VCOM 2025 Annual Report

29

EDUCATION

Our Mission in Action: Expanding Access to Care A ccess to healthcare in rural and medically underserved communities remains one of the nation’s most

With four campuses, VCOM is now one of the largest single providers of physicians to the healthcare workforce in the southeastern United States.

pressing challenges. At VCOM, addressing that challenge is central to who we are and what we do. Today, 87% of VCOM students come from one of our target states. By enrolling students with roots in rural and underserved areas, we strengthen the likelihood that they will return to serve them. We are also committed to ensuring that cost is never a barrier. With more than 50 scholarships—many prioritizing students from medically underserved communities— VCOM reduces the financial pressures that can pull graduates away from primary care or rural practice.

Clinical training reinforces that commitment. During their third- and fourth-year rotations, students work with educational partners in the very communities where physicians are most needed, building relationships and confidence in real-world settings. Finally, through strategic graduate medical education partnerships, VCOM collaborates with affiliated hospitals across its region to expand residency programs close to home. Because physicians often establish practices near their residency sites, these partnerships are a deliberate investment in long-term workforce stability—creating a seamless pathway from recruitment to residency to practice in the communities that need care most.

84 % of students come from our Targeted Southeastern Region

50 % of students come from a Medically Underserved Area or Population

64 % of students come from a designated Rural Area

Classes of 2007-2028

Classes of 2007-2028

Classes of 2007-2028