BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVDN) – One RBA graduate from WVU Tech is starting an exciting new journey this summer as he enters medical school at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM).
Ethan Hunt, originally from Beckley, West Virginia, came to Tech as a business student, thinking he might want to pursue a career in law or business administration after graduation. He also received a scholarship to play golf and chose to stay close to home to get his degree.
“I thought campus was pretty cool, and it was close to home. I got a golf scholarship, and it just seemed like the best place to be,” says Hunt.
However, Hunt said he had an experience that showed him he needed to be in the medical field instead.
“There was an experience I had, one of my friends ended up getting sick and I went to the hospital, and I really just felt like that’s where I needed to be,” Hunt said.
When Hunt decided to pursue medicine, he researched his options and found that WVU Tech was a school affiliated with WVSOM’s Pre-Osteopathic Medicine Program (POMP).
Through POMP, Hunt was able to guarantee his acceptance into the medical school once he was in the program and completed his degree. After an interview process, he was accepted into POMP, and Hunt focused his coursework on biology to ensure he completed all the prerequisites needed to get accepted to medical school.
“I did a bunch of science classes, but decided I wanted to complete my degree in less time, and so I looked into switching into the RBA program,” Hunt explained. “I came into Tech with some dual enrollment credits from high school and could use transfer credits. As long as I completed the prerequisites (for medical school), I was good.”
Hunt found a great support system in RBA coordinator Mark Jones, who, along with Tamara Floyd Smith, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Affairs, helped him make sure he got his RBA while fulfilling the requirements he’d need for his career in medicine.
“Tamara and Mark were awesome,” Hunt said. “Anytime I emailed him [Mark Jones] or wanted to meet, he would meet. He was phenomenal and answered all my questions. It would have been a lot harder without him. He genuinely wanted me to succeed.”
Through hard work, dedication, high academic achievement, and working with the faculty to get his transfer credits accepted, Hunt was able to graduate from WVU Tech with his RBA degree. He’s currently working as a medical assistant and safety assistant at a local medical clinic and will begin medical school in July. His eventual goal is to return to Beckley to practice medicine and give back to the community he’s grown up in.
To learn more about the RBA program at WVU Tech, visit www.wvutech.edu/academics/sas/
For more information about WVU Tech and the POMP partnership, visit www.wvsom.edu/admissions/do/
