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The annual Osteopathic Medical Education Conference (OMED), Oct. 5 through Oct. 8, in Orlando, Fla., showcases osteopathic medicine across multiple specialties and highlights the profession as part of a solution for the country’s healthcare challenges.

For the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (91�㽶��Ƶ), OMED 2023 is an opportunity for staff to network at the national level, share news, meet with physicians who graduated from 91�㽶��Ƶ, talk with potential students and generally promote West Virginia’s largest medical school.

“This is the American Osteopathic Association’s education event for physicians,” said James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., president of 91�㽶��Ƶ. “It’s about continuing education, but it’s also a great chance to meet with our alumni, hear about new developments and tell our story.”

OMED’s program chair, Joshua Lenchus, D.O., said, “OMED is a high-profile national event and an osteopathic tradition. … Whether you are a seasoned professional, an early career physician  or an osteopathic student or resident, OMED has something for everyone.”

Shannon Warren, director of Alumni Relations and Continuing Education at 91�㽶��Ƶ, said she expects more than 40 alumni, most of them physicians practicing in West Virginia and across the country, to attend OMED. 91�㽶��Ƶ will host an alumni reception during the conference. Twelve alumni from West Virginia and many from the eastern United States have registered for OMED, with other alumni coming from as far away as Texas and Arizona.  

While OMED’s networking and education opportunities are invaluable, Nemitz said attending the conference increases 91�㽶��Ƶ’s national reputation and provides numerous marketing and promotional opportunities for the medical school.

The school has been recognized nationally for producing graduates who practice in rural settings. 91�㽶��Ƶ has an annual enrollment of more than 800 students and graduates about 200 new physicians annually.

Primary care, which encompasses family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics, is the leading specialty at 91�㽶��Ƶ; however, Nemitz noted graduates can practice in any specialty. “That’s a story we need to tell,” he said.

Telling 91�㽶��Ƶ’s story is why the school also has Marilea Butcher, director of marketing, and her award-winning team attending OMED. Articles, photos and videos and other content generated at the conference will be used in the school’s promotional and recruitment activities, as well as for social media posts and campaigns.

Butcher said the conference also offers a great opportunity to share information.

“We will be providing information about 91�㽶��Ƶ and its initiatives to conference attendees. This is a great opportunity for us to interact with physicians and other colleges of osteopathic medicine across the nation. We are especially excited to see our alumni and hear how they are doing and share updates about 91�㽶��Ƶ with them,” said Butcher.

Nemitz said maximizing the value of such events helps the school’s marketing team educate the state and nation about 91�㽶��Ƶ.