WVU School of Medicine preparing future generation of physicians, even amidst a health crisis

The future physicians who recently set foot on WVU’s campus encompass many leadership qualities: diversity, creativity, individuality, to name a few, however, most importantly: resilience. To begin an education as a future medical professional during a worldwide public health crisis is an impressive feat, and West Virginia University is preparing to have these students set their education off on the right foot.

The incoming class has natives from 24 states and five countries, with 21 counties in West Virginia being represented as well. Thirty eight percent of the Class of 2024 have undergraduate degrees from West Virginia University. The other 62% of the class represents 52 other undergraduate institutions.

The diverse backgrounds are not limited to their place of origin or collegiate background - this class is made up of collegiate athletes, students who have served in the military, students involved with international community service projects, past leaders within their institutions, and others with broad interests.

Linda Nield, M.D., the associate dean for Admissions, said '"the admissions team and the committee on admissions holistically reviewed more than 5000 applications to fill the 112 seats with outstanding students who displayed excellence in their experiences, attributes and academics."

The common denominator with all these students is their service, leadership, and compassion, some of the most notable features when raising the future of healthcare professionals.

“We’re excited to help them build on that and lay a foundation for skills for them to rely on during their time here and beyond,” said Norman Ferrari, M.D., vice dean for education and academic affairs and professor and chair in the WVU Department of Medical Education.

Breaking down the statistics, the class is evenly divided by male and female. Seventy five percent of the Class of 2024 majored in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, or Pre-Med. Many other majors also represented, including: engineering, history, public health, and natural sciences.

The Class of 2024 is set to begin their education on the Morgantown campus this August for the first two years of medical school before being assigned to either the Morgantown, Charleston or Eastern campuses to complete their studies and clinical rotations.

As part of professional development activities, medical students participate in the annual Oath of Integrity ceremony where they pledge their loyalty and passion to the field of medicine and their patients, and to their academic duties as students. They also receive a stethoscope that symbolizes good listening skills are important for physicians.

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