VCOM 2022 Annual Report

Fulfilling our Mission

Jan M. Willcox, DO, FACOFP-dist. Virginia Campus Dean

A s we welcome our 20th class of incoming students, VCOM-Virginia can proudly say we are bringing healthcare home. Our campus has recruited and trained more than 2,700 physicians since 2001, many of whom are fulfilling our mission to return students to underserved populations. Over 40% of these graduates are practicing in rural or medically underserved areas in Virginia. We continue to also recruit students from our target service area of rural southern Appalachia. In fact, out of the 184 members of the class of 2026, 158 come from Appalachian states including 86 from a Health Profession Shortage Area (HPSA). We are confident that many of these students will return to these areas after graduation and continue our transformative success. I am also thrilled to report that the percentage of VCOM-Virginia students practicing in our area in relation to the medical school graduates in Virginia continues to climb. We are clearly delivering on our promise. And this training cycle comes full circle as more than 120 of our Virginia campus alumni have returned to our clinical training sites or campuses to provide educational experiences for our students from their first year of medical school through residency. On the following pages, you will see firsthand the impact our students are making and read the stories and accomplishments that help define and cement our legacy.

As dean of the Virginia campus of VCOM, I have seen so many talented and compassionate students come through our doors. While I always miss them once they graduate, I am proud to see them leave knowing with confidence they are and will be exceptional physicians. This confidence comes from the empathy and stewardship VCOM engrains in our curriculum, instilling a sense of duty and pride in fulfilling the VCOM Mission. Our students are uniquely qualified to meet the specific challenges of medically underserved areas. The past three first-year classes from our Virginia campus have voluntarily achieved 100% participation in naloxone (Narcan ® ) training prior to their White Coat Ceremony. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, is the only medication available to treat opioid overdose, an epidemic that directly affects the populations we aspire to protect and serve. I am so proud of our students and their commitment to improving overdose outcomes. We will continue to be a leader in bringing healthcare home to underserved areas that need it most. We will continue to deliver on our pledge. We will continue to strive for excellence, compassion and integrity. I am honored and proud to be the dean of the VCOM-Virginia campus and to work with our staff, faculty, and students which make our college a world leader in medical education for rural and underserved areas.

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