The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) is a stand-alone osteopathic medical school in a rural area. As stated on the school's website,
Students are encouraged to be involved in research and scholarly activity projects, preparing them to think critically, work with and educate future patients, and practice self-directed learning. Our contributions to the Engage Initiative
2 in the March issue of
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association highlight WVSOM's mission of education and scholarly activity.
Two clinical research studies illustrate lifelong learning through clinical inquiry. The study by Komar et al
3 was undertaken to examine alternative osteoporosis screening options for health care providers. The findings demonstrate good correlation between bone mineral density determination using heel ultrasonography and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry but no correlation with vitamin D concentrations. The affordability and mobility of an ultrasonography machine could potentially improve identification of those at risk for osteoporosis.
The second clinical study, by Basha et al,
4 reveals that self-reported ratings of genital pain were higher in patients with provoked localized vulvodynia. Cold pain thresholds were 2 times lower in these women when compared with women without this condition. In addition, peripheral pain thresholds were reduced. These findings suggest that central sensitization contributes to chronic vulvar pain and highlight the significant impact of provoked localized vulvodynia on patients’ quality of life
.
Three articles highlight the educational initiatives at WVSOM. Linsenmeyer and Ridpath
5 highlight the importance of engaging students in the educational process. This study provides data on real-time student feedback on curricular improvements that provide a greater sense of student involvement and ownership. In addition to student involvement in curricular assessment, this article
5 includes 5 student authors, providing a venue for education on the scholarly activity and quality improvement processes.
Patient education is a critical skill for physicians. Hamrick et al
6 describe a pharmacology enrichment program for high school students taught by medical students. The program is intended to increase awareness of pharmacology, osteopathic medicine, and scientific research among rural high school students and to provide first-year osteopathic medical students with teaching and presentation skills that may prepare them to educate future patients. Four of the authors were students at the time of submission.
To be able to educate patients, physicians must possess excellent self-directed learning skills. Students who wanted further training in ultrasonography outside the regular curriculum designed 4 peer-instructed extracurricular ultrasonography sessions. This quality improvement study by Goodcoff et al,
7 which includes 3 student authors, highlights how WVSOM's students are engaged in the learning process and interested in persistent improvement in educational activities.
The scholarly activity program at WVSOM is strong, and the school's success in encouraging students to participate in research projects alongside faculty is demonstrated in the authorship of several of the studies in this issue of The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. The importance of learning how to conduct research is more important than ever as osteopathic medical students prepare their applications to residency programs. We appreciate the opportunity to show readers how WVSOM integrates scholarly activity in the educational process.