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Carolinas Via Research Recognition Day 2026

Carolinas Via Research Recognition Day 2026

Tags: Research

Location: VCOM-Carolinas, 350 Howard Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) – Carolinas Campus will hold its Twelfth Annual Via Research Recognition Day on Friday, February 20, 2026. Research Day is a significant event for VCOM and supports the mission of the College to provide medical education and research that prepares globally minded, community-focused physicians and improves the health of those most in need.

 

Registration

Registration is FREE but required for all participants, including students and poster presenters. Registration opens on November 10, 2025, and the deadline to register is February 2, 2026. 

With registration for this event, you get:

  • Program materials

  • Lunch will be provided during the event
  • Full access to all event activities

Registration is now closed.

For any problems with registration, please email researchday-cc@carolinas.vcom.edu.

Agenda

Via Research Day Agenda (PDF)

Program

Via Research Day Program (interactive publication)

How do I participate?

Attendees are invited to submit their research abstract via the email below and, if accepted, will be invited to share their research during the poster session that will be held on Friday, February 20, 2026. Submission categories will include Biomedical Research, Clinical/Educational Research, and Case Reports.

Research Day Abstract Submission Form (PDF)

Research Day Abstract Guidelines (PDF)

Abstracts must follow all guidelines outlined in the link above to be considered for acceptance. Abstracts must be submitted electronically to researchday-cc@carolinas.vcom.edu using the Abstract Submission Form at the link above. The deadline for abstract submission is 12:00 noon on Monday, November 24. Please adhere to any additional deadlines set by your mentor.

In the interest of professionalism and fairness, no extensions for abstract submission will be granted.

For questions about abstract submissions or participation in the poster competition, please email the Research Day Committee at researchday-cc@carolinas.vcom.edu.

When an abstract is accepted, the submitting author will receive further instructions on poster submission via email. Three presentations from each category will be considered for a cash prize.

VCOM provides free poster printing for any participant with an accepted abstract. Details will be sent to submitting authors with the abstract acceptance email.

Free VCOM Poster Printing Deadline is 5:00 PM, Monday, January 26, 2026.

 

What will this conference offer?

The Via Research Recognition Day is a forum for health professionals and scientists at academic institutions, teaching hospitals, and practice sites to present or benefit from new research innovations and programs intended to improve the health of all humans. By attending the oral presentations and poster sessions, participants will have the opportunity to learn cutting edge information in the physiological bases of osteopathic manipulative therapy efficacy, new trends in physician-based research networks, and how to develop innovative research projects with high impact for human health. Participants will also learn about the biomedical, clinical and educational research activities at VCOM and partner institutions will have an opportunity to identify new collaborative research opportunities.

 

Who should attend?

Medical students, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, public health professionals, medical residents, other health professional students, and others interested in primary care issues and research.

 

Disclosure Statement

It is the policy of the VCOM Medical Education Department to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its educational programs. All participating faculty are expected to disclose to the participants any real or apparent conflict of interest related to the content of their presentations.

Campus: Carolinas
When: February 20, 2026 All day

Carolinas Graduation Class of 2026

Carolinas Graduation Class of 2026

Tags: graduation

Location: Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
Dress: Business casual attire

Graduates, Faculty, Stage Party, and Family Hooders arrive by 9:15

Schedule of Events (PDF)

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS

VCOM is working with area hotels to accommodate traveling family and friends.

Hotel Info (PDF)

DIPLOMA INFORMATION

Church Hill Classics

Handcrafted in the USA and custom-­sized specifically for the official Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine diploma.

VCOM Diploma Frame Options at Church Hill Classics

Campus: Carolinas
When: May 15, 2026 10:00am to 12:30pm EDT

VCOM-Carolinas White Coat Ceremony Fall 2025

VCOM-Carolinas White Coat Ceremony Fall 2025

Tags: whitecoat

Location: Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for first-year osteopathic medical students and signifies a commitment to the osteopathic profession and patient care. Immediate family can coat a student if they are a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and join them to help celebrate. It is a psychological contract that stresses the importance of compassionate care for the patient and professionalism and scientific proficiency. The ceremony symbolizes the trust between physician and patient, compassion, and the purity of the medical profession’s purpose.

Livestream on YouTube

Campus: Carolinas
When: October 18, 2025 9:00am to 11:00am EDT
Abby Logan in a mask overlooking a mining site

From Zambia to VCOM: A Heart for Public Health

“You can’t spend two months in Zambia and come home the same,” says Abby Logan, a first-year VCOM-Carolinas student from North Augusta. Before starting med school, she joined a student research team studying the environmental health effects of mining in Zambia, an experience that cemented her love for public health and her desire to serve both global and rural communities as a future physician.

Chelsea Porter

Current Practice Location:  West Africa

Other: Dr. Porter is currently working in West Africa where she is receiving training in obstetric fistula repair to help in her practice there. She works at a health center that specializes in caring for women with obstetric fistulas and people with leprosy. The center also provides obstetric care, child vaccinations and long term care for complicated wounds and burns. Dr. Porter’s passion is caring for vulnerable people and empowering them with education.

