Medical School Information Sheet Class of 2027

“The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) empowers students to find health within themselves and the people and the communities they serve. We advance health and well-being in West Virginia and beyond through cutting-edge training, pioneering research, and immersive clinical experience. By blending innovation, compassion, and a deep-rooted dedication to osteopathic principles, we are shaping the future of health.”

The first year of the Patient Presentation Curriculum (PPC) begins with an integrated basic science foundation course, Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine (FOM). This course provides a basic understanding of how to communicate with patients, the structure and function of cell and tissue types and the roles of the endocrine, immune and autonomic nervous systems in the healthy individual. The PPC then uses the most common ways patients present to a physician to form the framework around which the curriculum content is taught. These presentations are organized around organ systems and focus on the basic science disciplines. These disciplines are integrated throughout the curriculum in association with the cases being presented. Throughout the first year, students begin their clinical instruction in the Clinical Skills I Lab (communications and physical diagnosis), Osteopathic Principles and Practice I Lab (OP&P) and Early Clinical Encounter courses (time in the clinic with clinical faculty).

In Year 2 the courses of the PPC curriculum are made up of 2-3 patient centered cases, each based on common patient presentations. The cases become progressively more complex and include multisystem presentations that incorporate previous presentations to form a spiral curriculum that reinforces and builds on past learning. The Clinical Skills II Lab introduces students to the skills needed by physicians and places them in offices where the student may practice these skills. The OP&P II lab includes 10 weeks of simulated patient care in the Student Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Clinic in which community members are recruited to receive Osteopathic Manipulation from a pair of students under the supervision of OP&P faculty.

All of the courses use a mix of large and small group instructional methods including traditional lecture and laboratory approaches, as well as, interactive team-based learning, directed studies and application exercises. In addition, standardized patients, high fidelity simulators, electronic medical records and medical informatics are incorporated as part of the learning experiences.

The goals of the patient presentation curriculum are for the students to be able to:

• Integrate basic and clinical science information
• Develop a differential diagnosis
• Apply knowledge in order to develop an appropriate treatment plan for the patient
• Address other competencies such as medical ethics, medical informatics, medical economics, etc.

Courses

608/FOM — Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine Course (credit hours 6.0)

This course is designed to introduce basic topics in clinical sciences, biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, immunology, epidemiology, anatomy and pathology. Mastery of these topics will be needed to allow student success in the courses to follow. Simple patient presentations related to the musculoskeletal, skin and integumentary systems provide a framework for the course material.

610/MSK — Musculoskeletal Course (credit hours 2.5)

This course is designed to provide clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for diagnosing, understanding the underlying disease mechanisms and treatment options for diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system, within the context of common patient presentations.

636/CP I — Cardiopulmonary I Course (credit hours 5.0)

This course is designed to provide the foundational clinical and biomedical science needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injury of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems within the context of common patient presentations.

692/B & L — Blood and Lymphoid Course (credit hours 2.5)

This course is designed to provide the basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the blood and lymph system within the context of common patient presentations.

645/Neuro I — Neuroscience I Course (credit hours 3.0)

This course is designed to provide the basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the central nervous system within the context of common patient presentations.

651/GI I — Gastrointestinal I Course (credit hours 3.0)

This course is designed to provide the basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injury of the gastrointestinal system within the context of common patient presentations.

644/Renal I — Renal I Course (credit hours 1.5)

This course is designed to provide the basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injury of the renal systems within the context of common patient presentations.

681/Endo/Repro — Endocrine and Reproductive Course (credit hours 5.0)

This course is designed to provide the basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the endocrine and reproductive systems within the context of common patient presentations.

682/ECE Fall — Early Clinical Encounters Fall (credit hours 0.5)

Physician shadowing experiences at the WVSOM Health Clinic (formerly the Robert C. Byrd Clinic).

683/ECE Spring — Early Clinical Encounters Spring (credit hours 0.5)

Physician shadowing experiences at the WVSOM Health Clinic.

686/CS I Fall — Clinical Skills I Fall Lab (credit hours 0.5)

Students receive instruction in physical diagnosis and evaluation skills such as auscultation, use of diagnostic equipment and physician-patient communication in a laboratory setting as preparation for early clinical contact. These labs include experience with standardized patients and human-patient simulators.

687/CS I Spring — Clinical Skills I Spring Lab (credit hours 0.5)

Students receive instruction in physical diagnosis and evaluation skills such as auscultation, use of diagnostic equipment and physician-patient communication in a laboratory setting as preparation for early clinical contact. These labs include experience with standardized patients and human-patient simulators.

691/OPP I Fall — Osteopathic Principles and Practice I Fall Lab (credit hours 1.5)

This course provides an introduction the principles of osteopathic medicine, emphasizing diagnostic palpation methods and multiple corrective procedures for structural abnormalities. Integration of osteopathic principles and practice with organ systems is maintained throughout the course of instruction. This hands-on course provides the foundation for practice of osteopathic manipulative treatment.

