Medical students start their education with a day of service
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
“Medical school is more than a medical education,” says Dr. Jim Nemitz, President of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) in Lewisburg. “It’s also about learning to become community leaders.”
WVSOM takes that mantra seriously, by offering a capstone service activity at the end of the first week of school for incoming students. As part of orientation and coming on the heels of their first classes, students spend their first Saturday in medical school doing community service projects across the Greenbrier Valley.
“Their role as physician is more than just treating illness,” Nemitz says. “They have a responsibility to the community at large.”
The incoming student class contains 211 students. They hail from 27 different states, with 47 coming from inside West Virginia. All plan to become practicing physicians in various specialties.
“I would guess more than 200 volunteers went out from the school today,” Nemitz says. “I’ve been doing this for years, and this is the largest group we’ve ever had–students, faculty, and staff. What a beautiful day!”
Volunteers from WVSOM visited 16 different sites to offer their skills in service. Host sites included Clifton Presbyterian Church, State Fair of West Virginia, Child Youth & Advocacy Center, Greenbrier County Public Library, Greenbrier Humane Society, and the Williamsburg Community Building. At least one staff or faculty member accompanied a group of students at each location, performing work such as organizing books, landscaping, dog-walking, light construction, and painting.
Dr. Nemitz was quick to give credit to the team in the school’s Student Life division for organizing the day of service. “It’s really the work of Dr. Dawn Roberts, our Associate Dean. She deserves the credit, along with Dr. Aaron Phillips, Georgette Morgan, and Amber Reed.”
“This is what we should be doing,” Nemitz adds. “Our Center for Rural and Community Health does this work everyday, focusing on the needs of our most vulnerable populations.”
Students track their volunteer hours all year long as part of their future placement in a residency. They participate in a national program called T.O.U.C.H. (Translating Osteopathic Understanding Into Community Health), which places value on community service as part of medical education.
“In total, our students volunteer around 10,000 hours each year through the program,” Nemitz says. “I’m proud of my students. It’s a great way to start the year and will continue all year long.”
Students participate in multiple days of service each year. This fall event was coordinated by Chrisanna “Jayden” Dailey, a second year student and Student Government Association member.
WVSOM is a national leader in rural primary care. For more information, please visit: https://www.wvsom.edu/.
