WVSOM 50th Anniversary 1972 - 2022

WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

It is hard to believe 50 years have passed since the founding of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM). The vision of the founders — Carlton G. Apgar, D.O., O.J. Bailes, D.O., Donald C. Newell Sr., D.O., Frank Wallington, D.O. — and members of the West Virginia Society of Osteopathic Medicine, under the leadership of Roland Sharp, D.O., the institution’s first president, has been fulfilled and surpassed. Recognizing the need for rural physicians in West Virginia, these visionary physicians responded by establishing an osteopathic medical school. It is a testament to their endeavors and those who followed them that this institution now ranks first among all medical schools, osteopathic and allopathic, in providing physicians for rural areas not only in West Virginia, but also throughout the Appalachian Region and the nation! That is the WVSOM story!

This memory book captures in pictures the people, the day-to-day activities, the events and the evolution of the campus over the past five decades. Our school has grown from a class of 33 students to more than 200, making it the largest medical school in West Virginia! The WVSOM faculty and staff have increased from a skeleton crew to nearly 300 employees. The Lewisburg campus has grown from three buildings in 1972 to 20 buildings, which includes the construction of a simulated national board testing center that will be connected to classrooms in the Center for Technology and Rural Medicine, as well as the simulated clinic and hospital settings in the Clinical Evaluation Center. When completed, the three buildings will serve as a state-of-the-art learning environment that is second to none.

WVSOM’s first- and second-year academic program has matured into a clinically oriented curriculum incorporating active learning strategies that include standardized patients, simulation, ultrasound, virtual reality and team-based learning. The third- and fourth-year curriculum has evolved from the days when students often had to find their own clinical rotations to today’s Statewide Campus which is comprised of seven geographic regions covering the entire state of West Virginia. These regional campuses provide staffing and a physical presence to support our students in ways that were previously not possible. This growth has not only impacted the state by providing highly qualified, competent and caring osteopathic physicians, but also has had a statewide economic impact of more than $133 million. When the health care contributions of WVSOM’s alumni and students are included, that figure exceeds $1.5 billion annually in West Virginia and more than $9 billion nationally!

WVSOM has expanded its educational influence by providing leadership and expertise through research and community engagement at all levels of the education continuum. Programming touches all ages, from children in elementary school to senior citizens. The school’s research efforts have grown to include biomedical, translational, clinical, educational and communitybased research projects, along with other scholarly activity.

WVSOM’s Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH) led to the creation of the Clingman Center for Community Engagement in downtown Lewisburg, named after Dr. Sharp’s cousin, Gwen Clingman. “Gwen’s Kitchen” was instrumental in the formation of the school, as well as providing meals to many medical students in the school’s early days. The CRCH has provided numerous programs through the Clingman Center ranging from the management of chronic disease through diet and lifestyle changes to the providing of resources during the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis in the state. As a result, WVSOM has become a leader in piloting local community programs that are evidence-based and sustainable, providing a footprint to help communities throughout West Virginia and the Appalachian Region, as well as those nationally and internationally.

What will the next 50 years bring? WVSOM is poised for growth and will continue to evolve as an institution that serves West Virginia and beyond. The school will be adding complementary programs, fulfilling its mission in new and different ways. While education will continue to be the highest priority, an emphasis will be placed on the growth of research and community engagement. Our institution is dedicated to continuing its legacy as an influential leader in medical education and health care.

I am humbled and filled with gratitude to have the opportunity to serve during the 50th anniversary year as the seventh president of WVSOM. I am committed to WVSOM’s mission of service to rural communities — serving first and foremost West Virginia — and maintaining the momentum that has taken us from our humble beginnings to a medical school of national prominence.

Respectfully, James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. President, WVSOM

WVSOM faculty and staff celebrate 50 years

History of Events

1972

Founded with support from the West Virginia Society of Osteopathic Medicine, the new privately owned medical school was chartered in December 1972 as the Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine. The school began as a 43-acre campus formerly used by the Greenbrier Military School.

1920s

The main building is built.

1972

The school was founded by four osteopathic physicians who decided to form an institution with the primary goal of educating caring physicians who would build their medical practices in West Virginia and throughout Appalachia. The school’s founders and initial supporters were Carlton Apgar, D.O., of Huntington; O.J. Bailes, D.O., of Princeton; Donald Newell Sr., D.O., of Oak Hill; and Frank Wallington, D.O., of Moundsville.

