As we approach Giving Day 2024, please join us in a collective celebration of philanthropy and community at Virginia Tech.  From noon on February 21 through noon on February 22, this 24-hour period is a great opportunity to rally together and make a lasting impact on the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine as well as to support our current and future students.

Your involvement in Giving Day 2024 plays a pivotal role in advancing medical education, empowering faculty, and fueling the programs that define VTCSOM’s commitment to excellence. We want to emphasize that every gift, regardless of its size, is deeply appreciated. It is the collective power of generosity that propels us forward and strengthens the bonds of Hokie Nation.

This year, VTCSOM has an ambitious goal of 150 unique donors. Several of our generous supporters have provided challenge gifts to spur participation and help us reach our fundraising goals.

At 25 donors, a $5,000 gift will be unlocked.
At 50 donors, a second $5,000 gift will be unlocked.
At 75 donors, a $10,000 gift will be unlocked.
At 100 donors, a $34,000 gift will be unlocked.
At 150 donors, a $50,000 gift will be unlocked.

Your participation is pivotal in helping VTCSOM raise additional funds. Regardless of the size of the gift, it brings us one step closer to realizing our vision for VTCSOM and meeting this milestone! We need your help!

The Office of Advancement is hosting a Giving Day After Hours event from 5 – 7 p.m. on February 21 where we will be offering heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, live music, giveaways, and fun! Tickets are $15 apiece with $5 of the ticket price being used as a gift to VTCSOM. By purchasing a ticket using the link below, you can spend time with friends, have some fun, and help VTCSOM surpass its Giving Day 2024 goal.  

Your generosity matters, and we are grateful for your support!  

Alicia Besenyei
Assistant Dean for Advancement

VTCSOM Giving Day After Hours
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Atrium – Riverside 2
Roanoke, VA 24016

$15 per ticket – ($5 used as a gift to VTCSOM)

REGISTER HERE
https://aimsbbis.vt.edu/AfterHours24

Editor’s note: The next issue of Progress Notes will be published Monday, March 4. All submissions should be sent to Catherine Doss (cdoss@vt.edu) no later than Monday, February 19.

News Around Campus

Please visit and bookmark our NEW news site where you can easily find stories and stay up to date with what's going on at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: https://news.vt.edu/vtc-school-of-medicine.html.

Social Media

Events

Humanism Notes 

In order to grow personally, we often must step out of our comfort zone. Here’s a challenge: how many of us would consider meeting someone with radically different views than our own?  In this brief story Keith Magee explains why he made that choice and what he learned.

Publishing

The following individuals: Daniel Gochenour, Respiratory Therapist, University of Virginia;  Jeannine Everhart, Public Health and Healthcare Leadership, Radford University Carilion; Chase Poulsen, Clinical Health Professions, Radford University Carilion; Douglas Wright, Clinical Health Professions, Radford University Carilion; and Francis C. Dane, Psychology, Radford University published “Patient safety perceptions of respiratory therapists holding a specialty credential,” in Respiratory Care Education Annual.

Welcome New Employees

Welcome to these colleagues who joined VTCSOM recently:

Kim Filer, senior director of educational affairs
Laura Hawley, executive assistant; and 
Alicia Pierce, enrollment management coordinator

Welcome New Faculty

Welcome to these faculty members who joined us recently:

Pediatrics: Lindsay Elsner and Anne Laverty
Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine: Troy Hoff
Internal Medicine: Sunbal Babar, Bara El Kurdi, Subhash Garikipati, Joel Joseph, and Anne Laverty (co-appointment)
Radiology: Joseph Birkman
Emergency Medicine: Rawle Seupaul
Health Systems and Implementation Science: Nicholas Rider
Surgery: Nicholas Wright and Esmaeel Dadashzadeh 

Alumni Update

Help celebrate the 10-year reunion of the VTCSOM Class of 2014! Inaugural class alumni and their families are invited to join us for a weekend of activities and events to reunite with classmates, become reacquainted with the school, and learn about its future plans.

Register Here: https://aimsbbis.vt.edu/VTC2014Reunion

May 17-19, 2024
The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
110 Shenandoah Ave
Roanoke, VA 24016

Schedule of events and more information

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Update 

Below are February holidays and celebrations:

February is Black History Month

1:  National Freedom Day, celebrating the signing of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States in 1865
1:  St. Brigid of Kildare Day 
1–2:  Imbolc
2:  Candlemas
3:  St. Blaise Day
3:  Setsubun-Sai (Beginning of Spring)
3:  Four Chaplains Day
7-8:  Lailat al Miraj
8-10: Losar (Tibetan Buddhist New Year)
10: Lunar New Year
13: Mardi Gras
13: Shrove Tuesday
14: Ash Wednesday
14:  St. Valentine’s Day
14: Vasant Panchami
15:  Parinirvana/ Nirvana Day
19:  Presidents Day
20: World Day of Social Justice
24: Maghi-Purnima
24:  Magha Puja Day/Maka Bucha
24:  Lantern Festival
24-25:  Lailat al Bara’a/Shab-e-Bara
26–29:  Intercalary Days (Ayyám-i-Há)

Community Corner

Carilion and VTCSOM hosted a visiting medical student for the month of January. Ji Yun (Julia) Park, a 4th-year medical student at Yonsei University’s Wonju College of Medicine, spent time in the departments of Neurosurgery and General Surgery at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. VTCSOM and Wonju College of Medicine have had a successful student exchange partnership for many years.  

Wonju Intern Brunch
Julia Park, our visiting student from Wonju, South Korea, joined members of our school for a luncheon!

Mark your calendars for Feb. 22 when the VTCSOM Creativity in Healthcare program opens its next art show in partnership with Abingdon’s William King Museum of Art. The show, which runs through May 10, is titled “From These Hills: Contemporary Art in the Southern Appalachian Highlands.”

From These Hills artwork

Virginia Tech employees donated more than $390,000 to charity during the most recent Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign.  VTCSOM raised $7,676 with a 27.27% participation!

Take Note

  • The VTCSOM Gift Shop has closed. Our merchandise may be purchased online through the Virginia Tech bookstore.

  • WellFest is right around the corner! Mark your calendars for Feb. 8 from 1 to 7 p.m. The annual event is  a day filled with fun activities, local vendors, therapy dogs, chair massages, and more! WellFest is a celebration of wellness designed to uplift your spirits and promote a sense of community. 

The Last Note 

docs for morgan
The 12th annual Docs for Morgan basketball game gave the students a chance to win back their title from the doctors.