BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine continues to expand their partnership with four new students entering into the Go D.O. Early Scholars Program this academic year. 

The Go D.O. Early Scholars Program allows qualifying students to receive guaranteed acceptance into the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, upon successful completion of the undergraduate program requirements and interview as well as a waived MCAT. The program represents the first of its kind partnership between WVSOM and another institution of higher learning. 

The first cohort is now in their junior year at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

“As this program continues to grow, we remain so proud of the students who have made the choice to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine,” Dr. James Moore, president of West Virginia Wesleyan College, said. “Our region needs primary care providers who understand how to treat the whole person, and I know these students will be among the best practitioners anywhere. We continue to be honored that West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine thought of Wesleyan to partner in this program.”

Madelyn Armstrong ’27, of Bridgeport, West Virginia; Wyatt Burns ’27, of  Horner, West Virginia; Jack Monks ’27, of Charleston, West Virginia; and Lanna Nguyen ‘27, of Bristow, Virginia were recognized during a luncheon Tuesday with officials from WVWC and WVSOM in attendance. 

Armstrong said, “An offer like this only comes once in a lifetime. Being guaranteed a spot in medical school before I even began undergrad was truly a blessing, and being able to stay relatively close to home in both undergrad and med school is really important to me.”

“Having my mom, a nurse of 20 years, as a strong role model in my life directed me towards medicine, but the ability to help people in a way that piques my interest is why I chose medicine – specifically emergency medicine.”

Burns also saw the benefit of being able to advance his career goals with the Go D.O. Early Scholars program.

 “Wesleyan was a perfect fit in its size, location, and strong science department, while WVSOM is a top-tier primary care school,” he said. “I was interested in both schools before I even knew of this program, and it just seemed like a perfect fit. WVSOM also stood in high regard in my community, as many of Lewis County’s doctors have attended, and they strongly recommended the school.”

“I want to pursue a career as a doctor to provide a high-quality trustworthy service to my community,” Burns said. “I have seen so many people who have a negative stigmatism associated with going to a doctor, and having already strong ties to my community I hope to break those views. I want to be there for my community and help those who need it most.” 

Monks said, “The Go D.O. Program allows me to focus on exploring my interests in and outside of the medical field without the looming stress of medical school applications. The assurance of acceptance into osteopathic medical school combined with the education, service and research opportunities I am receiving at WVWC was too enticing to pass up.

“I want to pursue medicine as a way of giving back to the community that raised me. Food insecurity runs rampant in West Virginia, and heavily impacted me and my neighbors. I want to gain the education necessary to advocate for balanced diets in rural WV as a family physician.” 

Nguyen added, “Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to work in the medical field and work as a doctor, so after seeing that the Go DO Program was a guaranteed direct path to achieving my goal and dream, I applied. I first learned about osteopathic medicine in my sports medicine class during my senior year of high school and I instantly knew that it was what I wanted to do in the future as I loved the ‘whole person’ or ‘whole body’ approach of care, so I knew that WVSOM’s partnership with WVWC would give me the highest chance of success when it came to achieving my career goals.”

“I wanted to pursue a career in medicine for a variety of reasons. My mom works as a pharmacist, so I’ve always been immersed in the world of health care and I wanted to follow in the same path. My main reason for pursuing a career in medicine, however, stems from my deep passion for science (especially biological sciences), problem solving and being able to help and care for others, and my love for people and humanity. I love caring for others and I constantly want to help them by being the best person I can be for them, which makes me believe that medicine is my calling.”

Bryer Ketterman ‘25, of Buckhannon, West Virginia; Kaef Rehman ’25, of Daniels, West Virginia; Matthew Hambrecht ’25, of Frederick, Maryland;  Abigail Patterson ’25, of Charleston, West Virginia; Ravenna Navalgund ’26, of Irvin, Pennsylvania; and Srikiran Nandigama ‘26, of Salt Point, New York comprise the first two classes of Go D.O. Scholars. 

Applications are now being accepted for 2024 admission. The priority deadline is December 1.  In-state and out-of-state students who score at least a 1390 on the SAT or at least a 30 on the ACT and have at least a 3.75 grade point average qualify for the Go D.O. Early Scholars Program. Click here to find out more.