This was for my internship class.

1. Edward Via College
of Osteopathic
Medicine (VCOM)
Chelsea Reynolds

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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 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.

10. 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 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.