The agreement, which was first established in 2008 for undergraduate students, stipulates that students who are enrolled in the , complete all required courses at EMU with a 3.2 GPA, and meet all general admission requirements will be guaranteed admission to the medical school.

鈥淎n articulation agreement with VCOM gives our biomedicine graduate students assurance that if they succeed in our program, they will have an enhanced opportunity to enter medical school,鈥� said , PhD, director of the MA in biomedicine program. 鈥淭his is a wonderful opportunity for some of our students to enter into a quality medical education program.鈥�

VCOM is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, with campuses in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Auburn, Alabama. Established in 2002 to help alleviate the critical shortage of physicians in the Appalachian region, VCOM has 鈥渇ocused on recruitment of students from the Appalachian region and from other rural areas with special emphasis on attracting minority and mission-minded candidates,鈥� according to its website. The student body is approximately 780 students, slightly larger than the usual medical school.

VCOM also has an articulation agreement with the undergraduate program at EMU, but this agreement for graduate students took some time to establish, Miller said, because VCOM traditionally averages the grades received in coursework taken at the undergraduate and graduate level.

鈥淚f a student took organic chemistry as an undergraduate and got a C- and then took it again as a graduate student and got a B+, the averaged grades would not be that impressive,鈥� Miller said.

Under the current agreement, VCOM will accept grade replacements from graduate level coursework if the grade received in a class taken at the graduate level was better than one taken as an undergraduate.

Articulation agreements with schools such as EMU, Maryville College and Southern Wesleyan University provide 鈥渟tudents with the opportunity to secure their spot at our medical school and then focus on their studies to become superior physicians who will make a difference,鈥� said John Rocovich, Jr., chairman of the board at VCOM, in a .

VCOM student Anca Chirvasuta Dauer, who graduated from EMU in 2012 with a degree in biology, agrees. “Studying at VCOM has been everything I expected and more. I expected an academically rigorous program, which VCOM definitely provided, but I did not necessarily expect the atmosphere of support and camaraderie that I have experienced from fellow students and staff like the kind I enjoyed as an undergraduate at EMU. From daily classroom interactions, to anatomy labs and outreach projects, I have become close to many of my classmates and will feel honored to one day work as colleagues with such well-rounded, smart, and genuine people.”

Maggie had wrapped up her first two years at EMU before meeting a native of Harrisonburg, Va., Nathaniel 鈥淣ate鈥� Yoder, who had returned to his hometown after completing two years at a sister Mennonite school, .

Maggie and Nate were both in the class of 2008, and they quickly discovered a shared interest in answering God鈥檚 call through practicing medicine.

Now in their final year at VCOM, Maggie Yoder is pursuing a residency in family medicine, while Nate Yoder will be doing a residency in emergency medicine. They will each earn the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.).

鈥淭he VCOM relationship is a perfect next step for someone who鈥檚 come through EMU,鈥� says Maggie, adding that EMU and VCOM are both based on service to others and intercultural awareness.

The non-profit VCOM was established with foundation and private donations in the fall of 2003 鈥渢o prepare globally-minded, community-focused physicians to meet the needs of rural and medically underserved populations and promote research to improve human health,鈥� according to the school鈥檚 website. Initial focus on underserved areas in Appalachia has stretched to Latin America.

鈥淭he school鈥檚 block schedule is set up to encourage hands-on service in clinical settings in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic,鈥� says Maggie. Up to 25 VCOM students travel to rural areas in these countries four times per year for several-week stints. They staff clinics that VCOM has established with local community partners, providing services to people who otherwise would not have access to basic care.

鈥淲hile most medical students spend the first two years of med-school in the classroom, we had the chance to do hands-on clinical assessment and intervention,鈥� says Maggie. Maggie and Nate have each completed a 10-day stint in Honduras, with Nate also spending time in Guatemala.

After graduating from EMU in 2008, the Yoders took time off to work in research roles 鈥� he in a biotech lab and she at the 鈥� before beginning medical school in 2010.聽 Anca Chirvasuta, a 2012 graduate of EMU, has followed the Yoders to VCOM.

The founder and chairman of the board of directors at VCOM, John Rocovich, J.D., LL.M., was key in building the relationship between EMU and VCOM, anchored by a 2008 agreement for automatic admission for qualified EMU grads. The arrangement guarantees acceptance of up to 10 EMU students into the VCOM program, assuming these students follow a distinct academic protocol and demonstrate high achievement in EMU’s pre-med program. (The Yoders’ acceptances predated this agreement.)

Rocovich serves on , which undergirds EMU鈥檚 . Renovations are expected to begin in early 2014.