1973

Former dormitories of the Greenbrier Military School were turned into classrooms and labs for the new medical school.

1976

1980s

WVSOM expanded its class size in response to national physician shortages and an increased demand for D.O.s. By the 1980s and 1990s, WVSOM had an enrollment of 66 new osteopathic medical students annually.

In January 1976, the Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine became a state-supported institution under the governance of the West Virginia Board of Regents and was renamed the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.

1974

In October 1974, with provisional accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association, the institution opened its doors to an initial class of 36 students.

1978

On June 11, 1978, four years after entering WVSOM, 33 students graduated as the institution’s first Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine. After graduating its first class, WVSOM received full accreditation status and has continuously maintained accreditation with the American Osteopathic Association in the time since.

1990s

During the 1990s, WVSOM administrators placed an emphasis on a “bricks and mortar” master plan, prioritizing new buildings and campus growth. In the late 1990s, the class size expanded again to about 80 new students each year.

1988

West Virginia’s Higher Education Act of 1988 reorganized the structure of higher education in the state and brought WVSOM under the state’s board of trustees as a unit of West Virginia’s university system along with West Virginia University, Marshall University, West Virginia Graduate College, Potomac State College and several other West Virginia state colleges.

1991

1992

The quadrangle, or “quad,” of the main building was renovated. The rooms were originally designed as dormitories for cadets attending the Greenbrier Military School. The newly designed area was enclosed and now provides faculty and staff office space.

1997

The Robert C. Byrd Clinic opened its doors, with West Virginia Sen. Byrd attending the dedication of the facility. The outpatient clinic was designed to offer medical care to residents in the community and provide clinical training opportunities for WVSOM students. Four years later, an internal medicine wing, which also provides training for WVSOM interns and residents, was added to the clinic.

2000

Campus renovation projects continued as laboratories were updated and equipped with the latest equipment and supplies.

The Fredric W. Smith Science Building was the first new construction on campus since the school became a public institution. The building includes an anatomy lab as well as research labs. The facility was expanded in spring 2006 to accommodate the increased class size.

1995

Construction of the Roland P. Sharp Alumni Conference Center was completed. The center is a place for gatherings of WVSOM alumni as well as some student, employee and community activities. It also houses the offices of the WVSOM Alumni Association and the WVSOM Foundation.

1998-99

The James R. Stookey Library, WVSOM Bookstore (now known as the Campus Store), Osteopathic Clinical Skills Lab and main building classrooms were renovated.

2001

The auditorium in the main building was turned into two classrooms, providing renovated instructional space for first- and second-year students.

Additionally, the Roland P. Sharp Alumni Conference Center doubled in size with the creation of extra meeting space and the addition of the Greenbrier Military School Museum, with major funding from the Greenbrier Military School Alumni Association.

2003

The Founders’ Activity Center opened its doors.

With the addition of the problembased learning curricular track, WVSOM’s class size expanded by an additional 21 students, for a total of 101 students in each new class.

2006

The Center for Technology and Rural Medicine was completed. This major instructional facility has two classroom lecture halls, each seating more than 200 students.

In fall 2006, WVSOM was approved to admit an expanded class size of 200 new students each year, which remains the current class size for a total of about 800 students enrolled at the medical school. As of 2022, WVSOM is West Virginia’s largest medical school.

2012

WVSOM celebrated 40 years of medical education with a “D.O.c-tacular” event.

2005

The school’s Admissions Center, the first stop for prospective students and applicants interviewing for admission, and the maintenance building were completed.

2001

In the 2000 legislative session, the West Virginia Higher Education Board of Trustees was replaced by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, established to provide oversight for all public institutions of higher education. As part of the new state statute, each institution was to be overseen by an institutional board of governors.

In July 2001, the WVSOM Board of Governors was established and continues to govern the institution.

2009

The Clinical Evaluation Center (CEC) opened its doors. The facility is used to train and evaluate medical students as well as physicians. The center operates like a clinic and houses 24 examination and 12 simulation rooms. The facility is equipped with an integrated, computerized digital recording system that records students’ clinical encounters and is equipped with technology for electronic health records. Clinical skills courses, the osteopathic principles and practice community clinic and clinical encounters involving standardized patients and simulators take place in the center.

