2022-2023 Virginia Commonwealth

[wysdoc]

Thank you to @AstroSidekick for sharing the questions for this year

2022-2023 Virginia Commonwealth Secondary Essay Prompts (2000 character limit each)

1. The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?
2. Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application.
3. Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades.
4. If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now?

MD/PhD applicants:
1. Describe your motivation for obtaining a dual degree. (3000 characters)
2. Describe your significant research experience(s) and your role in any publications. (10,000 characters)
3. Describe scientific topics and/or labs at VCU that appeal to your future research aspirations. (1,000 characters)

Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview feedback:
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center School of Medicine Interview Feedback

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[snowman888]

OOS received

 

[AstroSidekick]

@wysdoc Here are the secondary questions:

1. The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?
2. Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application.
3. Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades.
4. If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now?

2000 characters each.

 

[peaches00]

OOS received

 

[ron_johnson]

IS received

 

[CookieMonsta]

Anyone else not seeing their AP courses in the course selection section?

 

[snowman888]

I emailed them and they said they're working on it - it'll be fixed by tomorrow at the latest.

 

[wsian]

If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now? <- I don't think there's a limit to this question because the Current Character displays this: 0/ . I also had no issue pasting in a 4000-character response lol. Not sure if it's permanent or a mistake.

 

[snailmail7]

What if there are no lapses in my application or poor grades (I've received a few B's but i dont count that as poor grades....) do i still need to answer the question? Not sure how I can answer this in 2000 characters

 

[sleepingpupper]

@wysdoc

fmSTAT (Family Medicine Scholars Training and Admission Track) specific questions:

1. Describe the doctor you want to be and discuss how a career in family medicine will help you achieve that. (2500 characters)

2. Describe your concept of what Family Medicine is and tell us what specific influence led you to this understanding? (2500 characters)

 

[wysdoc]

What if there are no lapses in my application or poor grades (I've received a few B's but i dont count that as poor grades....) do i still need to answer the question? Not sure how I can answer this in 2000 characters

2000 is the maximum and you can be very brief - for example, but make it sound like you
3. "I attended college for 4 years with no gaps."
4. "My grades in college were consistent from semester to semester."

 

[showkayaker]

OOS Recieved!

 

[uthrowaway98130]

anyone still not see AP courses?

 

[boston_3]

anyone still not see AP courses?

It looks like you can manually type in courses now

 

[As-salamu]

"Your application has been received by the VCU School of Medicine and will now begin the process of evaluation. A preliminary review of your credentials will determine whether or not you will be invited to complete a secondary application. Please allow 4 weeks for processing of your application. "

Did anyone receive this prior to the email that has the link for the portal? Doesn't include a link or make mention of secondary etc.

 

[hadv3r]

For the challenge question, is this basically 3 different questions? Like does the challenge we pick that we faced how to be directly related to what we think others have faced?

For example (not going into much detail), I had issues getting my meds for my condition, and it led to a flare-up. I was going to talk about how I had to adapt and remain resilient through my worsening symptoms. Would I then need to talk about how others may have faced a similar challenge, or just in general other challenges people may have faced? I know the pandemic really highlighted racial injustices and things like that, but I personally did not experience those challenges.

 

[JAK2-STAT3]

The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?

Are people interpreting this prompt to mean that they only want challenging experiences that happened during COVID? My challenge essay is about an incident that happened the year before COVID hit and I'm wondering if I need to come up with something else.

 

[AstroSidekick]

Are people interpreting this prompt to mean that they only want challenging experiences that happened during COVID? My challenge essay is about an incident that happened the year before COVID hit and I'm wondering if I need to come up with something else.

I think it’s fine as long as it’s explicitly within the last few years (2019 should be okay). I would then focus on the COVID aspect on the second portion and make a conclusion along the lines of “although the problems I faced were unique, the lessons I learned were not.”

 

[showkayaker]

Does anyone else have courses missing from the pre-req section?

