WVU School of Medicine M.D. Class of 2028 starts journey to becoming future physicians
The West Virginia University School of Medicine officially welcomes the newest medical students to campus this week during orientation activities. The M.D. Class of 2028 will meet with program leaders, bond with peers and gain useful insight that ensures success over their educational journey.
“We are excited to get to know our newest cohort right before they jump into their studies,” said Norman Ferrari, M.D., chief academic officer and vice dean for education and academic affairs. “Year after year we get to meet an impressive group that will make their own mark on the profession, and we look forward to not only what this class will contribute to WVU and the state, but to medicine as a whole.”
Strong ties to community service and college athletics are a theme for this year’s class.
Several organizations and causes that are important to the class included Girls On the Run, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Pantry Plus More, foster parenting, West Virginia 4-H and the Special Olympics.
The class has collegiate athletes who competed in volleyball, rowing, water polo, tennis and soccer, and also includes WVU’s 67th Mountaineer Mascot, Colson Glover.
Twelve members of the class are currently members of, or have previously served in, U.S. Military positions.
At the conclusion of their orientation activities, students participate in a formal Oath of Integrity ceremony attended by their families that marks their official start as a medical student at WVU.
During the annual ceremony, they pledge their loyalty and passion to the field of medicine and their patients, and to their academic duties as students. Students also receive a stethoscope from the School of Medicine Alumni Affairs that symbolizes good listening skills are important for physicians and their entry into the WVU School of Medicine family.
In terms of numbers, the incoming students hail from 17 states, and 20 different West Virginia counties are represented. The class is divided equally between females and males.
Approximately 27% of the new class earned their undergraduate degrees from WVU, and the other 73% come from 62 different undergraduate institutions. Fifty five percent of students majored in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, neuroscience or pre-med; but, a variety of majors are represented including English, engineering, nursing, accounting, computer science and mathematics.
Students will complete their first two years of medical school at the Morgantown campus. They then disperse to the Morgantown, Charleston or Eastern campuses to complete the remaining two years of studies and clinical rotations.