Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Last updated

Edward Via College of
Osteopathic Medicine
VCOM four campus logo 2024.png
Former names
Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Type Private medical school
Established2001
President Dixie Tooke-Rawlins
Students1853
Location,
United States

37°11′56″N80°24′22″W / 37.1989°N 80.4060°W / 37.1989; -80.4060
Colors Chicago maroon and burnt orange [1]    
Website www.vcom.edu
Shenandoah Valley.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Shenandoah Valley
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (Virginia)
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (the United States)

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) is a private osteopathic medical school on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, with branch campuses in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Auburn, Alabama, and Monroe, Louisiana. VCOM also recently added Bluefield University to its list of campuses. [2] Founded in 2002, VCOM graduated its first class of 139 students in June 2007.

Contents

According to the U.S. News & World Report, VCOM was the second-largest medical school in the U.S. in 2021, with a total enrollment of 2,122 students among its four campuses. [3]

VCOM is an osteopathic medical school, which grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO), and one of four located in the Appalachian region. It is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. [4]

History

The school was founded in 2001 when Virginia Tech and the Harvey W. Peters Research Foundation worked together to start up a new private school of osteopathic medicine called the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM). In June 2007, VCOM graduated its inaugural class of 139 students. [5] The college was originally named the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, which was later shortened to its present name.

VCOM is incorporated as a private, non-profit institution and has a collaborative agreement with Virginia Tech and Auburn University for education, research, and student activities.

In 2010, the school founded its second campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with classes starting in September 2011. [6] VCOM-Carolinas graduated its first class in May 2015.

In 2012, the school announced plans to establish a third campus in collaboration with Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, with classes starting in the fall of 2015. [7]

Medical graduates of VCOM receive a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree and obtain medical licensure by the same boards as graduates with an MD by participating in the same residency programs as their MD peers. The osteopathic curriculum entails additional training in a technique called osteopathic manipulative medicine besides conventional medicine and surgery. While graduates of VCOM may pursue any field of medicine, students typically pursue primary care to serve a rural population. [8]

Academics

The first and second years of medical school at VCOM are primarily classroom-based and focus on the basic sciences. The school uses a system of "blocks" as opposed to semesters, with eight blocks occurring within the first two years. Each block concerns a specific organ system, incorporating anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, pathology, and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) courses concerning that system. The third and fourth years of training are clinically oriented, where students complete rotations, or clerkships, through various specialties of medicine. [9] While students at VCOM are educated in all basic medical sciences (as are their M.D. counterparts), VCOM students also receive approximately 200 extra hours of musculoskeletal/neuromuscular training.

Patient care

VCOM has permanent medical clinics located in Veron, Dominican Republic, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Campuses

VCOM currently operates five campuses: Blacksburg, Carolinas, Auburn, Monroe, and Bluefield

VCOM-Virginia is located on 13 acres within the campus of Virginia Tech, [10] in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. The college operates within a public/private collaboration with Virginia Tech, sharing resources for education, research, and student activities. On campus, the main building consists of 60,000 square feet. [10] The Center for Simulation and Technology is located within a 22,000-square-foot building, where training occurs with simulated patient encounters in several specialties. [10]

VCOM-Carolinas is located on the edge of historic downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina. The campus is approximately 70,000 square feet and is situated on an 18-acre campus. Facility features include a state-of-the-art anatomy lab and the Center for Simulation and Technology, offering standardized patient and manikin-based simulation education.

VCOM-Auburn is a 100,000-square-foot, four-story, state-of-the-art campus situated on 16 acres located on the Auburn University Campus, in Auburn, Alabama. The campus offers the nurturing feel of a small private college but with access to the resources and activities of a larger university community. The collaborative partnership with Auburn University student activities, events, research, and the arts.

VCOM-Louisiana The fourth VCOM campus, which is a 100,000-square-foot, $31 million building on the campus of University of Louisiana at Monroe was completed in the spring of 2020. [11] Between 150-162 medical students enrolled in fall 2020.

Bluefield University merged with VCOM in March 2020. Bluefield University is a Baptist liberal arts college located in Bluefield, Virginia. [12] The merger will allow Bluefield to continue to focus on its Christ-centered education but also focus on a health sciences curriculum.

Relationship with host institutions

The Virginia Campus is located in the Corporate Research Center, adjacent to the Virginia Tech campus. As a part of a long-term agreement, students are granted the same benefits as Virginia Tech students in terms of use of the library, recreational facilities, student center, arts and theatre programs, intramural programs, and access to Virginia Tech football and other athletic event tickets. The school features Tech's "Hokie Bird" mascot as its own, however, the school is private and receives no state support from Virginia. Additionally, the official medical school of Virginia Tech is the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute granting the M.D. degree, which is located in Virginia Tech's Roanoke, Virginia campus.

