COVID-19 Update - Students

Updated 10/13/20 8:25 AM

Fall Semester updates

Surveillance testing

WVSOM will begin a mandatory COVID-19 surveillance testing program the week of October 12th for students, faculty and staff located on the Lewisburg Campus.  Approximately 67 individuals or ten percent (10%) of eligible individuals will be tested on a weekly basis. Surveillance testing in WV Higher Education Institutions is part of our state’s multi-pronged strategy to mitigate and monitor the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of this testing program is to allow the WV Department of Health and Human Resources and other state officials to monitor and address real-time trends and prevalence in order to make timely decisions on intervention and response.

Founders’ Activity Center – Gym Access

The Founders’ Activity Center is currently open to Students and Employees Only.  Those going to the gym are required to comply with COVID-19 standards and posted guidelines for working out such as replacing equipment (weights, mats, etc.), wearing masks and thoroughly wiping down equipment before and after use.   We appreciate that everyone using the gym is following these guidelines in order to protect us all! 

We will continue to reevaluate this restriction and understand that your spouse/significant other, retirees, children, friends and family are anxious to have access to the gym especially with the cooler temperatures.  Given current guidelines and risks associated with working out in a gym, we feel that it is prudent to continue this restriction through the end of this semester. 

Stress Relief Task Force

A task force comprised of students, staff and faculty was identified and has been meeting to look at ways the institution can help the WVSOM community deal with stress during the pandemic.

Guests to WVSOM Campus

All employees are required to either self-monitor or undergo a temperature scan upon entry to campus. A hands free temperature scan is available outside of the WVSOM Welcome Center with instructions on use. 

Employees who are expecting guests to campus (i.e. vendors, visitors, public, etc.) should also notify these guests of WVSOM guidelines.  All guests to WVSOM are to be met at the Welcome Center by the individual expecting that person as guests do not have access to enter WVSOM facilities.  These guests are to undergo a temperature scan before being escorted to other areas on campus. Guests who have a temperature higher than 99.5 degrees F and/or have other COVID-19 symptoms will be asked to leave campus immediately and return to campus when they no longer have symptoms. All guests are to abide by WVSOM’s directives, including the requirement to wear a face covering/mask.  If guests do not have a face covering/mask, they may obtain a disposable face mask at the WVSOM Welcome Center.  Guests will be asked to leave campus if they do not abide by WVSOM’s directives.

Out of state travel

Vacations and travel continue to be concerns for everyone in the WVSOM Community as we each do our part to keep ourselves and our community safe.  Students and employees are being asked to limit personal overnight travel outside of West Virginia.  Minimizing travel is key to containing the COVID-19 virus.  Anyone who travels and stays overnight outside of the state of West Virginia for personal travel is required to telecommute and/or self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to campus. 

Thanksgiving

The academic schedule has been adjusted to ensure that first and second year students can complete the semester.  Due to the changes in the academic calendar, Wednesday, November 25th will be a regular work day for all employees.  Mandatory Anatomy labs and an OPP Midterm Practical have been scheduled for Friday, November 27th.  As a result, some essential personnel will work on our scheduled holiday - November 27th.  Employees unsure if they are needed on November 27th should contact their supervisor.

Winter holiday break

WVSOM will be closed for a Winter Holiday Break from Thursday, December 24, 2020 through Friday, January 1, 2021.

Students will be tested and/or quarantined after returning in January.  Academic calendars will be adjusted to accomplish this without causing delays in the Spring semester schedule. 

Employees who travel and stay overnight outside of the state of West Virginia during the Winter Holiday Break will also be required to be tested and/or quarantine before returning to campus.  

Spring break

The first year students will have Spring break as scheduled with academic schedule adjustments to allow for a two-week quarantine period afterwards. Spring break for second year students has been cancel in order to finish the semester early.

 

Updated 5/7/2020 1:52PM

OMS4 Students
Don’t forget you have until 5pm Sunday, May 10th to provide optional information to include in the graduation ceremony slideshow, i.e., a personal message/quote (25 word limit), residency location/specialty and your ERAS photo if you do not want us to use your end of second-year professional attire portrait or whitecoat photos taken by WVSOM. See school email for additional information.

Remember to provide WVSOM with a physical address (not a PO Box) where you would like your diploma to be mailed and a phone number where you can be reached in case there are any issues with delivery.   It will need to be signed for, so this should be an address where someone is available to sign for it when it arrives.  Mailing will begin after May 19th.

Also, please remember to fill out the graduation media release form. As we’ve done in previous years, we plan to assemble a press release for each graduating student that will be submitted to the student’s hometown newspaper. The release will announce your graduation from medical school and will include basic biographical information which we ask that you provide to us. If you haven’t already filled out an online graduation release form under the “My WVSOM” section of the school’s website, we ask that you please do so at your earliest opportunity. Please note that you might be asked to enter your login credentials in order to sign in to My WVSOM.

