Edward Via COM - Virginia Campus (VCOM-VC) Discussion Thread 2016-2017

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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MrsSheperd said:
Has anyone received IIs yet? When do The VCOMs start interviewing? I just submitted my pimary :)
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They don't start interviews until October!
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girlonfire101 said:
No all they said was if you are early acceptance they start interviewing in September!
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I should have applied early acceptance, that way if I didn't find out I would still be early enough in the cycle to be competitive for other schools


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I am confused about the secondary question, "Professionalism and the ability to gain respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance as you embark upon a career as a physician. What three professional qualities do you feel a Student Doctor must be able to demonstrate as he/or she makes the transition into the study and practice of medicine. How will you demonstrate those qualities as a medical student at VCOM?"

Are they asking about three qualities that a medical student should be able to demonstrate as they become a physician or what qualities should I possess as I transition into medical school?
 
MDProspect said:
I am confused about the secondary question, "Professionalism and the ability to gain respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance as you embark upon a career as a physician. What three professional qualities do you feel a Student Doctor must be able to demonstrate as he/or she makes the transition into the study and practice of medicine. How will you demonstrate those qualities as a medical student at VCOM?"

Are they asking about three qualities that a medical student should be able to demonstrate as they become a physician or what qualities should I possess as I transition into medical school?
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I would say probably both.
 
MDProspect said:
I am confused about the secondary question, "Professionalism and the ability to gain respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance as you embark upon a career as a physician. What three professional qualities do you feel a Student Doctor must be able to demonstrate as he/or she makes the transition into the study and practice of medicine. How will you demonstrate those qualities as a medical student at VCOM?"

Are they asking about three qualities that a medical student should be able to demonstrate as they become a physician or what qualities should I possess as I transition into medical school?
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I did both. Just do a google search for professional qualities and you will get a general idea
 
What do you mean both? It's asking for 3 qualities.


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cjcarter said:
What do you mean both? It's asking for 3 qualities.


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Qualities that your bring to the table. Qualities that a student doctor (and physician-to-be) should have...For some reason I'm having a hard time expressing this without forming an awkwardly convoluted sentence haha Hope this makes sense :)
 
MrsSheperd said:
Qualities that your bring to the table. Qualities that a student doctor (and physician-to-be) should have...For some reason I'm having a hard time expressing this without forming an awkwardly convoluted sentence haha Hope this makes sense :)
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Oh ok I thought you guys only wrote about two qualities lol. I just picked three and spoke about each one individually.


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Anyone able to throw some light on the rural area - living portion of the secondary? How do we judge population? City, County, etc? Reason being is that my city is like 13k, but the entire county is about 33k (340 square miles in size). Any help would be appreciated.
 
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NeedsMoreData said:
Anyone able to throw some light on the rural area - living portion of the secondary? How do we judge population? City, County, etc? Reason being is that my city is like 13k, but the entire county is about 33k (340 square miles in size). Any help would be appreciated.
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Don't check it unless you have been personally disadvantaged by it.


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Hey folks, I was accepted here but did not attend -- which I regret. Of all the schools I visited they collectively had the happiest students by far, and I have several friends here that love it as well.

There are some aspects of VCOM that justifiably deter some people, such as the mandatory attendance and dress code, but I wouldn't let this factor into your decision. Being able to watch lectures in the comfort of your living room is nice, but it's short lived. By 3rd year you'll be expected to wake up early, arrive on time, and dress professionally no matter where you attend -- and this will continue for the rest of your professional career -- so you might as well get used to it from the get go.

From what I'm told, VCOM has an incredibly supportive faculty that will go above and beyond to ensure your success; do not underestimate the value of this. There will be a point where you struggle, no matter who you are, and you want the school behind you in these situations rather than fighting you. I also lived in Blacksburg when I attended undergrad, and you truly will not find a better community in the entire country.

Tips for the application cycle:
-VCOM wants students that have positive attitudes and are active members of the community. Spend 5 minutes on their campus and you'll know exactly the type they want: Active, positive, extroverted, professional, and altruistic. Make sure this comes through in your secondaries.
-Don't even think about writing that you're interested in practicing anything outside of primary care in a rural area. At least 50% of their students have no interest in either, but their mission statement is very specific and this would be difficult for them to overlook.
-Don't think higher stats will make up for a bad secondary or lack of volunteer work. Their faculty is very clear (especially when you interview), that they feel after a certain threshold of stats there is no net benefit for them because they don't think you need to be a genius to match their mission statement (primary care in a rural area). Lots of relatively low MCAT scores at this school, but as long as they feel you can pass their curriculum (and step 1) they really do not care. At the end of the cycle you'll see a lot of 34 MCATs with no interview and 22 MCATs with acceptances, that's VCOM in a nutshell.
-If/when you interview, it'll be the most relaxed interview you attend by a wide margin. So, just relax and be happy -- they want to see you influence the mood in a room in a positive way. Ask questions, but don't interrogate them, and whatever you do don't make it sound like you have better options. If they sense you'd rather attend somewhere else, they'll reject you point blank.

