VCOM 2024 Annual Report

physicians, and VCOM continues to collaborate with other institutions to support healthcare programs. VCOM developed several significant educational partnerships with other colleges that are now owned by the Harvey W. Peters Research Foundation (HWPRF), including the Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP), which offers a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in Southwest Virginia, where both institutions share interprofessional educational experiences for students. In July 2018, VCOM began a collaboration with Bluefield University (BU) to offer a Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences (MABS) program with the purpose of preparing rural students to meet the academic challenges of medical school. VCOM has also recently partnered with BU to offer a Master of Health Science in Anesthesia (MHSA) on the VCOM Auburn campus. The success of that program has led to a similar program at VCOM Carolinas, launching in fall 2025. VCOM is shaping the future of healthcare in other ways too. The Alabama Artificial Intelligence Center (AAICE) is a collaboration between VCOM-Auburn and AUBix, a prominent data center based in Auburn. Established with the goal of revolutionizing AI research and application, AAICE is a fusion of academic expertise and technological infrastructure. In fact, partly because of AAICE, VCOM—along with the Center for Health Services Research—recently received a $3.5 million grant from the Department of Defense to study syndromic surveillance and biothreats. VCOM’s future is bright. With more than 6,000 alumni physicians in residency or practicing in our nation, VCOM has become the largest medical school in the Southeastern United States and continues its focus on assuring those patients in most need will have access to care.

2019

VCOM-Auburn’s inaugural Class of 2019 graduates.

2020

Despite COVID-19 closures, VCOM students continue learning online. VCOM-Louisiana campus construction finishes, welcoming its inaugural class.

2021

VCOM partners with SOUTHCOM, sending military scholarship students and faculty aboard the USNS Comfort for humanitarian missions.

2022

The Master of Health Science in Anesthesia program launches at VCOM-Auburn, expanding to VCOM-Carolinas in 2025.

2024

VCOM-Louisiana inaugural class graduates with 139 new physicians.

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INTRODUCTION