Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)Chelsea Reynolds

Introduction to VCOM• The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) is a four-

year osteopathic medical school that offers a degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).

• The decision to open a medical school was made after a study was done by Virginia Tech and Harvey W. Peters Research Foundation. The study researched the healthcare needs of Virginia and it revealed an extreme healthcare shortage in rural areas in the Appalachian region.

• The Virginia campus was the first campus that opened in 2003 in Blacksburg, Virginia.

• VCOM now has two additional campuses in Spartanburg, SC and Auburn, Al. The overarching goal of VCOM is to provide care to the underserved in the Appalachian mountain region.

Overall Mission and Objectives of VCOM• The overarching MISSION of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

(VCOM) is to prepare globally-minded community-focused physicians to meet the needs of rural and medically underserved populations and promote research to improve human health.

• Goal 1: To provide education in the art and science of osteopathic medicine

• Goal 2- To recruit and graduate students who will address health care disparities including those related to rural locations, minority populations, poverty, and primary care.

• Goal 3: To generate, promote and disseminate medical knowledge in disease prevention, chronic disease management, community health, and public health practices through Appalachian and International outreach programs.

• Goal 4: To advance scientific knowledge through medical research

• Goal 5: To serve as an advocate of osteopathic medicine, rural health, mission medicine and affordable, accessible healthcare for the medically underserved.

Mission and Objectives of the VCOM-Carolinas Campus• The mission and objective is to provide globally minded, community- focused physicians for the rural and medically underserved areas of South Carolina and the Appalachian Region, and to improve human health especially of those in most need.

VCOM- Carolinas Campus• The Carolina campus was built in

Spartanburg, SC beginning in 2001 and became accredited in 2010.

• The first class began in August of 2011 and

graduated in May 2015.

• The main campus building is approximately 70,000 square feet.

• The main campus building is 3 stories and includes 2 lecture halls, a cadaver lab, a library and stimulation labs.

• The 18-acre campus includes a walking trail, outside seating as well as a small pond.

Intern for Underserved Care• During my internship, I was an intern for Dr.

Petra Warren, MD, who is the Discipline Chair of Underserved Care.

• Underserved Care’s primary focus is seeing and providing care for patients in underserved areas that lack access to affordable healthcare options.

• The aim is to see patients and inform them of healthcare facilities that provide care to prevent problems from compounding and reaching a lethal problem.

Beta-Tester • During my time at VCOM, I was a beta tester

for a computer database that stored patient screening information.

• I was responsible for inputting data and making suggestions for changes to the program, such as adding an area for the type of cancer in a patient’s family history and moving things around to make inputting data more efficient and easier.

• I effectively communicated these changes to the maker of the program and changes were made.

• I entered over 600 individual screenings into the database and learned how to run queries on the information.

St. Matthew’s Clinic• On June 3rd, I helped VCOM students at a clinic

held at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Spartanburg, SC.

• The clinic was set up in a Sunday school room at the church with supplies brought by VCOM students. The clinic is held the first Wednesday of every month.

• The patient came and signed in and waited for a medical student. The medical students brought the patient to a common room where vitals were taken as well as patient history. The student then brought the patient to a separate room where the patient discussed his/her problems.

• The student discussed the patient’s case to a volunteer physician and the physician then met with the patient.

• At the clinic, I shadowed the medical students and physicians. I also took vital signs and helped patients when needed.

Hmong Screening Event• On June 13th, VCOM students and volunteer

physicians came and provided screening for the people of the Hmong community in Boiling Springs, SC.

• The event was set up in a church that was being built. We had tables set up and at each table was a different screening tool.

• After the patient signed in and signed the proper paperwork, he or she went around to each table and ended at the physician’s table where Dr. Warren, MD, or Dr. Jones, DO, discussed the results with the patients.

• During the event, I interacted with patients and answered any questions that they may have had about screening and emphasized the importance of screening for overall health.

Church Builders• On June 20th, we set up in a parking lot where

a church was feeding people who lived in low-income housing.

• People received information about health and also underwent free health screening.

• During this event, 23 people came and were screened.

• I was responsible for checking in patients and getting personal histories from each patient. I interacted with each patient and tried to make them more comfortable since many people were hesitant about coming to see us.

Middle Tyger Clinic• On Thursdays, I shadowed and scribed for Dr.

Petra Warren, MD at the Middle Tyger Clinic in Lyman, SC. The clinic was located in the community center.

• People in Spartanburg County without health insurance or access to a primary care physician would make appointments and see a physician at no cost.

• During my time shadowing and scribing, I saw various procedures as well as follow up appointments and check-ups. I learned medical terminology and saw effective interactions between a physician and a patient. I learned how to use an online computer database to enter and store patient information from Dr. Warren and the patient during appointments.

