The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) welcomed 214 students in the Class of 2024 with a virtual video presentation shared with the WVSOM community.
The presentation, which included a message by WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., was offered as a nontraditional way of officially welcoming the first-year medical students after the start of the new academic year.
“In these challenging times of COVID-19, we continue to adjust the way we do things, especially in regards to large group gatherings, focusing on the need to keep everyone as safe as possible,” Nemitz said. “We wanted to acknowledge and celebrate the members of the Class of 2024, and that is why we put together this virtual event.”
Each student was recognized individually with his or her photo, hometown, higher education information and a unique fact about the student. Nemitz also shared facts about the class as a whole. In the Class of 2024, 119 students are women and 95 are men; 42 students are from West Virginia, representing 17 counties; the remainder of the students are from across the U.S., with 30 states represented; 29 percent of students identify themselves as members of a minority group, with 11 percent identifying themselves in an underrepresented group.
The average age of students in the Class of 2024 is 24, with students ranging from 21 to 39 years old. Thirty-four students have advanced degrees, and the class entered with the highest grade point average and MCAT scores than previous classes. Eight students in the class have family members who are WVSOM graduates.
WVSOM’s annual Convocation and White Coat Ceremony, which typically takes place at the end of August, has been postponed. The ceremony recognizes first-year medical students’ commitment to a life of health care service and celebrates the first step in their medical school journey. The coat symbolizes a student’s pledge to the osteopathic profession and to serve communities and individuals.