2015

On June 1, 2015, expansion of the CEC was completed. An additional 19,000 square feet of space was added to accommodate the Simulation Center (where the CEC’s human-patient simulators and task trainers are located), an office suite for CEC staff and the Grand Hall.

In November, WVSOM took ownership of a building adjacent to campus to be used for research in its commitment to advancing scientific knowledge. Officially opening in 2018, the Clinical and Translational Science Center is used for biomedical sciences faculty research.

2016

WVSOM celebrated the grand opening of its Student Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 26, 2016. The Student Center offers a full-service café and a two-story Campus Store. There is a recreation center that includes pool tables and Ping-Pong. The center also includes a multimedia conference hall with a full stage that provides opportunities for WVSOM meetings, ceremonies and celebrations. The Student Center also provides space for student government offices, student mailboxes and open and quiet study areas. A patio and a terrace overlook the campus.

2019

WVSOM’s Clingman Center for Community Engagement opened its doors on Oct. 29, 2019. The center, located in Lewisburg’s Montwell Commons, serves as a bridge between WVSOM and the surrounding area, allowing the school to deliver programs that teach community members skills to help them manage healthier lives. It was named for the late Gwen Clingman, who for many years provided meals to WVSOM students, faculty and administrators at her downtown Lewisburg business, Clingman’s Market.

2020

A main building beautification project was completed June 28, 2020. The construction project renovated the “green space” between the school’s main building and Lee Street. A new wall was built and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk was added on the street-facing side. New handicap-accessible parking spaces were added, and an electronic sign to advertise WVSOM events was placed near the school’s Silo Lane entrance.

2021

The Center for Technology and Rural Medicine underwent renovation and added 6,800 square feet of space for office suites for WVSOM’s Information Technology Department.

In April 2021, the newest facility on the WVSOM campus broke ground. The Testing Center, a 26,756-squarefoot building that will be located behind the Center for Technology and Rural Medicine, will consist of one large testing room and offices. A portion of the building will be connected to the school’s Clinical Evaluation Center. Testing Center construction is ongoing in 2022.

2022 and beyond

In 2022, WVSOM is commemorating the 50th anniversary of its founding with a year’s worth of celebratory events, culminating in a Golden Jubilee, an All-School Reunion and a Founders Day at which a time capsule containing items contributed by members of the WVSOM community will be sealed. Looking ahead, the school is poised to continue its growth and retain its status as a state and national leader in medical education.

Convocation and White Coat Ceremony

Not much can compare to the moment a medical student first puts on a white coat. The garment has the ability to make someone feel like becoming a doctor is no longer a dream but one step closer to reality. WVSOM’s first Convocation and White Coat Ceremony took place in 1999. The ceremony has taken place at Lewisburg’s Carnegie Hall, the fairgrounds of the State Fair of West Virginia, the parade field on WVSOM’s campus and the Conference Center in the WVSOM Student Center.

WVSOM’s Alumni Association provides students their first white coats for free. The coats are gifts through the association’s White Coat Club and include a WVSOM logo patch. The WVSOM Foundation pays for the stitching of each student’s name on the jackets. The ceremony marks the first time medical students make a commitment to health care and continues to be one of the most momentous events in students’ medical school journeys. The length of a white coat depends on the individual’s level of medical expertise: Medical students have shorter coats, while physicians with medical degrees have longer coats that extend to their knees.

Research

A dedication to investigating the unknown drives WVSOM’s medical students and faculty. WVSOM’s commitment to research and scholarly activity has grown exponentially since the school’s inception. From clinical and translational research to biomedical sciences research, these activities have served as a mode of teaching and a means of supporting medical progress.

While many people associate research with microscopes and pipettes, medical research also encompasses research intended to move quickly from the investigation stage to patient treatment, often referred to as bench-to-bedside. Research opportunities might be a reason faculty choose to work at WVSOM, but students are drawn to opportunities that will help catapult their acceptance to residency programs. In the 2020-21 academic year, 212 students worked on a research project or conducted scholarly activity, with 87 student authors participating in research posters or oral presentations.

Clinical Experience

While lectures are a necessary part of any medical school curriculum, WVSOM takes students beyond the classroom even in the early portions of their osteopathic education. At the Clinical Evaluation Center, second-year students are exposed to basic clinical practices such as casting, splinting, suturing and using diagnostic equipment. With the help of standardized patients — members of the local community who are trained to portray patients with specific medical conditions — students begin practicing the communication skills they will need to become caring, compassionate physicians who treat their patients with respect. Clinical skills are also the primary focus of students’ third and fourth years, when much of their time is spent participating in rotations at hospitals, clinics and physician offices within WVSOM’s Statewide Campus system.

