Faculty
28 PhDs, 25 DOs, and 2 MDs comprise WVSOM’s basic science and clinical faculty.

Employees
201 Full-time employees. WVSOM is currently recruiting for 18 additional positions – seven of which will be located at WVSOM-affiliated training sites off the Lewisburg campus. Eight of pending positions are faculty openings.

Tuition and Fees
In-State: $20,426*
Out-of-State: $50,546*
*figures effective August 2008

Student Profile*
598 students. Breakdown: 213 students from West Virginia; 385 out-of-state students; 294 females; 304 males; 99 minority students; average student age is 27; the class size is 200 students per class; AACOMAS reports that 2,770 students applied for admission into WVSOM’s most recent class (Class of 2011).
*Academic Year 07-08

Alumni Profile and Practice Locations
WVSOM has 1,806 total graduates. WVSOM grads practice medicine in 44 states and the District of Columbia. There are 538 licensed, practicing osteopathic physicians in West Virginia. They practice medicine in 45 of West Virginia's 55 counties.

Information current as of July 2008

WVSOM at a Glance

Mission

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine educates primary care osteopathic physicians for rural communities. The school is dedicated first and foremost to service for West Virginia and prepares graduates to care for the special health care needs of West Virginia's elderly. The institutional mission is supported by education, service and research. Education is primary and shall receive top priority for institutional resources.

History

The Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine accepted its charter class of 36 osteopathic medical students in 1974. The move from a private to a public institution came in January 1976 when the college was brought into the state system of higher education and renamed the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. The first class of 33 physicians was awarded their Doctor of Osteopathy degrees in June, 1978.

Awards

WVSOM is recognized worldwide for its efforts in rural, family, and primary care medicine. The college has been ranked in the U.S.News & World Report magazine's top graduate schools report for ten consecutive years. In addition, many members of the WVSOM faculty have won prestigious awards and been recognized on the state and national level.

Recent Practice Trends

A study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center shows that 42% of all WVSOM graduates practice medicine in rural areas. WVSOM is the top medical school in the world in this category. 84.5% of 05-07 graduates entered in primary care fields of medicine. The West Virginia Higher Education Policy “Report Card” reveals that among the state’s three medical schools, WVSOM has the highest percentage of graduates practicing in non-urban areas of West Virginia (the report tracks graduates from 1997-2002).

Curriculum

A quality, four-year osteopathic medical education program in two curricular tracks (systems based learning and problem based learning) has been tailored to meet West Virginia's special health care needs. Family, rural, geriatric, and preventive medicine are emphasized. Students are educated about the region's unique health care needs through training in small community hospitals, rural clinics, and public health care agencies.

Mountain State Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions (MSOPTI)

Mountain State Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions, Inc. (MSOPTI) is a community-based healthcare consortium consisting of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, eight member hospitals, and four affiliated training centers. Member hospitals include: Beckley VA Medical Center in Beckley, WV; Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston, WV; Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Ronceverte, WV; Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, WV; The Toledo Hospital in Toledo, OH; United Hospital Center in Clarksburg, WV; West Virginia University Hospitals in Morgantown, WV; and Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, WV. Affiliated hospital training sites include: Logan Medical Center in Logan, WV; Princeton Community Hospital in Princeton, WV; Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, WV; and Forum Health/Western Reserve Care System in Youngstown, Ohio. A variety of training opportunities are available to participating interns and residents, including Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Urological Surgery, and a dual Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine program.

Economic Impact

It is estimated that WVSOM has an annual impact of $85 million on the Greenbrier Valley economy. The institution’s current operating budget is $35 million.

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