NEWS
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
WVSOM Recognized Internationally for Efforts to Create Culture of Wellness on Campus
the program to campus to help future physicians better understand exercise physiology .
“ Exercise would be the number one prescribed treatment if it came in a pill form , yet 50 % of physicians do not consult their patients on the benefits of exercise due to the lack of discussion of exercise in medical school education ,” DeMartino said . “ Aside from being a way to treat cardiovascular disease and diabetes , exercise is extremely beneficial for many clinical populations . Boxing is one of the best exercises for patients with Parkinson ’ s disease to improve brain and motor function , weightlifting allows stroke patients to regain confidence and independence , and cancer patients are now being recommended to exercise as a pre-habilitation to build strength before starting chemotherapy and radiation . Exercise is the most versatile treatment and should be prescribed to every patient .”
DeMartino hopes to make WVSOM students aware of the benefits of exercise so they can incorporate that knowledge into future physician-patient encounters .
“ WVSOM and osteopathic medicine are focused on the philosophy of using the body to heal itself . Exercise strengthens the body to combat , prevent , and treat diseases ,” she said .
The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine ( WVSOM ) is one of only 156 universities and colleges — and the only osteopathic medical school — in the world to be recognized by Exercise is Medicine for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus .
The medical school earned a silver level designation from Exercise is Medicine On Campus , a program created by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association . Exercise is Medicine is grounded on the belief that physical activity promotes optimal health , is integral to the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions , and should be regularly assessed and included as part of healthcare .
Christopher Pankey , PhD , a WVSOM assistant professor of physiology , was approached in fall 2021 by two first-year medical students who were interested in incorporating the program at the Lewisburg , WV , medical school .
Campuses with silver distinctions engage students , faculty , and staff in education initiatives and make movement part of the daily campus culture . Pankey said at WVSOM , those goals were achieved by campus committees and clubs , such as the Culinary Medicine Club , which teaches students nutritional information through cooking demonstrations and other activities .
Class of 2025 student Samantha DeMartino , one of the students who introduced the program at WVSOM , said she wanted to bring
The Exercise is Medicine program is a natural fit for osteopathic medicine , which focuses on a whole-person approach to treating patients , Pankey said .
“ Students interested in osteopathic medicine already incorporate osteopathic tenets that fit really well into this program ,” he said . “ These tenets teach that the body is a unit and has self-healing properties . We can amplify those self-healing properties through physical activity and exercise .”
Program enthusiasts like DeMartino are pursuing an elective for WVSOM students that would include activities such as estimating patients ’ optimum heart rates to use for an exercise prescription , discussing different exercises to benefit specific populations , and getting into the gym to apply these concepts .
DeMartino said it is also important to maximize relationships with campus clubs that are already supporting Exercise is Medicine without knowing it . For example , the Fit Kids program provides engaging activities for elementary-aged children in the community ; Health Yeah committee members provide nutritional education opportunities to community members ; and the WVSOM chapter of the Lifestyle Medicine Club aims to educate members about the evidence-based practice of helping individuals and families adopt health behaviors that affect quality of life and emphasize how to incorporate nutrition and lifestyle-based preventive medicine into healing modalities .
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