Simulation

Simulators have become essential tools in training medical professionals during the past two decades. WVSOM’s Clinical Evaluation Center (CEC) opened its doors in 2009, and in 2013 it became the first facility in the state to be accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in the area of teaching/education. It later also received accreditation in the area of assessment. The CEC houses the school’s human-patient simulators, which are sophisticated, computer-driven, interactive models that talk and breathe and can be programmed to imitate bodily functions such as bleeding, responding to medication and even giving birth. Today, the school uses more than 25 of these lifelike simulators.

Long before human-patient simulators were available for use in medical education, WVSOM used task trainers — models of body parts that allow students to practice procedures such as inserting catheters and IVs, giving CPR, performing lumbar puncture or examining specific areas of the body — in its curriculum, and similar devices are still in use today. In 2021, WVSOM added virtual reality simulation to its educational toolset, allowing instructors to observe students wearing headsets and hand controllers as they work through medical cases involving virtual patients, with scenarios ranging from routine clinic visits to trauma situations.

Manipulative Treatment

One of the things that makes osteopathic medicine unique is the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), a system of handson techniques used to help evaluate health, alleviate pain and restore motion through stretching, placing pressure or otherwise manipulating muscles and joints. Students at WVSOM learn osteopathic techniques in addition to a standard medical curriculum that allows graduates to pursue residency programs in any specialty. Much of our students’ OMT education takes place in the Osteopathic Clinical Skills Lab, located in the main building, but aspiring physicians also showcase what they’ve learned at the annual Student Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Clinic, where, under physician supervision, they give patients from Lewisburg and surrounding areas complimentary osteopathic evaluations and manipulative treatment.

Students also practice osteopathic manipulation during international service trips, and some faculty members throughout WVSOM’s history have even been known to set up osteopathic tables in outdoor areas of campus when the weather is nice.

provide thousands of hours of community service, both locally and around the world. Students are encouraged to take on volunteer work through the Student Government Association’s Translating Osteopathic Understanding into Community Health (T.O.U.C.H.) program, which recognizes them at various levels based on hours volunteered. Many WVSOM students participate in the annual Day of Service (also known previously as the Day of Caring and WVSOM Cares), a collaboration with the United Way of the Greenbrier Valley in which students visit sites in Lewisburg and surrounding areas to help with physical labor such as cleaning, landscaping and painting. At community events, students perform blood pressure screenings, provide diabetes information and offer nutritional resources, as well as participating in many other community activities throughout the year.

In 2016, when tragedy struck Greenbrier County in the form of flooding that destroyed homes and washed away roads, WVSOM students acted quickly, coordinating an effort to aid in cleanup. Four years later, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, students assisted at vaccination clinics throughout West Virginia. Globally, our students help deliver medical care to underserved areas through service trips during their first and second years, and through international rotations during their third and fourth years. In all, WVSOM students have offered care in more than 35 countries.

Grand Affair/ WVSOM Gala

WVSOM’s annual formal event raises funds through an elegant evening including dancing. At its inception in 1997, the event was named the Grand Affair, and began as a scholarship following the passing of Fredric W. Smith, a former vice president of WVSOM. It first took place at WVSOM’s Roland P. Sharp Alumni Conference Center before moving to The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs. In 2019, the event’s name changed to the WVSOM Gala and began taking place again on the WVSOM campus, this time in the school’s newest building: the WVSOM Student Center.

The fundraiser was first organized by Sigma Sigma Phi but is now sponsored by the WVSOM Student Government Association. Its main purpose is to provide money for scholarships awarded to students who show a commitment to academic leadership, community involvement and the osteopathic medical profession.

For about 25 years, medical students, WVSOM employees and community members have donned their ballgowns, heels, ties and tuxedos for a cause that supports future health care providers.

Recent themes have spanned from traditional formal to mystical magic. Attendees posed for pictures next to palm trees and pink flamingos during a Tropical Nights-themed event; danced the foxtrot in flapper dresses in a Roaring ’20s “Gatsby” theme; disguised their faces behind masks in a Masquerade Ball theme; wandered a decorated venue reminiscent of a fairytale woodland in an Enchanted Forest theme; asked for their drinks shaken, not stirred in a James Bond theme; and proved that opposites can attract in a theme of Fire and Ice.

