Passion to learn. Power to heal. Health Professions Education Week

VA celebrates the contributions of more than 113,000 health professions trainees who train and care for our nation’s Veterans in over 150 VA medical centers across the U.S. This is Health Professions Education Week.

March 14 marks the inaugural VA Health Professions Education Week, celebrating VA’s statutory mission, “To educate for VA and the nation.” Since 1946, VA’s academic mission and partnerships have been successfully creating a dynamic health care workforce of students, physician residents and faculty who provide world-class care to Veterans.

VA operates America’s most extensive health care training system in which nearly 70% of all U.S. physicians complete training at VA, providing care to Veterans in multiple specialties. VA provides training in more than 60 health care disciplines through partnerships with over 1,400 academic institutions, including 99% of America’s medical schools.

“Greatest reward of VA training is serving Veterans.”

“The Office of Academic Affiliations is proud to recognize our health professions trainees, VA faculty, academic affiliates and our Veterans,” said Dr. Marjorie A. Bowman, chief Academic Affiliations officer. “Our students frequently tell us the greatest reward of training at VA is serving Veterans.”

VA invests more than $1 billion annually to provide clinical education and training programs.

Academic affiliations are essential in maintaining VA’s high standard of evidence-based care. Through these partnerships, VA shares faculty, trainees and expertise that have led to numerous health care innovations.

VA and its academic partners were instrumental in developing and accrediting multiple health care disciplines. These disciplines include psychology, physician assistants, geriatric medicine, hospice and palliative care, addiction psychiatry and a host of other specialties.

Almost 50,000 physician residents and almost 30,000 medical students train in VA each year, providing direct care to Veterans. These health professions trainees improve access to quality care for more than nine million Veterans.

Tremendous value of VA’s education mission for Veterans

These training programs benefit the nation by developing a vast cadre of highly skilled and trained health care professionals. These professionals serve communities across our country and territories.

The Office of Academic Affiliations also supports the clinical training of more than 16,000 nursing students annually. It offers Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nurse residency programs, with a program of study in geriatrics currently under development.

VA Health Professions Education Week will be held annually during the third week of March. The week signifies the tremendous value of VA’s education mission for Veterans, academic institutions, health professions trainees and its importance for the nation’s largest health care system.

Learn more

• Visit the Office of Academic Affiliations website.
• Find out more about VA’s academic mission by watching this video.