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Hi All,
I am a first-year student at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV and a practicing Muslim. Back when I was applying to medical schools, the number one question in my mind as I went for interviews was, How will I be able to practice my religion at this school? Is there a masjid nearby? Is there a halal meat store? Is the community accepting? Where will I live? Who will I live with? Etc.
Im sure that many current applicants have similar concerns, so to help, I decided to compose this little guide to being a Muslim at WVSOM. Feel free to respond or PM me if you have further questions.
***
The very first time I set foot in Lewisburg for my interview, I knew WVSOM was a great fit for me. My entire experience here has been tremendously positive both as far as being a Muslim is concerned, as well as just being an ordinary medical student. The whole environment is welcoming and supportive.
WVSOM is located in Lewisburg, a small charming town in Southern West Virginia. Before I came to Lewisburg, I was nervous that the local residents might be stereotypically racist and unwelcoming to outsiders, and to Muslims in particular. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I have never experienced any sort of discrimination or hostility from any resident. They are extremely welcoming and kind-hearted. In fact, I even visited a local church and met the priest. He was very kind and said I was welcome any time. The school also has a very healthy relationship with the local community. Students provide free OMM treatment to the residents, and volunteer in many other ways.
As for our class, it is very diverse. We have many Christians of all different denominations (Catholic, Mormon, etc.), but also Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, as well as those who are non-religious. There is a spirit of acceptance, family, and support for one another among the students as well as the faculty. I have never experienced any sort of discrimination. On the contrary, the students as well as the administration is extremely supportive of this diversity and culture of openness.
We have approximately 15 Muslim students between the first and second years, and we are fairly close-knit. There is no mosque in Lewisburg, but we hold Friday prayer every week amongst ourselves the school allows us to use an empty room and sometimes grab lunch together afterward. During Ramadan, we used to hold tarawih at each others apartments (we didnt have a hafiz to finish the Quran, but each person led a few rakahs and recited as much as he could). In past years, the Muslim students have also held Ramadan and Eid functions where they invite the entire medical school.
***
This is a brief non-exhaustive list of some nearby mosques. While we usually have Friday prayer on campus, sometimes well go to the mosque if there are no classes in the afternoon. We also go there for Eid.
Beckley, WV: This is the nearest mosque, about 45 mins to an hour away from Lewisburg. It is located just across the street from the Appalachian Regional Hospital, and in fact, most of the community are physicians who work there. The community is pretty small and the mosque will often be locked. I recommend getting in contact with the mosque organizers to arrange for them to give you a key. The mosque holds Eid prayers, Jumah, and most of the daily prayers. Its the Islamic Center of Beckley located on Stanaford Road across the street from the hospital, a small building between the pharmacy and the apartment building.
Charleston, WV: About 1.5 to 2 hours away from Lewisburg. This is a much larger community than Beckley. It is very active with weekend Islamic school, classes, and interfaith and volunteering activities with the surrounding community. Most of the mosque community are also physicians. They also have an imam (at least currently) Shaykh Ehteshamul Haque, a very jolly and welcoming individual. You can visit their website: http://www.iawv.net/
Blacksburg, VA: Even though its in Virginia, its only about 1.5 hours away from Lewisburg. Much of the community is made up of students attending the local Virginia Tech University. It is also very active with Eid, Jumah, 5 times daily prayer, a weekend school, and other community classes and activities. You can visit their website: http://www.isnrv.org/ Blacksburg also has another mosque, Masjid al-Hedaya, which does not have a website. They do have an imam, however, Shaykh Ameer.
Morgantown, WV: About 3 hours away, this mosque is located near the campus of West Virginia University. It is a large active community with many students. Visit their website here: http://icmorgantown.org/
***
For those who eat only Dhabihah, there is no halal meat shop or restaurant in Lewisburg. Most of the Muslims bring meat from home and keep it in a large freezer that you can purchase here in the town. There are also meat shops in Charleston, Morgantown, and Blacksburg, so if you run out, halal meat is available for purchase only a few hours drive away. Please contact the mosques for details (see above). Otherwise, there are lots of veggie and seafood options in the local restaurants.
Please also contact the mosques to inquire about halal restaurants. To the best of my knowledge, there are restaurants that serve halal meat (either by default or upon request) in Charleston, Morgantown, and Blacksburg (Im not aware of any in Beckley, unfortunately).
***
WVSOM places great emphasis on learning Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. We meet almost every week in the OMT Lab where were paired up with another student and practice the techniques on each other. Partners are randomly assigned sometimes your partner will be male and other times it will be female. You will inevitable have to touch the opposite gender on bare skin, and will frequently have to remove your shirt (females must wear a sports bra).
