LEWISBURG, W.Va. — A $25,000 grant from the EnCova Foundation of West Virginia will support hands‑on wilderness medicine training for students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.
The grant, awarded to the WVSOM Foundation, will help fund this year’s two‑week Wilderness Medicine elective rotation, running August 24 through September 4. Most of the course will take place at Greenbrier Youth Camp in Anthony, with additional field training in the New River Gorge and at Kanawha Falls.
Third‑ and fourth‑year medical students, along with resident physicians, will train in emergency care, disaster response, search and rescue, rope access, and patient stabilization. Instruction also covers lightning injuries, snakebites, waterborne illness, and other hazards common in remote environments.
The rotation culminates in an all‑day “Grand Scenario” on September 3, where participants respond to simulated emergencies in real‑world terrain.
WVSOM officials say the elective prepares future physicians to serve rural and underserved communities, where geographic isolation and limited resources can make emergency care especially challenging. Nine resident physicians and eight students are expected to participate.
