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VCOM-Carolinas has continued its commitment to community service and hands-on medical education through its ongoing participation in the American College of Surgeons’ Stop the Bleed program. The nationally recognized course teaches simple, effective steps to control life-threatening bleeding, a critical skill in emergencies when minutes matter. By training VCOM students and sending them into local high schools as instructors, the College strengthens both campus readiness and community resilience.

Before sunrise each day, Tom Catena, MD, begins his morning with prayer in a small chapel in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan, then walks to Mother of Mercy Hospital where hundreds of patients await the care of the region’s only doctor.  

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. 

Creating Culturally Competent DOs (C3DO) at VCOM-Carolinas is a seven-part lecture series designed to prepare students to serve patients with empathy, cultural awareness, and integrity. Offered outside of the regular curriculum but counted toward credit, the lectures take place once a month and reflect VCOM’s mission of training physicians who are well equipped to meet the needs of rural and underserved communities.