VCOM 2017 Annual Report

history of the College

2001 College charter established

2002 Ground broken for Virginia campus

growth of the College A s the College grew into a successful institution of higher education, its leaders were inspired to confront the physician shortage in other areas of the Appalachian region. In 2010, after several years of clinical partnership with Spartanburg Regional Health System and building relationships in the community, VCOM founded a second campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The VCOM Board of Directors and the Carolinas Advisory Board were instrumental in the development of the second campus location, as were multiple community leaders, including the mayor, local legislators, and community leaders. The first students began their medical education at VCOM–Carolinas in the fall of 2011, and the first class graduated in 2015. In 2011, Auburn University representatives began exploring options for developing a medical school after recognizing the abysmal health outcomes and the extreme shortage of physicians in the state of Alabama. Auburn University administration saw the need for rural physicians and primary care, and determined that an osteopathic college would be the best way to meet this need. The administrators of VCOM and Auburn University worked together to perform due diligence, and to establish a new campus partnership. In 2015, the first class at VCOM−Auburn began its medical education.

T he decision to establish VCOM was made after the leaders of the Harvey W. Peters Research Foundation studied the healthcare needs of Virginia and determined there was an extreme deficiency in the southwest part of the state. A 2002 national study estimated a shortage of 50,000 physicians by 2010 and shortage of more than 100,000 physicians by 2020. The need was evident, and plans to establish the College moved forward. VCOM is a non-profit, private 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The College was initially funded by the Harvey W. Peters Research Center, which was established by the late Marion Bradley Via to benefit Virginia Tech and southwest Virginia. Edward Via, the son of Marion Bradley Via, was instrumental in funding the initiative to establish a medical school to promote health and wellness in the area. Initially, VCOM's vision was to provide healthcare for the southwest region of Virginia and throughout the southern Appalachian region, and to promote biomedical research in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The College first opened its doors to the inaugural class of medical students in 2003, graduating its first class in 2007.

2003 Founding Board of Directors formed Inaugural Class of 2007 begins on August 14, 2003 2004 Research facilities opened VCOM recognized by Virginia governor as Public/Private Partnership Success 2006 Opening of the first year-round permanent VCOM Clinic in Verón, Dominican Republic Partnerships in El Salvador and Honduras established Sports Medicine Fellowship in collaboration with Virginia Tech established with national recognition 2008 VCOM opens its state-of-the-art Simulation and Technology Center 2010 Ground broken for the VCOM– Carolinas campus on the site of the old Spartan Mill First Graduate Certificate 2007 Inaugural Class Graduates

Pre-Medical Program students matriculate

2011 Inaugural class begins at VCOM–Carolinas

2014 Groundbreaking for

VCOM–Auburn, with Auburn University partnership in place

2015 The first class of students matriculate at VCOM–Auburn

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