 

[meerkat__]

wait did anyone just get a preliminary rejection..... im so confused

Oh no. Did you get a secondary invite and submit it yet or is this a pre-secondary rejection?

 

[showkayaker]

pre-secondary rejection : ( after receiving this a few days ago: "Your application has been received by the VCU School of Medicine and will now begin the process of evaluation. A preliminary review of your credentials will determine whether or not you will be invited to complete a secondary application. Please allow 4 weeks for processing of your application. "

Oh no I'm sorry. If you don't mind me asking would you share any stats/IS/OOS other info for us?

 

[pcm810]

Just received MD-PhD IS secondary.
Prompts include
Describe your motivation for obtaining a dual degree. 3000 characters
Describe your significant research experience(s) and your role in any publications. 10,000 characters
Describe scientific topics and/or labs at VCU that appeal to your future research aspirations. 1,000 characters

For anyone else applying MD-PhD, how are you handling the first two being nearly exactly the same as primary essays.

 

[hadv3r]

wait did anyone just get a preliminary rejection..... im so confused

It looks like on their website, they say “All applicants aren’t granted a supplemental application.” Not sure how they decide that

 

[notmycupoftea]

For LORs to VCU... their website reads, "Applicants should submit a minimum of three letters of recommendation (maximum of five). A letter packet is assembled and distributed by your school. It may or may not include a cover letter from your pre-health advisor or committee, but it does not include a committee evaluation. If the letter packet contains at least three individual letters, it will fulfill our requirements. However, if the letter packet includes fewer than three individual letters, you will need to submit additional individual letters to meet our minimum requirement of three letters."

This wording is really confusing me. Are they saying minimum 3, maximum 5, and they don't want a committee letter?

 

[purplepea]

For LORs to VCU... their website reads, "Applicants should submit a minimum of three letters of recommendation (maximum of five). A letter packet is assembled and distributed by your school. It may or may not include a cover letter from your pre-health advisor or committee, but it does not include a committee evaluation. If the letter packet contains at least three individual letters, it will fulfill our requirements. However, if the letter packet includes fewer than three individual letters, you will need to submit additional individual letters to meet our minimum requirement of three letters."

This wording is really confusing me. Are they saying minimum 3, maximum 5, and they don't want a committee letter?

I believe it is saying that if your committee letter does not have additional letters attached then you should send them in as well.

 

[meerkat__]

I believe it is saying that if your committee letter does not have additional letters attached then you should send them in as well.

That's what it sounds like to me. My health professions committee told us that they write their committee letter and then also include all of our individual letters in full along with it, so I'm hoping that will all work out.

 

[brio_o]

For the course work section, does anyone know if we put ALL coursework (lower and upper-div) that we have took under each subject category? Or do we only put our introductory courses that satisfy the minimum credits at the top? Thank you!

 

[Delawarean]

Is the fee payment not working for anyone else? The 'Proceed to Payment' button takes me to a blank page on Safari and Firefox.

 

[goat1080]

Is the fee payment not working for anyone else? The 'Proceed to Payment' button takes me to a blank page on Safari and Firefox.

Same for me too in Firefox. It worked in an Incognito Chrome window without add-ons for me. Not sure what the issue was though

 

[sleepingpupper]

Can anyone who applied for the fmSTAT program say how that impacted their application/interviews? It's my dream to go into FM and I'm wondering how different fmSTAT is from the regular MD application process.

 

[medschoolapplicant99]

Does anyone's "letter of references' say 'not recieved' but when you click on it its there? I have a committee letter with 5 letters in it so it should be good

 

[cherrymed]

Does anyone's "letter of references' say 'not recieved' but when you click on it its there? I have a committee letter with 5 letters in it so it should be good

my app is still not marked as complete, all LORs have been in the document section since I submitted a while ago

 

[medschoolapplicant99]

my app is still not marked as complete, all LORs have been in the document section since I submitted a while ago

Their website says they don’t confirm receipt of letters and not to contact them but I feel like the system is misleading then

 

[cherrymed]

has anyone's app been marked complete?

