VCOM Virginia Yearbook 2021

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

MESSAGE FROM THE VIRGINIA DEAN Four Campuses, One College

VCOM-VA graduated our 15th class, honoring 170 new physicians from the Class of 2021 this Spring. We were able to honor the graduates and be appropriately socially distanced in a special graduation ceremony at the iconic Virginia Tech in Lane Stadium. On campus, we honored our military health professions scholarship students, with the keynote provided by Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu, the first Asian American US Surgeon General. VCOM’s future in the Southeast is enhanced and solidified by our esteemed alumni. Many alumni have returned to meet the needs of rural and medically underserved populations. VCOM prides itself on recruiting a significant portion of our students from the Appalachian and Delta regions, with our graduates returning to these areas. Our numbers have grown to 72% of alumni practicing in our target region and 52% practicing in medically underserved areas. We are so thankful to our alumni who redoubled their efforts to support our current students during the pandemic. Many returned

promotes inclusion. VCOM-VA created an ongoing seminar series hosted by the Diversity Committee, which focuses on health disparities that affect minority communities, particularly the African American community. This initiative brings research and experience based awareness to our students, with a focus on medicine. These seminars are moderated by student leaders with alumni panelists contributing their clinical knowledge and experience.

3,099 TOTAL PHYSICIANS (including the Class of 2021) graduated from VCOM-Virginia since 2007

JAN M. WILLCOX, DO, FACOFP-dist.

This year marked our 5th Annual William G. Anderson, DO, Black History Series keynote. Dr. Anderson was a founding board member and led the Albany Movement in Georgia in 1961 with his friends Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and Ralph Abernathy. The event was well attended with the Zoom reaching capacity for maximum attendees. While the COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for change and challenges, the VCOM family created bonds in new ways and we adapted successfully during these uncertain times. I am confident in saying that our students, faculty, staff, and alumni have gone above and beyond to support one another and our community. The importance of the future of primary care in the Southeast is more significant than ever and, as individual campuses as well as on the college level, we are making a difference.

A s the COVID-19 pandemic continued, the importance of preparing globally minded, community-focused physicians is more significant than ever in history. I am proud of the ways that VCOM as a College has adapted while also assuring the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. We kept pace, excelled in education, and provided supportive outreach. Our VCOM-Virginia faculty and students embraced opportunities and new initiatives in our communities. They participated through the Department of Health, the Medical Reserve Corps, and other outreaches. Impressively, 100% of the Class of 2024 voluntarily participated in naloxone (Narcan) training prior to their White Coat Ceremony. This student-directed program showed the heart and commitment of our students to the health and safety of their communities.

169 NEW PHYSICIANS graduated in the VCOM-Virginia Class of 2021

as precepting faculty or as clinical chairs on our campuses. Also, many volunteered their time and expertise as Zoom panelists, sharing their experiences navigating medical school and aspects of their practice.

Each campus has formed a Diversity Committee to foster an environment that

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