Medicine can give life, but the arts and culture are the sparks that help us see life’s beauty — and WVSOM’s student-organized Follies proves medicine and creativity can go hand in hand. The rigorous nature of medical school might demand that students spend most of their time studying, but this talent show gives students, faculty and staff a chance to demonstrate their hobbies through music, dance, comedy, painting, theater and other arts. Best of all, Follies is a way for WVSOM students to raise funds to benefit local nonprofits as well as student organizations, and to share the school community’s talents with the greater Lewisburg area.

Student Activities

In medical school, students need to try to maintain balance. Osteopathic medical students are taught that mind, body and spirit help to treat the “whole patient.” It’s only fitting that medical students let their minds take a break to let their bodies play, because staying active outside the classroom is just as important as the learning that happens inside it.

During the past 50 years, WVSOM students have organized memorable events that continue to be talked about fondly. There have been 5K and 10K races, golf tournaments, country rodeos, the “Mr. WVSOM” contest, Halloween costume contests, international festivals and the annual President’s Softball Game (that sometimes turns into a volleyball game during inclement weather).

Recreational basketball games, bowling tournaments, pickup games of ultimate Frisbee and flag football on the parade field, and a field day including a tug of war have all given students a break from rigorous studying.

Style and Fashion

As the decades progress, styles change. WVSOM students and employees have rocked the mustache and the mullet, the bell-bottom jeans and the plaid pants, the Farrah Fawcett shag hair, the high, teased hair and the scrunchies to pull all that hair back. Students have shown off tube socks and white sneakers alongside oversized eyeglasses. In the school’s early years, there were beards, beards and more beards — and, of course, an infamous cowboy hat worn by Bob Foster, D.O., for more than four decades while he has worked at WVSOM.

The clothes, shoes, hairstyles, facial hair and eyewear may be ever-changing, but the memories from medical school’s events and milestones remain constant. We hope you remember fondly your years at WVSOM no matter what fashion you chose during your time in Lewisburg.

Graduation

The Graduation and Commencement Ceremony is the culminating event in students’ medical education at WVSOM. It’s a chance for graduates to don their caps and gowns and join their classmates and loved ones in celebrating four years of hard work before setting out on their professional careers. While WVSOM now typically hosts its graduation events under a covered tent on the parade field, there were occasions during the school’s history when the event was moved to other locations, such as the grounds of the State Fair of West Virginia, the Greenbrier East High School gym and inside the First Baptist Church of Fairlea. At the end of the ceremony, new physicians recite the Osteopathic Oath before moving their tassels to the left side of their caps, symbolizing the completion of their studies at WVSOM.

and Continuing Medical Education

Physicians are required to earn continuing medical education (CME) credits in order to remain certified, and the WVSOM Alumni Association works hard to make it easy for the school’s alumni to attend CME events. Every June, the association’s Summer Seminar, typically held in Myrtle Beach, S.C., allows alumni to participate in educational sessions while their families enjoy fun events in a sunny, sandy setting. In January, alumni gather at the Mid-Winter Osteopathic Seminar in Charleston, W.Va., to learn about selected health care topics and attend a luncheon and annual meeting. WVSOM alumni also have opportunities to network and socialize at smaller events throughout the year, such as reunions in Lewisburg during the annual Alumni Weekend, “Alumni After Hours” events throughout West Virginia and in other states where there are large numbers of alumni, and, in 2022, the 50th anniversary celebrations WVSOM hosted in each of the school’s seven Statewide Campus regions.

and Staff

A school is only as effective as its instructors, and WVSOM is fortunate to have some of the finest faculty the medical profession has to offer. The individuals in our classrooms and laboratories are highly trained physicians, educators and researchers who use innovative teaching methods to strengthen students’ knowledge of biomedical sciences, confidence in clinical skills and expertise in osteopathic principles and practice. Above all, WVSOM’s faculty members are passionate about making sure our students have the tools they need to succeed. The same is true of the staff who work behind the scenes to support the school’s commitment to achieving its mission. From a bare-bones crew in WVSOM’s earliest years to a team of several dozen in the mid-1980s to the approximately 300 employees who make the school what it is today, all members of the WVSOM community share a common goal: to make WVSOM the best place to receive a first-class medical education.