The Carolinas Campus, until 2014, had a similar relationship with the private Wofford College but currently participates in the "College Town Consortium" with five other local colleges. The annual White Coat Ceremony for first-year medical students is held at nearby Converse College.

The Auburn Campus is located in the Auburn Research Park in Auburn, Alabama, and has a partnership with Auburn University. The partnership is similar to that of Virginia Tech, students can use nearby facilities but they are separate entities. The campus started offering classes in the Fall of 2015. [13]

Academic Sports and Osteopathic Medicine, in Blacksburg, Virginia [14] are affiliated with VCOM-Virginia.

In 2017, VCOM–Carolinas will open Northside direct primary care, a college-affiliated clinic located on campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The clinic will be operated in part by Palmetto Proactive and will be staffed by VCOM faculty physicians.

Graduate medical education

VCOM operates three fellowship programs, geriatric medicine, sports medicine, and osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine. [15] [16] All programs are accredited by the American Osteopathic Association. In addition, VCOM operates a residency program in family medicine in collaboration with Johnston Memorial Hospital [17]

Research

VCOM conducts multidisciplinary research in biomedical, clinical, and community-based settings. [18] Specific areas of research include Sports Medicine, Concussion and Brain Trauma, Primary Care, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and Infectious Disease. Supported by the Bradley Foundation, VCOM amplified its research in cancer, heart, and neurological diseases as well as bioinformatics and primary care, by creating the Center for Bioinformatics and Genetics and the Primary Care Research Network. [19] Funding for new research projects is provided in part by competitive internal funding programs, including the Research Eureka Accelerator Program (REAP) and the One Health Program.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Institute of Technology</span> Private university in New York

The New York Institute of Technology is a private research university founded in 1955. It has two main campuses in New York—one in Old Westbury, on Long Island and one on the Upper West Side in Manhattan with its flagship building Edward Guiliano Global Center among other buildings. Additionally, it has a cybersecurity research lab, a biosciences and bioengineering lab, Nassau County’s first Class 10,000 clean room for nanoengineering, and the Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center, which has close links to NASA, in Old Westbury, as well as campuses in Arkansas, China, and Canada. The U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated NYIT as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midwestern University</span> Graduate university in Illinois and Arizona, US

Midwestern University (MWU) is a private medical and professional school with campuses in Downers Grove, Illinois and Glendale, Arizona. As of the 2022–23 academic year, a total of 2,758 students were enrolled at the Downers Grove campus and 3,782 were enrolled at the Glendale campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine</span> Osteopathic medical school in West Virginia

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) is a public medical school in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Founded in 1974, WVSOM is one of three medical schools in West Virginia and the sole institution that grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. WVSOM currently has 778 students, and focuses on primary care and rural medicine.

The Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is the veterinary school of Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland, College Park - both of which are public research universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland, respectively. The college was created as a joint venture of the two universities and their respective state governments in order to fill the need for veterinary medicine education in both states. Students from both states are considered "in-state" students for admissions and tuition purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Pikeville</span> Presbyterian university in Pikeville, Kentucky, US

The University of Pikeville (UPIKE) is a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Pikeville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1889 by the Presbyterian Church and is located on a 25-acre (10 ha) campus on a hillside overlooking downtown Pikeville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluefield University</span> Baptist university in Bluefield, Virginia, US

Bluefield University is a private Baptist university in Bluefield, Virginia. It offers 22 majors and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The 82-acre (330,000 m2) campus is about 150 ft (46 m) from the state line between Virginia and West Virginia. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia. Bluefield University merged with Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine which is on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of North Texas Health Science Center</span> Public medical school in Texas

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth – HSC, Health Science Center, Health Science Center at Fort Worth – is an academic health science center in Fort Worth, Texas. It is part of the University of North Texas System and was founded in 1970 as the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, with its first cohort graduating in 1974. The Health Science Center consists of six schools with a total enrollment of 2,338 students (2022-23).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limestone University</span> Christian university in Gaffney, South Carolina, US

Limestone University, formerly Limestone College, is a private Christian university in Gaffney, South Carolina, United States. It was established in 1845 by Thomas Curtis, a scholar born and educated in England. Limestone was the first women's college in South Carolina and one of the first in the nation; it is the third-oldest college in South Carolina. Ten buildings on the campus, as well as the Limestone Springs and limestone quarry itself, are on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corridor Q</span> Highway in the United States

Corridor Q is a highway in the U.S. states of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System and U.S. Route 460. Corridor Q runs from Corridor B near Pikeville, Kentucky, easterly to Interstate 81 in Christiansburg, Virginia.

