The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.

SMJ // Article

Perspectives

Advancement of a Vertically Integrated Training Program (VITP): Introspective Assessment and Expansion

Authors: Logan Hitchcock, BS, Timothy Pitts, BS, Rebecca Stoltz, BS, Allyson Halbach, BS, Jeffrey Behling, BS, Greyson Fox Tran, BS, Donald J. DiPette, MD

Abstract

MedConnect, originally known as the Vertically Integrated Trainee Program (VITP), was created in fall 2017 to connect premedical undergraduate students at the University of South Carolina with medical students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, both located in Columbia, for mentorship and guidance. Our organization was formed in response to requests for greater integration between the various levels of medical training, from undergraduate education to medical school and postgraduate medical training, through both mentorship and collaboration.1 MedConnect focuses on shedding light on the medical school application process and life as a medical student by connecting premedical students with medical students who have successfully navigated the process. MedConnect is led by medical students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia and premedical students in Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), a prehealth professional fraternity, at the University of South Carolina.

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References

1. Pettis JL, Johnson DT, Bosak JT, et al. Development of a vertically integrated trainee program: linking future and young physicians. South Med J 2019;112:137–141.
 
2. GlobalData Plc. The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2021 to 2036. Washington, DC: Association of American Medical Colleges; 2024.
 
3. Association of American Medical Colleges. 2025 FACTS: applicants and matriculants data. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/data/facts-applicants-and-matriculants. Accessed January 29, 2025.
 
4. Fox Tran G, Magee M, Sadik Gendi R, et al. Advancement of a vertically integrated training program (VITP): introspective assessment and expansion. South Med J 2024;117:670–673.