Student Services
Recreational Activities
Tuition includes activity fees for VCOM-sponsored programs and for activities purchased through a collaborative agreement with Virginia Tech.
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 and are listed on the Activities Calendar.
 The VCOM Passport provides osteopathic medical students 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. Following are a partial list of activities and services available to VCOM students through the collaborative agreement with Virginia Tech.
Hokie Sports - Tickets for Hokie Varsity Sports are available to VCOM students in the same manner they are available to Virginia Tech students. Visit www.HOKIESPORTS.com or call 1-800-VATECH4 for more information.
Recreational Access - Access to swimming pools and fitness centers in McComas and War Memorial Halls, as well as golf and tennis facilities, are available to VCOM students. 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 to VCOM students. 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 on the Virginia Tech campus.
Religious Organizations
Over 45 different religious organizations are available through the campus life programs at Virginia Tech: https://banweb.banner.vt.edu/ssb/prod/hzsksorg.P_DispStuOrgs
Additional multicultural, arts, and cultural programs are available. Visit https://banweb.banner.vt.edu/ssb/prod/hzsksorg.P_DispStuOrgs for details.
Dining Programs
A cafeteria-style dining facility is available on-campus on the second floor, adjacent to the VCOM Student Lounge. Breakfast items and a lunch menu are available daily. The VCOM Student Lounge areas provide seating for student meals and breaks.
Food is not allowed in the library or the classrooms. Beverages are only allowed in the lecture halls and the student lounge/dining area. Open containers such as soda cans or any glass containers are not permitted. All beverages must have a screw/snap lid.
VCOM students may purchase dining programs offered through Virginia Tech at any of its seven dining facilities. These range from all-you-can-eat, a la carte, and cooked-to-order facilities, grill and salad bar facilities, and an international food court and coffee house facilities. Many of these establishments offer well-balanced traditional meals and are capable of meeting most special diets. "Dining Dollars" is an option for students to purchase a la carte meals at the Virginia Tech dining facilities at a 5% discount by placing money on their VCOM Passport. For more information and to sign up on-line, visit: https://ssl.rdp.vt.edu/ddonline/.
Housing and Transportation
Students attending VCOM must secure their own housing and transportation. A bus runs from the main campus of Virginia Tech to the campus site of VCOM for convenience during the day. Housing information is available through the VCOM Office of Student Services at (540) 231-3636 and also by visiting http://www.uusa.vt.edu/uusaServices/OCH/rentals/default.asp.
The Blacksburg Transit runs from the main campus of Virginia Tech to the VCOM Campus and through the Town of Blacksburg. Blacksburg Transit schedules are available in the VCOM Office of Student Services or at www.btransit.org. Use of the bus system is for convenience during the day. Students are required to have their own transportation to clinical training sites.
Information Technology
Students at VCOM receive training to meet the high-tech demands of medical practice that take place now and in the future. State of-the-art-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 advanced internet technology. 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. Each year the Office of Student Services provides students with specifications for their initial purchase of required laptop computers.
Health and Counseling Services
Ambulatory Care Health services are contracted through a community family practice and require a small co-pay only. Medical insurance is mandatory for all VCOM students, and students must present proof of health insurance at registration and again prior to having MSIII clinical rotations scheduled.
Counseling services are available through a community-based counseling service free of charge to students and their immediate family members and members of their household (up to seven visits per incident). Only in cases where the student is required by the Promotion Board or the Professional and Ethical Standards Board to seek counseling are the results of such counseling required by the administration to assure patient safety. Additionally, alternate counselor names are available through the Assistant Vice President for Student Services and in the VCOM library.
Telephones/Beepers
Courtesy phones for local calls are located on campus. Students may not make long distance calls from telephones located on campus. In the case of a true emergency, telephone calls may be placed through the Office of Medical Education. Incoming calls for students when classes are in session are directed to the Assistant Dean for Medical Education. Students will not be called from class or clinical services unless warranted by an extreme emergency. The person calling for a student must identify the situation as an emergency. Students with cell phones and beepers should turn them off during class or scheduled laboratory sessions.