The link to the online form is:  https://my.wvsom.edu/Students/Forms/Graduation/MediaInformation/index.cfm

If you’d prefer we NOT submit a press release to your hometown paper, we still ask that you complete the form. In this case, you should select “NO” for the final question on the form, which reads: “Information may be released to members of the media for the purpose of news about my participation in WVSOM events, activities, honors and awards.”

If you have already completed this form, we thank you, and there is no need to fill it out a second time.

OMS3 Students
Many students will be taking COMSAE Level 2 over the upcoming weeks. Good Luck!
An important reminder to students, if your COMLEX (or Step exams) are cancelled and rescheduled, please notify WVSOM’s National Boards office of the canceled date and rescheduled date as well as cancelled location and new location.  WVSOM’s Office of National Boards is compiling and sharing this data with school administration to keep them up-to-date.  If your date has changed, continued to check the Prometric site as states, and testing centers, reopen.  Keep in mind that Prometric is keeping longer hours during the week and some are even open on Sundays.   If you need/want to check things, both Prometric and NBOME (as does NBME/USMLE) have specific COVID pages on their websites.  WVSOM checks daily, but sometimes the communication to students from the organization comes prior to their websites being updated.  
Prometric: https://www.prometric.com/corona-virus-update
NBOME:  https://www.nbome.org/covid-19/

Be aware that before COVID-19, the NBOME announced that the Level 2 CE exam would change from 400 to 352 questions, starting this June (https://www.nbome.org/news/important-updates-comlex-usa-examination-program/).  This reduction in number would be a loss of non-scoreable (beta-testing) items.  The website section regarding the L2 exam on the NBOME website has not yet been updated with this information. You are encouraged to monitor their website to confirm that this update will occur.  WVSOM will provide updates as additional information becomes available.

OMS2 Students
The Board of Deans of the Osteopathic Colleges met with the President of NBOME on this past Thursday. Friday night each Dean received a letter from NBOME stating that 65% of COMLEX-USA Level 1 and 2-CE appointment dates have remained available. WVSOM did inform NBOME the day prior of the number of our students that have been cancelled or rescheduled. NBOME’s letter stated they have assembled a COM Liaison Team that will reach out to each College starting this week. The team will compare candidate lists and see who needs scheduling. Therefore, you need to continue to notify WVSOM’s Office of National Boards and your SWC Directors or Regional Deans of your testing dates. While we are waiting to be contacted by NBOME feel free to use Prometric’s website to reschedule your appointment  at https://www.prometric.com/. You are also encouraged to look at the schedules frequently. The schedules will change as more testing sites come on line and some restrictions are lifted. Prometric does plan to open additional centers and expand hours, adding Sunday testing and cancelling non-essential service testing. NBOME has assured the osteopathic medical school Deans that COMLEX Level 1 and USMLE are both treated equivalently as essential service tests.

Further information can be found on the NBOME website https://www.nbome.org/uncategorized/information-for-all-other-exam-candidates/ and you can contact NBOME Client services by phone (866.479.6828) from 7am to 7p ET Monday through Friday or by email at clientservices@nbome.org.

The osteopathic medical school Deans did discuss potential alternative delivery options including remote proctoring or having additional temporary testing sites outside of Prometric. WVSOM has offered our school as a potential site. The difficulty is that NBOME must guarantee that the test is valid, reliable, standardized and fair. Is taking the test in a quiet isolated booth at Prometric the same as 20 students spread out in a 200 seat classroom? NBOME has pointed out that they must take into account the security, technology, test driver, variables introduced by different hardware, appearance of images and content, etc. They are continuing to explore these options, but based on feedback from NBOME, we do not believe these options will be available for your class for the COMLEX Level 1 exam. 

NBOME remains hopeful that many of the displaced students will be able to test in June-August.

So how does that affect your start of rotations? First, you are aware of the requirement that you must take COMLEX to start rotations. We will be requesting at the June meeting of WVSOM’s Board of Governors to be allowed the discretion to waive that requirement for your class.  

Anyone fortunate enough to have test dates in May or June should stick to your original test schedule.

If you are scheduled in July for your COMLEX Level 1 exam, we would suggest not starting rotations, but using your vacation month in July to continue to study until the test is completed.

If your exam is scheduled for August you would be able to do a rotation or part of one in July and use vacation time to study in August before your test.  