Leadership

WVSOM has been fortunate to benefit from unparalleled leadership during its history, from top administrators who bravely blazed trails to academic leaders who helped develop the school’s curriculum and cultivate its faculty. In all, WVSOM has had seven individuals serve as president, its highest administrative role, and nine individuals serve as its dean, its highest academic role (including one who served two nonconsecutive terms in the position). Of course, the four osteopathic physicians who came together in 1972 to found WVSOM — Carlton Apgar, D.O., O.J. Bailes, D.O., Don Newell Sr., D.O., and Frank Wallington, D.O. — had an immeasurable effect on the direction the school would take as it flourished, an influence that continues today as WVSOM celebrates its status as West Virginia’s largest medical school.

WVSOM Presidents, 1974 to Present

Acting President, April 2010-January 2011 President, January 2011-June 2018

Roland P. Sharp, D.O. 1974-78 Francis J. Hennessy, Ed.D. September 1978-June 1980

Clyde B. Jensen, Ph.D. March 1981-May 1987

Olen E. Jones Jr., Ph.D.

July 1987-January 2009

Richard Rafes, Ph.D., J.D. January 2009-April 2010

Michael D. Adelman, D.O., DPM, J.D.

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D. July 2018-present

WVSOM Deans, 1976 to Present

Harry P. Kornhiser, D.O.

Dean of Academic Affairs, 1976-79

Martyn E. Richardson, D.O.

Acting Dean of Academic Affairs, 1979-80

Kirk H. Herrick, D.O.

Dean of Academic Affairs, 1980-83

Harry P. Kornhiser, D.O.

Dean of Academic Affairs, 1983-86

Paul Herr, D.O. Acting Dean of Academic Affairs, 1986-88

James R. Stookey, D.O.

Dean of Academic Affairs, 1988-93

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, 1993-2002

Michael Adelman, D.O.

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, 2002-10

Lorenzo Pence, D.O. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, 2010-13

Craig S. Boisvert, D.O.

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, 2013-21

Linda Boyd, D.O. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, 2021-present

Then and Now

It’s uncommon for a campus to be completely devoted to one degree. WVSOM is the only standalone osteopathic school in the country — it isn’t connected to an undergraduate college, and it doesn’t offer additional programs. At WVSOM, medical education is at the forefront.

The main campus is located in Lewisburg, W.Va., where the school’s growth and change has taken place for 50 years. The Lewisburg campus has grown from three buildings in 1972 to 20 buildings, including the construction of a simulated national board testing center that will be connected to classrooms in the Center for Technology and Rural Medicine, as well as the simulated clinic and hospital settings in the Clinical Evaluation Center.

The school began as a 43-acre campus formerly used by the Greenbrier Military School but has expanded to 67 acres, in addition to seven Statewide Campus regional locations throughout West Virginia. The campus has transformed from grass fields where military cadets practiced drills to state-of-the-art buildings that educate future physicians.

1974 1980 1972 2007 1987 2014

Alumni Memories

All WVSOM alumni have their own stories to tell. From admissions interviews to graduation, from the faculty members who encouraged them to the Lewisburg community that gave them much-needed breaks from the demands of studying, former students took time during WVSOM’s 50th-anniversary year to share memories of their experiences at the school. The words of our alumni paint an inspiring picture of our past. We look forward to a future that’s just as exciting.

David Allen, D.O., Class of 1978

“There are so many memories from that first class. We were winging it. We put together our own stools for the histology lab; we painted our own classroom. I remember not having any heat and sitting there with my winter coat and gloves on trying to take notes. But it was great. It was a family atmosphere. The instructors were outstanding and they dedicated themselves to teaching us like I have never seen anywhere.”

John Manchin II, D.O., Class of 1978

“I was at the point where I was out of options, and just to think that at that time in my life, that came available, it was life-changing and a dream come true. There are not many around [from the first WVSOM class]. They’ve all retired. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Amy Wells Dowdy, D.O., Class of 2003

“I’m happy I made the choice to go to WVSOM. It made me a more well-rounded person and physician. My dad was an anatomy professor at WVSOM, and I remember that in our first gross anatomy lab I found a structure that Dr. [Bob] Fisk wanted us to find that was really difficult. I remember saying, ‘Dad, I found it!’ And he ran over to look and said, ‘Yes, you did.’ That was exciting.”

