On Apr. 13, Mayor Beverly White signed a proclamation declaring April 18-24 to be Celebrate Osteopathic Medicine (COM) Week in the city that is home to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), the state’s largest medical school.
COM Week is taking place concurrently with the American Osteopathic Association’s National Osteopathic Medicine (NOM) Week, which is intended to bring members of the osteopathic community together to raise awareness of osteopathic medicine.
WVSOM flags have been placed at locations in downtown Lewisburg in advance of COM Week. Bob Foster, D.O., the school’s assistant dean for osteopathic medical education, said the week serves as a reminder of the qualities that set osteopathic medicine apart.
“Osteopathic medicine is unique,” Foster said. “COM Week takes place annually to reinforce in WVSOM students, faculty, staff and the public that osteopathic medicine supports the self-healing properties of our patients; treats patients as beings of mind, body and spirit; and examines and treats patients with the understanding that structure and function are dependent upon each other.”
WVSOM is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding this year. The osteopathic medical school enrolls about 800 students annually, more than any other medical school in West Virginia.
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