Although your required CORE rotations are a minimum of 4 weeks, many of your electives or Dean Selectives can be broken into 2 week intervals giving you some flexibility on starting a rotation as soon as you test. To be transparent, there are not enough CORE rotation sites in most the regions to move everyone’s vacation, electives and Dean Selectives forward to the start of the year. Also not all the rotation sites have yet reopened although we hope most will be open by July. This is why it is important to keep your SWC Directors and Regional Deans aware of your testing schedule. If you are scheduled outside of May or June, please keep looking at the Prometric sites to see if you can get an earlier date.

At this time, we plan to keep your SWC orientation as scheduled. If you have a testing date during orientation let your SWC Director and Regional Dean know and we will try to work around your schedule. Realize at the moment we still have a mandatory two week quarantine period for anyone coming from another state.

This is extremely stressful times for all of us and we need to keep moving forward the best we can with the limitations thrust upon us. Our goal remains keeping you on track for graduation in two years.

OMS1 Students
Due to the current conditions of teaching/learning virtually, the Curriculum Committee is looking to capture feedback from all students on the virtual environment.  Therefore, the course evaluations for the last two courses (Endo and Repro) will be required for all students.  Only the group originally assigned to complete the evaluations will be required to do the faculty evaluations as well.

Endo course evaluation(s) should open Friday, May 8th.  The Repro course evaluation(s) will not open until approximately May 22nd.  Notify the Office of Assessment and Educational Development as instructed in your school email if you do not receive a course evaluation to complete for both courses or if you were in the original group to complete these evaluations and do not receive the course AND faculty evaluations. Additional details (e.g. deadline) will come via a separate email. Contact the Office of Assessment and Education Development if you have any questions.

 

Updated 4/30/2020 2:54PM

OMS1 Students

  • Congrats on completing the Endo course and starting your last course of the year! During the Repro course you will have access to a 3D anatomy experience containing modules that focus on the different structures you will encounter, including osteology, vasculature, nerves, organs and even some practice quizzes made especially for you, focusing on the lab material. Refer to school emails for additional information on the course.
  • The End of Year Exam is scheduled to begin tomorrow, Friday, May 1 at 1:00 p.m.
  • The OPP 1 Final Written exam has been moved to 1:00 pm on Monday May 4. The exam review has been cancelled.  Please contact the Course Director with any questions/concerns regarding the exam.
  • Clinical Science GTAs are available for 30-minute conference calls. Check your email for a one drive link to the Clinical Science GTA Office Hours Sign-up sheet and additional details.
  • Be sure to carefully read the email from Monday April 27 regarding the CS1 Head to Toe Checkouts.
  • Reminder that End of Year Refection’s are due Tuesday, May 5th. Remember to go to your dashboard in eMedley and select ECE 696, Reflection 5 to enter your reflection. This window will open Friday morning.

OMS2 Students

  • A reminder that your TB GOLD tests are due TODAY, April 30th. Student TB Gold lab results will be sent to your Statewide Campus sites and the Office of Predoctoral Clinical Education starting May 1st.  If you have not completed your testing yet, please make arrangements to do so immediately.
  • Congratulations on completion of your COMSAE!  The Director of ONBEC will follow-up with students on exam scores. Additional new questions have been released by ONBEC for you to practice or to utilize during the prep track.  These questions can be used as 200 question assessments or multiple 50 question assessments.  You can review your performance, see how you compared to peers, and receive a 3-digit score that mimics NBOME scoring. 

OMS2 & OMS3 Students

  • See the Monday, April 27th email from WVSOM’s Director of ONBEC for the latest information regarding national board exams and Prometric rescheduling. Students with further questions or who did not receive notifications as indicated can follow-up with NBOME’s Client Services. Please contact WVSOM’s Office of National Boards by email if your exam is cancelled and rescheduled to let us know that you’ve been cancelled and where the test was supposed to take place.  If your board exam is rescheduled, please include that in your email as well.  
  • The Society of Hospital Medicine - West Virginia Chapter is holding its first-ever virtual RIV poster competition/ COVID-19 related educational session via Go-To Webinar on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, from 6:30-8:15 PM EST.  The poster competition is open to students. Abstracts and posters (PowerPoint or PDF format) will be submitted and judged prior to the event date and winners will be announced virtually during the meeting on June 9th.  The overall winner will receive automatic abstract acceptance to Hospital Medicine 2021 in Las Vegas, NV. They will also receive free conference registration and a $1500 travel grant to attend the national conference. The second-place winner will receive a $200 Visa gift card and the third-place winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card. Contact WVSOM’s Office for Research and Sponsored Programs for addition information.

 

Updated 4/23/2020 1:02PM

OMS4 Students

  • Notify the WVSOM Bookstore by May 8th if you would like to keep your academic regalia or receive a refund
  • A reminder to submit your application for the Roland P Sharp Graduate Award no later than 4:30 p.m. on April 27th

OMS1 Students
Booster vaccine and repeat titer documentation is overdue. Send in your documentation to the CEC ASAP if you have not already done so. Refer to the email from the CEC if you have questions about getting booster vaccines or repeat titers.

