Jacob Sturgill

West Virginia University medical student Jacob Sturgill saw firsthand the need for health providers in his community while growing up in rural Virginia. Now, as he prepares to enter his third year of medical school in the fall, Sturgill said he is excited by the opportunity to practice clinical-based care in a rural setting at the School of Medicine’s Eastern Campus. 

As Sturgill progresses in his journey to practice rural medicine, he sees the upcoming white coat ceremony, which symbolizes the transition from classroom learning to more clinical-based learning, as a milestone putting him one step closer to his goals. 

“I'm really excited by the opportunity of going to a rural community similar to my hometown and providing critical care in an area where there is a genuine need,” Sturgill said.

In addition to providing crucial medical services to a rural community, the Eastern Campus provides third- and fourth-year medical students with opportunities for more personalized learning through smaller class sizes and increased opportunities for one-on-one interactions with faculty. Sturgill is excited by these opportunities and said they played a large role in his interest in continuing his education at the Eastern Campus.

"I really enjoyed the small class sizes in my undergrad program and the Eastern Campus offers just that, with some of the classes being only a handful of students,” said Sturgill. “It will allow for better relationship-building with my professors and colleagues, which I am looking forward to since practicing rural medicine is my goal." 

Sturgill said he looks forward to seeing how the more clinical-based learning for his final two years of medical school aligns with the hands-on and community-focused mission of the Eastern Campus when he continues his training there in the fall.