David Myers

David and Nancy Myers

David Myers met Nancy Smith from Rainelle at a med school graduation party in 1968. At that time, she was a nurse at University Hospital, which is what Ruby Memorial was known as then. The two married, then moved to Billings, Montana, a city surrounded by four mountain ranges and a cache of American history that includes Lewis and Clark, Yellowstone Valley and Sitting Bull.

Recently David and Nancy decided to become WVU School of Medicine ‘Mountaineer Mentors.’™ “We wanted to make a gift to the School of Medicine. When we heard about the Mountaineer Mentor™ program, it sounded intriguing.”

Mountaineer Mentors™ is a new scholarship program for students at WVU School of Medicine. Mentors like the Myers “adopt” a student, become his/her mentor throughout medical school, and provide $5,000 in annual tuition support while that student is enrolled at WVU.

Like so many others, the Myers weren’t aware that WVU School of Medicine tuition has doubled in the last 10 years. When David Myers was a medical student in the Sixties, a semester cost under $200. Today tuition for West Virginia residents is almost $20,000 a year; double if that student’s from out-of-state.

Myers says while at WVU he had a lot mentors. “I remember feeling not too sure of myself. When you’re in med school, you don’t know if you’re up to the challenge of becoming a physician. It takes a lot of support.”

One mentor was former WVU professor Dr. Al Watne, whose keen interest in cancer became Myers’ life’s work. Another was Dr. Jorge Cueto, chief surgery resident who taught him that, “Surgeons have the power to change peoples’ lives.”

Another was Dr. Andrew Henderson, family practitioner.

“In my third year I did a preceptorship in Williamson, which is just a few miles from the Kentucky border. I lived in Dr. Henderson’s home, had dinner with his family and went to high school football games. What I remember most was his attitude toward his patients. He let me participate in their care from the beginning. Dr. Henderson had confidence in my ability and faith in the knowledge my WVU teachers had given me. These mentors were very important to my success because they built my self-confidence.”

Myers says his class, the Class of ’68, was also very special. “We helped each other out and helped each other through. I loved them all. I still do, so for me giving back is like going back to what it was like when we were students.”

“We had a Christmas party every year and each class did a skit. One year our class made a movie – it was a spoof on our medical training. Let’s just say not all our professors were happy.”

Mentors, says Myers, encouraged and guided him, “so it’s nice to be able to ‘give back.’ I’m not part of the WVU faculty but I can write a check and offer encouragement.”

As Mountaineer Mentors™ the Myers will receive invitations to medical school milestone events such as the White Coat Ceremony and, of course, graduation. A long way from West Virginia, their student-mentor relationship will be defined – as are all Mountaineer Mentor™ relationships - by the individuals involved.

“I think my experience with medical training and practice might be valuable to a student. Also, I may be able to provide perspective and motivation. I want to be available, but it depends what the student would like.”