Yes, its true, you do have to do it. Before you are granted admission, you must sign a form that says you are aware that this is required of you, and that the school is not obliged to make special accommodations for you regarding partner selection, etc.
This can be a challenge. You can try talking to the faculty. I know that a few years ago, the department made some sort of arrangement for a student who wore hijab. As a rule, however, they are not obligated to make that arrangement due to the waiver you must sign. Id advise you to consult with a trusted scholar or imam that can help you make a personal decision. Some Fuqaha hold the opinion that it is permissible because it is medical knowledge that will be used to treat people.
***
Lewisburg is a tad isolated, so unless you are an in-state student, you will probably only visit home a handful of times a year. This can be harder on Muslims than most because we were often raised in a very close-knit family and Muslim community. Be sure to call home regularly we know how important parents are in Islam. Skype or Google Hangout are some other free ways to stay in touch.
If you want to visit home for Eid, the school will give you time off. Just talk with them beforehand and you will be excused from any mandatory sessions. If you have an exam the day of Eid, theyll arrange for you to take it on an alternate day.
Also, during those handful of times that you do visit home, travel arrangements can be tricky. There arent many convenient public transportation options in or out of Lewisburg. Some choose to fly and grab flights from either Charleston airport, Greenbrier Valley airport, or Roanoke in Virginia. If youre up to long drives, I strongly recommend keeping a car in Lewisburg so you can travel at your convenience.
***
If you prefer to live with a Muslim roommate, I recommend you join your classs Facebook page and look through to find any Muslim classmates. Once you get your school email address, you can also log in to MyWVSOM page. There is a link called Student Composites with the names and email addresses of all the students. Most likely, your own class wont be up there until the term starts, but you can look students from previous years and get in contact with them. They might know of other students looking for roommates.
***
In conclusion, WVSOM is a great place to study medicine. As long as you are polite, considerate, and professional, the school will try to help you in any way they can. Most of the people in the area are very religious themselves, so they can relate with many concerns you might have.
As a side note, there are plenty of ways to remember God in Lewisburg the signs of God are all around you. Its a stunningly beautiful place. The mountains I see every day remind you of His majesty and grandeur. Every night when I return back to my apartment from studying, I see the sky full of stars and am reminded of Surat Najm in the Quran.
I hope you consider coming WVSOM, and I hope this was helpful. Again, feel free to ask any other questions and Ill try to answer to the best of my ability.
And Allah knows best.
Peace.
I am a first-year student at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV and a practicing Muslim. Back when I was applying to medical schools, the number one question in my mind as I went for interviews was, How will I be able to practice my religion at this school? Is there a masjid nearby? Is there a halal meat store? Is the community accepting? Where will I live? Who will I live with? Etc.
Im sure that many current applicants have similar concerns, so to help, I decided to compose this little guide to being a Muslim at WVSOM. Feel free to respond or PM me if you have further questions.
***
The very first time I set foot in Lewisburg for my interview, I knew WVSOM was a great fit for me. My entire experience here has been tremendously positive both as far as being a Muslim is concerned, as well as just being an ordinary medical student. The whole environment is welcoming and supportive.
WVSOM is located in Lewisburg, a small charming town in Southern West Virginia. Before I came to Lewisburg, I was nervous that the local residents might be stereotypically racist and unwelcoming to outsiders, and to Muslims in particular. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I have never experienced any sort of discrimination or hostility from any resident. They are extremely welcoming and kind-hearted. In fact, I even visited a local church and met the priest. He was very kind and said I was welcome any time. The school also has a very healthy relationship with the local community. Students provide free OMM treatment to the residents, and volunteer in many other ways.
As for our class, it is very diverse. We have many Christians of all different denominations (Catholic, Mormon, etc.), but also Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, as well as those who are non-religious. There is a spirit of acceptance, family, and support for one another among the students as well as the faculty. I have never experienced any sort of discrimination. On the contrary, the students as well as the administration is extremely supportive of this diversity and culture of openness.
We have approximately 15 Muslim students between the first and second years, and we are fairly close-knit. There is no mosque in Lewisburg, but we hold Friday prayer every week amongst ourselves the school allows us to use an empty room and sometimes grab lunch together afterward. During Ramadan, we used to hold tarawih at each others apartments (we didnt have a hafiz to finish the Quran, but each person led a few rakahs and recited as much as he could). In past years, the Muslim students have also held Ramadan and Eid functions where they invite the entire medical school.
***
This is a brief non-exhaustive list of some nearby mosques. While we usually have Friday prayer on campus, sometimes well go to the mosque if there are no classes in the afternoon. We also go there for Eid.
