NEWS
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
WVSOM , University of Charleston Partnership Allows Students to Earn Dual DO / MBA Degree
Students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine ( WVSOM ) now have the option of learning to manage a business while also learning to manage the health of their future patients .
In April , WVSOM officially entered into a partnership with the University of Charleston ( UC ) that will allow the medical school ’ s students to supplement their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine ( DO ) degree with a Master of Business Administration ( MBA ) degree through a program that lasts a total of five years .
The presidents of both institutions signed a memorandum of understanding describing the program ’ s admission procedures , academic policies , tuition and billing , and other elements of the partnership . The DO / MBA program started in July 2023 and will be available to any second-year WVSOM student in good academic standing .
James W . Nemitz , PhD , president of WVSOM , said the agreement will allow the school to better serve students who are motivated to learn about the business side of healthcare .
“ Today ’ s medical students want the flexibility to seek out additional education that will help them build successful practices ,” Nemitz said . “ The University of Charleston is an outstanding institution , and we ’ re happy to work with their administration to offer this option to our hard-working future physicians .”
Marty Roth , PhD , MBA , president of UC , detailed some of the ways the partnership will help physicians take on roles as leaders .
“ At the University of Charleston , we are always looking for innovative ways to help students achieve their personal goals and professional success ,” Roth said . “ This partnership is a unique and exciting opportunity for students to position themselves for roles that require a combination of patient care , management skills , and leadership expertise . Our MBA program offers students exceptional applied learning opportunities for advancing their business proficiency and organizational capabilities . We are proud to work with WVSOM to help the next generation of physicians face the changing field of healthcare , offer exemplary care to their communities , and grow as professionals and individuals .”
The partnership establishes a path for interested students to attend osteopathic medical school for two years of preclinical education before starting a 10-month online program at UC , leading to the awarding of an MBA degree . Following completion of the MBA program , students will return to WVSOM to complete third and fourth-year studies at rotation sites in the school ’ s Statewide Campus , where learning occurs in clinical settings such as physician offices , medical centers , and hospitals .
The MBA program includes courses in applied marketing , healthcare economics , management , quantitative methods , managerial
32 • www . wvsma . org