Dean's Message

Dear Colleagues,

With the fall semester well underway I am filled with gratitude for all we've accomplished over the past seven years at VTCSOM, culminating in 2026 with a leap forward in scholarship support with the Smith Family Endowment gift of $20M, funding for a new medical school building from the Commonwealth, and $6.5M/year in base budget funding to support enrollment growth, in-state tuition, and other initiatives.  While historic and important, these accomplishments don't fully reflect our most important achievements.

The VTCSOM Identities Curriculum, now in its third year of implementation, includes next generation innovations that keep our school at the cutting edge of medical education, continuing the tradition of our founders.  Carefully planned, incremental enrollment growth has enabled our original class size of 42 students to increase to 64 matriculating students in 2026, with 72 planned in 2027.  The care we've taken has fulfilled our promise that enrollment growth will enhance opportunities and programs for our students, without detracting from the essential and differentiating strengths of the school which we regard as our north star. 

One of those strengths is the unique skills our graduates bring to their future careers as a result of our curriculum and clinical learning opportunities, as reflected in our consistently high match rates into competitive specialties and programs. Training in our region also makes a positive impact.  We outperform Virginia’s other MD-granting medical schools in the percent who practice after residency in medically underserved areas (48% VTC vs. 37-38% others) and rural areas (7.3% VTC vs. 2.5-3.8% others) in US News 2026 rankings.

Establishing university tenure at VTCSOM in 2021 has opened the door for three physician scientist recruitments based at FBRI with tenure homes at VTCSOM, with more to come.  That same year we established a multidisciplinary department of Health Systems and Implementation Science that now includes an outstanding cadre of tenured, tenure-track and collegiate faculty, as well as core faculty for our HSSIP curriculum.  HSIS leadership established collaborations across Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic, enabling us to compete successfully for university funding to create the Smart Healthcare Hub.  A key recruitment in health informatics enabled us to attract the Jeffrey Modell Foundation to invest in the establishment of a  Center for Informatics and Data Science at VTCSOM, the first such center in their global network, and to liaise with AI-focused initiatives at VT and throughout the Commonwealth.   

Over the past seven years we have also recruited outstanding academic department chairs and decanal leaders from across the country, including internal candidates.  In collaboration with Carilion Clinic and with approval by the Board of Visitors and SCHEV, we established a new VTCSOM academic department of Neurosurgery and are considering several others in clinical disciplines.  In 2021, we advanced a proposal leading to Virginia Tech’s membership in the Consortium of Universities for Global Health.  In 2025, we established an associate deanship in global health and appointed a dynamic leader in the role who, within a year, organized our inaugural global health colloquium.  The colloquium brought together faculty, residents, students, researchers, and institutional partners to showcase global health activities at VTCSOM and foster collaboration across the medical school, Virginia Tech, and Carilion Clinic.

Our community engagement efforts have expanded to include strategic service-learning projects and curricular community immersion experiences for our students, and a Community Engagement Advisory Board that assures ongoing dialogue with a broad and diverse group of community leaders representing educational, health, social service, civic, and non-governmental organizations, as well as faculty and medical students.  An increasing number of faculty serve on the leadership bodies of local, regional, and national organizations in their professional communities of practice, where they act as our ambassadors reflecting their career achievements and impacts here at VTC.

My recent election into the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (VASEM) reflects the value VTCSOM has brought, and will continue to bring, to the Commonwealth of Virginia.   When we had the new inductee orientation meeting last month, I was impressed by VASEM's vision to provide expert policy guidance to the commonwealth, much like NASEM does (or used to) for federal health and science policy. I look forward to participating in these efforts, with the other VT faculty who are members of VASEM, and with our colleagues across Virginia,

I feel a deep sense of appreciation for these selected milestones, and many more, for I know they would not be possible without the time, energy, and passion you each bring to our mission.  I am also grateful for the opportunity to educate the bright and talented medical students who inspire us every day, and who will go on in their careers to touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients and families.  Our academic ecosystem includes the unwavering support of the Virginia Tech - Carilion Clinic partnership, which is stronger than ever with an updated affiliation agreement and appetite to deepen collaborations supporting research.  Our existing and expanding relationships with FBRI and other VT institutes, centers and colleges have also been pivotal to our academic success. 

The months ahead will bring completion of our 8-year reaccreditation cycle which has served as a comprehensive and inclusive opportunity to reflect on our strengths and implement improvements.  The years ahead will bring new milestones reflecting our continued commitment to excellence and progress toward our vision of being a destination for innovators who establish the nation’s premier model of 21st century medical education, transform medical education, and advance research promoting world-class clinical care. 

I am excited about all we will accomplish together in this next phase of our development and the meaningful impacts our work will make in service of others.

Cheers to each of you and VTCSOM! 

Lee A. Learman, M.D., Ph.D.
Dean

News Around Campus

 

    Social Media

     

      What Does It Mean to You to Be a Woman in Medicine and Science?

      The collected responses fall into themes of family, values with action steps, having and being a role model, opportunities, the role of culture, new definitions, being an advocate for those with silent voices, creating a legacy, and developing pathways. To view the full responses, click here.

      Students:

      Zoya Amer, Medical Student:

      • “To me, being a woman in medicine and science means carrying forward the strength, sacrifice, vulnerability, and humanity that have shaped my family’s understanding of medicine…I believe women in medicine bring a powerful ability to hold both of these truths: the strength to lead, innovate, and push boundaries, and the sensitivity to recognize suffering, uncertainty, and the profound experiences that define our patients’ lives. That combination is not a weakness — it is a source of healing. It is the legacy I hope to carry forward as a physician and scientist.”

