WVSOM's clinical education program is designed to prepare students for the practice of osteopathic primary care medicine. The program is planned to emphasize the skills and abilities needed in a primary care practice and to enable graduates to be comfortable practicing in a rural community, particularly in West Virginia. It permits elective time sufficient to allow students to augment their training in specialty areas, and to successfully compete for residencies.
Years three and four of a student's medical education are often referred to as the "clinical years" because the majority of the learning takes place in clinical settings instead of in the classroom. Clinical settings include physician offices, health centers, medical centers, hospitals, etc.
Clinical Education Manuals
Clinical Education program resources (forms, applications etc) are available in one convenient location:
During their third and fourth years, students rotate through the following clinical disciplines:
Students complete their Year 3 required core rotations at a statewide campus site. Year 4 rotations may be either at a statewide campus site or a site of their choosing in accordance with site validation and WVSOM graduation requirements. All WVSOM students complete at least 8 weeks of rotations in a rural West Virginia site with an additional 4 weeks of required rural rotations in either a rural West Virginia site or other approved rural sites outside of West Virginia. Most students choose to exceed this requirement.
At least one of the Family Medicine rotations must be in a rural area and at least one must be with an osteopathic physician.
All Year 3 students must complete a CORE rotation in a health care setting with a resident enrolled in an accredited GME program.
To be sure students have sufficient training in osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), all must complete at least one "James R. Stookey, D.O." OMT rotation in both their 3rd and 4th years.
In addition to their clinical rotations, students are involved in various didactic programs at their statewide campus sites. Didactic programs include "Education Days;" Clinical Case Conferences; Tumor Board; Skill Labs; and various professional development seminars.