NEWS
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Report Places West Virginia Fourth Nationwide in Osteopathic Physicians Per Capita
West Virginia, home to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine( WVSOM), has the fourth-highest number of osteopathic physicians per capita, according to a recent report.
The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine( AACOM) published its inaugural Osteopathic Medical Education Impact Report, which analyzes how osteopathic medical schools drive local economies and address primary care and rural health shortages. AACOM is a nonprofit organization that supports the 44 accredited osteopathic medical schools in the U. S.
James Nemitz, PhD, WVSOM’ s president, said the school has long been a leader in producing physicians for rural locations.
“ WVSOM is the leading contributor to West Virginia’ s physician workforce and has been recognized nationally,” Nemitz said.“ I am pleased our state has such a large number of physicians who are trained in osteopathic medicine, and I am proud many of this school’ s graduates do the essential work of caring for patients in rural and medically underserved communities throughout the nation.”
The report shows that there are 1,216 osteopathic physicians practicing in West Virginia and notes that only three states have more osteopathic physicians per capita than West Virginia. Michigan, Maine, and Pennsylvania rank first, second, and third, respectively.
Of the schools participating in AACOM’ s report, WVSOM ranks second nationwide in the percentage of alumni who practice in rural areas. The report shows 29 % of WVSOM graduates work in rural areas, compared to 12 % among graduates of all osteopathic medical schools and 10 % among allopathic and osteopathic physicians combined.
Additionally, the report indicates that WVSOM ranks sixth nationwide in the percentage of alumni who practice in medically underserved areas. It shows 26 % of WVSOM graduates work in medically underserved areas, compared to 16 % among graduates of all osteopathic medical schools.
24 • www. wvsma. org