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West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
WVSOM Green Coat Program Lets Undergraduates Sample Health Professions
Gateless heard about the Green Coat program from her biology professors at Davis & Elkins during her sophomore year and completed the semester-long program the following fall . She said the experience gave her an opportunity to observe a variety of healthcare settings .
“ I worked in an outpatient clinic with nurses , I shadowed doctors as they talked to patients , and I was able to work with a couple of WVSOM students who were rotating at Davis . I visited the inpatient pharmacy , the inpatient physical therapy ward , and the oncology suite ,” Gateless said . “ I even got to see a couple of surgeries , which was really beneficial because even though I thought surgery was something I wanted to do , it was great to see it in real life and know that I wasn ’ t going to pass out .”
To apply for the Green Coat program , a student must be a college sophomore or junior majoring in health sciences , have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher , and have a recommendation from a program director or advisor . Accepted students are required to work eight to 10 hours per week for 20 weeks .
Five years ago , Kirsten Gateless was a junior at West Virginia ’ s ( WV ) Davis & Elkins College who dreamed of becoming a physician . Gateless is on track to graduate this May with a medical degree from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine ( WVSOM ) and hopes to specialize in surgery or emergency medicine .
The Flatwoods , WV , native said she couldn ’ t have done it without the Green Coat program , a partnership between WVSOM ’ s Rural Health Initiative ( RHI ) and Davis Medical Center in Elkins , WV , that allows undergraduate students to get an early glimpse of what it ’ s like to work in a hospital . Gateless is one of three aspiring physicians who has completed the program at Davis & Elkins College and is going on to pursue medical degrees at WVSOM .
“ I knew from my freshman year that I wanted to go to medical school ,” Gateless said . “ I was always interested in the sciences . I knew I wanted to go beyond nursing . Where I grew up , everybody expects women in healthcare to be nurses .”
Through the WVSOM Green Coat program , students at Davis & Elkins College learn about clinical responsibilities through exposure to at least 15 different departments at Davis Medical Center . They shadow physicians and other healthcare professionals , communicate with patients , and assist staff as needed . A Green Coat student might transport patients to tests , help answer call lights , or participate in comfort rounding , visiting , or playing games with patients in need of social interaction .
Valerie Bright , Davis Medical Center ’ s coordinator of volunteer services , oversees WVSOM ’ s Green Coat program at the facility . She said 30 students have participated in the program since its inauguration in the 2015-2016 academic year .
“ Students who apply for this and are accepted are goal-oriented . They know what they want , and they ’ re dedicated to their education ,” Bright said . “ It ’ s encouraging to know these are the people who are going to be our future healthcare providers .”
One of those future healthcare providers is Trey Furby of WVSOM ’ s Class of 2022 . A native of Belington , WV , Furby , like Gateless , learned about the program while attending Davis & Elkins College , where he earned degrees in biology , chemistry , and history . Furby said the Green Coat program helped confirm his desire to practice in rural West Virginia someday . As a student at WVSOM , he joined the RHI program to further advance his understanding of healthcare challenges in rural regions .
“ The Green Coat program helped me decide I eventually want to stay close to home and work in a rural area ,” said Furby , who is applying to residency programs in family medicine in anticipation of his medical school graduation . “ My plan is to come back after residency and work either in Barbour County or a surrounding county , so I can serve the people who raised and took care of me while I was growing up .”
In addition to the three Green Coat students at Davis & Elkins College who have gone on to attend WVSOM , a fourth plans to enter the school ’ s Class of 2026 this fall . Rebecca Thacker coordinates WVSOM ’ s RHI program and explained that the Green
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