| West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1974 |
| Type | Public |
| Dean | Lorenzo Pence, D.O. |
| Academic staff | 29 DO, 4 MD, 27 PhDs (comprise the basic science and clinical faculty) |
| Students | 778 |
| Location | Lewisburg, West Virginia, USA |
| Campus | Rural |
| Website | West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine |
The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, located in Lewisburg, West Virginia, United States, is a public free-standing and independent medical school. The mission of the school is to educate students from diverse backgrounds as lifelong learners and to prepare them for careers in osteopathic medicine with a focus on primary care and rural medicine although a significant percentage of graduates go onto practice in many of the medical specialties. It is one of three medical schools in West Virginia and the sole institution that grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. WVSOM has 778 students at present.[1]
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Purchasing a facility once used as Greenbrier Military School (1812–1972), the Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine began as a private school with a class of 36 students in 1974. Two years later, in 1976, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission brought the school under its umbrella, establishing it as a state-funded public institution now named the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. In 1978, WVSOM graduated its first class of 33 students.[1] Extensive renovations started in 1992 and continue into the present time, with construction just completed on a new 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m2) building that includes exam rooms and laboratory space. WVSOM has spent more than $38 million on construction and renovation projects while increasing from one building in 1974 to 12 campus facilities across its more than 50-acre (200,000 m2) campus, all of this was accomplished while maintaining a debt free financial status.[2][3]
WVSOM was founded on the principles of osteopathic medicine, a branch of medicine founded by frontiersman Andrew Taylor Still in the mid-to-late 19th century. The basic premise of osteopathic medicine is that a physician’s primary role is to facilitate the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. While originally designed as an improvement on the traditional medicine of 19th century America, osteopathic medicine became a reformation within the U.S. healthcare system while remaining distinct from other forms of medicine.[4] In addition to a medical education, students at WVSOM also learn holistic techniques and are trained in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), manual-based therapies used to relieve pain, restore range of motion and foster the body’s own ability to heal itself.[4] Medical school at WVSOM is a four-year program, with two years of training located at the Lewisburg-based campus and the final two years taking place off-campus during clinical rotations.[1] WVSOM offers two curricular choices based on a person’s individual learning style: Systems Based Learning (SBL)—a conventional curricular track, incorporating lectures, labs and clinical experiences[5]—and Problem Based Learning (PBL)—a program that relies on small group and student-directed learning that identifies clinical problems, using a hands-on approach to learning osteopathic skills.[6] WVSOM uses human subject robots as part of its training. The lifelike robots breath, cry, defecate, bleed and are anatomically correct, allowing students to practice nearly every aspect of patient care, including checking vital signs, inserting a chest tube and performing CPR.
The WVSOM curriculum places heavy emphasis on A.T. Still’s four principles of Osteopathic Medicine. They are:[7]
WVSOM’s current enrollment stands at 778 students, with out-of-state students composing the majority (557out of state :221 in state). The median age is 27, and there are students from 46 states currently attending WVSOM. The male female ratio is roughly equal with 369 females and 409 males. WVSOM maintains a diverse ethnic community on campus, with 161 minority students. AACOMAS reports that 3,283 students applied for admission into WVSOM’s most recent class (Class of 2013)[1]
Focusing on rural medicine and primary care, WVSOM has been ranked in U.S.News & World Report’s top osteopathic medical schools report 10 consecutive years. In that same report, WVSOM was ranked in the top 10 for rural medicine in four of the last six years. More recently, WVSOM has been recognized in family medicine with rankings in U.S.News & World Report's Top Schools for Family Medicine.
Lewisburg has garnered many awards since 1998 to the present: 100 Best Small Art Towns in America; America’s Most Charming Towns and Villages; National Geographic’s Best Small Town Escapes; National Trust for Historic Preservation Dozen Distinctive Destination; 1,000 Places to See in The USA and Canada Before You Die;[8] Voted as one of 12 best small towns in America 2004, by National Trust Historic Sites;[9] Certified Arts Community-West Virginia Commission on the Arts; Mountain Homes, Southern Styles Elite 2008 Best of the Mountains List for Best Genuine Mountain Shopping; and Budget Travel's Coolest Small Town in America in 2011[10]. In 1978, a 236-acre (0.96 km2) tract of downtown was designated a National Register Historic District. Lewisburg, West Virginia is the county seat of Greenbrier County, located in the south-east corner of West Virginia. The town sits in the Greenbrier River Valley, which runs beneath the [Allegheny Mountains]. Lewisburg had a population of 3,624 living in 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), according to the 2000 U.S. Census.[11] The median age was 47. [12]
Lewisburg is a rural community in an area popular for outdoor recreation. The State Fair of West Virginia occurs each August in Fairlea,WV, adjacent to Lewisburg. It was selected by the Southeastern Tourism Society as one of the top 20 events for the month of August, 2008.
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