The importance of maintaining optimal conditions for good health has come to the forefront of recognition by all physicians in recent years through prevention and health maintenance measures. As all medicine has evolved through the years, so has the practice of osteopathic medicine, yet many of the original values of osteopathic medicine are found within our curriculum. These osteopathic values include medicine focused on the patient rather than the disease and the importance of human touch in diagnosing and treating the patient. Osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) and allopathic physicians (M.D.s) are the only two types of physicians who are fully trained and licensed to practice the full scope of medicine, which includes prescribing medications and performing surgery. While osteopathic physicians enter every specialty, the osteopathic curriculum at VCOM prepares the student to be a primary care physician first. This training prepares the student for primary care and provides a strong foundation for any student who may choose a specialty. To meet the mission of the VCOM, we intend to prepare the majority of our graduates to enter primary care.

More than 50,000 osteopathic physicians are expected to be practicing in the United States when those who presently are in training have completed their studies. 60% of all osteopathic physicians enter primary care. Osteopathic physicians currently care for more than 35 million Americans. Osteopathic physicians also are more likely to practice in small communities and rural areas. Twenty-three other osteopathic medical schools that enroll more than 8,000 students are located within the United States. The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) recognizes only those schools that provide four years of training leading to the full scope of the practice of medicine. Each school is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) of the AOA. The COCA is the only accrediting agency for predoctoral osteopathic medical education, and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. In addition to the COCA accreditation, Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine generally receive approval from their state boards for education and accredited by regional accrediting bodies.