Latest news with #WVSOM
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
WVSOM graduates awarded an estimated $87,400 at ceremony acknowledging achievements
LEWISBURG, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) graduates in the Class of 2025 were acknowledged for their successes during an awards ceremony. According to a press release, the medical school graduates received awards amounting to an estimated $87,400 on May 1, 2025. Students were acknowledged in more than thirty categories, including awards, scholarships and memberships in nationwide organizations. The Class of 2025 was comprised of 185 students, with 98 graduates going into primary care residency programs and a 100 percent rate of residency placement for the class, the release stated. The ceremony highlighted 19 graduates who finished their education with honors. Also, graduates were acknowledged as members of Psi Sigma Alpha, a nationwide osteopathic scholastic honor society, the release noted. 12 graduates were given recognition through American Medical Women's Association Glasgow-Rubin Certificates of Commendation for Academic Achievement. 31 students were given cords that represent their membership in Sigma Sigma Phi – Nu Chapter, an osteopathic medicine fraternity that bolsters scholastic achievement. 31 graduates were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a nationwide honor society made up of medical students, physicians, and leaders that have been acknowledged for their compassion, the release noted. Thirteen graduates were highlighted for their service in the military. Catch 'Clue' and local 'Lillie and the Kingsmen' at Greenbrier Valley Theatre I am proud of all of our students and their many accomplishments. It is truly remarkable to see such gifted individuals dedicate their lives to serving others. James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. | President, WVSOM This year was the first time the Triplett Scholarship was awarded, which was distributed through funds by the WVSOM Foundation, an organization that supports the medical school. Their aim is to serve the institution and students by securing, managing and allocating the financial contributions of businesses and individuals, the release stated. The scholarship was launched to recognize a graduate from George Washington or Man high schools who is in the top 10 percent of their class. Students from Kanawha County and Logan County are considered, as well. Madison Marshall, a native of St. Albans, was named as the recipient of the award, and stated she is grateful to be the first graduate to be selected for it. She is set to begin an orthopedic surgery residency in California at Community Memorial Health System. West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine celebrates 48th commencement ceremony This award — especially with the West Virginia criteria — makes me proud. Being from a smaller town and being honored for this scholarship means the world to me. I feel blessed that someone was willing to pay it forward and give back to future physicians. I'm glad there are people who feel it in their hearts to give back and ease the debt for us, and hopefully I can do the same in the future. Madison Marshall | Class of 2025 graduate, WVSOM The executive director of foundation relations for WVSOM, Donette Mizia, expressed that witnessing the expansion of awards and scholarships is promising for the ongoing support of future graduates from the school. It's always inspiring to see our students recognized for their hard work, and the Graduation Awards Ceremony highlights what a difference donor support can make. Watching our scholarship funds' growth, including the Triplett Scholarship's introduction, is exciting and shows how our community is stepping up to invest in the next generation of physicians. We are deeply grateful to our donors, whose generosity directly supports the success of our graduates. Donette Mizia | Executive director of foundation relations, WVSOM WVSOM student competes in Boston Marathon, helps make Mountaineer Mile a weekly tradition The recipients of the 2025 Graduation Awards Ceremony, as listed in the release, are: Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award — Claire Drotman and Michael Peterson, D.O. Student D.O. of the Year — Courtney Merwin WVSOM Alumni Association Roland P. Sharp Graduate Award — Caleb Duncan, Wyatt Bell and Zoe Harold Olen E. Jones Jr. and WVSOM Foundation Academic Achievement Award — Natalie Fabrizio Opal Price Sharp Memorial Fund Award — Olivia George Olivia Claire Obrokta Pediatric Award — Chris Roditis WVSOM's Rural Health Initiative — Donald Adkins, Nicholas Adkins, Cody Cawthon, Alyssa Chafin, Caleb Duncan, Natalie Fabrizio, Cody Fuller, Charles Lafferty, Maria Mace, Laurel Markert, Dominic Muttillo, Kymbre Robinson, Madison Robinson, Sarah Socrates, Brenna Taylor and Hannah White MSOPTI West Virginia Primary Care Scholars Award — Nicholas Adkins, Emma Ellis and Brian Tyler Moore West Virginia Emulation Endowment Trust/Dr. Olen E. Jones Jr. Scholarship — Hannah Brehm, Caleb Duncan and Cody Fuller Legacy Scholarship Endowment — Claire Drotman WVSOM Foundation Scholars — Hannah Brehm and Abigail Effingham Ntumba Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia Farson-Smith-Earley Award — Dominic Muttillo Donald Newell Sr. Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior — Cody Fuller Gwen Clingman Memorial Scholarship — Kayla Underwood Drs. John and Nancy Chambers Memorial Scholarship Fund Award — Olivia George Stephanie Dawn Barragy Memorial Scholarship — Korie Robinson Dr. Catherine A. Bishop Scholarship Fund Award — Hannah Brehm David Hinchman, D.O., Emergency Medicine Award — Kayla Underwood Dr. William R. Holmes Jr. Scholarship Award — Claire Schoyer Eugene McClung, M.D., Family Scholarship — Courtney Merwin Triplett Scholarship — Madison Marshall West Virginia Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians Award — Sarah McQueen Order of Vesalius Award — Joshua Lawson RAMS Head Award — Jessica Coxon and Daniel Hussion Clinical Sciences Award — Olivia Bell and Zoe Harold Statewide Campus Outstanding Student Awards — Natalie Fabrizio and Riley Palmquist received recognition for the Central East region; Gillian Gaunt and Louis Mauro received recognition for the Central West region; Anthony Grillo and Caroline Kayes received recognition for the Eastern region; Jillian Keyte and Casey O'Doherty received recognition for the Northern region; Steven Celmins, John Tyler Craig, Madison Marshall and Sarah McQueen received recognition for the South Central region; Jason Mitton and Alyssa Turner received recognition for the South East region; and Jennifer Ali and Shashank Singh received recognition for the South West region Donna Jones Moritsugu Memorial Award — Kenesha Bell, spouse of Wyatt Bell Remarkable Women: Rising chef at the Greenbrier making her name known nationally The awards ceremony acknowledges fourth year students and their memberships in national honor societies, as well as giving scholarships and awards created for WVSOM through the WVSOM Foundation and the WVSOM Alumni Association, the release stated. For more information on the awards and how to become a financial supporter, visit their website or call 304-793-6852. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine celebrates 48th commencement ceremony
LEWISBURG, WV (WVNS) – It was a day to remember at the end of a strenuous academic journey for some medical students. Three Rivers Avian Center and Moonstruck Maple holding joint open house A total of 209 students walked across the stage at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine' 48th commencement ceremony. 185 of those graduates matriculated with a degree in Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or a D.O. The other 24 graduates received their Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. This is the first WVSOM class to receive this masters degree through the school. These grads hail from all over the country, like Utah native Jason Mitton. '[Graduation Day] is always a day you are kind of fighting for hoping that you will get to, but to actually be here feels kind of surreal. So [I am] just excited and grateful to be here really, and grateful that WVSOM gave me the opportunity,' said Mitton. Mitton worked rotations at Beckley ARH and Raleigh General Hospital, where he found himself drawn more to the field of anesthesiology. The next step for those graduating with a D.O. is their residency. Mitton will be continuing his training at UPMC Lititz in Pennsylvania. Hira Cheema, another graduate, will be continuing her training at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. 'Being in Lewisburg, West Virginia was amazing. Everybody was very welcoming. Everybody was very nice. The community is very friendly. It was my first time in West Virginia. I am from Oklahoma, but it felt like home [in WV], and I will miss it. Everybody at the school – faculty, the friends that I made, everybody was very supportive and very helpful,' said Cheema. Cheema said she hopes to move back to Oklahoma to be a physician after she finishes up at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. WVSOM President Dr. Jim Nemitz was thrilled for his 37th commencement ceremony with the school. He left one final message to the graduates. Congress honors WWII's All-Black, All-female battalion with Gold Medal 'We are so very proud of each and every one of you go out there and do good,' said Dr. Nemitz. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
WVSOM receives 10-year accreditation from Higher Learning Commission
LEWISBURG, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) was granted continued accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). According to a press release, the accreditation will continue for 10 years, when the next reaffirmation will take place. The important milestone marks the product of a years-long effort to prepare for review from HLC. The commission expressed no concerns regarding the accreditation, signifying that the institution has no areas currently needing improvement. T-Pain announced for the 100th State Fair of West Virginia One of seven national institutional accreditors, HLC accredits approximately 950 colleges and universities, particularly in the central portion of the United States, the release stated. They serve in 19 states, stretching from institutions in Arizona to West Virginia. Besides WVSOM, 12 other osteopathic medical schools have or will be seeking accreditation from the commission. James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM's president, stated he is happy with the commission's findings, and expressed appreciation for the staff, administrators, and faculty that play a role in meeting the HLC requirements. The Higher Learning Commission's report shows that WVSOM is adhering to the highest standards of compliance while preparing students for careers as competent, compassionate physicians. I'm proud of all those who have helped make this accreditation a success. A stamp of approval from a