The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine at Lewisburg, West Virginia, has been named fourth in the nation for producing the greatest number of primary care resident practitioners.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the school is now ranked among "America’s Best Graduate Schools."
Between 2017 and 2019, more than 70 percent of its graduates entered primary-care residencies upon their completion, demonstrating the school's success in its mission to encourage graduates to practice primary care in rural areas, according to President James W. Nemitz, Ph.D.
“The fact that we continue to be recognized for producing primary care residents is evidence that WVSOM is fulfilling its mission each year with new graduates,” Nemitz said.
“We have always been confident that we are one of the leading medical schools in the nation to offer programs to graduates that make it easy for them to want to choose to practice in primary care and, for many, in rural or underserved areas,”
Once students successfully complete medical school, they enter a residency program to further expand their knowledge in specific fields of study.
While primary care—which encompasses family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics—is the leading specialty of graduates, Nemitz said, graduates are prepared for, and can choose to, practice in any specialty, such as surgery, urology, pulmonology, and dermatology, he said.
Craig Boisvert, D.O., the school's dean and vice president for academic affairs, says the institution has succeeded in its mission to produce exemplary physicians.
“WVSOM’s curriculum and complementary programs are focused on educating students to be the most well-rounded physicians they can be," Boisvert said.
"We strive to educate students as lifelong learners in regard to their medical career and in serving the communities in which they live.
"While WVSOM does place an emphasis on educating students who want to enter primary care residencies, our graduates are represented in most specialty areas."
Medical school deans and senior faculty from across the U.S. determined the U.S. News & World Report listings based on educational programs.
Results were collected from a survey of accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools across the country.
The report recognizes institutions that offer top programs spanning fields of study such as business, law, medicine, engineering, and education.
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