 

[hadv3r]

has anyone's app been marked complete?

Yes mine has

 

[hadv3r]

Does anyone's "letter of references' say 'not recieved' but when you click on it its there? I have a committee letter with 5 letters in it so it should be good

Happened to me for another school also using AMP, it was marked complete a few days later. Just give it some time.

 

[ayoooooosauce]

what is the abbreviation for VCU? VCUSOM?

 

[snowman888]

what is the abbreviation for VCU? VCUSOM?

The email I received says VCU SOM

 

[FiletFrenzy]

My AP courses still aren't showing up for the Course Information page. Should I contact the school?

 

[gasstationsushi]

My AP courses still aren't showing up for the Course Information page. Should I contact the school?

AP courses won't show up. They have instructions on the course information page of the application for how to manually enter AP courses.

 

[tryingtogetin123]

can someone clarify this question for me please?

" The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?"

is this asking in three parts?

1. describe covid-19 related challenge
2. describe non covid-19 related challenge
3. what did I learn during this time?

or is two parts?
1. any challenge in my life
2. what did I learn during this time?

 

[Gothpanic]

"The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?"
For this secondary question, does the "what did you learn about yourself" part refer to like a lesson that I learned? or like a weakness that I addressed? I'm a bit confused by the wording.

 

[JAK2-STAT3]

can someone clarify this question for me please?

" The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?"

is this asking in three parts?

1. describe covid-19 related challenge
2. describe non covid-19 related challenge
3. what did I learn during this time?

or is two parts?
1. any challenge in my life
2. what did I learn during this time?

My Covid-related challenges were nothing compared to those of others, so I wrote about a non-Covid challenge from 2019 and what I learned from it, segued into Covid, addressed challenges of my own and of others during Covid, and what I learned from those. Hopefully VCU is okay with that lol

 

[szeth]

can someone clarify this question for me please?

" The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?"

is this asking in three parts?

1. describe covid-19 related challenge
2. describe non covid-19 related challenge
3. what did I learn during this time?

or is two parts?
1. any challenge in my life
2. what did I learn during this time?

It's more so your second description ("two parts") but make sure to talk about what challenges others may have faced in addition to your own

 

[szeth]

"The last couple of years have been challenging for us all in various ways (i.e., dealing with the impacts of COVID, social unrest and injustices). Please describe a particular challenge you faced. What are some challenges others may have experienced? What did you learn about yourself and others during this time?"
For this secondary question, does the "what did you learn about yourself" part refer to like a lesson that I learned? or like a weakness that I addressed? I'm a bit confused by the wording.

I answered it with a lesson I learned but it seems like you could go either way since they left it vague, as long as you describe what you've learned from addressing your weakness

 

[tryingtogetin123]

thank you for the help everyone!

 

[hadv3r]

Would love some opinions, in terms of a challenge I faced during the pandemic would be getting the vaccine when my family was anti-vax, I really struggled at first with this, not wanting to go against my parents, but I did and got the vaccine - is that a stupid thing to talk about?

For me it’s not the strongest challenge essay, but if you don’t have anything else you can.

One thing to keep in mind is this is a 2 part question. Your challenge doesn’t have to necessarily be related to COVID, or at the very least I picked a challenge that wasn’t COVID related (but also it occurred within the last 2 years). I then talked about issues other people faced during the pandemic

 

[HalJordann]

Just received an Interview Invite from VCU!

 

[meerkat__]

Just received an Interview Invite from VCU!

Wow congrats!!! Do you mind sharing when you were marked complete to give an idea of where they're at in the review process?

 

[HalJordann]

Wow congrats!!! Do you mind sharing when you were marked complete to give an idea of where they're at in the review process?

Marked complete on July 9th.