At the beginning of each academic year, students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) learn the importance of community involvement as they assist local organizations in Greenbrier County during the school’s Day of Service.
The annual event brings together first- and second-year students as well as faculty to provide physical labor to businesses and organizations. This year’s event took place July 29, with more than 200 students, 15 faculty and five staff members volunteering at 15 sites.
Esabelle Gervasio, a second-year WVSOM student and the Student Government Association’s T.O.U.C.H. (Translating Osteopathic Understanding Into Community Health) coordinator for this academic year, said the Day of Service is a chance for new medical students to immediately get involved.
“This is an important event for WVSOM students to take part in because it’s the first opportunity new students have to engage with the Lewisburg community,” she said. “Second-year students and faculty provide a welcoming environment so the first-year students not only get to know the community in which they will live but other students and faculty at WVSOM as well.”
Gervasio volunteered at the Greenbrier River Trail, building and installing six signs and maps between Lewisburg and Renick.
She said most medical students are service-oriented.
“I think medical students are willing to get involved because they have been dreaming about medical school for years. They enjoy the opportunity to engage with their community, and WVSOM gives students the opportunity to live out their dreams,” Gervasio said. “Lewisburg has always welcomed students and shown how supportive they are to us.”
Belinda Evans, WVSOM’s director of student life, said she is always pleased to witness a large number of volunteers each year.
“I’m proud of the level of community engagement WVSOM provides through programs like the Day of Service,” Evans said. “It’s inspiring to know that our students are committed to helping others and are invested in improving the area they live in. That dedication will serve them well in their careers as physicians.”
Organizations and locations that received assistance through the 2023 Day of Service were: Alderson Hospitality House, in Alderson; Greenbrier River Trail, in Caldwell; the State Fair of West Virginia, Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, in Fairlea; Frankford Elementary School, in Frankford; Davis Stuart, Greenbrier County Public Library, Greenbrier Humane Society, Lewisburg Baptist Church and School, and the Child and Youth Advocacy Center, in Lewisburg; Island Park, in Ronceverte; Greenbrier Christian Retreat and the Marvel Center, in Rupert; White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery, in White Sulphur Springs; and the Williamsburg Community Fair, in Williamsburg.