August 2026
Dean's Message
Every year at this time, we receive a reminder of why the work we do is so meaningful.
During the past couple weeks, our newest students began filling the classrooms, study spaces, laboratories, clinics, and hallways of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. They arrived eager to learn and ready to contribute. Before long, they will become familiar faces in medical practices throughout the region and our partner health care institution, Carilion Clinic. They will become volunteers in our community, research collaborators at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and other laboratories, and trusted colleagues to one another.
I am pleased to welcome the Class of 2030, the largest class in the history of our medical school, and the third class to experience the VTCSOM Identities Curriculum. These students’ arrival reflects the continued growth of our institution and our shared commitment to preparing more patient-centered physicians for Virginia and beyond.
The 64 new students were selected through an extraordinarily competitive admissions process. We received more than 6,500 AMCAS applications with more than 4,100 applicants completing our secondary application. Of those, only 185 were ultimately offered admission, a 4.5 percent acceptance rate. The fact these high-achieving students chose VTCSOM is a testament to the outstanding work our faculty and staff do every day to elevate our school.
The Class of 2030 comes to us from 22 states and 50 undergraduate institutions, including 15 from Virginia and five alumni of Virginia Tech. Our new students represent a broad range of undergraduate majors, from liberal arts and humanities to biomedical and physical sciences. Some have already earned graduate degrees, while others have spent years immersed in research or caring for patients. Along with the individuality that arises from their diverse experiences, perspectives, and aspirations, our newest students share a commitment to improving the lives of others through medicine.
Over the next four years, they will be shaped by the people and places that make this community special. They will learn from faculty who challenge them to think critically, clinical teams who model compassionate care, researchers who inspire inquiry and discovery, administrative staff who support every step of their journey, and patients who entrust them with confidential stories.
The Class of 2030 will also bring new ideas, new questions, new energy, and new opportunities to advance our mission. I was delighted to speak with many of our new students and learn about their backgrounds and interests at our traditional welcome event at a Salem RidgeYaks game. I know that all who get to know this class in the coming years will appreciate the unique perspectives and talents they bring to our VTCSOM community.
To our newest students: welcome to Roanoke, welcome to VTCSOM, and welcome to a community, people and places that are honored to be part of your journey. We are excited to learn alongside you and look forward to the difference you will make.
Lee A. Learman, M.D., Ph.D.
Dean
Events
- 8/6 Inaugural lecture of the Craft Family Endowed Guest Professorship on Medicine and Humanities
2026 Deans Award for Academic Excellence
Dean’s Academic Excellence Award was established in 2022 to celebrate residents and fellows in the final year of training who are exemplary.
Award recipients are selected using criteria established by the Dean’s Office through a process specified by each residency program. The 3 criteria are:
Outstanding achievement in patient care, medical education and scholarship;
Epitomizing system citizenship and the values of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, which include collaboration and excellence; innovation and discovery; and humanism and compassion; and
A track record of service to the medical school, through medical student teaching, mentoring, or service on medical school committees.
General Surgery Residency
Dr. Rebecca Pauly and Chair Dr. Michael Nussbaum presenting to award winner Dr. Jinman Cai
Emergency Medicine Residency
Dr. Lisa Uherick representing VTCSOM Office of the Dean
Presented to Dr. Davin Combs, a class of 2023 VTCSOM alumni
Internal Medicine Residency
Dr. Zain Qazi, with Dr. Michael Wiid, Program Director and Dr. Rebecca Pauly
OB/GYN Residency
Dean Learman gave the award to our alumna Stephanie Masters. Stephanie is doing a maternal field Medicine fellowship at UVA as her next step.
Humanism
The story of four-year-old Roman Butzlaff from Concord, North Carolina, is a beautiful reminder of the impact one person can have. With nothing more than a wave and a cheerful "Hey!" to everyone who passed by, Roman brought neighbors together and turned strangers into friends.
His kindness shows that even the smallest gestures can leave a lasting mark. It's also a reminder of how fortunate we are to live in a caring community like Roanoke, where neighbors look out for one another and those simple connections make all the difference.
Publishing
The following highlights a selection of recent publications from across the VTCSOM community.
