VCOM 2023 Annual Report

With funding secured and leadership recruited, VCOM was chartered in 2001 and broke ground on its first building in 2002. The first students arrived in 2003. Those first few years saw the College lean into its mission, offering health clinics in Southwest Virginia communities and establishing international clinics in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and El Salvador. Initial accreditation began in 2003 with enrollment of the first class and full accreditation followed in 2007 with graduation of the first class. The College boasted the findings of no deficiencies in the first five years of site visits with multiple commendations. College Growth and Partnerships As part of the mission, VCOM developed successful collaborative research partnerships with Virginia Tech and built spaces for continuing

biomedical, clinical, pharmaceutical and educational research projects.

A successful sports medicine program and fellowship began with VCOM and Virginia Tech joining together to provide enhanced healthcare to athletes, with a fellowship to train future osteopathic sports medicine specialists. Gunnar Brolinson, DO, was named the head team physician and fellowship director. The program has been replicated on VCOM’s Auburn campus. A second successful relationship with the International Department of Virginia Tech led to the development of an international program providing outreach and sustainable international clinics in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and El Salvador.

2011 Construction on the VCOM Carolinas branch campus is completed. Inaugural medical students begin their education at the Carolinas campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

2012 VCOM and the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, sign an agreement establishing a branch campus and collaboration on biomedical research and healthcare projects at Auburn University. Elizabeth Palmarozzi, DO, becomes the first vice dean.

Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO, FACOFP, moves from dean for Virginia to provost and senior dean for VCOM’s Virginia and Carolinas campuses. Jan M. Willcox, DO, FACOFP, becomes vice dean for the Virginia campus.

The first VCOM Alumni Association Reunion is held during the American College of Family Physicians (ACOFP) annual conference in Kissimmee, Florida.

THE HISTORY OF VCOM 11