I hope this was helpful, good luck with your applications.
 
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@Azete Thank you for this info! For the dress code you mentioned, is it only business casual or are scrubs also an option?


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cjcarter said:
@Azete Thank you for this info! For the dress code you mentioned, is it only business casual or are scrubs also an option?


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I'm not entirely sure to be honest. I know they tell everyone that they have a business casual dress code, but when I visited there were plenty of students wearing scrubs -- obviously difficult for me to discern the context, though.

They do have school polo shirts that they allow as well. I saw many students wearing khaki dress pants with the VCOM polo, very few dress shirts and ties.
 
MDProspect said:
I am confused about the secondary question, "Professionalism and the ability to gain respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance as you embark upon a career as a physician. What three professional qualities do you feel a Student Doctor must be able to demonstrate as he/or she makes the transition into the study and practice of medicine. How will you demonstrate those qualities as a medical student at VCOM?"

Are they asking about three qualities that a medical student should be able to demonstrate as they become a physician or what qualities should I possess as I transition into medical school?
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I wrote about about efficiency, interpersonal skills, and trustworthiness and I emphasized each one to either medical school or the practice of medicine in general. The line between the two I think is gray anyways so I don't think it is meant to trick us..
 
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I'm submitting my secondary tomorrow morning :nailbiting: Does anyone know what the turn around is currently for complete emails? I got my secondary a day after submitting the primary
 
MrsSheperd said:
I'm submitting my secondary tomorrow morning :nailbiting: Does anyone know what the turn around is currently for complete emails? I got my secondary a day after submitting the primary
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No idea. I submitted mine for Va and Carolina last Monday and haven't heard anything.


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ATPsynthase123 said:
No idea. I submitted mine for Va and Carolina last Monday and haven't heard anything.


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Oh my! I was just reading up on last year's a little and seems like they take some time. I guess it's understandable, given that they receive thousands of apps!
 
ERinspired said:
I submitted mine 6/30 and haven't heard.!


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Wow. That's a long time! Did you check this portal they have? Apparently some people have been receiving correspondence through the portal but not their emails
 
Scrubs are allowed for anatomy lab but not lecture. It is a business casual dress code, khaki and dress shirt or appropriate attire for women. If you guys have any questions about the interview process or any other questions about VCOM-VC I can try and answer them.
 
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PC89 said:
Scrubs are allowed for anatomy lab but not lecture. It is a business casual dress code, khaki and dress shirt or appropriate attire for women. If you guys have any questions about the interview process or any other questions about VCOM-VC I can try and answer them.
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Thank you for offering some insight!! Do you remember when VCOM started sending out invitations? Someone mentioned they start interviewing in October.

What do you love most about the school?
 
MrsSheperd said:
Thank you for offering some insight!! Do you remember when VCOM started sending out invitations? Someone mentioned they start interviewing in October.

What do you love most about the school?
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VCOM-VC should start their interviews in October from what I remember as for when they send out interview invites I can't say. When I was invited for an interview my interview was scheduled for the following week but this occurred in February.

The faculty is very supportive but also everyone seems to be very happy. Also after every block there is a week off.
 
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That sounds nice :) Do you have a summer break? I love to travel lol And how long is one block?
 
PC89 said:
VCOM-VC should start their interviews in October from what I remember as for when they send out interview invites I can't say. When I was invited for an interview my interview was scheduled for the following week but this occurred in February.

The faculty is very supportive but also everyone seems to be very happy. Also after every block there is a week off.
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How is the quality of the faculty and classes? I've heard very good things, but do you have any concerns of criticisms about the curriculum? Is there anything you would improve if given the chance?

Right now the only major complaint I would have is the dress code and even that is trivial.


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Just submitted the secondary, loving the $25 fee, cheapest one yet!
 
MrsSheperd said:
That sounds nice :) Do you have a summer break? I love to travel lol And how long is one block?
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Summer is a month long, July, between OMS1 and OMS2. A block will range between 8-10 weeks and classes start on August 1st. Its a short summer but the curriculum is rather long.

ATPsynthase123 said:
How is the quality of the faculty and classes? I've heard very good things, but do you have any concerns of criticisms about the curriculum? Is there anything you would improve if given the chance?

Right now the only major complaint I would have is the dress code and even that is trivial.
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The faculty and classes are fine, just like any other medical school you will have your ups and downs. Fortunately for VCOM-VC it has more ups than downs. The criticism about the curriculum is the length as well as constant tests. While this does suck it makes sure that you're on your toes when it comes to your knowledge which will keep you prepared for COMLEX and USMLE. I guess I would not make classes mandatory but that's more of a personal choice and I do not mind it. The dress code doesn't require a tie which is all I care about haha.
 
