Medical school is challenging for even the most promising students. At the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), the Academic Support and Intervention Resources (ASPIRE) department helps future physicians navigate the rigors of medical school by providing personal counseling and teaching academic support skills.
Now, the department has received statewide recognition for its work. ASPIRE was named a “Mental Health Care Hero” by WV Living magazine and Moodr Health, a company based in Morgantown, WV, that equips health systems, insurance providers and other organizations with tools for remote behavioral health management.
In its spring 2025 issue, WV Living included WVSOM’s ASPIRE team among 15 organizations and individuals working to contribute to the progress of quality mental health care in the state. The magazine stated that ASPIRE has “a keen understanding of the demanding environment students are navigating.”
The department is pleased to receive the honor, said Ginger Conley, one of the school’s four learning specialists and student counselors.
“We spend our time working one-on-one with students day in and day out, and other members of the school community often don’t get a chance to know who we are, so it’s nice to be acknowledged for our work,” Conley said.
The ASPIRE team, made up of three licensed professional counselors, one licensed master social worker, a program assistant and an intern, counsels medical students who are experiencing stress, depression, low self-confidence or other mental health concerns, as well as difficult life circumstances such as illness, relationship problems or the loss of a loved one. But WVSOM’s counselors are also trained as learning specialists who support students in overcoming academic difficulties, said Julianna Quick, another ASPIRE counselor.
“We have continuing education to make sure we’re current on the latest updates on best practices in learning and helping students,” Quick said. “We make sure the time they spend studying is effective, and we help them with active learning, time management, test taking and other skills.”
The most common issue ASPIRE assists students with is anxiety. Michael Beswick, who joined the department in 2024, explained that because acceptance to medical school is so competitive, some students are surprised to find themselves not achieving at the level they’re used to.
“These students have been top performers previously, and they come here and suddenly instead of being a one-percenter, they may be in the bottom 10%,” he said. “Anxiety starts to manifest. They have insecurities and feelings of ‘I’m not good enough.’ We’re the ones who see their struggles as human beings, because there’s a guardedness about saying you’re having a hard time when you’ve been a high achiever.”
The ASPIRE staff works with students for the duration of their four years of medical school, from orientation to graduation. A student may come to the department for assistance on their own, or be referred by a dean if they are struggling academically. Quick said the department continually works to improve its effectiveness by asking the school’s medical students how the counselors could better assist them.
“We conduct an exit survey at the end of every academic year that goes out to all classes, and we make sure we take to heart what changes they tell us we need to make,” Quick said.
James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, praised the department for its work in ensuring medical students reach their full potential while maintaining wellness – a renewed priority for the school following the implementation of a new “Finding Health” curriculum that launched in 2024.
“The members of the ASPIRE department are superstars,” Nemitz said. “They are a vital resource to WVSOM students, helping them balance the stress of medical school with the challenges of daily living. Success and mental well-being are the focus of this amazing team of mental health care heroes.”
Beswick said being named a Mental Health Care Hero is gratifying, but seeing the results of the counselors’ work is the real reward.
“It’s nice to have somebody tell us we’re doing a good job, but it’s more important to know we’re helping people on a daily basis. The ongoing award I’ve had throughout my career is having people say, ‘You made a difference’ or ‘You helped me get through a tough time in my life,’” he said.