 

Updated 4/17/2020 2:40PM

OMS4 Students 

Dear Members of the Class of 2020, 

Congratulations! I am so proud of you and your accomplishments! Graduating from medical school is truly an amazing achievement! And so is your success in the residency match! A lot to be proud of and to celebrate! 

That is the reason why I am reaching out to you today. We are living in unprecedented times to say the least. I hope you and your families are well and safe as we suffer through this pandemic. Unfortunately this public health care crisis has impacted many aspects of our lives including your upcoming graduation from medical school. I have been giving a lot of thought about your graduation and I wanted to share my thoughts and some information with you. 

I have met with your class leadership to discuss options, brainstorm ideas and answer questions about graduation. You have excellent class leaders and they made me aware of the concerns that you have which I will try to address in this message. They also initiated the survey that was sent out last week which was helpful to me. Not sure if you received the results of the survey; 170 students voted, 63% of the class voted to wait to cancel the event and 37% wanted to cancel now. 

First, are we going to have a graduation ceremony in Lewisburg on May 30th? I have not made that decision yet, but I need to make that decision soon, not only for you, but for everyone else who is involved with your graduation. Unfortunately, I think there may be too many challenges to allow us to have our graduation ceremony this year. The biggest obstacle is currently the state of West Virginia is on a Stay at Home directive by the Governor and we are not allowed to have large group gatherings. While I anticipate the Stay at Home directive being gradually lifted in West Virginia, I do not believe that the Governor will allow large group gatherings in May. The other concern is the Governor has directed that everyone who enters West Virginia from another state that is considered a hot spot must quarantine themselves for fourteen days. While no one is sure, what will happen in May, there is a lot of concern in the community regarding the spread of the coronavirus from other areas since the majority of cases in Greenbrier County have been travel related. I would also note that the majority, if not all, higher education institutions in West Virginia and other Osteopathic colleges have either cancelled or postponed their graduation ceremonies due to these concerns. 

Second, if we don’t have a graduation ceremony on May 30th, what can we do instead? My staff and I have been brainstorming ideas and we very much want input from you. Some of the ideas I am considering include: having a virtual ceremony and allowing members of the Class of 2020 to participate in the 2021 Graduation ceremony. While the idea of postponing your Graduation ceremony is attractive, unfortunately I do not think it is realistic in light of the fact that you have to report to your residency and will most likely not be able to get the time off. I think there is a lot we can do regarding a virtual ceremony. Since many schools have graduation earlier than WVSOM, we are researching what they are doing so we can create something that is special for you! 

Third, if we don’t have a graduation ceremony, what happens to the funds that are collected for graduation? Your class leadership made me aware of your questions regarding cap and gown refunds, the Graduation fee charged by WVSOM and your class funds if your graduation ceremony is cancelled. I have looked into this and wanted to share the following information: 

Cap and Gown expense: Fortunately, if the ceremony is cancelled, WVSOM will be able to reimburse you the full amount of $180.00 as long as we make a decision by the end of next week. You can also choose to keep your cap and gown. More information regarding these options will be provided if your graduation ceremony is cancelled. 

Graduation Fee: The modest graduation fee WVSOM charges is to cover the cost of your diploma. We therefore will not be reimbursing this fee since we will mail your diploma to you if your graduation ceremony is cancelled. 

Class Funds: Your class has funds remaining in your class account, these funds are typically used for a class banquet during graduation week. If the ceremony is cancelled, we will need your input on how to spend these funds. Since these funds are state dollars, there are restrictions on how they can be used. I am exploring what is possible and will get back to you on what your options are. 

You may be wondering what is required to graduate from WVSOM. The actions that must happen in order for you to graduate are found in Institutional policy E-27. Basically what needs to happen are: 

  • You need to have satisfactorily discharged all financial obligations to the school. 
  • You need to complete all graduation requirements. 
  • You need to participate in all exit interviews and complete all required surveys. 
  • The Faculty need to approve all eligible students for graduation. 
  • The WVSOM Board of Governors need to approve all eligible students for graduation. 
  • The diploma is awarded to the graduate by WVSOM. 

Regarding the graduation ceremony, which is found in Institutional policy E-27, all students are required to participate in the graduation ceremony, but under extenuating circumstances the Academic Dean has the authority to excuse a student from participation in the ceremony. In the event that the graduation ceremony is cancelled, the Dean would excuse the entire class from participation. 

I hope this information is helpful to you. I need to make a decision about the graduation ceremony by the end of next week. I would be glad to set up a video conference to get input from you regarding your graduation, brainstorm ideas and answer questions. I will work with your class president to set up a time to do that in the coming week prior to my decision. 