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PC89 said:
The faculty and classes are fine, just like any other medical school you will have your ups and downs. Fortunately for VCOM-VC it has more ups than downs. The criticism about the curriculum is the length as well as constant tests. While this does suck it makes sure that you're on your toes when it comes to your knowledge which will keep you prepared for COMLEX and USMLE. I guess I would not make classes mandatory but that's more of a personal choice and I do not mind it. The dress code doesn't require a tie which is all I care about haha.
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Nice! I really hope I get to attend this school. How is the attrition rate after first year? Like how many people that were part of the entering class when you started made it to 2nd year and so on?

Since they have a wide range of accepted applicants do you find that those on the lower end of the averages have harder times passing the curriculum or COMLEX exam?


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ATPsynthase123 said:
Nice! I really hope I get to attend this school. How is the attrition rate after first year? Like how many people that were part of the entering class when you started made it to 2nd year and so on?

Since they have a wide range of accepted applicants do you find that those on the lower end of the averages have harder times passing the curriculum or COMLEX exam?


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VCOM posts the attrition rates on their outcomes report which is free to view. For the class of 2019, 2 withdrew. The attrition rate between 2007-2019 classes is 3.8%. I don't have privy to lower end average students passing the curriculum but the attrition rate of 3.8% is not bad. Also, most recently for the class of 2017 the COMLEX pass rate is 96% for first time which is 4% higher than the national average.
 
PC89 said:
VCOM posts the attrition rates on their outcomes report which is free to view. For the class of 2019, 2 withdrew. The attrition rate between 2007-2019 classes is 3.8%. I don't have privy to lower end average students passing the curriculum but the attrition rate of 3.8% is not bad. Also, most recently for the class of 2017 the COMLEX pass rate is 96% for first time which is 4% higher than the national average.
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That is awesome. This school keeps getting better and better. Are there any Rural Medicine Tracks like some MD schools have, or options for clerkships in rural areas/facilities?


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ATPsynthase123 said:
That is awesome. This school keeps getting better and better. Are there any Rural Medicine Tracks like some MD schools have, or options for clerkships in rural areas/facilities?


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There is a rural medicine track but I do not know a lot of information about it. There are definitely options for rural areas especially since it is the school's mission statement.
 
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My aacomas was fully verified on 7/18. Received a couple of secondaries after a few days. Still haven't received one from here. Anyone know typically how long it takes?
 
As I recall, I got the secondary invite within a week after being verified.
 
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Jeetu93 said:
My aacomas was fully verified on 7/18. Received a couple of secondaries after a few days. Still haven't received one from here. Anyone know typically how long it takes?
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I was verified 7/19 and received a secondary yesterday so you'll probably get yours soon!
 
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Helloooo fellow neurotics :laugh: I checked my portal after submission and it is blank lol All I see is the initial email I received. Anyone else experiencing this? Do they accept the AACOMAS letter service or was I supposed to send them to the school separately?:shrug:
 
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MrsSheperd said:
Helloooo fellow neurotics :laugh: I checked my portal after submission and it is blank lol All I see is the initial email I received. Anyone else experiencing this? Do they accept the AACOMAS letter service or was I supposed to send them to the school separately?:shrug:
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I have a secondary application received email on the portal. That came about 10 days after submitting my secondary application. They do accept AACOMAS letter service, but it just takes a while for them to complete the file and send the complete email.
 
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fazd5 said:
I have a secondary application received email on the portal. That came about 10 days after submitting my secondary application. They do accept AACOMAS letter service, but it just takes a while for them to complete the file and send the complete email.
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Great, thank you :) Didn't want to risk further delaying consideration of my app because of missing letters!
 
Is anybody having payment problems?
 
Jeetu93 said:
My aacomas was fully verified on 7/18. Received a couple of secondaries after a few days. Still haven't received one from here. Anyone know typically how long it takes?
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Hey did you get a secondary yet? I was complete on 7/12 and still haven't heard anything about a secondary application! I received some secondaries from other schools but not this one. UGHHH
 
kj8210 said:
Hey did you get a secondary yet? I was complete on 7/12 and still haven't heard anything about a secondary application! I received some secondaries from other schools but not this one. UGHHH
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I was verified 7/6 and got a secondary from VCOM 7/7. Not sure if that means anything good or bad but that's how it went for me.
 
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smokeyboogs49 said:
I was verified 7/6 and got a secondary from VCOM 7/7. Not sure if that means anything good or bad but that's how it went for me.
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Same here...got a secondary the day after. But maybe it was just a coincidence and they send them out in batches......who knows
 
Submitted Secondary on 7/7, then got a "received" email on 7/15, but still haven't received a "complete" email yet. Hope this info helps someone.
 
I submitted my secondary on 7/22; however I can still edit the fields and did not get the "received" email. Do the fields lock after some time or am I experiencing some sort of error?
 
MDProspect said:
I submitted my secondary on 7/22; however I can still edit the fields and did not get the "received" email. Do the fields lock after some time or am I experiencing some sort of error?
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I think you canes it it any time until your app goes under review. Mine is the same as well


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