Fifty years ago, ETSU launched Quillen College of Medicine against a lot of opposition. Opening its doors with one building in 1978, today QCOM has become one of leading colleges for rural medicine and primary care providers.

In 1978, the region was suffering from a sever lack of healthcare. To address this issue, ETSU, alongside local politicians and community leaders, pushed for the opening of QCOM.

Quillen’s first class was made up of 24 students selected from 250 applicants. Today, Quillen accepts 78 students per class from over 4,000 applicants.

With a one-to-one faculty to student ratio and over 312 students currently enrolled, Quillen boasts an impressive average of 98% graduation rate and 100% residency placement.

Photo taken from the side of Guillen building. (ShelC’ Black/East Tennessean)

At the time of opening its doors, QCOM had to make do with what was available to them. Classes were taught at the College of Public Health and anatomy labs were held in the repurposed kitchens and cafeterias of the old student center.

Today, Quillen has its own section of the ETSU campus with several facilities. QCOM offers over 40 specialties of medicine with several other subspecialities as well.

Furthermore, QCOM has the James H. Quillen Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center on its campus where veterans in our region can receive quality care and treatment. QCOM is also partnered with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital as well as Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center Network.

Quillen is a leader in medical research in the region with focuses in many areas such as infectious diseases, surgery, nervous system and many others.

For more information on Quillen College of Medicine, visit https://www.etsu.edu/com/.

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