VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

immunosuppression, insulin dependent diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, or other chronic disease or significant illness. Students who have a chronic disease should discuss, with the VP of International Affairs, whether it is safe for them to travel to the designated country. Further, international trip participation is not possible during pregnancy nor for individuals trying to become pregnant or at risk of pregnancy. All participants should visit the CDC website to review more information on the specific guidelines for the country to which they are traveling, as the website is updated frequently. All participants should read and comply with the CDC guidelines for the region to ensure the greatest safety. Student Research, Publication, and Presentation Opportunities and Requirements atVCOM Research and scholarly activity can make a valuable contribution to the medical education process. As such, research is a central component of the VCOM mission. All students engage in a research paper during the OMS 3 year. The research may be involvement in clinical research, epidemiologic and/or community health research, or in completing a case report with a comprehensive retrospective review of the literature as compared to treatment options currently offered throughout the U.S. (and abroad). In addition, students may elect to engage in bench or clinical research activities during their first three years while at VCOM. A wide variety of research opportunities are available through VCOM, including biomedical, translational, clinical, sports medicine, educational, simulation, and missions-based projects. Information about these various research programs may be found on the VCOM website under the Research Section and in the yearly Annual Report. An OMS 1 student is encouraged to first assure he or she can meet the requirement and studies of the academic program before applying to or seeking a research opportunity. The student should be able to identify by Block 3 if he or she is able to participate in a project in the OMS 1 and OMS 2 years. For the most part, first year students are encouraged to wait until the summer break between their first and second year to pursue research activities, in order to avoid distraction from their academic work. Projects started during the summer may be extended throughout the second year (and beyond), insofar as the research activity does not affect the student’s academic standing and progress. Students must be in good academic standing to participate and must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 in the first year. The student who has a GPA below 3.2 must realize his or her GPA is very important to his or her future and that residency programs will want to assure first that the student is successful in their academics, as well as on boards. There is ample time during the clinical years and/or during international mission trips to become involved in research. One of the very best ways for students to become familiar with the many research opportunities at VCOM is to attend the yearly VCOM Research Recognition Day, usually held in late winter/early spring. Information from past Research Recognition Days is also available from the Office of Research Administration at VCOM. During the Research Recognition Day, students are informed of research opportunities on each campus. Many opportunities exist for student research at several different levels. The most popular research experience is short-term study. These experiences most often take place during block breaks and over the summer break. They can range from several weeks to several months, depending on the arrangement between the student and the faculty member. Specific requirements and arrangements are made by each faculty member and project. Students pursuing research in faculty laboratories come under the oversight of the Associate Dean for Biomedical Affairs and Research at each campus, and/or the Vice President for Research.

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