VCOM View Vol 11 No 1

I n September 2020, the Virginia Department of Health reported that drug overdoses in Southwest Virginia were up 11% since the start of 2020. The Class of 2024 at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Virginia campus took this information and chose to make a difference by committing to a goal of 100% participation of their class in naloxone training. While some schools make this training an academic requirement, these students wanted training to be a class effort demonstrating the community-minded physicians they plan to be in the future. Naloxone (or Narcan ® ) is the only medication approved to block or reverse the life-threatening effects of opioid or narcotic overdoses. “The opioid crisis in the United States has had a profound impact on the lives of so many. With overdose-related deaths climbing again during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that we need to ensure our rising healthcare professionals feel competent and confident in their ability to intervene in an overdose situation now more than ever,” said Hunter Funk, Class of 2023. “The Class of 2024

Association (SOMA), the Overdose Prevention Task Force (OPTF). The vision of the OPTF is to eliminate overdose deaths around the country through osteopathic organization has worked tirelessly to establish College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) Leaders on every osteopathic campus to further its mission. Last year, Hunter Funk, Ami Shah and Katlyn Logsdon, all Class of 2023 members, led VCOM-Virginia’s Overdose Prevention Task Force (OPTF) COM Leaders. This year’s leaders are Cynthia Dillon, Gabriel Cox and Pragna Sutrave, Class of 2024. “Training students to administer naloxone is essential to fulfilling our duties as future osteopathic physicians. Not only does this program educate individuals on the science behind opiate addiction, but it also aids in de-stigmatization efforts. So many of us either know or are familiar with someone who faced opiate addiction,” said Ami Shah. “Throughout the past year, it has been both a humbling and profound experience to have the opportunity to teach others about the impacts of opiate addiction, naloxone, and the stigma medical student education, advocacy, and action. The

reaching 100% participation in our voluntary initiative shows how committed they are to serving the needs of their community, and I am honored to have been part of a training team that shares such a deep passion for substance use awareness.” academic years, two Substance Use Awareness Weeks were led by Class of 2022 students Megan Schlegelmilch, then President of the Emergency Medicine (EM) student organization and Hannah DePoy, then Chair of the Bioethics and Humanities in Medicine Committee. These Awareness Weeks included naloxone training for interested students. Over 200 students, faculty, and staff were trained by the EM student organization. The EM student organization took this one step farther, hosting a “train the trainer” event, where over 30 students trained to become REVIVE (Virginia’s naloxone training program) trainers. DePoy and others became part of the new sub-group within the Student Osteopathic Medical Students Set the Goal During the 2019 and 2020

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With overdose-related deaths climbing again during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that we need to ensure our rising healthcare professionals feel competent and confident in their ability to intervene in an overdose situation, now more than ever.” —Hunter Funk, VCOM-Virginia Class of 2023

winter 2021 | VCOM V iew M agazine 7