Student Services

Recreational Activities

Tuition includes activity fees for VCOM-sponsored programs and for activities purchased through a collaborative agreement with Virginia Tech and Wofford College. Activities purchased through the collaborative agreement with Virginia Tech on the Virginia Campus and with Wofford on the Carolinas Campus, and are only available to students in years one through three.

Through Via Wellness, VCOM sponsors social, fitness, spiritual, cultural, and vocational activities throughout the year. Via Wellness strives to promote balance in the busy lives of medical students and provides incentives for participation in a spectrum of activities. Information and a schedule of activities sponsored through Via Wellness are available from the VCOM Office of Student Services.

Virginia Campus
The VCOM Passport provides first and second year osteopathic medical students with full access to recreational and athletic facilities on the Virginia Tech campus, admittance to social and cultural events, use of the library and bus transportation to the main campus and the bus routes. In instances where Virginia Tech assesses a fee for its students for activities (e.g., rental of equipment, admittance fees to special events, etc.), VCOM students are typically required to pay the same fee as a Virginia Tech student. A partial list of activities and services available to VCOM students through the collaborative agreement with Virginia Tech:

Tickets for Hokie Varsity Sports are available in the same manner they are available to Virginia Tech students. Visit www.recsports.vt.edu. or call 1-800-VATECH4 for more information.
Access to swimming pools and fitness centers in McComas and War Memorial Halls, as well as golf and tennis facilities,. Visit www.recsports.vt.edu.
Venture Out sponsors low risk outdoor adventures and rental of camping gear, canoes, and stoves for outdoor activities. The Venture Out Resource Center located at 117C Squires Student Center, on the Virginia Tech campus.
Intramural Sports at Virginia Tech are available. Visit www.recsports.vt.edu for a listing of programs and registration deadlines.
BreakZone provides billiard tables, bowling, table tennis, and pottery and is located in 117 Squires Student Center.
Over 45 different Religious Organizations are available through the campus life programs at Virginia Tech: www.dsa.vt.edu/campuslife.
Additional multicultural, arts, and cultural programs are available. Visit www.dsa.vt.edu/campuslife for details.

Carolinas Campus
The VCOM Passport provides first and second year osteopathic medical students with full access to recreational and athletic facilities on the Wofford College campus, admittance to social and cultural events, and use of the library. In instances where Wofford College assesses a fee for its students for activities (e.g., rental of equipment, admittance fees to special events, etc.), VCOM students are typically required to pay the same fee as a Wofford College student. A partial list of activities and services available to VCOM students through the collaborative agreement with Wofford College:

Access to Wofford College Athletic Events. Please see the VCOM Student Ticket Policy for Wofford Football for more details.
Access to racquetball courts, aerobic dance studio, and machine and free weight workout equipment is available in the Richardson Athletic Building. VCOM students also have access to the Reeves Tennis Center located on the Wofford College campus.
Intramural Sports at Wofford College are available. Visit www.wofford.edu/intramurals/ for a listing of programs. Arrangements for Intramural Sports can be made through the Office of Student Services.
Access to the Disc Golf Course on the Wofford College campus. Additional information about the course can be found at www.wofford.edu/intramurals/.
Various Religious and Service, Special Interest, and Performing Arts programs are available through the campus life programs at Wofford College: www.wofford.edu/studentorganizations/.

Additional multicultural, arts, and cultural programs are available. Visit www.wofford.edu/campuslife/ for details.

Food Services

Food services and vending machines are available on the second floor adjacent to the student lounge. Several microwaves are available for student use.

Food is not allowed in the library, lecture halls, classrooms, computer lab, anatomy lab and the small group rooms on campus. Students can eat in the vending area, student lounge/dining area, or outside at the picnic tables. Only beverages are allowed in the lecture halls and must have a screw/snap lid. Students are responsible to disponse of their own containers.

Housing

Students attending VCOM must secure their own housing and transportation. Housing information is available through the VCOM Office of Student Services.

Information Technology

Students at VCOM receive training to meet the high-tech demands of medical practice that takes place now and in the future. Current technology is incorporated throughout the VCOM campus to create an environment of immediate and lifelong learning. Classrooms, laboratories and auditoriums have wired and wireless internet connectivity. Students and faculty may access the VCOM library 24 hours a day via the internet. At VCOM, students develop expertise in the ever-expanding role of medical information technology. Because of the information technology demands in the VCOM curriculum, all students are required to have a laptop with Ethernet/broadband connectivity at the time of matriculation. For more information on Information Technology and computer requirements, see the Information technology section.

Health and Counseling Services

Health services are provided for students through agreements with local healthcare providers in each community. In Blacksburg, students may use the Academic Primary Care Associates, or in Spartanburg, the Palmetto Health Services. A small co-pay is required to access this service.

Virginia Campus Health Services: Academic Primary Care Associates website
Carolinas Campus Health Services: Palmetto Health Service

Medical insurance is mandatory requirement for all VCOM students, and students must present proof of health insurance at registration and again prior to having third year clinical rotations. Medical insurance must be carried through all four years for continued enrollment. Students who fail to do so are subject to suspension.
Counseling services are available in the community and students will be provided with contact information at the time of orientation for counseling services; Counseling is confidential between the student and counselor. VCOM has an agreement with community counseling services for up to seven visits free of charge.

Virginia Campus: Counseling Services
Carolinas Campus: Counseling Services

In the third and fourth year of medical school at VCOM, students will be provided information for available counseling services and health services through the clinical site coordinators located in VCOM's regional sites. Students may also return to Blacksburg or Spartanburg community to utilize the services in their area.

3rd and 4th Year Health and Counseling Services

VCOM also has agreements for confidential 24 hour emergency services which may be accessed from any site.

24 hour Emergency Services:

Virginia: ACCESS Counseling Services -- 540-961-8400

Carolinas: Spartanburg Counseling Services - 864-585-0366 or 800-277-1366

All student counseling services are considered confidential. Only in cases where the student is required by the Promotion Board or the Professional and Ethics Standards Board to seek counseling for the purpose of student safety or patient safety is communication required between counseling and administration.

Students Organizations

VCOM promotes an environment where students balance curricular, extra-curricular, and personal experiences. Introductory meetings for student organizations occur during the first three months of the first year. Students are encouraged to learn about all organizations and participate in those that will advance career and personal interests. To learn more about VCOM student organizations, go to the Student Organization pages.

AOA and State Society Membership

VCOM enrolls all students in the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the Student Osteopathic Medical Asssociation (SOMA), and their choice of state osteopathic medical associations: Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association, or the North Carolina Osteopathic Medical Association (NCOMA), or the South Carolina Osteopathic Medical Society (SCOMS).

VCOM College Catalog