One year after hosting its first-ever virtual commencement ceremony, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) will return to presenting a modified in-person ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on May 29.
WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., announced that the medical school’s annual event recognizing graduates will take place on its Lewisburg, W.Va., campus, with a limited number of guests permitted. Attendance will be voluntary, with students not required to participate in order to graduate, and WVSOM will follow state and federal COVID-19 safety mandates such as wearing masks, social distancing and restricting the number of people in enclosed spaces.
Class of 2021 graduates who choose to attend will gather in an open-air tent on the parade field in front of the WVSOM Student Center for the ceremony, which will be livestreamed and recorded, Nemitz said. Guests will be accommodated in various campus facilities where they will be able to view the ceremony via livestream.
Students who choose not to attend will still be individually recognized during the ceremony, Nemitz said. Additionally, Class of 2020 graduates will be invited to participate in the 2021 event since the school could not host an in-person ceremony last year.
Nemitz said that while the possibility of cancellation due to changes in state or federal government requirements can’t be ruled out, the school will make every attempt to celebrate students as they begin their journey as new physicians.
“I recognize that this has been a difficult year,” he told students in WVSOM’s Class of 2021. “I’m proud of you, and I appreciate the input you’ve provided that helped me to reach this decision. We will honor every member of your graduating class to the best of our ability.”