VCOM Passport and Nametags
VCOM Passports are issued at the beginning of the first year and are used for identification and access privileges such as: access to the campus building, access to facilities and services at Virginia Tech, identification while on clinical rotations, and use of the Blacksburg transit. VCOM passports should be retained by the student at all times when on the VCOM and Virginia Tech campuses and while on clinical rotations. Lost VCOM Passports must be reported to the VCOM Office of the Registrar and must also be replaced at the student's expense by visiting the Virginia Tech Student Service Building.
Name tags are issued to students by VCOM and are to be worn on outside clinical experiences. Nametags are not to be worn in non-clinical settings unless designated by the College faculty or administration. Students are provided with one name tag free of charge at the beginning of clinical experiences and it should be retained for the four years of study. Lost name tags are made at the student's expense. The current cost for a replacement nametag is $25.
E-mail
Students must check daily and use the e-mail address/system provided by VCOM. Students may register an alternative (personal) e-mail address with the Director of Clinical Rotations with the stipulation this would serve only as possible backup for out of area rotations.
Dress Code
As VCOM is a professional school, students are expected to dress and conduct themselves in a professional manner. The dress of a student in the classroom, laboratory, small group, or clinical setting should be one that demonstrates use of good hygiene, appearing clean, and without unpleasant body odor.
In the Classroom - students should dress in a non-provocative manner and in a manner that demonstrates respect for fellow students and faculty. Males should wear shirts with collars and long pants. Females should wear shirts that are not considered T-shirts or tank tops with skirts or pants or an appropriate dress. Shorts and jeans are not allowed. Semi-casual dress is acceptable. Dress shoes should be worn (no sneakers, sandals, flip flops or the like). Women may only wear open toed shoes which are considered dress shoes (not sandals). Note below that open toed shoes may never be worn in the clinical setting. Hats are not to be worn in the classroom or labs.
In the Anatomy Lab - students may change into scrubs and sneakers.
For Primary Care and OMM lab experiences - appropriate lab attire is required: shorts (preferably loose with soft material: cut-off jean shorts don't meet either requirement) sweat pants, and T-shirts (no tank tops). For women, a bathing top or other appropriate clothing that may be worn in public, but allows access to the spine, is required. Socks may be worn, but no shoes may be worn on the OMM tables. Warmer clothing may be brought to layer over the aforementioned clothing, but lab training may require that this outer layer be removed periodically. The dress code may be altered by the lab leader for that lab and will only be altered with advance notice. Lab clothing may be worn to the lectures in the afternoon prior to lab.
In Clinical Settings - professional dress is expected. In any areas other than the surgical suite, delivery room, or emergency room setting male students are expected to wear a dress shirt and tie, a short white coat, and dress slacks; female students are expected to wear dress slacks or skirts with a professional appearing shirt or a dress, and a short white coat. Dress shoes are required; open toed shoes are not allowed.
Students dressing inappropriately may be sent home with an unexcused absence requiring remediation. Repeated episodes may viewed as an issue which will be brought before the professional and ethical standards board.
Statement Regarding Diversity
The Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine recognizes, values, and affirms that diversity contributes richness to the college and enhances the quality of education. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators are valued for their diversity. The College is committed to providing an academic and employment environment in which students and employees are treated with courtesy, respect, and dignity. It is the policy of the College that no student or employee shall be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program sponsored by the College.
The College's commitment to the principle of nondiscrimination includes and extends far beyond the federally protected classes of age, gender, race, color, national origin, religion or handicap. The college has a commitment to nondiscrimination against any individual or group of individuals. The college has a zero tolerance policy to hate crimes and other inappropriate behavior exhibited as an act of discrimination. This commitment extends to any individual or any group that may feel disadvantaged from a social perspective.
CONTINUE TO STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS...
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Student 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. See the following page for more examples of VCOM Student Organizations - MORE...
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