Maryam Babar

What happens when dozens of future physicians, guided by faculty and local partners, come together with one goal—to make healthcare accessible for all? The answer unfolded in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, where a VCOM team spent a week providing care, connection, and hope to hundreds of underserved residents. 

VCOM-Louisiana’s large mobile medical unit hit the road last month to deliver clinical care to local seniors. The unit, made possible through a collaborative partnership with the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, is fully equipped for patient care, featuring private exam rooms with diagnostic equipment, work and phlebotomy stations, and a lavatory. It includes a wheelchair-accessible door and lift. Wrapped in vibrant VCOM graphics showcasing local students, the bus serves as a rolling symbol of hope and compassion for the communities it visits.

On September 24, VCOM–Virginia hosted the inaugural event in its Community Outreach Research and Education (CORE) symposium series, titled “Expanding Holistic Health with Community Partnerships.” The symposium brought together healthcare providers, public officials, law enforcement, social service professionals, and community leaders to explore collaborative approaches to improving health outcomes across rural and underserved communities in Southwest Virginia. 

In the quiet morning hours in Verón, a town in the eastern region of the Dominican Republic, Sydney Boudreaux, VCOM-Louisiana Class of 2026, was already setting up for clinic. The air was heavy with heat, and a line of patients had begun to form outside the VCOM Verón Rural Clinic. Many had walked long distances, some for hours, just for a chance to be seen by a doctor.

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)–Carolinas campus has taken another major step forward in its mission to serve rural and medically underserved populations across South Carolina. This week, the campus welcomed a second mobile medical unit (MMU), a smaller clinic-on-wheels that expands the reach and impact of VCOM’s domestic outreach program.

This past December, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)-Louisiana received a gift with long-term impact, two mobile medical units designed to expand healthcare access throughout Northeast Louisiana. Delivered in partnership with the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, these units represent a major step toward bringing medical services directly to rural and underserved communities. But like any meaningful gift, the true value comes not just from unwrapping it, but from learning how to use it.