VIRGINIA TECH CARILION SCHOOL OF MEDICINE WELCOMES CHARTER CLASS

Medical education will be research-focused

ROANOKE, Va. (Aug. 2, 2010) – The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTC) welcomed its charter class to the school’s brand new campus in Roanoke this morning. After a welcome from Dean Cynda Johnson M.D., a brief orientation, and group photo, the students began their first day of classes.

The new medical school is the first public-private partnership of its kind in the state, a joint venture of Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic. The charter class consists of 42 students, 12 women and 30 men.  A third of the students are Virginia residents. They represent 35 undergraduate institutes.

The charter class begins an innovative four-year course of study. The patient-centered curriculum is designed to prepare the students for a constantly evolving medical field, and includes a strong emphasis on research and technology. Currently, 70 percent of the students already have research experience. The Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute will open on the Roanoke campus later this fall.

The school will begin interviewing applicants for its second class at the end of August. For more information on VTC, please visit http://www.vtc.vt.edu/.

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Contact: 
Eric Earnhart 540-224-4966
Allie Buth 540-224-4943
Carilion Strategic Development

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