Mission and Objectives of the College The Mission of the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine is to prepare osteopathic primary care physicians to serve the rural and medically underserved areas of the Commonwealth of Virginia, North Carolina, and the Appalachian region and to provide scientific research that will improve the health of all humans. The purpose and goals of the institution are:

To create and maintain a college of osteopathic medicine to educate a diverse, qualified student body in the science of medicine, osteopathic principles and practices, and the art of health care; To recruit students from rural and underserved areas of Virginia, North Carolina, and the Appalachian region or those with a strong desire to practice primary care in the rural Appalachian region; To form affiliations with community hospitals and physicians in rural and underserved areas of Virginia, North Carolina, and the Appalachian region for the purposes of education and improved health care; To graduate quality osteopathic primary care physicians who will return to rural and underserved areas of Virginia, North Carolina, and the Appalachian region; To value and educate students on their responsibilities to be professional, ethical, dutiful, compassionate, altruistic and knowledgeable; To promote the development of personal integrity, self-worth, self-discipline, and social responsibility in each student; To emphasize patient-centered care, collaborative approaches to care, and a sense of community responsibility throughout the curriculum in order To cultivate research among faculty to advance scientific biomedical and clinical knowledge and to provide students the opportunity to develop To create opportunities for students to develop the skills necessary to perform clinical research; To collaborate with networks throughout the Appalachian region to improve access and quality of health care; and To promote and disseminate medical knowledge to improve health literacy and good health practices among the general public.