      Ranya Ridha, TBMH Student:

      • “To me, being a Kurdish woman in medicine and science means carrying both opportunity and responsibility. …Being in this field means more than pursuing my own education or career. It means using the opportunities I have to help create opportunities for others, especially for people whose language, culture, or circumstances can make medicine and science feel distant or inaccessible…. I hope my presence also carries a message to younger women who may not often see someone from their background represented in these spaces. You belong here. “

      Faculty

      Julie Zielinski, MD

      • “Being a woman in medicine is a profound journey of breaking barriers, leading with strength, and offering deep compassion. It means standing as a visible role model for future generations while reshaping outdated professional norms to create a healthier, more inclusive healthcare environment…Through dedicated mentorship, women guide the next wave of medical trainees by providing personal support and sharing hard-earned wisdom. Medicine is being permanently transformed by the strength, resilience, and heart that women bring to the field every single day.”

      Stephanie Nagy-Agren, MD

      • “Women are shown to bring distinctive characteristics to the workplace including more patient centered preventive care and counseling, following guidelines better which leads to improved outcomes, and demonstrating values such as empathy that enhances the patient experience but doesn’t align with existing productivity measures. Perhaps it has been these characteristics that have brought my greatest joy in work, that of managing patients with infections who come from marginalized backgrounds.”

      Tracey Criss, MD

      • “In 2017 I represented Carilion Clinic in the inaugural class of the Carol Emmott Fellowship, a national fellowship for women leaders in healthcare. During one of our convergences, each fellow was engaged in an interactive session with a female executive in healthcare with the goal of creating a legacy statement for her career. Here is my legacy statement:
        "I am a kind and compassionate person who will treat my patients with kindness and compassion. I will utilize my energy, enthusiasm, and listening skills to model this for students, residents, and attending physicians with the goal of making better the lives of those who seek comfort and care."”

      Lubna Wani, MD

      • “To treat my patients with kindness and teach and nurture my students with motherly love.”

      Angela Venuto, MD

      • “It means to have the privilege of serving others:  having a sacred relationship with patients of mutual honesty and trust... as a woman it means shining kindness, and care for others in the most basic of human ways... it means having an opportunity to elevate our education and responsibility to give other minimalized peoples hope of attaining higher education... it means championing all little girls and young women into support for roles they can attain now, despite historically being marginalized. It means lifting up those around us and instilling that anyone, anywhere, can surely work hard enough to become someone that helps others, as a Physician- no matter their gender, race or creed.”

      Angelica Witcher Walker, PhD, MBA

      • “To me, being a woman in medicine and science means embracing the responsibility and privilege of contributing to fields that have historically not always provided equitable opportunities for women…Being a woman in medicine and science also means creating pathways for others. I view mentorship, sponsorship, advocacy, and intentional leadership as essential components of my role—not only to support the advancement of women, but also to help cultivate environments where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive.

        Ultimately, being a woman in medicine and science means using my position to advance knowledge, improve the experiences and outcomes of those I serve, and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable academic and healthcare community.

      Riya Saxena
      President of GWIMS
      VTCSOM Class of 2029

        Humanism

        Dear Poets,
        When you experience moments like this, personally or professionally, we witness something sacred.
        - Dr. Brian Unwin

        unspoken

        Frederick J. P. Langheim, MD, PhD
        today I saw
        an aphasic
        Parkinsonian man
        say: I love you
        more profoundly to his wife
        with a careful loving
        caress of her cheek
        with the back of his hand
        than any words I have heard spoken
        it simultaneously
        filled my heart
        and blew it to pieces

        Publishing

        Alumni

        Calling all VTCSOM ALUMNI:

        We are excited to announce the dates for our first ALL VTCSOM Alumni Weekend!

        Please mark your calendars for June 4-6, 2027 to join us in Roanoke. 

        It will be a great weekend to catch up with old friends and classmates- and highlight VTCSOM Class of 2017!

        In the coming weeks we will be sharing more details on the actual events and family activities that we have planned for the weekend.

        Be sure to keep checking our social media pages and alumni section of our progress notes for more details.

        See you June!

        Spotlight on Giving

        The Annual Richard C. Vari, Ph.D. Endowed Lecture honors the legacy of Dr. Richard “Rick” Vari, a founding faculty member and senior dean for academic affairs at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Dr. Vari played a pivotal role in shaping the medical school from its earliest days, helping to design its innovative curriculum and guiding the institution through accreditation. A nationally respected medical educator, he championed problem-based learning and interprofessional education, and his influence continues to be felt through the generations of physicians, educators, and students he mentored. He was widely recognized for his contributions to medical education, including receiving the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. 

        Following Dr. Vari’s passing in 2022, colleagues, friends, former students, and grateful supporters came together to establish and sustain the Richard C. Vari, Ph.D. Endowed Lecture in accordance with his wish to bring internationally renowned innovators in medical education to VTCSOM each year. The lectureship serves as a lasting tribute to Dr. Vari’s passion for teaching excellence and lifelong learning, while ensuring that students, faculty, and healthcare professionals continue to benefit from thought leaders who are advancing the future of medical education. Through the generosity of many donors who knew and admired Dr. Vari, this endowed program will inspire learners and educators for generations to come.

        Register now for this year’s Richard C. Vari Endowed lecture on TEACH Education Day 2026.

        When: Wednesday, October 14, 2026

        Time: Noon-1 p.m.

        Where: M106, VTCSOM Riverside 2 Building

        Last Note

        Governor Spanberger Announces Board Appointments

        Governor Abigail Spanberger appointed VTCSOM associate professor of Dr. Jaclyn Nunziato to the state's Maternal Mortality Review Team! Congrats!