VCOM - Virginia 2016 Yearbook

A Letter from the President of VCOM Alumni Association Board

On behalf of the VCOM Alumni Board, I am pleased to report that 2015 was another successful year for the VCOM Alumni Association. Our Board remains focused on providing activities for alumni as well as fostering continued engagement in VCOM. I will take this opportunity to highlight some of this past year’s exciting activities for our Alumni Association: ■ ■ VCOM Homecoming – During the weekend of September 11-12, 2015, many alumni returned home to VCOM to reconnect and celebrate the five-year Homecoming for the VCOM-Virginia Class of 2010. Alumni from several classes returned to the VCOM-Virginia campus and attended great CME sessions highlighting the Class of 2010 as speakers. Alumni and their families also enjoyed a beautiful evening together at Beliveau Estate Winery on Friday evening and tailgating and cheering together at the Virginia Tech football game on Saturday afternoon. We had 116 total attendees at the winery on Friday evening! ■ ■ Outreach – This year and

Our Alumni Board has focused on building alumni involvement as preceptors for these outreach events. In addition to outreach in Appalachia, our Alumni Board has been focused on increasing alumni involvement as preceptors for the VCOM Global Physician Initiative. Over this past year, we have seen an increase in involvement from alumni as preceptors for both of these outreach efforts and we encourage you to contact the Alumni Relations Office if you’re interested in serving. ■ ■ Mentorship – Our Alumni Board has also continued to support the Alumni Mentors Program and has worked towards increasing the number of alumni serving as mentors. We have continued sending notes of encouragement along with a Starbucks gift card to all of our recent VCOM graduates at the beginning of their intern year. We have heard back from many who have told us that they appreciated knowing that their VCOM family is thinking of them and they enjoyed the Starbucks drink too! This year, members of our Alumni Board will be serving again on a panel for Accepted Students Day. Alumni have been involved in this event for several years now and it is a great way for our alumni

to support VCOM and also welcome accepted students to VCOM! ■ ■ Fellowship & the Osteopathic Community – Our alumni have had involvement and enjoyed great alumni events at both the Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association (VOMA) conferences as well as AOA- OMED. In October at AOA- OMED in Orlando, alumni enjoyed the VCOM hospitality suite as well as a fun evening in the John Lennon Room at the Hard Rock Café. The VCOM Alumni Board encourages you to become more involved in your Alumni Association. Please contact the Alumni Relations Office at VCOM if you are interested in any of the above activities and opportunities, or if you have ideas to share. As alumni, we will forever be part of the VCOM family. No one says it better than Dean Jan Willcox when she says “I still miss you.” Sincerely, Ronna D. New, DO, FACOFP President, Alumni Board Class of 2007, VCOM–Virginia

last, we have highlighted the VCOM Health Fairs: Preventative Medicine Community Outreach program where VCOM

medical students do outreach in Appalachia as part of their early clinical experiences.

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