In 1824, Thomas Jefferson remarked 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.

The climate and Pontine country around Norfolk render it truly sickly in itself.”[5] 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.

Eastern Virginia Medical School accepted its first MD students who matriculated September 28, 1973 for classes that began October 1, 1973.

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%.

Throughout its history, the merger of the school with nearby universities has been raised but never carried out, with various joint programs and resource sharing occurring.

[8] A pilot relationship, supported by $200,000 grant in the Virginia budget, was subsequently agreed upon by both universities to examine this possible union in reality.

[10] On January 10, 2013, it was announced that Harry Lester was to step down as president and would be succeeded by the school's dean and provost, Richard V. Homan, MD, effective April 15, 2013.

Approximately 7,000 applicants apply to the Eastern Virginia Medical School's MD program every year for a targeted class size of 150.

The center is named in honor of Norfolk lawyer, community leader and philanthropist Leroy T. "Buddy" Canoles Jr. One of only a handful in the country that integrates task trainers, computerized manikins, virtual interfaces and standardized patients (people trained to portray patients) to create more realistic training scenarios.

Dr. Aaron Vinik, one of the leading researchers in the field, discovered the importance of INGAP gene, which plays a role on pancreatic insulin cell regeneration.

With the recruitment of Dr. Jerry Nadler, a world renown diabetes researcher, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Diabetes and Endocrine jumped in national ranking to #24[22] Staffed by several EVMS physicians and scientists, this organization strives to educate health professionals in the discipline of sleep medicine, seeking to improve the quality of life and health of patients who suffer from sleep-related disorders.

Established in 2012 with a $3 million gift from Macon and Joan Brock, founders of Dollar Tree Inc., the institute serves as a center for interdisciplinary collaboration for both community and global health outreach.

Karen Remley, MD, MBA, the former Virginia Health Commissioner, will serve as the founding director of the institute starting on March 18, 2013.

The Tide light-rail system connects the campus with downtown Norfolk and points east to the Virginia Beach city line.

This is largely a product of the school's founding principles and origins; fostered by way of cooperation between the individual localities of Hampton Roads, the ultimate goal was to have more "home-grown" physicians.

[33] Beyond Clinic Walls (BCW) pairs interdisciplinary student teams with older adults facing complex medical and social challenges.

BCW provides the organizational structure, resources, and continuity of care to foster and support the development of rich and meaningful relationships between student volunteers and older adults.

The EVMS Lions Club is a nonprofit organization devoted to helping provide ophthalmology and optometry services in the Hampton Roads area.

Students and faculty from all health professions embark annually on medical missions to Peru, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In partnership with local organizations with EVMS roots, students can also participate in medical missions with Operation Smile and Physicians for Peace.

The multi-faceted program consists of language classes, conversation groups, lectures, clinical outreach, and cultural training.

Despite outgrowing its origins as a simple student-run event, EVMS has continued to participate, with students volunteering several times yearly at the on-campus drop-off and distribution site.

[34] Beginning in 2002, EVMS students radically transform academic buildings into a "Haunted Hallway" for local children who would otherwise be unable to enjoy traditional Halloween activities due to safety concerns.

Families are provided shuttle service to campus for an array of traditional Halloween activities, games, crafts and haunted mazes.