VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

Accreditation, State Authorization, Membership, and Professional Licensure VCOM's authority to operate and award degrees, its accreditation status, and professional licensure eligibility are distinct concepts: • Accreditation is a voluntary process through which an institution or educational program undergoes external review to ensure that it meets established standards of quality and effectiveness. Accreditation serves as a mechanism for quality assurance and continuous improvement and differs from state authorization and professional licensure. o Institutional accreditation evaluates an institution as a whole, including its mission, governance, finances, academic quality, student support services, assessment processes, and overall operations. VCOM is institutionally accredited by the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), the nationally recognized accrediting agency for colleges of osteopathic medicine. Institutional accreditation signifies that an institution meets recognized standards for higher education and is authorized to participate in various federal programs and transfer-credit relationships. o Programmatic accreditation evaluates a specific academic program against standards established for a particular profession or discipline. VCOM's Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program is programmatically accredited by the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), the nationally recognized accrediting agency for colleges of osteopathic medicine. Programmatic accreditation focuses on the quality and effectiveness of the medical education program and its ability to prepare graduates for residency training and professional practice. • State authorization is separate from accreditation and refers to approval by state agencies that permits an institution to operate and confer degrees within a particular state. Authorization confirms compliance with applicable state requirements but is not equivalent to accreditation and should not be interpreted as an assessment of educational quality. VCOM maintains the authorizations, approvals, and licenses required to operate in the jurisdictions in which it conducts educational activities. • Professional licensure is also distinct from accreditation and state authorization. Physician licensure is granted by individual state medical licensing boards and is based on requirements established by those boards. Graduation from a COCA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine is one component of physician licensure; however, graduates must also satisfy additional requirements, including successful completion of licensing examinations, graduate medical education requirements, and any other state specific requirements. VCOM's Professional Licensure Disclosure Statement explains these distinctions and provides information regarding licensure eligibility. VCOM seeks to ensure the public clearly understands these distinctions by publishing information regarding accreditation, authorization, and professional licensure on its website and in the College Catalog and Student Handbook. Institutional publications are reviewed periodically to ensure that references to accreditation, state authorization, and professional licensure remain accurate, current, and clearly differentiated.

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