In closing, I want you to know that I wish I didn’t have to write this message to you. It truly pains me to contemplate cancelling your graduation ceremony this year. I would encourage you to think of ways you can celebrate your achievements with your family and friends. While it would be a huge loss to not have the graduation ceremony, it does not diminish your achievements or the opportunity for you to celebrate with those who you love. 

Again Congratulations! I am so very proud of you! 

Take care and be safe! 

Sincerely, 

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. 
President 

 

OMS2 Students 

Hello Class of 2022! 

I know many of you have several questions about the transition to year 3. 

I am genuinely sorry for you having to navigate medical school and Boards during these really stressful and uncertain times. Although the light seems dim now, you will get through this and you will achieve your goal of becoming an osteopathic physician. 

In regards to timing of COMLEX Level 1, the best advice I can give you is to push forward as if you are taking the exam in late May or early June. I know there is great uncertainty with regards to NBOME and Prometric, but we have no control over that. We just have to be hopeful that testing sites become available. 

If the Prometric/NBOME delay goes deeper into June or July, we do have several contingency plans in place. We have the ability (if needed) to start rotations with either vacation or online electives to create space to take the exam. We can address this more specifically with you when we see a more exact timeline. 

The next two to three weeks are going to give us more answers. If the states slowly start to reopen, I believe that you will take your COMLEX in June and we will be able to proceed with your rotations as scheduled. 

Not to splash more cold water on you, but I do think that it is important that you are aware of the situation with healthcare in the US. The hospital systems have taken a severe shock. Most have suspended all of their non-urgent surgeries and admissions. Many physicians are operating at less than half of their usual volumes and some are utilizing telehealth over office visits. 

Some regions have been affected much more than others, and even if you have taken COMLEX, you may not have immediate access to full clinical rotations. It may take several months to “normalize” physician practices. 

I say this only so that you have an open mind that the transition back into rotations will have some bumps in the road. Be flexible and open minded and it will work out. Your Regional Deans and Directors are extremely experienced and are working now to plan for your successful third year. 

My suggestions: 

  1. Keep studying for your June target date. Stay laser focused and block out the distractions. 
  2. If you have relocated to a heavily affected area such as the Northeast, the West Coast, or South Florida, consider returning to WV for at least 2 weeks prior to your Board exam dates. It is more likely Prometric opens in WV than NY or NJ, so consider a 2 week self-quarantine in WV if at all possible. 
  3. Try and stay as open minded as possible. We are working on several contingency plans based upon alternate dates. There will be no perfect plan and we will have unpredictable challenges. Accept them with a positive attitude. 

This is all I know. We have no additional information on NBOME at this time. 

I know that you probably still have many questions, but any answers hinge completely on NBOME and Prometric, so be patient, hold your questions for now, and either Dr. Russ, Dr. Carrier, or myself will get back to you soon with any further updates. 

Dr. Pepper 

 

Updated 4/13/2020 1:52PM

OMS1 Students

Welcome to the first full week of the virtual Endocrinology Course!

OMS2 Students

Remember as part of your alternative web-based OSCE activity that your EHR SOAP notes are due today!

OMS3 and OMS4 Students

Registration for the Introduction to ICU online course is now open. The course begins April 20th.

 

Updated 4/7/2020 8:30AM

OMS1 Students

The Head to Toe practical exam will still occur in May as scheduled. Please plan ahead as you will need your stethoscope, your diagnostic kit, and blood pressure cuff for the examination. See emails from your Course Director for specific information on the practical exam.
Good luck on your telemedicine ROS Lab with our standardized patients this week!

OMS2 Students

Congrats on finishing your last course of the year!
Remember to stay focused on studies for your COMSAE and Boards!

OMS1 & OMS2 Students

Watch your school email for notices from your TOUCH Coordinator regarding opportunities to volunteer for mask assembly at the Clingman Center. Unfortunately, timing of mask assembly is subject to change as materials are made available; updates will go out on any changes as quickly as possible.
Be sure to check your school email for a note from Financial Aid and be sure to complete your paperwork ASAP!

 

Updated 4/1/2020 3:30PM

OMS1 Students 

Sign-ups for the Ultrasound Elective are scheduled for May 26-June 26.

The OPP1 Final Practical is rescheduled for July 29. The May 4 OPP 1 Final Written will occur as scheduled. See emails from the OPP1 Course Director for additional information.

 


Updated 3/31/2020 2:45PM

OMS2 Students

Be sure to check your school email on April 1st for access to the PE videos.   On eMedley, in course 954 OSCE there are instructions about your alternate OSCE activity.  Please remember the April 13th deadline to complete soap notes in the EHR.  Please review all instructions carefully before April 13th.  Please complete all pre-work before April 13th.  