prestigious organization like the HLC will have positive implications for WVSOM for years to come. James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. | President, WVSOM The thorough evaluation included a review of arguments and evidence given by the institution that shows compliance with the commission's accreditation requirements, and a student survey. Also included in the review is an on-site evaluation performed by peer reviewers to score the way the institution follows and applies the requirements of the commission. The final review and action, based on the team report, was reached by an HLC body, the release stated. Andrea Bucklew, J.D., WVSOM's Director of Accreditation and Continuous Quality Improvement, stated that the HLC requires institutions to demonstrate that they meet criteria. The Fayette County Commission has grant funding for demolition of old buildings First, we have to show that our mission statement guides our decisions. Second, we have to act with ethics and integrity. The third and fourth criteria deal with teaching: Are our students learning? Do they have good outcomes? Are they able to match to residencies? And the fifth criterion deals with planning and institutional resources. Andrea Bucklew, J.D. | Director of Accreditation and Quality Improvement, WVSOM Bucklew expressed that the school's high performance prompted the HLC commission to allow WVSOM to choose an 'open pathway' for its next accreditation cycle, the release stated. Institutions approved to use the open pathway are considered to have little concerns regarding accreditation, a strong culture of compliance, as well as more financial stability. The open pathway requires an institution to determine a strategic initiative and report the progress of that initiative to the HLC. The timing is good because we're already in the process of doing that as part of our strategic planning. Andrea Bucklew, J.D. | Director of Accreditation and Quality Improvement, WVSOM Machelle Linsenmeyer, Ed. D., WVSOM's Assistance Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Academic Resources state that the successful reaccreditation will lay the foundation for continuous growth. Accreditation shows that we are a school with processes in place and continuous quality improvement projects that meet the standards not only of our programmatic accreditor, but of an institutional accreditor. We're thrilled that we got the highest recommendation, and we now have the opportunity to move forward with the open pathway, which is important for the expansions we want to make for new opportunities at WVSOM. Machelle Linsenmeyer, Ed. D. | Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Academic Resources, WVSOM Concord University announces 13th President The programmatic accreditor for the school's D.O. program is the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, the release noted. WVSOM possesses continued accreditation for the program through 2029-2030. Linsenmeyer also stated that Bucklew's predecessor, Mary Norris, Ph. D., was vital in the process. Dr. Norris worked closely with the on-site teams who wrote the assurance arguments and collected supporting evidence, was the editor for the final report, and oversaw the logistics of the site team visit including close communication with site visitors throughout the process. I'm thankful to her, our teams and everyone at WVSOM for successfully navigating this process. Machelle Linsenmeyer, Ed. D. | Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Academic Resources, WVSOM For more information regarding the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
WVSOM students reach 100 percent residency match rate for third year in a row
LEWISBURG, WV (WVNS) — As the seasons shift, so did the futures of students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) as they learned the locations of their residencies. According to a press release, WVSOM students reached a 100 percent residency placement rate for their soon-to-be graduates for the third year in a row. These students will have employment as resident physicians after completion of medical school in May. New physicians usually participate in residency programs for three to seven years before qualifying for medical licensure. WVSOM's ASPIRE counseling crew named 'Mental Health Care Hero' During the on-campus Match Day on March 21, 2025, students gathered at the WVSOM Lewisburg campus and WVSOM hubs across the state to talk about the training sites and specialties they will be taking part in. The institution's chief academic officer, Linda Boyd, D.O., congratulated students on their successful matches and expressed gratitude to the school's graduate medical education staff for the part they played in assisting students in their matches. It takes a village to create a physician, and our faculty and staff contribute to that effort. But the people who put in the most work are our students. You've worked hard to get good grades and earn your placements, and you've had to be 'on' during all your rotations to earn great evaluations. That puts you in a great place and enables you to get great matches. Linda Boyd, D.O. | Chief Academic Officer, WVSOM Governor Morrisey announces online education program, Tourism Works Approximately 65 percent of the Class of 2025, 96 students, will enter primary care programs, which span family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. 