WVSOM, College of Charleston partnership will enable college students to earn twin D.O./MBA diploma

LEWISBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Beginning this summer time, college students on the West Virginia College of Osteopathic Medication (WVSOM) could have the choice of studying to handle a enterprise whereas studying to handle the well being of their future sufferers.

On April 17, WVSOM formally entered right into a partnership with the College of Charleston that can enable the medical faculty’s college students to complement their Physician of Osteopathic Medication (D.O.) diploma with a Grasp of Enterprise Administration (MBA) diploma by a program that lasts a complete of 5 years.

Throughout a ceremony livestreamed from WVSOM’s Lewisburg campus, the presidents of each establishments signed a memorandum of understanding describing this system’s admission procedures, educational insurance policies, tuition and billing, and different parts of the partnership. The D.O./MBA program will start in July 2023 and can be accessible to any second-year WVSOM pupil in good educational standing.

James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., WVSOM’s president, stated the settlement will enable the varsity to higher serve college students who’re motivated to be taught in regards to the enterprise facet of well being care.

“At the moment’s medical college students need the pliability to hunt out extra training that can assist them construct profitable practices,” Nemitz stated. “The College of Charleston is an excellent establishment, and we’re glad to work with their administration to supply this feature to our hard-working future physicians.”

Marty Roth, Ph.D., MBA, president of the College of Charleston, detailed a number of the methods the partnership will assist physicians take roles as leaders.

“On the College of Charleston, we’re at all times searching for revolutionary methods to assist college students obtain their private objectives {and professional} success,” Roth stated. “This partnership is a singular and thrilling alternative for college kids to place themselves for roles that require a mixture of affected person care, administration expertise and management experience. Our MBA program gives college students distinctive utilized studying alternatives for advancing their enterprise proficiency and organizational capabilities. We’re proud to work with WVSOM to assist the subsequent technology of physicians face the altering area of well being care, supply exemplary care to their communities, and develop as professionals and people.”

The partnership establishes a path for college students to attend osteopathic medical faculty for 2 years of preclinical training earlier than beginning a 10-month on-line program on the College of Charleston, resulting in the awarding of an MBA diploma. Following completion of the MBA program, college students will return to WVSOM to finish third- and fourth-year research at rotation websites within the faculty’s Statewide Campus, the place studying happens in medical settings equivalent to doctor workplaces, medical facilities and hospitals.

The MBA program contains programs in utilized advertising, well being care economics, administration, quantitative strategies, managerial accounting, well being care coverage and ethics, managerial economics, managerial finance, worldwide enterprise, strategic determination making, and well being care informatics.

Brian Griffith, Ph.D., an affiliate professor in WVSOM’s Division of Biomedical Sciences who serves as the varsity’s director of affiliated packages, labored with the College of Charleston to ascertain the twin diploma program. Griffith stated this system positions WVSOM to supply medical college students who’ve the enterprise expertise to construct profitable careers. It would additionally give college students a bonus through the residency choice course of that takes place earlier than the completion of medical faculty, he stated.

“Well being care data is just one a part of being a profitable doctor, so incomes two levels will higher put together our college students to enter the well being care career,” Griffith stated. “Studying about managing companies will give them a greater understanding of methods to run a person or group observe, or to work in well being care administration. We additionally hope this system will assist college students be chosen for top-tier residency packages, as a result of they’ll have an extra diploma.”

Linda Boyd, D.O., WVSOM’s vp for educational affairs and dean, stated she is happy that the partnership offers the varsity’s medical college students an academic choice they haven’t had prior to now.

“Many candidates to medical faculty search for alternatives to increase their training by getting a twin diploma. An MBA is without doubt one of the hottest levels to get whereas in medical faculty. The College of Charleston brings college students a top quality training at an inexpensive price, and we’re thrilled to supply this chance to our college students who select to be taught extra in regards to the enterprise of well being care,” Boyd stated.