The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of events around the state.
School officials most recently celebrated the institution’s founding during a visit to Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston, W.Va., to increase awareness of WVSOM’s impact on the state and region and to generate excitement among supporters that could lead to philanthropic support. WVSOM’s overall economic impact is $133.6 million.
The celebration was one of many visits by WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., and other school staff with stakeholders, alumni, students and friends of the medical school in WVSOM’s Statewide Campus system, which is made up of seven designated regions in West Virginia.
At WVSOM, a student’s first two years of a four-year program are spent on campus in Lewisburg, W.Va. The latter two years are spent on medical rotations in clinics and hospitals in WVSOM’s Statewide Campus, where students provide about 1,050,000 health care hours each year. A total of 193 WVSOM graduates currently practice in the areas included in the South Central Region of the Statewide Campus.
“We have much to celebrate this year,” Nemitz said. “I want to be sure everyone knows the value WVSOM brings to West Virginia. Not only do we have a tremendous economic impact in the state, but WVSOM is the state’s largest medical school, with about 800 students enrolled each year. WVSOM is also the No. 1 medical school in the state providing primary care physicians in rural and underserved areas. We want to share our incredible message and celebrate the rich history of the school’s founding.”
A yearlong schedule of events will take place on WVSOM’s campus in Lewisburg, W.Va., throughout the state and at national conferences in 2022. A list of events can be found on WVSOM’s 50th-anniversary webpage.