35 students matched to family medicine residencies, 48 students matched to internal medicine residencies, and 13 matched to pediatric residencies, the release stated. Other specialties for the Class of 2025 include emergency medicine, psychiatry, and obstetrics and gynecology. Some students matched to competitive placements. No student from WVSOM has placed in a plastic surgery residency in the last 30 years, and in 2024, one D.O. student in the country was selected for such a placement. In 2025, a student from WVSOM will train at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, to become a plastic surgeon, the release noted. Other competitive placements in which students matched were anesthesiology, neurology, diagnostic radiology, dermatology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Concord University offers prestigious scholarship for students pursuing education in science 31 students were matched to residencies in the Mountain State, at locations such as Charleston, Beckley, Wheeling, Huntington, and more. One student that found an in-state residency is Caleb Duncan, originally from Seth, West Virginia, who will start a family medicine residency at CAMC after he graduates. Primary care is something I'm passionate about and really wanted to go into. I'm excited to go back to the community I'm from. Being close to home will be an awesome experience. Caleb Duncan | Student, Class of 2025, WVSOM The WVSOM assistant dean for graduate medical education, Abigail Frank, D.O., recognized students for working hard to get to this point in their career. Your dedication has brought you to this pivotal moment. May your residency be a time of impactful learning and meaningful service, shaping not just your careers but the lives of your future patients. You are embarking on a journey filled with challenges, growth and the profound privilege of caring for others. Embrace the next step with courage and compassion. Abigail Frank, D.O. | Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education, WVSOM Woodrow Wilson High School alum teaches NASA program to middle school students Jason Mitten, from Pleasant Grove, Utah, matched to a anesthesiology residency located at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Lititz, Pennsylvania. He stressed the need of believing in one's self while going through the pressures of medical school. You're always a little nervous about whether you're going to match, and I'm happy to be on the other side of that now,' he said. 'But when it feels like the odds are against you, it's important to make sure you have faith in yourself. That's something I've been trying to do during this match cycle. I'm grateful that the school has given me this opportunity. Jason Mitten | Student, Class of 2025, WVSOM The WVSOM Commencement Ceremony will take place on May 2, 2025, at the Lewisburg campus. For more information regarding the institution, visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Greenbrier Historical Society names a new executive director
LEWISBURG, WV (WVNS) — The Greenbrier Historical Society (GHS) announced the selection of a new executive director. WVSOM's ASPIRE counseling crew named 'Mental Health Care Hero' According to a press release, Dara Vance, a resident of the Mountain State for a more than four years, was chosen for the position. Vance possesses multiple degrees in Fine Art, Educational Leadership, U.S. History, and recently gained her Ph.D. in U.S. History from the University of Kentucky. Vance came to the area through service as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Meadow River Valley Association. She has collaborated with non-profit community organizations, including God's Way Home, Robert C. Byrd Clinic, Greenbrier County Family Support Center, and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, the release noted. Through her experience as an artist and historian, Vance expressed that the study and presentation of history should ask bug questions in small areas. She also expressed that the change from residing in Florida to residing in West Virginia felt similar to a homecoming. WVSOM gears up for their third annual C.A.S.E. camp Artists and historians ask questions in the same way. We want to understand more than facts. We want to understand the 'why' and reveal unanticipated connections. From parents back to ancestors in the 1600s, my family has a long history in this country. I may have grown up in Florida, but I was raised on brown beans and corn bread. The beauty of the area and the drama of the landscape does not give a moment to miss Florida. I feel like I am finally among my people. Dara Vance | Executive Director, Greenbrier Historical Society We are very excited to have Dara joining us as our new Executive Director. Her extensive experience with non-profits in this area coupled with her management skills, creativity, and deep interest in history make her a natural for this job. Al Emch | President, Greenbrier Historical Society WVU Tech hosts regional math field day Vance's appointment coincides with exciting projects coming to fruition, such as the 1834 Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia Law Library and Study Building, Rhoda's House-Enslaved Quarters, archaeology at the Barracks, and more. The Greenbrier Historical Society is an integral part of telling the stories that live in all our communities. I am honored to serve in the capacity to preserve the past while also teaching for a brighter future. Dara Vance | Executive Director, Greenbrier Historical Society For more information regarding the Greenbrier Historical Society, call 304-645-3398 or visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