693/OPP I Spring — Osteopathic Principles and Practice I Spring Lab (credit hours 1.0)

This course provides an introduction the principles of osteopathic medicine, emphasizing diagnostic palpation methods and multiple corrective procedures for structural abnormalities. Integration of osteopathic principles and practice with organ systems is maintained throughout the course of instruction. This hands-on course provides the foundation for practice of osteopathic manipulative treatment.

Electives 684/CULN — Culinary Medicine Elective (credit hours 3.0)

Culinary Medicine is the utilization of a unique combination of nutrition and culinary knowledge to assist patients in achieving and maintaining optimal health. This course is intended to expand students’ comfort in counseling patients in successful behavior change around nutrition and cooking.

Elective 665/Ultrasound (not for credit)

Ultrasound Elective is an elective designed to provide students a foundation in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). Students will learn how to acquire ultrasound images using both portable and handheld devices, and will identify key anatomic landmarks for each area of the body. They will compare and contrast normal versus abnormal anatomy, including normal anatomic variants, as well as identify major pathology via POCUS.

Second-Year Curriculum

Year 2 of the PPC continues the presentation of basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Second-year presentations will become progressively more complex and incorporate previous presentations to form a spiral curriculum that reinforces and builds on previous learning. Students will continue to develop their clinical and osteopathic skills in lab courses.

727/Neuromuscular — Neuromuscular Course (credit hours 4.5)

This course explores the clinical and biomedical sciences undergirding the practice of osteopathic medicine in regard to patient presentations involving extremity pain, rheumatologic diseases, muscle weakness, headache, seizures, gait dysfunction, sleep disruption, and trauma.

735/CP II — Cardiopulmonary II Course (credit hours 3.5)

The cardiopulmonary course provides the basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart and lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and pulmonary pathologies using a variety of modalities including lecture, team-based learning, application exercises and other small-group activities.

753/Renal/GI II — Renal and Gastrointestinal II Course (credit hours 5.0)

This course will encompass two main areas of focus. The beginning of the course is devoted to concepts from the renal system; specifically, there will be a focus on the structural, functional and integrative aspects of the kidney and urinary system that underlie the pathologic mechanisms of the disease process. It begins with a review of the basic physiologic mechanisms that underpin renal function. There will be a continuation of evolution around the differential diagnosis of kidney diseases and therapeutics through case presentations of hematuria and chronic kidney disease. The basic clinical science and biomedical science concepts encompassing diabetes mellitus type II will be integrated into this module, as diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease. The second part of the course is designed to provide the basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injury of the gastrointestinal system. Specifically, the curricular content will be focused on the case presentations of jaundice and abdominal pain. This will be accomplished via participation in lectures, workshops, team-based learning and directed studies that apply pertinent anatomy, physiology, pathology, microbiology and pharmacology to clinically relevant case presentations.

744/BhM — Behavioral Medicine Course (credit hours 2.0)

This course provides an overview of clinical science and biomedical science regarding normal and abnormal human psychosocial-behavioral development as well as psychiatric classification and diagnosis of mental illness, within the context of common patient presentations.

747/BLIB — Blood, Immune, Bone Course (credit hours 0.5)

This course is designed to provide the basic clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injury of the blood, immune and bone systems. This is accomplished via participation in lectures, workshops, team-based learning and directed studies that apply pertinent anatomy, physiology, microbiology and pharmacology to clinically relevant case presentations.

752/RU — Reproductive and Urinary Course (credit hours 4.0)

This course is designed to provide the clinical science and biomedical science foundations needed for the diagnosis and management of abnormal uterine bleeding and diseases and injury of the genital-urinary system, contraception, menopause, osteoporosis and pregnancy, within the context of common patient presentations. This is accomplished via participation in lectures, workshops, team-based learning, and directed studies that apply pertinent anatomy, pathology, physiology, microbiology and pharmacology to clinically relevant case presentations.

755/Neuro II — Neuroscience II Course (credit hours 1.5)

This course provides an overview of clinical science and biomedical science related to motor weakness, stroke, localization of neural function, pain and addictions; as well as the medical and societal response to the phenomenon of the opioid crisis in the U.S., within the context of common patient presentations.

756/Skin/MPF — Skin and Medical Professionalism Course (credit hours 2.0)

This course is designed to provide the basic understanding of pathophysiology, typical presentations, pathologic features, diagnostic and management options associated with rashes and skin lesions. The Medical Professionalism components will expose the student to professional responsibilities of a physician including participating in activities related to compassionate care, the safety of patients and commitment to ethical issues in research and patient care. Additional training in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Interprofessional Education (IPE) is provided.

786/CS II Fall — Clinical Skills II Fall Lab (credit hours 1.0)

Clinical preparation is emphasized throughout the curriculum in the second year of instruction in the lab-based course. Clinical instruction and practice are provided via lab and clinical experiences in the Robert C. Byrd Clinic and other medical facilities in the region including clinics, private physician offices, nursing homes, physical therapy, ambulance services and other allied health services. Clinical experiences include labs with standardized patients and with human patient simulators. Additional training is offered in casting/splinting, suturing, ophthalmology, ultrasound, community-based patient education, end-of-life conversations and other medical procedures.