Beckley, WV: This is the nearest mosque, about 45 mins to an hour away from Lewisburg. It is located just across the street from the Appalachian Regional Hospital, and in fact, most of the community are physicians who work there. The community is pretty small and the mosque will often be locked. I recommend getting in contact with the mosque organizers to arrange for them to give you a key. The mosque holds Eid prayers, Jumah, and most of the daily prayers. Its the Islamic Center of Beckley located on Stanaford Road across the street from the hospital, a small building between the pharmacy and the apartment building.
Charleston, WV: About 1.5 to 2 hours away from Lewisburg. This is a much larger community than Beckley. It is very active with weekend Islamic school, classes, and interfaith and volunteering activities with the surrounding community. Most of the mosque community are also physicians. They also have an imam (at least currently) Shaykh Ehteshamul Haque, a very jolly and welcoming individual. You can visit their website: http://www.iawv.net/
Blacksburg, VA: Even though its in Virginia, its only about 1.5 hours away from Lewisburg. Much of the community is made up of students attending the local Virginia Tech University. It is also very active with Eid, Jumah, 5 times daily prayer, a weekend school, and other community classes and activities. You can visit their website: http://www.isnrv.org/ Blacksburg also has another mosque, Masjid al-Hedaya, which does not have a website. They do have an imam, however, Shaykh Ameer.
Morgantown, WV: About 3 hours away, this mosque is located near the campus of West Virginia University. It is a large active community with many students. Visit their website here: http://icmorgantown.org/
***
For those who eat only Dhabihah, there is no halal meat shop or restaurant in Lewisburg. Most of the Muslims bring meat from home and keep it in a large freezer that you can purchase here in the town. There are also meat shops in Charleston, Morgantown, and Blacksburg, so if you run out, halal meat is available for purchase only a few hours drive away. Please contact the mosques for details (see above). Otherwise, there are lots of veggie and seafood options in the local restaurants.
Please also contact the mosques to inquire about halal restaurants. To the best of my knowledge, there are restaurants that serve halal meat (either by default or upon request) in Charleston, Morgantown, and Blacksburg (Im not aware of any in Beckley, unfortunately).
***
WVSOM places great emphasis on learning Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. We meet almost every week in the OMT Lab where were paired up with another student and practice the techniques on each other. Partners are randomly assigned sometimes your partner will be male and other times it will be female. You will inevitable have to touch the opposite gender on bare skin, and will frequently have to remove your shirt (females must wear a sports bra).
Yes, its true, you do have to do it. Before you are granted admission, you must sign a form that says you are aware that this is required of you, and that the school is not obliged to make special accommodations for you regarding partner selection, etc.
This can be a challenge. You can try talking to the faculty. I know that a few years ago, the department made some sort of arrangement for a student who wore hijab. As a rule, however, they are not obligated to make that arrangement due to the waiver you must sign. Id advise you to consult with a trusted scholar or imam that can help you make a personal decision. Some Fuqaha hold the opinion that it is permissible because it is medical knowledge that will be used to treat people.
***
Lewisburg is a tad isolated, so unless you are an in-state student, you will probably only visit home a handful of times a year. This can be harder on Muslims than most because we were often raised in a very close-knit family and Muslim community. Be sure to call home regularly we know how important parents are in Islam. Skype or Google Hangout are some other free ways to stay in touch.
If you want to visit home for Eid, the school will give you time off. Just talk with them beforehand and you will be excused from any mandatory sessions. If you have an exam the day of Eid, theyll arrange for you to take it on an alternate day.
Also, during those handful of times that you do visit home, travel arrangements can be tricky. There arent many convenient public transportation options in or out of Lewisburg. Some choose to fly and grab flights from either Charleston airport, Greenbrier Valley airport, or Roanoke in Virginia. If youre up to long drives, I strongly recommend keeping a car in Lewisburg so you can travel at your convenience.
***
If you prefer to live with a Muslim roommate, I recommend you join your classs Facebook page and look through to find any Muslim classmates. Once you get your school email address, you can also log in to MyWVSOM page. There is a link called Student Composites with the names and email addresses of all the students. Most likely, your own class wont be up there until the term starts, but you can look students from previous years and get in contact with them. They might know of other students looking for roommates.
***
In conclusion, WVSOM is a great place to study medicine. As long as you are polite, considerate, and professional, the school will try to help you in any way they can. Most of the people in the area are very religious themselves, so they can relate with many concerns you might have.
As a side note, there are plenty of ways to remember God in Lewisburg the signs of God are all around you. Its a stunningly beautiful place. The mountains I see every day remind you of His majesty and grandeur. Every night when I return back to my apartment from studying, I see the sky full of stars and am reminded of Surat Najm in the Quran.
I hope you consider coming WVSOM, and I hope this was helpful. Again, feel free to ask any other questions and Ill try to answer to the best of my ability.
And Allah knows best.
Peace.
