West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) opened in 1974 as the private Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine, which four osteopathic physicians had established in December 1972. The Legislature brought it into the West Virginia higher-education system in 1975.
Today it is the only public osteopathic medical school in West Virginia, and one of the most mission-driven DO programs in the country. It sits in Lewisburg in the Greenbrier Valley, and trains physicians explicitly for West Virginia's rural and underserved communities.
The state faces some of the worst health outcomes in the US, including the opioid crisis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and extreme rural poverty. WVSOM graduates enter rural primary care serving these communities at unusually high rates.
What makes WVSOM (DO) different
AACOMAS application. WVSOM is state-funded — WV residents receive in-state tuition. Founded in 1972 as the private Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine and brought into the state system by the WV Legislature in 1975 to address the state's physician shortage. One of the strongest rural primary care pipelines of any osteopathic school nationally.
Located in one of the most beautiful and historically significant parts of Appalachia.
WVSOM (DO) course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year DO curriculum with OMM integrated throughout. Pre-clinical years in Lewisburg; clinical rotations dispersed across West Virginia and neighboring Appalachian states at rural hospitals, community health centers, and VA facilities. Strong rural primary care clerkship emphasis.
WVSOM (DO) research strengths
WVSOM (DO) is strong in these research areas:
- Rural health disparities
- Opioid and substance use disorder
- Appalachian health
- Cardiovascular disease prevention
- Osteopathic manipulative medicine
How the WVSOM (DO) interview runs
Format: Traditional one-on-one or panel interview with faculty
WVSOM conducts traditional interviews with faculty in Lewisburg, typically a one-on-one or small panel format lasting 30–45 minutes. Interviewers focus on West Virginia and rural Appalachian health commitment, osteopathic philosophy, and personal motivation.
As West Virginia's only public osteopathic school, WVSOM explicitly seeks students committed to addressing WV's extreme healthcare challenges, including among the highest rates of opioid overdose, cardiovascular disease, and cancer in the nation. The interview day includes a campus tour of the Lewisburg campus in the beautiful Greenbrier Valley.
WVSOM (DO) intake
Approximately 200–230 students per year.
WVSOM (DO) at a glance
Founded in 1972. Based in Lewisburg, WV.
Programmes offered:
- Primary Care
- Rural Medicine
- Family Medicine
- Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
- Addiction Medicine