Personal:  Dr. Porter enjoys a good run, experimenting in the kitchen, dancing, singing and telling people about the hope they can find in Jesus.

Advice for a student aspiring to study medicine: The road is long but worth it! Don’t forget why you started on the journey. Remind yourself often that it is a privilege to be a doctor and to receive the education necessary to care for people at their most vulnerable moments. Pray often. Laugh often. Don’t give up.

Advice from Dr. Porter

Chelsea Porter, DO

Graduated: Class of 2016
Campus: Carolinas
Prior School: Samford University
Degree: BS – Biology
Hometown: Plant City, FL
Chelsea Porter DO
Alumni
Residency: Via Christi Family Medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine

Rajavi Parikh

Fellowship: Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC 

Advice for a student aspiring to study medicine: “Be enthusiastic and engaged. Be prepared for anything and ask insightful questions. Treat everyone you meet with kindness and respect. Even if you think something is not possible, better to try and fail than to never try and always wonder ‘what if?’. “

Advice from Dr. Parikh

Rajavi Parikh, DO

Graduated: Class of 2015
Campus: Carolinas
Prior School: University at Buffalo, SUNY
Degrees: BS – International Women’s Health, MS – Biological Sciences
Hometown: West Seneca, NY
Dr. Rajavi Parikh, DO
Alumni
Residency: New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Specialty: Vascular Surgery

Jamie Beckman

Advice: To “Always study for the patient, not the examination.”  

Personal: Dr. Beckman enjoys spending time with his dog, Maverick, watching Minor League Baseball, cooking, and practicing woodwork in his free time!  

Check out the video below for advice from Dr. Beckman!

Jamie Beckman, DO

Graduated: Class of 2020
Campus: Carolinas
Prior Schools: South Dakota State University, University of Arizona
Degrees: BA - Music, MS in Physiology
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
Jamie Beckman
Alumni
Residency: Ophthalmology at Beaumont Health in Detroit, MI.
Specialty: Ophthalmology

VCOM-Carolinas Fall Open House

VCOM-Carolinas Fall Open House

Tags: open house

Find out how we are inspired to make a difference in our communities and beyond.

Please join us to:

  • Learn about our innovative and integrated curriculum and the osteopathic profession

  • See Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) in practice
  • Meet and talk with current students and faculty

Register

Campus: Carolinas
When: October 10, 2025 12:00pm to 3:30pm EDT

Carolinas Rural and Community Outreach

Medical students at VCOM enhance their skills in providing patient centered medicine through medical outreach activities in the Appalachian region. From the time they begin their medical education, VCOM students are actively involved in local area health fairs, free clinics, community education, and other service-based learning opportunities to engage with the community, all while receiving instruction from experienced faculty and staff.

VCOM students participate in weekly Interprofessional Early Clinical Experiences, or IECEs, throughout their second year of medical school. During these experiences, students work alongside faculty mentors and allied healthcare professionals including nurses, pharmacists, EMS personnel, athletic trainers, and others. This practical experience helps to prepare second-year medical students for the team approach to medical care and for their third-year core clinical rotations.

 

Community outreach programs include:

  • Preventive Medicine Community Outreach (PMCO), wellness screenings for local communities

  • Free Clinics
  • Mini Med Schools
  • Health and wellness programs for community events
  • Outreach programs to rescue missions and remote communities
Medical student taking a blood pressure reading on a patient

VCOM-Carolinas Mobile Medical Outreach

VCOM Physicians, Faculty, Staff and Students in partnership with the local free medical clinics and AccessHealth, has established a mobile free medical clinic focused on screening and preventive medicine for all, as well as primary care for the uninsured. Our clinic is based out of our state-of-the art mobile unit which we park in multiple communities in the upstate.

More Info

Two high school students reading a book at Carolinas Summer Enrichment Experience

Carolinas Campus Summer Enrichment Experience

The Carolinas SEE Camp incorporates a wide variety of learning activities to keep students engaged while being introduced to science and medicine. In doing so, we hope to encourage students to pursue careers in science and medicine and to gain an appreciation of behaviors that are fundamental to healthy lifestyles.

More Info

Mini-Med Schools

As part of their Appalachian Outreach and IECE training, VCOM students assist faculty in hosting “Mini-Medical Schools” promoting healthy behaviors and providing a glimpse at what it’s like to be a medical student for rural high school students. VCOM students supervised by faculty host mini med school to promote healthy behaviors in youth, to prevent at-risk behaviors, and to provide a glimpse of what it is like to be a medical student for high school students.

 

STEM Opportunities for Youth

VCOM students and faculty provide STEM programs to local schools where VCOM students share their experience with students from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds. And sharing these experiences promotes interest in healthcare careers.

Through Appalachian Outreach, VCOM students gain experience in public and environmental health, as well as providing care for patients who live in poor socioeconomic conditions. Medical outreach experiences are a key component in educating students to provide healthcare in challenging environments.

 

Information on Giving to Outreach Programs

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