Mountain State OPTI research opportunities are coordinated with and supported by the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and the associated MSOPTI hospitals. Each institution has offices and committees charged with reviewing, supervising, supporting and encouraging research. These include the WVSOM Office of Professional Development, Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), plus appropriate committees and resources at member hospitals.

WVSOM Office of Professional Development and Research

Provides support for facilitating resident participation in research requirements and/or projects. Provides ready access to appropriate basic science and clinical mentors for projects. Assists in identifying statistical consultants. In some cases can identify sources of funds for research projects. Maintains information about research policies and procedures, applicable regulations, funding opportunities, collaborations.

Director: Jackie DeJean
Phone: (304) 793-6824
E-mail: jdejean@osteo.wvsom.edu

WVSOM Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of WVSOM is established along National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines to safeguard the rights and welfare of human subjects participating in teaching programs and research. It reports to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean and reviews all research protocols and proposals involving human as subjects, whether interventional or surve, and recommends approval, alteration or rejection. The IRB is charged with protecting the personal well-being and privacy rights of human subjects.

Each participating MSOPTI site will have regulations pertaining to the use of human subjects. See the Director of Medical Education for information. All MSOPTI projects involving human subjects, either directly or as a source of data, must be reviewed by an IRB prior to implementation.

Chair: Jackie DeJean
Phone: (304) 793-6824
E-mail: jdejean@osteo.wvsom.edu

WVSOM Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of WVSOM reviews all protocols involving the use of animals to ensure compliance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, The Institutional Agreement on Animals with the United States Public Health Service, and the Federal Animal Welfare Act.

Hospitals do not routinely have an IACUC. Questions pertaining to the use of animals should be directed to the chair of the WVSOM IACUC.

Chair: David Brown, Ph.D.
Phone: (304) 647-6275
E-mail: dbrown@wvsom.edu

Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Residency Program Directors

The Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at WVSOM and the on-site Residency Program Directors and Assistant Residency Program Directors at each MSOPTI partner hospital provide day-to-day supervision of research for the residency program. They will also provide liaison with the appropriate specialty colleges(ACOFP, ACOEP, ACOI, ACOP) for participation in research projects initiated by those organizations.

Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education: Lorenzo Pence, D.O. , FACOFP
Phone: (304) 647-6237
E-mail: lpence@wvsom.edu

Statistical Support

WVSOM provides access to desktop and several standard statistical software packages.  In addition, WVSOM and the MSOPTI program provide contracted statistical support services for research activities.  Please contact Jackie DeJean, Director of Professional Development and Research to arrange access to these services.  Email Jackie DeJean with a brief description of the required service assistance or to obtain advice.  (jdejean@osteo.wvsom.edu or 304/793-6824) 

Mentorship

Clinical and preclinical faculty at WVSOM have expressed interest in assisting and mentoring research. The Director for Professional Development and Research can help identify faculty with similar research interests who can mentor post-graduate research.

WVSOM Library Services for Mountain State OPTI Members

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Library supports a medical education program along with the needs of the WVSOM and MSOPTI students, residents/interns, faculty, affiliated physicians and area allied health professionals. It has the materials, database resources, funding, and staff to adequately support reference services and document delivery for affiliated post-graduate programs.

The WVSOM library works closely with the libraries or hospital resource centers at the sites affiliated with the Mountain State OPTI. If students cannot obtain the information they need from the library at their site, the WVSOM Library can assist with fulfilling information requests and/or interlibrary loans.

WVSOM Library holdings, as well as supplemental collections provided statewide by WVSOM, can be searched using Athena, the on-line catalog.  If the item is available in the WVSOM collection, it can be sent to students, interns and residents free of charge. If a book or journal article is NOT owned by WVSOM, it must be ordered by inter-library loan (ILL).  For more information or to place a request for materials from WVSOM or elsewhere, please visit the WVSOM Library Interlibrary Loan webpage.  Statewide supplemental collections can be searched in Athena using the Visual Search/Statewide Resources icon.

 WVSOM Library Fact Sheet

 Total Holdings:  33,698

• Ebooks:  60
• Databases:  Collectively provide approx. 1,400 e-journals with remote access
  • Ebsco BioMed Resource Databases
  • MD Consult
  • Up to Date
  • Rittenhouse R2 digital platform
• Journal titles (print):  445
• E-journals:  49 e-journals (document delivery available for off-site affiliates through ILL)
• Historical Osteopathic Volumes: 498
• WVSOM School History Collection
• CME Materials, including NCMETV remote access, FP Essentials

 Services and Noteworthy Facts: 

• ILLiad: Automated Inter-library loan
• Reference Services
• Assisted searches and training
• 24-hour study area; includes private study rooms with TV/VCR combo
• Course Reserves and supplemental learning resources such as skeletons, skulls, OMT tables
• 13 internet and word processing computers
• WVSOM Conference Room: Bookable conference room for small meetings; white board and LCD projector available