Eastern Virginia Medical School - History

History

In 1824, Thomas Jefferson asserted that Norfolk would be an ideal location for a medical school branch of his alma mater, The College of William & Mary, albeit for its less than desirable climate. He wrote “No sir, Richmond is no place to furnish subjects for clinical lectures. I have always had Norfolk in view for this purpose. The climate and Pontine country around Norfolk render it truly sickly in itself.” However, this early conception would not come to fruition.

In the 1960s the metropolitan area of Southeastern Virginia known as Hampton Roads recognized that the region did not have enough physicians to support its growing population. In an attempt to close the gap, area leaders decided to found a regional medical school, to both attract physicians from outside areas and to produce "home-grown" practitioners. It was thought that a University medical center operating in conjunction with previously operating regional health care facilities would effectively end the shortage and more importantly, bring a bevy of experts and specialists to the area. The idea gained the support of the Virginia General Assembly and the city councils of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. In 1964, the General Assembly authorized the formation of what was then known as the Norfolk Area Medical Center Authority.

In 1970 fundraising by the EVMS foundation began the collection of funds for the creation of EVMS. Before acceptance of its first class, more than $17 million had been donated from community and business leaders. In 1973, Eastern Virginia Medical School accepted its first class. The following year, the EVMS Office of Graduate Medical Education was established to coordinate residency and fellowship training programs. EVMS has since graduated its 30th class of physicians, with one in four of all local physicians having some connection to the University and, additionally has produced many other medical professionals to satisfy the ever-growing need for health care workers. In the spring of 2008, the Commonwealth of Virginia approved appropriating capital outlay funds to EVMS to allow it to increase its doctoral student enrollment by 30% and its physician assistant program by 60%. When this expansion is completed, the total student enrollment will rise to approximately 1,000.

On July 25, 2012, EVMS made a joint announcement with The College of William & Mary that the two schools are considering merging so that EVMS would become the William & Mary School of Medicine. Any such merger would have to be confirmed by the two schools and then confirmed by the Virginia General Assembly and the Governor.