For the first time, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) Alumni Association hosted its Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar — one of the school’s three major annual continuing medical education events for health care professionals — virtually instead of in its usual location of Charleston, W.Va.
A total of 341 medical professionals attended the Live Online Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar, which took place Jan. 21-24. A wide-ranging assortment of 20 presentations included strategies for treating specific health concerns such as foot ulcers, aortic stenosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome; general topics such as newly introduced medications and legislative updates related to the practice of medicine; and subjects unique to osteopathic medicine such as the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment for obstetric patients. Other subjects included eating disorders, pediatric psychopharmacology, and pain management and opioids.
Shannon Warren, WVSOM’s director of alumni relations and CME, said there were challenges and benefits to moving the seminar to an online environment.
“We missed seeing the faces of our alumni, but for the most part the conference went smoothly and we were pleased to be able to deliver such high-quality educational sessions,” Warren said. “The WVSOM Alumni Association looks forward to a time when it can again host the Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar as an in-person event.”
Presenters for the 2021 seminar were (alumni in bold): Derek Ballas, D.O.; David H. Bulbin, D.O.; J. Hayes Calvert, D.O.; Jessica Castonguay, D.O.; Melanie Crites-Bachert, D.O.; Brian Griffith, Ph.D.; Daniel Hurd, D.O.; Muhammad Nassooh Husainy, D.O.; Jason Kirby, D.O.; Machelle Linsenmeyer, Ed.D.; Aaron McGuffin, M.D.; William Moore, D.O.; Michael Nicholas, D.O.; Stephen A. Olenchock Jr., D.O.; James C. Paugh II, D.O.; Susan D. Peck, D.O.; Hillary Porter, D.O.; Deborah Schmidt, D.O.; Tom Takubo, D.O.; Christopher Terpening, Pharm. D., Ph.D.; and Colin Zhu, D.O.
Seminar attendees were eligible to receive up to 25 hours of credits toward meeting the American Osteopathic Association’s ongoing certification requirements.
The event also served as a forum in which members of the WVSOM community could display research posters for view by attendees. In all, 18 current WVSOM students and 13 WVSOM graduates in residency programs provided posters for the seminar.