OMS3 Students

The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) has issued recommendations for continuation of the clinical rotation ‘pause’ until April 17th.  The situation will be reevaluated at that time. Students should continue to use appropriate online modules. A complete Class of 2021 OLM separate Clinical Education Manual has posted. Additionally, the Clinical Education Manual has been updated with the new online electives in ICU medicine, COVID-19, and muscular dystrophy. Culinary Medicine online is also available. If there are any outpatient rotations available, your Deans and Directors will notify you. The Introduction to the ICU Online Course has been finalized and all of the documents have been uploaded into eMedley. Check your school email for more details! Also be sure to view the video refresher on the proper way to don and doff your personal protective equipment before heading back out on rotations.

OMS4 Students

AACOM has issued recommendations for continuation of the clinical rotation ‘pause’ until April 17th. It is unclear at this time when or how this will normalize. Thus, students should continue to use the appropriate online modules. For students who need online electives, we now offer courses ICU medicine, COVID 19, and muscular dystrophy in addition to communication, opioid and culinary medicine online electives. The Introduction to the ICU Online Course has been finalized and all of the documents have been uploaded into eMedley. Check your school email for more details!

Students not currently in the Lewisburg area are reminded that they should remain where they are and complete the school year by distant learning. For students in the Lewisburg area, the campus remains closed and you should follow the Governor’s directive to Stay At Home to protect yourself and others.  Only go to public places if you are well and minimize the amount of time you are in those places, such as grocery stores.

 

Updated 3/30/2020 3:25PM

OMS1 & OMS2 Students

Now that Spring Break is over, welcome back to your virtual classes!

Remember that the Governor has issued a Stay At Home order. Therefore, you should remain at home except for carrying out essential activities. Anyone traveling into West Virginia from out of state should home quarantine themselves for 14 days. We encourage any of you that are not already in Lewisburg to remain where you are and complete your school year by distant learning. The school campus remains closed except for essential employees. You may still call any department during work hours and calls are either being transferred to those working from home or those employees are monitoring their voicemails as well as e-mails from home.  

OMS1 Students

Make sure to check you school email for upcoming information about the Summer Ultrasound Course.

 

Updated 3/27/2020 3:30PM

OMS2 students
TB test update - Second year students be sure to check your school email for important instructions on completing a QuantiFERON-TB Gold test.

OMS4 students
Students are reminded to complete the online mandatory Financial Aid and EXIT Counseling modules.

 

Updated 3/25/2020 1:55PM

OMS1 & OMS2 Students (Updates for the week of March 23)

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we’ve implemented the following changes.

For all students:

  1. Students who traveled out of the state are asked NOT to return to the Lewisburg area after Spring Break. 
  2. Students remaining in Lewisburg over Spring Break are instructed NOT to return to campus without prior authorization.  All student Prox card access to campus buildings has been deactivated until further notice.  Students will be notified when they are allowed back on campus.  We are making arrangements to accommodate limited numbers of students who do not have home internet access and will be arranging times that students can get access to printers. 
  3. As previously notified, all remaining labs and on-campus classes are suspended. We will deliver the remainder of the didactic curriculum for this year via distance learning using WebEx.  You will be getting instructions on how to view each lecture in real time from your home. Be sure to continue checking your school email.
  4. Faculty will maintain office hours via WebEx.  Instructions on how to take advantage of this will be forthcoming.
  5. All remaining exams will be administered on-line utilizing virtual proctoring software.  You are still expected to adhere to your honor code.

For first year students:

  1. Your remaining anatomy labs will be administered virtually.  The anatomy faculty are preparing videos to assist your learning.  As a reminder, these videos are not to be shared for any reason.
  2. We are making arrangements for your final clinical skills lab to be done from home.  Refer to the CS1 Course Director’s email for detailed instructions.  Those components of Clinical Skills that cannot be done from home will be shifted to your CS2 course in the second year curriculum.
  3. The remaining OPP1 labs have been cancelled and will be shifted to your OPP2 course in the second year curriculum. Monitor your school email for updates from the OPP1 Course Director for details on how the remainder of the course will be handled.
  4. We now have the capability for students to respond to polling questions via computer or mobile device.  Two brief instructional videos are now available on eMedley in the Class of 2023 section, titled TurningPoint Computer Instructions and TurningPoint Mobile Instructions.  

