VCOM 2024 Annual Report

The History and Growth of VCOM VCOM was founded to solve the physician shortage and shape the future of rural and medically underserved areas by providing physicians to the areas of most need.

T he Harvey W. Peters Research Center Foundation was created by Marian Bradley Via to benefit Virginia Tech and the Southwest Virginia region. Investments from the Harvey Peters Research Foundation and Edward Via have generously supported VCOM, as has generous support from John G. Rocovich Jr., JD, LLM, and his wife, Sue Ellen Rocovich, DO, PhD. With this support, VCOM was founded in 2001 in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The goal was to address what was, at the time, a projected physician shortage of 50,000 to 100,000 physicians. Physician shortages currently affect rural and medically underserved areas throughout the Southeast United States. Building the First Campus At the time of VCOM’s founding, the need for more primary care physicians was clear. With funding secured and leadership recruited, VCOM broke ground on its first building in 2002, and the first students arrived in 2003. In those first few years, the College leaned 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 the enrollment of the first class, and full accreditation followed in 2007 with the graduation of the first class. 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. VCOM and Virginia Tech joined together to create a sports medicine program and fellowship to provide enhanced healthcare to athletes and train future osteopathic sports

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