VCOM View Vol 11 No 1

first year more difficult than most,” said Jessica Higgins, Class of 2023.

just like practicing physicians, also live with SUD,” said DePoy. “Our calling as osteopathic physicians to address the multidimensional wellness needs of our patients even extends to caring holistically for ourselves and our colleagues.” DePoy hopes that one-day naloxone training will be implemented into the Basic Life Saver (BLS) course. This training includes CPR and is required for medical school matriculation. “This osteopathic medical school class, matriculating during a time of social distancing and challenging opportunities to contribute to the community, showed their leadership and committed to 100% participation in naloxone training. This goal was accomplished before their white coat ceremony. Adding to the impact and significance of this story is the fact that VCOM- Virginia second-and third-year medical students led the training,” said Dean Willcox. Naloxone training, while only one hour in length, provides students with evidence-based skills to treat opioid overdose while also addressing topics that may promote a non-stigmatized introduction to OUD. ■ Editors note: This program has now been successful for TWO years. Both the Class of 2024 and now the Class of 2025 became voluntarily trained prior to their respective White Coat Ceremonies.

Drug Overdose Statistics in the United States Overdose Deaths* The U.S. as a whole saw a 29.4% increase in drug overdose deaths with a record high of over 93,331 deaths reported across the country in 2020, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

Training Programs Uplift Students and Trainers Due to the pandemic restrictions, students were eager to get involved on campus, even through virtual meetings. From late fall until early spring, numerous small training sessions were held until they reached their goal of 100%. “We were hopeful, but realistic that the demands of medical school would likely translate to a lower completion rate. To say that we were blown away by student involvement would be an understatement,” said DePoy. During training sessions, they would sometimes invite students to share their reasoning for taking the training. Many students reported their desire to gain additional skills that might save a life. Others felt their knowledge regarding opioid use disorder (OUD), and overdose treatment could be bolstered. But what continued to touch the trainers deeply were the countless students who shared how they had been personally affected by those with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and opioid overdose. “Even as the child of someone who lived with SUD, I needed the reminder of the pervasiveness of this disorder. SUD knows no bounds, and statistically, not only do many students have loved ones living with SUD, some students,

Opioids were involved in 69,710 of the U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2020.

The CDC’s state-specific provisional drug overdose reported change from April 2020 - April 2021: Virginia: +22.5%

North Carolina: +37.6% South Carolina: +45.4% Alabama: +30.3% Louisiana: +51.6%

*Provisional data are based on available records that meet certain data quality criteria at the time of analysis and are subject to change.

winter 2021 | VCOM V iew M agazine 9