For second year students:

  1. We now have the capability for students to respond to polling questions via computer or mobile device.  Two brief instructional videos are now available on eMedley in the Class of 2022 section, titled TurningPoint Computer Instructions and TurningPoint Mobile Instructions.  
  2. Your OSCE will be converted to an on-line experience.  You will receive more instructions regarding this at a later date. An IPE assignment is forthcoming and will be listed in the Skin II and MPF course. Be sure to monitor school emails and eMedley for upcoming information concerning OSCEs and the IPE.
  3. The OPP2 lab final practical has been cancelled. Once approved, an updated OPP2 course syllabus will be posted reflecting the change. Refer to the OPP2 lab Course Director’s email on specific changes to the course and grading.
  4. PPD skin testing on campus has been cancelled. You may have your PPD (or a Quantiferon TB Gold blood test) performed by your health provider.  Please upload the results of this test to your CastleBranch account. 
  5. Please continue with the process of setting up your background check and drug screen through CastleBranch. You can take the drug screen form to any LabCorp location.  If you are still in Lewisburg, please use the Davis Stuart LabCorp.  Please use your best judgement when completing the drug screen.  We recommend calling ahead to the selected LabCorp to see what the protocol is for entering the facility.  Contact the SWC office if you have any issues. We will do our best to help in any way we can.
  6. You will be expected to report to your State Wide Campus site at least one week early to allow for the BLS course and mask fitting. Please note  you may need to do so earlier than that in order to home quarantine for two weeks (a total of three weeks early) prior to beginning.
  7. We plan on administering the COMSAE as scheduled.  You may take this from your home.
  8. For those either mandated to take the prep course, or who wish to do so, we will deliver this content virtually.

Thank you to all our student doctors for your continued patience and professionalism.  We will continue to do the best we can to make sure you get what you need when you need it.

While we are trying to anticipate every possibility, things may continue to change in unexpected ways and we may need to modify instructions. Continue to monitor your school email as this is the way we communicate official school updates. The institution is trying to the best of its abilities to keep you and the community safe and to keep you on track this academic year in the face of a national crisis. We will continue to keep you updated as things change.

Please remember to do your part, please stay at home to protect yourself and others.  Keep yourself and your community safe!


 

Updated 3/19/2020 1:43PM

OMS1 & OMS2 Students

We continue to monitor the situation to adjust our plans accordingly.  We can’t predict what will happen but be assured that we’re planning for every eventuality we can think of and making a number of contingency plans.  What we do believe is that, unfortunately, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.  With that in mind, please pay attention to the items listed below and continue to monitor your school email for official updates.

1.  If you choose to leave the Lewisburg area for Spring Break you should plan on having to self-quarantine for 14 days upon your return.  Also, we anticipate that more restrictions will be in place within the week and I believe quarantine is more likely than not to be mandated.  The only prudent course of action is to be prepared. 

2.  We have been approved to deliver the curriculum on-line.  This means that you can do much of your coursework remotely which will help us keep you on schedule.  Unfortunately, those things that require contact cannot be delivered remotely – more on that below.

3.  While we are prepared to deliver exams on-line, we recognize that not all students have stable internet.  Should you have connectivity issues or issues with ExamN, our plan is to have you come to campus and take a paper copy of the test here (observing appropriate spacing and adhering to no more than 10 persons per room).  In these cases, we’ll expect you to be on campus within 15-20 minutes.  Obviously, this means that you’ll need to be physically in the area.

4.  For those who are going to be staying here over Spring Break, we’d love to try and help you knock out some of those aforementioned activities that require contact.  For first year students staying, the OPP faculty have arranged to try and get your remaining OPP labs taken care of and for second year students staying, arrangements are being made to begin taking care of your PPD’s.  If we can get these done then there will be that much less to make up if we have to go to solely on-line delivery.  We’ll be sending out a survey to gauge interest in these later today, please pay attention and reply quickly.

As always, we sincerely thank you for your patience, professionalism, and understanding.  We honestly do not know where this is heading but all of the faculty and administration are committed to making sure you get the education you need and that you remain on track for graduation.  We will most certainly see a few more curveballs but we’ll figure out a way to handle them.  Your schedules have already been impacted and more changes are likely.  Regardless, work with us and we’ll get through this.

The Q&A for today has been canceled due to the limitation on group gatherings but the Preclinical Associate Dean is still available to answer any of your questions.

 

Updated – 3/18/2020

OMS1 & OMS2 Students:

In compliance with directives issued earlier today from state officials, gatherings/meetings in groups of more than 10 are no longer allowed on campus.  This will obviously affect how we operate moving forward for the foreseeable future.  The following changes are now in effect:

The Yr2 TBL scheduled for Thursday morning will be delivered online. Follow instructions sent out by the Exam Center earlier today.
Friday morning’s Yr1 GI exam will be conducted online.  Specific instructions will be sent out by the Exam Center.  If you do not have internet access at home, please reach out to the Office of Preclinical Education and the Exam Center so that we can help you with alternative arrangements.
The Yr1 exam review scheduled for Friday afternoon is cancelled.  Students may stop by the Exam Center to review the test.
All scheduled lectures for the remainder of the week will be delivered via WebEx.  IT will email instructions on how to log on so you can participate.
Effective immediately, the WVSOM Library and all areas on campus including designated student study areas will be limited to groups of no more than 10 people. 

