BLUEFIELD, VA (WOAY) – Bluefield College has officially joined the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine family of schools by joining its education consortium.
The two higher education institutions have merged to provide greater opportunities for students in Appalachia. According to Joshua Cline with Bluefield College, they’re looking forward to paving the way forward for healthcare careers in the region.
“We’ve created a new consortium of schools that includes us, the Appalachian School of Pharmacy and the Osteopathic School. And we’re really looking to provide the way forward for healthcare and healthcare careers and education going forward in the future,” Cline said.
Through the merger, Bluefield will remain a separate entity and still retain its name, assets and liabilities. The biggest difference is the partnership becoming official.
The decision to join the VCOM family of schools was made in March last year, and since that time, the college has been preparing to make it official.
“It’s been a good period for us to become acquainted with our partner schools and know what they’re doing, what their business operations are. And really to have time to have conversations about where the future of healthcare is really headed, not only during a pandemic but just in general.”
Currently, Bluefield College offers a Master of Arts degree in Biomedical Sciences on the VCOM campus. Now that the merger is complete, there will likely be more opportunities for science and health programs for students.
“I think it’s good for students because they can come to Bluefield College and know there’s a path for future advanced degrees for them with partner schools. But I think it’s also good for our local area and our region as a whole.”
