VCOM Sponsors Summer Program

The Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) sponsored an Anatomy Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE) for high school students, ages 14-18, during the month of July.  During the week of July 7, 2008, VCOM hosted seventeen boys and during the week of July 14, 2008, thirty three girls attended the program. 

The program afforded students from rural or medically underserved areas of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee the opportunity to learn about anatomy from VCOM faculty and students and to gain an introduction to science and medicine.  In addition to anatomy lecture and lab experiences, topics such as nutrition; functions of the brain; library searches through Medline; building a healthy heart; and constructing a regional vertebrae out of clay were included in the week-long program. Among the projects in the SEE program, high school students built models of the human heart from clay.

The program, including lodging, was completely funded by VCOM this year.

Anatomy Chair, Francine Anderson, P.T, Ph.D. noted the strong caliber of the participating students.  “We have been very impressed by the students in the SEE program.  Despite the diverse educational levels of the students, all of the students were curious to learn more about specific structure functions related to the human body and performed exceptionally well. ”