educational materials to the public. All outreach activities benefit the communities they serve, but also provide vcom students with clinical experiences that enhance their educational experiences and help prepare them for their future careers as physicians.the following activities represent only a fraction of the outreach activities that were held in the last year, with each campus having a variety of events unique to their community. Please review our annual report for a more comprehensive picture of local outreach engagements.mini-med schools: mini-medical schools allow rural high school students to learn about the paths our students take to vcom and help the younger students imagine their own futures in healthcare. These events are a key part of vcom's commitment to recruiting and training the next generation of physicians. The events benefit vcom students as well. As part of their appalachian outreach and interprofessional early clinical experiences (iece) training, vcom students assist faculty in conducting the mini med-school program 14 fridays a year. High school students rotate through six stations, each staffed by vcom students and dedicated to a common health problem. The program is designed to encourage high school students to consider healthcare as a potential career option.summer enrichment experience (see): each summer, vcom-carolinas and vcom-virignia host summer camps for high school students from rural areas and at-risk populations. The summer enrichment experience (see) is offered to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors and provides them with an introduction to human anatomy and medical science. Designed to encourage students to pursue careers in science and Medicine, the see program also gives them an appreciation of the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle.stem opportunities for youth: science, technology, engineering and math (stem) are essential in the world of today and tomorrow. To promote interest in healthcare careers and share their experiences with students from rural and underserved areas, vcom students and faculty provide a number of stem programs to local schools.international outreach programvcom has distinguished itself as having one of the nation's most outstanding medical school global health programs. Twelve times annually, vcom provides experience for future physicians to participate in week-long international medical outreach trips for second-year students and faculty physicians. Students in their third and fourth years also have an opportunity to pursue international clinical rotations.with three year-round medical clinics and hospital affiliations in the dominican republic and honduras, coupled with educational affiliations with the appalachian school of pharmacy, the nursing program at bluefield universy, and other partners, the vcom international clinic sites provide a unique experience for students, faculty and alumni. These experiences focus on sustainable public health, community health and individual patient care to populations in need, allowing students to become globally minded, community-focused physicians. Rapidly expanding international research also provides students and faculty opportunities to use applied research to enhance prevention of disease and promotion of better healthcare practices. In addition, vcom has a partnership with the usns comfort, a united states medical ship that travels the world to provide care. Vcom's partnership with the united states southern command enables faculty and health professional scholarship program (hpsp) military students to participate in weeklong trips on the ship. Vcom clinic physicians and in-country medical providers assist with medical outreach in the countries when they are on shore. Up to four physicians and eight vcom third- and fourth-year hpsp students per trip live on the comfort and participate with us military and incountry medical providers on trips to both honduras and the dominican republic.the vcom international program continues to advance with continuing support to international clinics, research, publications, curriculum development, student organization international activities and other components. Student interest in international programs remains high based on the number of applications for programs. International clinical rotations with third- and fourth-year students have resumed in honduras and the dominican republic.please visit the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (vcom) website at - www.vcom.edufor a more comprehensive look at all of our latest educational, research and outreach initiatives through which vcom is changing the world, please see our latest annual report at: wwwvcomedunewsandeventspublicatio...

Research:part of vcom's mission is to advance scientific knowledge through medical research. Vcom strives to foster a culture of faculty growth and institutional excellence through support for faculty research, innovation and scholarly work that improves human health.medical research provides the foundation for discoveries that will benefit human and animal populations around the world. Researchers analyze disease trends and risk factors, provide new treatment options, develop new medicines, create and improve medical devices, reduce health care costs and provide new directions for patient care. For those suffering from disease, research provides hope. In the wake of a global pandemic, the need for new, innovative medical advances is more important than ever, and vcom's researchers are on the frontlines. The federal government responded to the pandemic, in part, by dedicating more funding for covid-19 research, and as a result vcom has seen many new research projects funded. The vcom research division is pleased with the success of its members.in the past year, vcom had over $1.2 million in seed funding available to its faculty, and 25 seed grants were awarded. There were 86 peer-reviewed publications generated in 2024, more than 130 publications with vcom students named as contributing authors, and over 300 posters featuring students as co-authors were presented at local, regional, national, and international conferences. Vcom's cureus channel, established in 2022, has published 121 articles, and 49 are currently in review. In 2024, vcom achieved a noteworthy 27% success rate with extramural applications. Research expenditures totaled more than $10.6 million. Vcom's successful program to encourage student research, the d.o. With research distinction program, began in 2020 and continues to grow rapidly. This program provides resources and training to encourage students to become clinician-researchers. Students accepted into the program complete a designated curriculum and design and conduct a research project with a faculty mentor. Upon completion, the d.o. With research distinction program awards students who have completed significant research with an additional certification at graduation. Such output includes submitting a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal. Thus far, 171 students have received the distinction. Currently, 150 students are enrolled in the program.the 9th annual vcom research retreat was held in november 2023, at the vcom-auburn campus. This annual event has become a cornerstone for the continuous growth of the vcom research environment. It provides an ideal opportunity for faculty to become better acquainted with the unique research capacities, resources and opportunities available across vcom's four-campus system. The goal of the retreat each year is to bring great minds together across vcom's geographic reach, inspire innovative new research ventures and lay the groundwork to support and sustain cross-campus partnerships.each vcom campus takes turns hosting the retreat, giving faculty a chance to visit other campuses and develop cross-campus relationships, stimulating collaborations. The 10th annual vcom research retreat will be held in november 2024, at the vcom-virginia campus in blacksburg, va.