October 2020
Progress Notes
October 5, 2020
Progress Notes | October 2020
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With this being my second academic year as dean, and with the Virginia Tech “Advancing Beyond Boundaries” Strategic Plan underway, the time is right for VTCSOM to take a deep-dive into long-range planning. It is time to set goals for the next five years, identify specific metrics of success, and develop milestones to mark our progress.
Organizing these efforts is the VTCSOM Strategic Planning Committee. Chaired by David Musick, senior dean for faculty affairs, and Rebecca Pauly, professor and vice chair for education in the Department of Medicine, this 12-member group will develop a comprehensive plan that will guide our school into a vibrant future. The committee will collaborate with the InclusiveVTCSOM Task Force to incorporate its goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion into the overall plan.
Our strategic plan seeks to be aligned with Virginia Tech’s “Advancing Beyond Boundaries” and Carilion Clinic’s strategic framework. It will update and further develop the general goals for VTCSOM we established in the spring:
- Improve human health through discovery and implementation science
- Create a systems-oriented and scientifically-minded physician workforce
- Foster diversity and inclusion to better represent and serve the population
- Be a destination for innovators in medical education
- Create equitable access to medical education for top talent
- Create self-sustaining funding to support medical student scholarships
Your participation in this process will help us identify important areas of focus. A Strategic Planning Survey developed specifically for VTCSOM will be sent out in late October to collect broad stakeholder input. The survey results will be shared in December, and we will schedule feedback and engagement sessions in January. Receiving the Committee’s recommendations by April 1 will allow us time to include the updated strategic priorities in our goal-setting and budgeting process for the next academic year.
Faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders are invited to attend a virtual town hall on October 13 at 6 p.m. to learn more about the process. If you didn’t receive an invitation to the virtual town hall, please email Karen Burns.
We invite you to become engaged in this important direction-setting initiative!
Be safe and be well,
Lee A. Learman
Dean
Recognitions
- Associate Professor Helena Carvalho was the August featured member of the International Association of Medical Science Educators.
- Brittany May, alumni relations associate, was elected to the Virginia Tech Staff Senate.
- Josh Eikenberg, VTCSOM class of 2015 alum and assistant professor of internal medicine, was interviewed by WTKR television on squamous cell carcinoma.
InclusiveVTCSOM Task Force
The seven working groups have met several times and are narrowing their scope and priorities. Each group is considering short-term as well as longer-term action items that will be included in our five-year strategic plan. Read more about working group activities.
Diversity and Inclusion
October is LGBTQ+ History Month, an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. LGBTQ+ History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. Click here for Virginia Tech’s calendar of events to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month.
Humanism Note
Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month runs through October 14 and celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Hear from VTCSOM faculty member Elda Stanco-Downey on the significance of this annual observation.
In honor of Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month please enjoy the inspiring stories of 10 Hispanic pioneers in medicine – scientists, physicians, nurses, and advocates.
Take Note
If you missed the September flu shot clinic at VTC, another one will be held on October 27 from 8 a.m. to 3p.m. in M106 - By Appointment Only
To schedule an appointment, visit https://training.vt.edu/. Scroll down the page and click on the “COURSEWHERE” link. Complete 2-factor authorization and then select the “View by Alpha” link at the top of the page. Select “Flu Shot Clinic-October 27-Roanoke/VTC/Fralin” and register for an open appointment.
Please be on time for your appointment. Late arrivals may have to reschedule their flu shot. Be sure to bring your insurance card and/or be prepared to pay the $25 fee. This event is open to all students and employees except medical students who received a separate communication from Hope Reynolds regarding medical student flu shot procedures.
Upcoming Events
- White Coat Ceremony, October 16, 5:30 p.m. In keeping with COVID-19 restrictions regarding physical distancing and limitations in gathering sizes, the class of 2024 will don their white coats for the first time with just their classmates and a small number of faculty and staff necessary to run the event and livestream it. Family members, friends, and the general public are invited to watch the Live Stream.
- #VTCUnfinished: Unpacking 2020, October 29, 5:30 p.m. School of Medicine and TBMH students are invited to take part in a facilitated discussion about recent events.
The Last Note
When you can’t bring your prospective students to campus, what do you do? You bring the campus to them! COVID-19 has kept the admissions team from holding live Mini Medical School Interview weekends this year, but the show (interviews) must go on. In addition to faculty and staff presentations and student interviews by way of Zoom, the candidates are directed to virtual tours of the medical school at 2 Riverside and the Roanoke Valley. As you watch these videos, you’ll see why so many students want to live and learn here.
Add Your Own Note
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