Harold Ray Garner, known informally as "Skip", is a biophysicist with research careers in plasma physics, bioengineering and bioinformatics. Garner was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Missouri, Rolla in 1976 and a PhD in plasma/high temperature matter physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1982. He also holds an honorary professional engineering degree also from the University of Missouri, Rolla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas City University</span> American osteopathic medical school

Kansas City University (KCU) is a private medical school with its main campus in Kansas City, Missouri and an additional campus in Joplin, Missouri. Founded in 1916, KCU is one of the original osteopathic medical schools in the United States. It consists of both a College of Osteopathic Medicine and a College of Biosciences. KCU is one of the largest medical schools in the nation by enrollment.

William G. Anderson D.O. is an American surgeon who was the first African-American to become a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) for twenty years where he also served as president. He was best known for his role in the Albany Movement, which Anderson led, was formed by local activists in Albany, Georgia in 1961.

A.T. Still University (ATSU) is a private medical school based in Kirksville, Missouri, with a second campus in Arizona and third campus in Santa Maria, California. It was founded in 1892 by Andrew Taylor Still and was the world's first osteopathic medical school. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. ATSU includes three campuses on 200 acres with seven schools and colleges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigma Sigma Phi</span> American osteopathic medical honor fraternity

Sigma Sigma Phi, is the national osteopathic medicine honors fraternity for medical students training to be Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). The National Osteopathic Medicine Honors Fraternity is a group united in the interest of preserving the highest class of medical scholastic excellence and includes community service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine</span> Medical school of the University of Pikeville

The University of Pikeville - Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (UP-KYCOM) is the medical school of University of Pikeville, a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Pikeville, Kentucky. UP-KYCOM was established in 1997, grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. It is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) and the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM) is a private medical school in Lillington, North Carolina. It is one of seven schools at Campbell University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine</span> Osteopathic medical school of Ohio University

The Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM) is the medical school of Ohio University, the largest medical school in Ohio, and the only osteopathic medical school in the state. Its mission is to emphasize the practice of primary care and train physicians to serve Ohio, especially in the underserved Appalachian and urban areas of the state. Heritage offers a single program conferring the degree Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), and several combined degree programs. Graduates are eligible to practice medicine in all 50 states and more than 50 countries. The college is fully accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, and by the Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The World Directory of Medical Schools lists the school as a US medical school along with other accredited US MD and DO programs.

The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine(BCOM) is a private, for-profit medical school. The main campus is located on the New Mexico State University (NMSU) campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and their second campus is located on the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) campus in Melbourne, Florida. It is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation and graduated its first class in May 2020.

References

  1. "The Brand Guide: Virginia Tech Identity Standards and Style Guide" (PDF). Virginia Tech. February 2015. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015. The burnt orange and Chicago maroon are the university's official colors that were adopted in 1896.
  2. "BC JOINS VCOM FAMILY OF SCHOOLS". Bluefield College. March 19, 2020. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  3. Powell, Farran (August 25, 2021). "10 Medical Schools With the Most Students". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  4. "Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine" (PDF). Commission on Osteopathic Colleges Accreditation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 13, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  5. Esposito, Greg (May 31, 2007). "First class graduates from osteopathic college". Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  6. Dustin Wyatt (April 19, 2012). "Hands-on medical approach inspires students at VCOM". GoUpstate. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  7. "VCOM to Build Campus in Auburn Research Park". August 30, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
  8. VCOM Mission Statement. "About VCOM- Mission & Objectives". Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013..
  9. "VCOM College Catalog - Curriculum". VCOM. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 "Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine–Virginia Campus (VCOM–VC)" (PDF). AACOM. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 28, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  11. "Regents approve med school license for ULM". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  12. "Bluefield College merges with VCOM". March 19, 2020. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  13. "About". Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  14. Skeen, Michelle (November 15, 2010). "VCOM opens new sports and osteopathic medicine practice". Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  15. "Geriatrics Program". VCOM. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  16. "Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Sports Med Fellow". AOA. American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  17. "Johnston Memorial Hospital welcomes first class of residents as part of collaboration with VCOM | Mountain States Health Alliance". www.mountainstateshealth.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  18. "Research | VCOM - The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine". www.vcom.edu. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  19. "Edward Via College of Medicine". cbg.vcom.edu. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.