Randall Belt, D.O., Class of 1998

“The end-of-year anatomy party was always a big hit, and of course the pig roast that started out the school year. We were blessed to have a great group of professors who were good teachers but were also able to hang out with us outside of class. The school gave me an opportunity to be where I am today. Even though I live in Tennessee now, I spent my first 35 years in West Virginia, so I love the state and love the school, and that’s never going to change.”

Cathy Dailey, D.O., Class of 1989

“[WVSOM] gave me a stepping stone to achieve a dream. I chose WVSOM because of the people, first and foremost, and because I had two family members who were D.O.s. I just felt like that was how I wanted to practice medicine: to take care of the whole person and not just the disease.”

Rod Doss, D.O., Class of 2003

“WVSOM said they look at the diverse backgrounds of the student population, and that was true. They looked at the whole person, and that’s what I fell in love with. You had professors who got to know you and your family. My children were probably known by every classmate and every faculty member. Out in the community they would see you and embrace you, but they also helped you stay focused on your education.”

Meagan Cobb, D.O., Class of 2013

“It was Christmas break and we’d just had an exam, and my mom kept calling and saying, ‘It’s snowing. We need you to get out.’ And I said, ‘I want to take a nap and clean my apartment and then I’ll head home.’ I got stuck and couldn’t get back to my apartment. I spent the weekend with Jennifer and Danny Seams. They became part of the family. They danced at my wedding. That’s the overall feel of WVSOM, and that’s why I recommend it to other students.”

Janice Miller, D.O., Class of 1990

“When I came here for an interview, I just knew that these were people who cared. I remember [former WVSOM executive vice president] Fred Smith saying, ‘If you see your classmates struggling, help them. Reach out to them.’ And the professors were really good to do that, too, always checking on you.”

Tom Takubo, D.O., Class of 1999

“I remember my first time walking into the anatomy lab and that sensation of, ‘I’m really doing this. I’m in medical school.’”

Robert Holstein, D.O., Class of 1979

“To this day, [the Class of 1979] is very close and very supportive of WVSOM, so I’m proud of my class. [I have] a personal appreciation for the mission of WVSOM, starting with the founders of the school, and realizing that they had a vision of improving health care in West Virginia and meeting the desperate need we had for doctors, as well as their desire to grow the osteopathic profession.”

Paul Conley, D.O., Class of 1997

“I was the son of a coal miner. I didn’t have any family members who were physicians, and I didn’t think I deserved to go to osteopathic school. But I think that’s what WVSOM is: They give kids like me a chance, an opportunity.”

Ed Eskew, D.O., Class of 1978

“There were a lot of unknowns when we first started. We had a lot of challenges. We didn’t have as much clinical medical education locally as we do now, so most of our rotations were out of state. We actually had to go to Chicago for our pediatric rotations. We used to have a joke that the only required reading was the Rand McNally Road Atlas, to figure out where our next rotation was going to be. I always get a peaceful feeling coming back to campus, knowing that I got the most wellrounded education that could have been provided.”

Mark Waddell, D.O., Class of 1990

“When I got into WVSOM, I was completely welcomed. This was where I belonged. Over the years, working with the [WVSOM] Alumni Association and getting to know more alumni than were just in my class, we’ve all felt that camaraderie. But it’s not just the alumni, it’s also the faculty, the ancillary staff, even the patients we take care of in the community. We’re all part of the same family.”

Manuel Ballas, D.O., Class of 1993

“As tough as it was, as hard as it was, I loved every moment of being here. I loved the snow when it snowed, the spring when everything blossomed — I can’t say there was a bad moment for me, and it would be hard to pick out the good moments, because they were all good.”

Rick Fogle, D.O., Class of 2008

“I was mentored by Dr. Marlene Wager. She was a geriatrician, and I became a geriatrician because of her. Dr. [James] Nemitz was my anatomy professor, and he came in at 7 a.m. on Saturdays to coach and tutor people. Dr. Larry Davis would coach me through biochemistry. We knew all the professors; we could call them at home and they’d come in.”

