VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

Residency Assistance in the OMS 3 and OMS 4Years Students who choose a clinical career should complete residency upon graduation and pass a board certification for the field in which he or she practices. Although there is no career placement process in medicine, a match process that all students may enter provides access to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residency programs. Graduation from VCOM does not guarantee future employment. VCOM assists students with this process beginning in the third year. In the spring of the third year, the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs is available to meet with students in person or by phone to discuss career choices prior to completing their OMS 4 rotation requests. VCOM recommends that all students meet with a Chair and/or a faculty mentor in the clinical area they are applying to during the OMS 3 year. To provide students an opportunity to talk to different programs, a Hospital Day event is hosted by VCOM each year for OMS 3 students. This event allows the residency program/hospital to showcase their programs and different career opportunities to future VCOM graduates. Hospital Day events also include time for students to attend a conference in the afternoon that is focused on choosing a residency. This event allows students to meet with VCOM Clinical Chairs to discuss their residency interests and options. Students can also explore the various specialties and accredited programs via the FREIDA website (www.freida.ama-assa.org). ERAS VCOM participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) which is a service of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The ERAS is a software program that transmits necessary credentials in support of residency application. A token (means to register) for ERAS is issued to all rising OMS 4 students in early July. Presentations are held during OMS 3 to introduce the ERAS process and are included in the Foundations of Clinical Medicine I rotation during the OMS 4 year. In the fall of the fourth-year students apply to a traditional internship or to a residency. The Office of the Registrar provides assistance with the ERAS along with the Office of Student Affairs, who collectively provide assistance with residency match program. Residency Match Success Residency programs are often competitive, and students are judged upon their GPA, the COMLEX performance, clinical rotation performance, and the Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE). For VCOM students who complete all graduation requirements and who enter the match within the designated timeframe, final match placement is historically 99 - 100%. Students who graduate off cycle are placed individually outside of the match based on program availability or enter the next year’s match. In addition, VCOM students have entered residency positions in the majority of medical fields and in some of the most prestigious residencies in the country.

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