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Message from the Dean
elcome to the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. The Virginia Campus is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, in the Corporate Research Center of Virginia Tech and operates as a private/public partnership under a collaborative agreement with the University. Located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains area, the campus is surrounded by beautiful mountain views, clear streams, and an exciting university community. The partnership with Virginia Tech allows students to enjoy the activities (including arts and sporting events) of a large university (including arts and sporting events) while maintaining the small-family feel of a private college. The Virginia campus includes four buildings and a 13-acre campus.
The Carolinas campus is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Supported and embraced by the community, VCOM is Spartanburg's newest pride. In a small city of many colleges, VCOM has partnered with Wofford University for shared college activities. These include sporting events and use of many of the campus study and exercise facilities. The VCOM Carolinas campus includes a 19-acre campus with walking trails and a beautiful new facility.
The mission of VCOM is to provide medical education and research that will prepare globally minded, community-focused physicians and improve human health, especially for those most in need. To meet this mission, VCOM offers a dynamic, systems-integrated, clinical case-based curriculum that spans four years. The curriculum includes early clinical experiences and medical simulation to assure students are well prepared for the clinical setting. VCOM partners with many hospitals throughout Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, where VCOM hires Directors of Student Medical Education and faculty to assure students have a well-developed clinical training program with exposure to multiple residencies for a continuum of medical education.
In addition to education, VCOM faculty and students provide preventive health programs and osteopathic medical care to the medically underserved populations in Appalachia and developing countries. In Southwest Virginia, VCOM faculty and students provide medical care in free clinics, prevention programs, mini-medical schools to 20 rural high schools, and medical care/prevention programs to remote communities. In Spartanburg we are partnering once again with area free clinics and outreach programs. The international outreach program has been successful in establishing three sustainable, year-round clinical programs in Honduras, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Collectively, these clinics and programs provide care to hundreds of patients who would otherwise be without access to care. VCOM has won many awards as a leader in rural health, healthcare for underserved populations and in global health.
VCOM has many other award-winning programs including our sports medicine program with a fellowship and faculty physicians who provide care for the Virginia Tech Hokies, the Radford University Highlanders, the U.S. Olympic Ski Team, and the Greenbrier Classic PGA tournaments. Students work with the sports medicine fellows to provide sports physicals and team coverage for many area colleges and high schools. Also among VCOM’s award-winning programs includes our Mini-Medical School outreach and three faculty named in recent years as Educator of the Year by the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) Northrup award or American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) awards. VCOM has won recognition as a leader in offering opportunities to minority students and has been one of the top schools for Hispanic students for many years. VCOM is also one of the top schools for students entering primary care. VCOM students are leaders and hold national positions of recognition in their professional student organizations. I hope you will visit “VCOM in the News” section to see our latest annual report and visit the leadership section to see the many VCOM graduates who have become chief interns and chief residents over the past five years.
VCOM's most exciting accomplishment in 2011 is the opening of the new campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina. As a branch campus with common mission, goals and curriculum, the exciting work will now span three states: Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The role of VCOM faculty in biomedical, translational and clinical research is to improve the health of society. VCOM faculty research programs have grown steadily, even in a time when national NIH funds have decreased. VCOM continues to add research facilities and resources to promote the growth of our research programs. VCOM offers students summer experiences and for some, year-round research opportunities. VCOM also offers joint programs for our students with Virginia Tech including M.P.H., M.B.A. and Ph.D. opportunities.
VCOM is committed to the mission, to the well being of our students and to producing high-quality physicians. We are proud of our accomplishments and hope you will review the website to see what has been accomplished by our faculty and students. I encourage you to read more about VCOM and the amazing opportunities it provides.
Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, D.O.
Dean and Executive Vice President