Event showcases WVU's clinical training program for Green Berets, Special Operations Naval Corpsmen

(Note: This article was originally posted on WVU Medicine Connect on December 6. Login required to view the original.)

West Virginia University is the first academic institution in the country to serve as a clinical training site for Green Beret soldiers and Special Operations Naval Corpsmen. The training is part of the Army’s Special Forces Qualification Course and brings groups of soldiers to WVU Medicine for 28-day training periods several times throughout the year.

The WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute highlighted this program to 13 members of the Special Operations Medical Command on Wednesday (Dec. 4). Faculty and staff were invited to attend the reception and presentation, which took place at the WVU Eye Institute in Morgantown.

The presentation provided an overview of the program and opportunities for providers (e.g., physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses) to get involved in the training. While at WVU Medicine, the soldiers work in a variety of clinical areas, including orthopaedics, pediatrics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, nursing, anesthesiology, general surgery, emergency medicine, and otolaryngology.

In addition, members of the Special Operations Medical Command discussed the further training that the medics receive and what they do when deployed.

A total of 417 special operations medics have been trained at WVU since the program’s inception in 2016.

On Thursday (Dec. 5), Alison Wilson, MD, FACS, executive director of the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, discussed the program on MetroNews Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval. You can listen to the interview here (starts at 01:21).