West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

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West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Name	West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Location	Lewisburg, West Virginia
Established	1974
Community	Small town/Rural
Type	Public State School
Classification	Medical / Osteopathic
Enrollment	367
President	Olen E. Jones, Jr
School Colors	Orange and Green
Website	www.wvsom.edu

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) is a public, stand-alone osteopathic medical school located in Lewisburg, West Virginia. A part of the University of West Virginia since 1989, it is the only stand-alone professional school in West Virginia. WVSOM is noted for producing primary care physicians. It is the home of over 300 first- and second-year medical students. Over 1,600 students have graduated from WVSOM and practiced medicine in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

[edit] History

The school was founded in 1974 as the Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine, a private, non-profit institution. Its first class consisted of 36 students in 1974. It was taken over by the state in 1976 under its current name. The buildings and grounds of the medical school are the former grounds of the Greenbrier Military School, a private military boarding high school which existed from 1812 to 1972.

Initially, the school was controversial, as both West Virginia University and Marshall University had allopathic medical schools, and the need for three state-supported medical schools was questioned. However, supporters of the school have pointed out that a much higher percentage of WVSOM graduates remain in the state following graduation than do graduates of either of the other schools. The school has risen to high ranking national prominence in rural medicine in addition to clinical medicine.

State colleges and universities in West Virginia
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