Randall Short, D.O., Class of 1981

“What was nice about the school was that you knew everybody who worked there. It was a friendly atmosphere, and you felt like the professors were there to make sure you accomplished something. And I enjoy the outdoors, so my whole experience in Lewisburg was great. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Kenneth Sells, D.O., Class of 1994

“Craig Boisvert was the one who made me have the love of being a family practitioner. I’d spent time in the outpatient clinic, and Dr. Boisvert was the one who taught me. You talk about a true teacher, a true love of the profession? He had it. Even in the classroom, he wanted to make sure we got it. Anything he could do to perpetuate [the osteopathic profession], he did.”

Crissy Hendricks, D.O., Class of 2010

“We reminisce about seeing Cindi [Knight] and Amber [Cobb] in the Campus Store, and going out to Del Sol and relaxing after having a test, and letting off some steam with your friends, and dressing up for Halloween. For some people, that’s their college life. WVSOM was kind of like our college days.”

Brad Hendricks, D.O., Class of 2010

“In college you’re surrounded by people who don’t have common interests. Coming to WVSOM, it felt like the beginning of normalcy.”

J.P. Tierney, D.O., Class of 1980

“When you go from undergraduate school to graduate school, the students and professors are more serious, and that step up was really appreciated. [Faculty members] were really concerned that you learn what you were supposed to learn so that you could graduate in good shape.”

Faith Payne, D.O., Class of 2007

“I have a memory of Dr. [James] Nemitz meeting us in the lab in the middle of the night and going over prosections and helping us when we needed him. It was a stressful time as a student, and he was always there for us. And Dr. [Bob] Foster — what a unique man. He’s always been ahead of his time, and he’s got a brilliant mind. When I think of him, so much of it is his warmth. He’s accepting and loving, and that comes across in his teaching. You feel like you’re with a family member.”

Connie Anderson, D.O., Class of 1998

“My dad was president of the county commission, and when I was in high school, he told us there was going to be an osteopathic school coming. I went to Marshall [University], became a registered nurse and started at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in the ER. We found out pretty fast that the osteopathic physicians were the ones who would ask patients all types of questions. One time Dr. Bob Foster spent over an hour talking with a patient at night, and I thought, ‘Who else would do that?’”

Brian Yee, D.O., Class of 2006

“My experience at WVSOM was excellent. All of the faculty and all of the folks who worked at the school were supportive. It’s a very close-knit community that you get to know while you’re there, and then you have a chance to be a part of each other’s lives going forward. There’s a symbiotic relationship between the Lewisburg community and the school.”

Andy Naymick, D.O., Class of 1988

“You had a foundation of friends you studied with, commiserated with and complained with. The best times were when you weren’t studying or taking tests, when you got to know the community. I remember the natural beauty of the Greenbrier Valley area — there was an overlook on the top of a mountain, a rock outcropping that looks 1,000, maybe 2,000 feet down into the Greenbrier River Valley. It’s just beautiful. I’ve taken my kids there to let them see it.”

Ryan Newell, D.O., Class of 1999

“I’ve grown up around the school. My dad and my grandfather [Donald Newell Sr., D.O., one of WVSOM’s four founders] were part of a lot of the functions, and I would tag along with them, and it was a unique opportunity to see the school grow. It seemed like every year a new building would pop up. When my grandfather and the other founders started the school, there were fewer than 80 D.O.s in the state, and now there are more than 1,000.”

Dave Nicholas, D.O., Class of 1993

“I have great memories and wonderful relationships with the faculty who are still around. A lot of the clinical folks, I feel like they’re still like family and some of my favorite people in the world. The training I got there prepared me to be a good physician and healer.”

Randy Blackburn, D.O., Class of 1984

“You couldn’t find a better group of anatomy teachers. They made it hard but fun. No other school in the nation had an anatomy department like we did. And you had Gwen [Clingman’s] food service downtown that had Thanksgiving dinner every Friday. We also had Dr. Larry Davis in biochemistry, who spearheaded a whitewater rafting trip before we started our rigorous training the first year. Upperclassmen and teachers intermixed and it really broke the ice for the educational process. You felt like you could go to them [saying] ‘I need help’ or ‘I need to understand this better.’”

goes out to the

to

Cover art rendered by Karen Ayers | Seasonal arch photos by Whitney Merewether

WWW.WVSOM.EDU

Our appreciation

following individuals who contributed their time and effort

the creation of this book: Karen Ayers, Pat Bauserman, Ken Bays, Mary Claire Ickes, James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., and Tiffany Wright. Our heartfelt thanks to all the faculty, staff and alumni who shared photos and memories of their days at WVSOM.