787/CS II Spring — Clinical Skills II Spring Lab (credit hours 1.5)

Clinical preparation is emphasized throughout the curriculum in the second year of instruction in the lab-based course. Clinical instruction and practice are provided via lab and clinical experiences in the Robert C. Byrd Clinic and other medical facilities in the region including clinics, private physician offices, nursing homes, physical therapy, ambulance services and other allied health services. Clinical experiences include labs with standardized patients and with human-patient simulators. Additional training is offered in casting/splinting, suturing, ophthalmology, ultrasound, community-based patient education, end-of-life conversations and other medical procedures. Students are also required to take a practical examination called the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). The OSCE utilizes standardized patients who are lay people with intensive training at depicting specific illnesses. The student performs clinical tasks in a series of stations while interacting with the patients. Standardized checklists are used to evaluate each student. Every student sees the same problems and is asked to perform the same tasks. The tasks are representative of those faced in real clinical situations. The OSCE is used to evaluate patient-centered skills and to measure clinical performance. Areas measured include doctor-patient communication; history taking; physical exam skills; written communication skills; clinical problem solving; and formulating a differential diagnosis and therapeutic plan.

791/OPP II Fall — Osteopathic Principles and Practice II Fall Lab (credit hours 1.5)

Training in osteopathic principles and practice continues during the year. The osteopathic concepts of the integrity of the body, the interrelationships of structure and function and osteopathic manipulative treatment in health and disease are central to the curriculum. One of the highlights of the second year is a student-driven free clinic for osteopathic structural diagnosis and osteopathic manipulative treatment under the supervision of OPP clinical faculty that provides students with hands-on experiences with actual patients.

793/OPP II Spring — Osteopathic Principles and Practice II Spring Lab (credit hours 1.0)

Training in osteopathic principles and practice continues during the year. The osteopathic concepts of the integrity of the body, the interrelationships of structure and function and osteopathic manipulative treatment in health and disease are central to the curriculum. One of the highlights of the second year is a student-driven free clinic for osteopathic structural diagnosis and osteopathic manipulative treatment under the supervision of OPP clinical faculty that provides students with hands-on experiences with actual patients.

719/Exercise is Medicine — Elective (not for credit)

Exercise is Medicine is an elective for OMS-I and OMS-II students. The elective is designed to provide students with information on exercise guidelines, exercise test as foundation to medical care, and disease prevention and health promotion. Students will also learn about motivational interviewing skills that physicians can engage with patients and family for positive behavior changes. Students will learn about lifestyle “vital signs” such as diet, physical activity, stress level, sleep and emotional well-being. Student will be able to construct achievable and specific goals and be able to write specific exercise prescriptions for patients.

Third and Fourth Year Clerkships

Years 3 and 4 of the curricula consist of clinical rotations in a variety of medical settings. The third-year curriculum includes core rotations in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Women’s Health/Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Surgery, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics, as well as required rotations in Emergency Medicine, electives, and OPP/Clinical Skills III. Students rotate in four- to eight-week blocks under the supervision of board-certified or board-eligible physicians. All third-year students complete at least one rotation in a healthcare setting that includes residents enrolled in an accredited graduate medical education program.

WVSOM utilizes a distributive model of clinical education. The Statewide Campus consists of seven regions throughout West Virginia and the surrounding area. Each student is assigned a Regional Assistant Dean, Regional Director, and Regional Administrative Assistant at their base site. During the third year, students participate in a monthly Education Day that is mandatory for all students. Additional didactic sessions and educational activities are specific to each region and base site. Students must successfully complete the third-year Osteopathic Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) at the WVSOM Clinical Education Center before advancing to the fourth year.

The fourth-year curriculum builds upon the clinical experiences completed during the third year. Students are required to complete rotations in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Surgery, and Pediatrics. In addition, students have 12 weeks of elective time, providing flexibility to pursue clinical experiences in specialties of interest and tailor their training to meet individual career goals.

Students are given increasing levels of responsibility as their clinical skills mature throughout the curriculum. WVSOM provides a well-rounded clinical education through community-based, rural, and academic training in ambulatory and hospital settings. Experiences in these settings, and in both large and small healthcare facilities, enable students to develop and apply their clinical knowledge and skills in diverse patient care environments.

The following curriculum represents the clinical rotation requirements for the third and fourth years. Students complete 40 weeks of rotations in the third year and 36 weeks of rotations in the fourth year.

3rd Year Courses/Rotations:

4th Year Courses/Rotations:

Students are required to pass discipline specific National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Achievement Tests (COMATs) for all core/required rotations. In the third year, core rotation grades are based on COMAT examination scores (50%) and preceptor evaluations (50%). Third-year elective rotations and all fourth-year rotations are graded solely on preceptor evaluations.

The MSPE is composed by members of the Dean’s staff using information gathered from the student, the student’s file, their Statewide Campus Regional Assistant Dean and the Registrar. Comments made by preceptors during Clinical Rotations and by their Statewide Campus Regional Assistant Dean are reported as written. Once composed the MSPE is reviewed and approved by the student prior to posting.

Please note that passage of Levels 1 and 2 CE of the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensure Examination (COMLEX) administered by the NBOME is required for graduation from this institution. Scores are reported with the official NBOME transcript.