VCOM - Virginia 2017 Yearbook

alumni class of 2017

Class of 2017 Graduates VCOM–Virginia

O n Saturday, May 6, 2017, The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) – Virginia campus in Blacksburg, Virginia graduated 189 new doctors of osteopathic medicine. The commencement ceremony was held in a packed Burruss Hall auditorium at Virginia Tech. Barbara Ross-Lee, DO, the first African-American woman to serve as dean of a United States medical school, gave the commencement address, which focused on important lessons for the students to take with them as they begin their careers as doctors. She told them to be good, wise, proud, and to be visionaries because “Status-quo is the formula for mediocrity.” Her speech touched on the bridging of keeping up with the fast- paced changes in technology and treating patients with respect. “Humanism is required, in the face of all of the science, to be able to deliver high-quality, high-value, healthcare that we all deserve.” After the ceremony, graduates and their families came back to the VCOM campus for a picnic to celebrate. Food, music and inflatables helped take the bite off of a chilly afternoon. Prior to the commencement ceremony, a military promotion ceremony was held Friday, May 5, 2017, at the War Memorial Chapel on Virginia Tech’s campus. Ten Military Health Professions Scholarship Program students from the VCOM Class of 2017 took the oath of office, received their promotion pins, and were honored for their commitment to serve as physicians in the United States Armed Forces. The guest speaker was retired Lt. General John Robb, DO, former director of the Defense Health Agency, who led a joint, integrated Combat Support Agency to provide a ready medical force for combat commands.

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