Curriculum
The WVU HSC Eastern Division is an integration of community healthcare professionals and full-time faculty to create a stimulating learning environment. The WVU HSC Eastern Division initiative is a multi-institutional endeavor in which the Division is leading the effort. Our other partners are the Marshall University School of Medicine and the WV Osteopathic School of Medicine. The WVU HSC Eastern Division provides a comparable education to the main campus experience. The community-based nature of the WVU HSC Eastern Division will afford students experiences absent in traditional academic settings. This reflects a national trend in medical education which is more community-centered.
The WVU HSC Eastern Division clinical rotations will be directed by clerkship directors that have been acclimated with the clinical mission and educational format of all three West Virginia medical schools. The goal will be to give the student the best possible clinical exposure to patient care, with continued academic excellence in education. The students will meet with clerkship directors several times a week for educational rounds, didactic sessions and procedure learning sessions.
The preceptors are practicing individuals that have been selected for their ability to teach and relate to students. The students will spend a significant amount of their time in a one-on-one situation with the preceptor in the hospital and outpatient setting. Most clinical rotations will balance in-hospital care with outpatient experiences as clinically appropriate. When the students are in the hospital, teams may consist of the attending, the student and other disciplines as appropriate (pharmacist, social worker, respiratory therapist). In the outpatient setting, students will see patients in their attending private offices, or in clinics, such as the health department or geriatric clinic.
The primary goal of the preceptor model of medical education is to provide individual experiences in the realm of patient care. In this atmosphere, the student enjoys a personal relationship with their clinical preceptor. The preceptors are accomplished community healthcare professionals with established practices and roles in their community. The student will have primary contact with the patients they see, and in turn, have direct reporting to the attending to help process the information they have obtained and direct the patient encounter.
The word and spirit of the student’s home school’s philosophy will be followed. Students will maintain their ties with their home school with continued communication via email, televised lectures over MDTV and class get-togethers. This experience can give all of us a better understanding of working and learning together as community physicians. We hope that you all will find the time spent in the Eastern Panhandle professionally rewarding and personally satisfying.