VCOM View Magazine Vol. 14 | No. 1

VCOM’s Via Voice Recognition Technology Is Transforming How Future Doctors Communicate The Sound of Medıcine By Caroline Bennett

O ne of the most important aspects of patients, colleagues, and interdisciplinary teams. At VCOM, communication isn’t just a soft skill—it’s a clinical tool. And now, thanks to cutting-edge voice recognition technology, called Via Voice Recognition Technology (VVRT) , it’s being taught and assessed in an innovative way. VCOM has long emphasized mastery in medical knowledge, compassionate patient care, and effective communication. Recognizing that communication is at the core of accurate medical decision-making (MDM), preparing future physicians is teaching them how to communicate clearly—with

VCOM ensures students are prepared to collaborate confidently from their very first clinical rotations. Traditionally, students demonstrated their grasp of medical terminology and critical thinking through oral presentations and written self-assessments following simulated patient encounters. That process, while valuable, left room for innovation. Fred Rawlins II, DO, senior associate dean for simulation and technology, visualized an opportunity to improve both the teaching and evaluation of these skills using advancements in speech-to-text (STT) technology. Dr. Rawlins challenged the VCOM–Virginia Simulation and Technology Center to reimagine

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