Figures Facts - Eastern Virginia Medical School

EVMS students created the Beyond Clinic Walls program to better understand theobstacles and challenges that confront older adults.CommunityEVMS is a product of the community and is committedto helping the people of Southeastern Virginia andbeyond. The EVMS vision is to be recognized as the mostcommunity-oriented medical school in the nation.The school’s culture of service is one that the entire EVMSteam wholeheartedly embraces. For instance, the librarystaff regularly reaches out to local librarians and the publicto show them how to locate valid health informationonline. Half of the individuals who use the EVMS libraryare not affiliated with the school; many want to learnmore about treatment options for ill loved ones.Faculty and staff are role models for students, often givingof their free time to help the less fortunate. One example:faculty, staff and students travel to rural SouthwesternVirginia annually to volunteer at one of the nation’s largestfree clinics. They provide specialized ophthalmic anddiabetes care to hundreds of people who have no otherhealthcare options.Altruistic students are drawn to the school because of itsfocus on the community and the myriad opportunities foroutreach. For instance, EVMS students started the Coatsfor Kids drive, which matches needy children and familieswith donated coats. They also created the first studentrunfree clinic in Virginia.Community outreachBelow are examples of the many ways EVMS gives back tothe community over the course of a year.Student clubs: 85(nearly all have a community outreach component)Students participating in community outreach: 800+(out of student body of 1,100)Student-run programs 50+(Community Care Day, Free Clinic, international mission trips, etc.)Members of the public trained by EVMS librariansto find health information online: 1,152Public librarians trained by EVMS librariansregarding online health information: 169“One of the things that hasimpressed me the most over timeabout the students at EVMS is theircommitment to community service.You see it locally in things like thefree clinic, and you see it globally[in projects like those in Haiti].”Darrell G. Kirch, MD, President and CEO of theAssociation of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)CommunityEVMS Facts & Figures www.evms.edu 15