All CS2 office visits scheduled tomorrow, March 19, 2020, as the final step in completion of the CS2 course, are CANCELLED and will be replaced by an activity that will able to be completed online.  This will be required to complete the CS2 course. Students will be contacted regarding specifics of the activity by the close of business tomorrow and it will be due at 5:00 pm Monday, March 30, 2020.

OMS3 & OMS4 Students:

As per AAMC and AACOM guidelines, we are initiating a two (2) week “pause” of all clinical rotations.
Effective the end of the day Friday, March 20, 2020, all clinical rotations will be cancelled for two (2) weeks.
In place of clinical rotations, COCA has just approved the move to online learning resources exclusively.
Replacement alternate emergency syllabi will be provided that will detail the online requirements of the next two (2) weeks.

By keeping up with the online modules, readings, and tests, we will be able to keep to keep you on track. You will receive detailed syllabi within the next two days where you can complete your current rotations online. We will then reevaluate the situation. Please reach out to your Regional Deans and Directors frequently with updates of your status.

Regardless of the methodology of clinical learning during the next few months, SWC students are encouraged to take this opportunity to use their resources to study for remaining COMATs and COMLEX L2CE. At this time, these exams will proceed as scheduled.

To all students, we greatly appreciate your patience, cooperation, and the professional way in which you have handled things.  We know this is a stressful time and recognize that you want to know what to expect.  While we cannot always offer specific answers, please know that we will do everything within our power to make sure you get what you need when you need it.  We do anticipate more changes and will remain in communication with you through school email.

 

Updated – 3/17/2020

OMS3 & OMS4 Students:

This is an incredibly complex time and you all have excellent questions. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are having ongoing discussions on contingency planning including communicating with other DO schools.

We are actively working on possible non-clinical project(s) to complete Year 4 electives or other rotational responsibilities.

If you are sick with fever, cough or URI symptoms, stay home and notify your Regional Assistant Dean and Preceptor as always. Should you need to miss more than two (2) days of a core rotation, we will work together to find an alternate way to make this up.

As most physicians are doing their best to avoid having possible COVID-19 cases present to their office, we will be more flexible in not mandating a physician’s note to return as long as you stay in contact with your Regional Assistant Dean/Director. However, we do encourage you to work with your physician should you need advice on further evaluation or whether it is safe to return to rotations.

We are acutely aware of the shortage of PPE and surgery/OB rotations and are discussing how to approach this. This may include a mix of online modules and cases.

The mask shortage is severe and nationwide. Unfortunately, we are unable to procure additional masks at this time.

 

Updated 3/17/2020 10:27 AM

Faculty and administration continue to evaluate the situation with COVID-19 and plans for adjusting the curriculum accordingly. We base decisions on the guidance of Federal, State and Local authorities including our accrediting bodies. The safety of our students, faculty, staff and community are our top priority.

Students should pay close attention to their email for the most up-to-date information for this evolving situation.

The information below summarizes information you’ve received from administration and your Course Directors regarding changes to courses for the week of March 16 - 20.

OMS1

This week’s Team Based Learning (TBL) activity has shifted to an on-line format.
No mandatory activities (except OPP lab) are scheduled for the remainder of the week March 16-19.
OPP1 labs will shift to on-line posting of instructional videos and quizzes. However, the hands-on portion of the lab will remain mandatory.
Friday’s exam will still occur as scheduled. Additional instructions will be provided for the exam to occur at multiple locations on campus to allow smaller group sizes.
As you know, we are making several changes to how your educational materials are being delivered over the next several weeks (maybe longer), due to concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

OMS2

All mandatory classes (with the exception of labs and white coat pictures) have been changed to non-mandatory activities.
Course Directors will continue to communicate any changes or updates via email.
The TBL scheduled for Thursday March 19th will be converted to a Directed Study followed by an on-line quiz.  The Exam Center will be in contact regarding administration of the quiz.
OPP2 lab will consist of a required on-line instructional video and quiz. The hands-on portion of the lab is optional.
The OPP final practical April 8th has been postponed. Students will be notified once things are finalized.
OPP faculty continue to consider options for ‘check offs’ for skills assessments. Students will be contacted soon with our plan to address that.

We continue to monitor the situation and are planning for additional changes after Spring Break.  Please continue to monitor email.  Since things are changing rapidly, we won’t be sending these changes until we’re confident what they are going to be.  You should expect an email on Sunday, 22 March telling you the plan moving forward and what to expect beginning Monday, 23 March.

We will continue to monitor the situation and do our best to keep you informed in a timely manner.