St. Luke’s Free Clinic • During my time at St. Luke’s, I shadowed Dr.

Cannon, DO during his appointments. I also helped him perform basic vital signs and write out prescriptions.

• Patients in Spartanburg county lacking insurance and/or an income could come by and see a physician at no cost. The clinic is opened 5 days a week and physicians from around the area volunteer their time to see patients.

• Shadowing at St. Luke’s taught me the complications of health care. Sometimes medications or procedures that the patient really needed could not get done because the patient didn’t have insurance and couldn’t afford them. I gained hands-on experience with patients and interacted with them during appointments.

Iglesia La Roca Clinic• The Iglesia La Roca Clinic is held every Friday from 1pm to 5pm in Gaffney,

SC.

• The patients at the clinic lack health insurance. The patient simply has to walk in during opening hours. If the patient is a new patient then he or she has to fill out a new patient form that asks for basic personal information.

• The clinic sees patients that really need help and don’t have access to any form of healthcare. The clinic can tell patients all of their vital signs and can inform them if they need to seek more advanced medical care. The clinic is quick and can really help patients that need it. The physicians can prescribe medications to the patients and this can help with care as well.

• I entered new patient information into the online database and information from patient meetings. I learned medical terminology as well as efficient ways to enter data quickly and correctly. I also set up and cleaned up the clinic on numerous occasions.

Summer Enrichment Experience• During the week of July 13, VCOM hosted a Summer

Enrichment Experience (SEE) for local high school students.

• The aim of the program was to promote interest in science and health related professions. It also informed students of behaviors that lead to healthy lifestyles.

• Students came and were exposed to the life of a medical student by having lectures in the morning and taking part in labs and activities in the afternoon.

• Each day, a professor discussed a different anatomical system and activities in the afternoon were planned around each system. For example, on the day that discussed the digestive tract, a nutritionist came and spoke to the girls about healthy eating habits.

• For the SEE program, I helped contribute ideas to the schedule such as having speakers from other health professions come and discuss their journey to their careers.

Summer Enrichment Experience Continued• I planned, designed and implemented a

scavenger hunt on the last day that combined all the lessons that the students learned throughout the week. The students had to answer a question or show a technique before they could get the clue.

• I led discussions with students concerning college admissions and college experiences.

• I helped medical students when they needed assistance in the anatomy lab, by opening cases to cadavers and locating organs when asked.

• This experience allowed to efficiently use communications skills with others as well as use leadership skills when I took initiative to design programs and led groups of participants throughout the week.

Internship Projects• 1. Informational Interview with Dr. Cannon, DO.

I completed an informational interview with Dr. Cannon, DO, and asked questions concerning his journey to becoming a physician as well as his thoughts concerning healthcare.

• 2. Spartanburg and Cherokee County Health Book Over the course of the internship, I shadowed Dr. Warren, MD, and Dr.

Matthew Cannon, DO, in a variety of screening events and free clinics in Spartanburg and Cherokee County. At each location, I took notes about the clinic which included background information, patient demographics, and pros/cons of each. I also included recommendations for more efficient care in the future.

I also researched health information and demographics of Spartanburg and Cherokee County and related it with notes taken at the clinic.

I also wrote a reflection and included it at the end to discuss my concluding thoughts about my observations and my internship overall.

Internship Projects Continued• 3. Beta- Tester for storage database

I was a beta-tester for a storage database that stored depersonalized screening information from screening events. I entered data, made notes about recommendations for improvement and spoke with the creator of the database and communicated my recommendations. Queries were also ran on the data to search for certain ailments and the prevalence in the population tested. I calculated the mean and percent of various health issues, such as BMI, on an Excel document and a Word document.

Conclusion • Before this internship, I was somewhat cynical towards people who

complained about health insurance and their lack of access to healthcare but after seeing people in many different locations and interacting with the physicians and volunteers that helped provide care, my heart was softened toward these patients.

• I grew from this experience not just in the respect to the medical knowledge gained from scribing but from watching physicians help patients to the best of their abilities.

• This internship made me a critical thinker and required the application of information from most of the health science classes I have taken, as I dealt with patients with a variety of socioeconomic statuses and backgrounds.

Conclusion• This internship also taught me how to effectively communicate with

other students and health care professionals in a variety of settings.

• After this internship, I am more comfortable and confident in healthcare settings due to my time shadowing and scribing.

• This internship showed me first hand how grateful people are that have access to quality health care when they don’t normally have it. I saw people who haven’t seen a physician in years finally see a physician, as well as refugees from other countries being amazed by the resources that are available.

• This internship stirred up a passion in me not to just serve others, but to serve others well. I want to become a physician and help patients in geographical areas of underserved care.