- Denis Foretia, associate dean for global health and associate professor in the Department of Surgery, collaborated with colleagues on Gallbladder agenesis: a systematic review of presentation, management, and outcomes, published in Annals of Medicine and Surgery.
- Sarah Parker, chair and associate professor in the Department of Health Systems and Implementation Science, joined colleagues on Changes in gaze behaviors during psychomotor skill training in laparoscopic surgery: A longitudinal eye tracking study, published in Applied Ergonomics.
- Michelle Rockwell, director of health systems science and interprofessional practice for Phase 1 and associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, published Optimizing the Uptake and Completion of the Cervical Cancer Screening Continuum: Opportunity Knocks, Including at Home with a colleague, in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
- Nicholas Rider, professor in the Department of Health Systems and Implementation Science, teamed with colleagues on Synthesized annotation guidelines are knowledge-lite boosters for clinical information extraction, published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
- Stephanie Lareau, professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, along with Carver Haines, assistant professor in the same department, Benjamin Brewer, assistant professor in the Department of Health Systems and Implementation Science, and colleagues, published Evaluating Artificial Intelligence-Generated Multiple-Choice Questions in Wilderness Medicine: Quality, Feasibility, and Time Savings for Educators, in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.
- Margaret Rukstalis and Robert McNamara, both associate professors, and Huaiyang Zhong, assistant professor, all in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, worked with colleagues on Bidirectional associations between mental health conditions and cognitive impairment in patients with pain conditions of the back, neck, and spine: A population-based study, published in PLoS One.
- Vydia Permashwar, Brittany Howell, and Stephanie DeLuca, all associate professors in the Department of Pediatrics, partnered with colleagues on Understanding Physical Activity Demands and Reported Perceptions of Fatigue in Children with Developmental Disabilities, published in Behavioral Sciences.
- Abra Roberts, class of 2023, collaborated with mentor Anthony LaMantia, professor and director of the Center for Neurobiology Research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, and colleagues on An antioxidant therapy elicits distinct transcriptome responses in 22q11-deleted upper layer cortical projection neurons, published in Disease Models & Mechanisms.
- Andrew Strohman (MD/PhD), worked with his PhD mentor Wynn Legon, assistant professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, and colleagues on Modulation of posterior insula selectively enhances nociceptive sensory gating in healthy humans, published in Neurobiology of Pain.
- Sabri Conde-Yassin, class of 2026, co-authored with mentor Bryan Collier, professor of Surgery, along with Katie Bower, Emily Faulks, and Jacob Gillen, associate professors, and Joshua Stodghill and Michael Collins, assistant professors, all in the Department of Surgery, on Buprenorphine analgesia: Impacts on opioid burden and clinical trajectory in acute trauma care, published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.
- Jazlyn Selvasingh, class of 2029, teamed with mentor Shannon Fulp, assistant professor of Surgery, along with fellow students Taral Jella and Julianna Barbaro, both class of 2028, Evgeniya Molotkova, class of 2025, and James Stupin and Theodore Huang, both class of 2027, and Justin Shinn, assistant professor of Surgery, on Accessibility of Otolaryngology Care in Virginia: A Geospatial Workforce Analysis, published in Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.
Spotlight on Giving
Swing It to End It, Inc. is a Roanoke-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting Alzheimer's research, education, and caregiver support in the Roanoke Valley. Founded by Annette Carter in memory of her late husband, James R. Carter Sr., the organization works to advance the fight against Alzheimer's disease through community engagement and fundraising. Its mission includes supporting graduate student research through the James R. Carter Sr. Memorial Research Award at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and providing philanthropic support to the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Center for Healthy Aging, helping to advance education, research, and community programs focused on healthy aging and dementia.
On Sunday, August 9, Swing It to End It hosted its annual charity golf tournament at Botetourt Golf Club, bringing together community members, sponsors, and supporters committed to ending Alzheimer's disease. VTCSOM proudly fielded two teams in the tournament, including medical students Daniel Creighton, Luke Ignell, Calvin Harris, and Thomas Crahan, who participated in support of the organization's important mission. The event serves not only as a fundraiser, but also as an opportunity to raise awareness of the growing impact of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia while strengthening partnerships that benefit aging-related research, education, and caregiver support throughout Southwest Virginia.
