Community & Culture

Each year, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine welcomes students from across the country, and we do all we can to help make Roanoke feel like home. The medical school has many programs in place to involve students in the Roanoke Valley. From service learning to youth mentoring and more, these interactions help to build well-rounded future physicians and connect Virginia Tech Carilion to the community.

Within the medical school itself, students encounter many cultural and community-based opportunities to enrich their education. We strive to mix creativity with traditional medical education for the benefit of our students and the community. The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine proudly hosts numerous art exhibits, public programs, service learning opportunities, youth-focused activities , and much more each year.

VTCSOM Projects

Community Outreach Program

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine welcomes the opportunity to partner with community organizations, especially those that work with youth and diverse populations. The Office of Community and Culture is frequently able to assist with community events, such as science fairs or other volunteer opportunities. Many student clubs such as Mentors in Medicine also seek opportunities to engage with the community, providing STEM opportunities for local youth. Beginning in 2018, VTCSOM will also host the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair for three years, providing high school students from across the Commonwealth of Virginia with opportunities to pursue their interested in STEM through research, discovery, and competition. If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact Carrie Knopf.

Creative Arts

At the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, faculty and students embrace the arts and the roles it can play in both education and the practice of medicine. With that idea in mind, the Creativity in Health Education Program was launched to expand the social, cultural, and humanistic awareness of the school’s students, faculty, and staff by integrating the arts into their daily routines. The program also serves as a way to involve community members in the life of the school.

Service Learning

All first-year students at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine as well as nursing and physician assistant students from Jefferson College of Health Sciences are required to take part in service learning as part of the year-long “Interprofessional Leadership” course curriculum. Beyond that, students are encouraged to pursue volunteer opportunities throughout their time at the medical school, including the Martin Luther King Service Day and student clubs. A list of past and current community partners appears to the right.

Within Reach

Each year, representatives from the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and the Jefferson College of Health Sciences team up to help Roanoke-area students understand what it takes to become a health care professional and to realize that a health care career is within their reach. School representatives highlight more than a dozen academic programs, including those that lead to a certificate in medical laboratory science, an associate degree in such fields as respiratory therapy, a bachelor’s degree in a range of fields, a master’s degree in such fields as nursing, or a medical degree, or even a PhD.

Collaborative Projects

Camp Carilion

Camp Carilion is for rising eighth and ninth graders who are interested in a future career in health care. Started in 2006 by Carilion Clinic, the program began including the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in 2011. Today, the four-day adventure also visits multiple areas within Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and Jefferson College of Health Sciences. At each location, students have opportunities for career exploration through hands-on exercises and interactive demonstrations. For more information about Camp Carilion, email Karri Proctor, Carilion Clinic's Student Services Supervisor at krproctor@carilionclinic.org or call her at 540-581-0303.

Kids' Tech University

At Kids Tech University (KTU), Virginia Tech Carilion medical students have the opportunity to inspire middle school students while sharing their passion for science with the community KTU is a program at Virginia Tech with the primary goal to create the future workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Every year since 2011 about 10-15 medical students join Dr Carvalho at KTU where they interact with 400 children and their families in an engaging hands-on exhibit in science. For more information, visit the Kids’ Tech University website.