Edward Via - Virginia (VCOM-VC) Discussion Thread 2013 - 2014

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VinceViegel said:
Wait, I thought the secondary for CC and VC were the same? As in if you send one back you're considered at both campuses. Do you fill out a separate secondary for each?
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I thought they were separate. Not positive though. In my secondary e-mail a couple weeks ago, it specifically said Carolina Campus. I have yet to receive anything from VC?
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If you apply to both on aacomas you'll be considered for both, but that's the only way.
 
NontradCA said:
If you apply to both on aacomas you'll be considered for both, but that's the only way.
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And only fill out one secondary?

I checked both on aacomas and my e-mail says
"Please accept this letter as an invitation to submit the Secondary Application to the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) Carolinas Campus."
 
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geh926 said:
And only fill out one secondary?

I checked both on aacomas and my e-mail says
"Please accept this letter as an invitation to submit the Secondary Application to the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) Carolinas Campus."
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Call admissions in VA.
 
ToKingdomCome said:
I took a look at the #s VCOM seems like a school in my stat range, assuming the Appalachian bias doesn't cut me out.

With that said, I'm pretty interested in this school now. I have a few questions:

1. What's the overall thoughts on this school in terms of board scores, residency placement, etc.
2. How's the campus and are there adjacent graduate institutions nearby?
3. How competitive is the DO/PHD program, how do we get considered and what are thoughts on it? I'd be very down to doing DO/PHD if possible.

Thanks to anyone who's able to answer a couple of q's!
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I can answer 2/3 of your questions. VCOM's campus is located in a research park next to VTech, which obviously offers many graduate opportunities. There is also Radnor University about 20-25 minutes away that has some graduate programs as well. The VCOM campus itself is comprised of 2 buildings. The main building holds two large classrooms on the ground floor along with offices. The second floor has a small cafe with a lunchroom and the library with a large study room off of the library. The third floor has your anatomy lab and small group rooms used for studying. The second building is across the street. It has the SIM lab with SIM man, SIM Noel, and SIM baby. It also has the OMM lab rooms.

In terms of board scores and residencies, VCOM typically has done very well with the match and boards. Your entire last block of second year is devoted to board review. Unfortunately, I can't answer much about the DO/PHD program since I don't know much about it. Hope this helps answer your other questions!
 
Thanks! Very helpful. I'm starting to like VCOM quite a bit and it's a school I would be very excited to attend. Hoping for a good cycle now!
 
ToKingdomCome said:
Thanks! Very helpful. I'm starting to like VCOM quite a bit and it's a school I would be very excited to attend. Hoping for a good cycle now!
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No problem! Good luck to everyone applying this year! I am currently a 4th year at VCOM so feel free to PM me with questions.
 
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Got an II for September 17th! Submitted July 26th.
 
Anyone know if this school is receptive to "in the area" emails?
 
How long did it take everybody to get a secondary? They said reviewing my primary app could take two to three weeks?
 
HowDidIGetHere said:
How long did it take everybody to get a secondary? They said reviewing my primary app could take two to three weeks?
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I had turned in my application on day one and I am still under review. I called the admissions office last week, and they said that I had not been rejected pre-secondary, but they have received such a large number of applications, they can do up to two screenings. The first one can take anywhere from 2-3 weeks, and if moved for a second review, it can take from 4-6 weeks.
 
Hello,

For anyone who has received a secondary application from VCOM-VC, could you please verify whether the essay questions are:

"Describe the top three reasons you have chosen osteopathic medicine as your professional choice in becoming a physician (Please use your own description and not one that widely describes the profession)."

"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?"

"Please describe a volunteer or service activity that played a large part in your decision to become a physician."

These were the essay questions from last year when I applied. I'd like to know whether the essay questions remained the same because I'm currently waiting for them to send me the secondary app and I'd like to begin working on the essays.

Thanks for the help!
 
Just got a VC ii via phone for 10/2 :) Submitted July 18.

I also started thinking about the appalachian preference mentioned in this thread. I initially applied as a PA resident. Though I lived at that time in the Philly area (which isn't remotely appalachian) I thought my proximity maybe played some part.

However in the last few weeks I have moved to Illinois, which is obviously not even close. My mail will get forwarded from my old address in PA to my new address in IL, so perhaps it is possible that I could not make any mention of it and hope for the best. Or...do you think it would be better to be upfront and tell them about the move? My move has put me in a similar situation with a lot of schools such as PCOM. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 
matt1989 said:
Just got a VC ii via phone for 10/2 :) Submitted July 18.

I also started thinking about the appalachian preference mentioned in this thread. I initially applied as a PA resident. Though I lived at that time in the Philly area (which isn't remotely appalachian) I thought my proximity maybe played some part.

However in the last few weeks I have moved to Illinois, which is obviously not even close. My mail will get forwarded from my old address in PA to my new address in IL, so perhaps it is possible that I could not make any mention of it and hope for the best. Or...do you think it would be better to be upfront and tell them about the move? My move has put me in a similar situation with a lot of schools such as PCOM. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Just update them. Less delay and chance for loss of mail.

And congrats to all!
 
I'm a nj resident too on their website it says 86%appalachian 14% non Appalachian so we have a shot. It on the class profile of who matriculated so not certain how many non-Appalachian applicants were offered interviews.
 
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VLIM23 said:
Hello,

For anyone who has received a secondary application from VCOM-VC, could you please verify whether the essay questions are:

"Describe the top three reasons you have chosen osteopathic medicine as your professional choice in becoming a physician (Please use your own description and not one that widely describes the profession)."

"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?"

"Please describe a volunteer or service activity that played a large part in your decision to become a physician."

These were the essay questions from last year when I applied. I'd like to know whether the essay questions remained the same because I'm currently waiting for them to send me the secondary app and I'd like to begin working on the essays.

Thanks for the help!
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Those are the questions on this year's app. Good luck!
 
Cdm279 said:
I'm a nj resident too on their website it says 86%appalachian 14% non Appalachian so we have a shot. It on the class profile of who matriculated so not certain how many non-Appalachian applicants were offered interviews.
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When I applied, I was technically a NJ resident even though I grew up in PA my entire life before that move. I know at least two other people in my class from NJ so there is definitely a chance. Good luck!
 
danaling12 said:
When I applied, I was technically a NJ resident even though I grew up in PA my entire life before that move. I know at least two other people in my class from NJ so there is definitely a chance. Good luck!
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I haven't turned in my secondary but should I apply here? 27 (9PS, 8VR, 10Bio) MCAT, URM, 3.78 GPA (both science and overall)... I am not from Appalachia though :-/
 
I just got my complete application email. For those of you with interview offers, how long did it take between the completed app and interview offer?
 
HowDidIGetHere said:
I just got my complete application email. For those of you with interview offers, how long did it take between the completed app and interview offer?
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I just got an ii today for Oct 7th! Was complete on 7/22. 3.45c 3.56s 27MCAT.
 
all quiet here. anyone else have an interview this friday??? getting pumped!
 
Interview this morning!! Am I the only one excited about this school??? *crickets*
 
lutzsh01 said:
Interview this morning!! Am I the only one excited about this school??? *crickets*
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Congratulations and good luck on the interview, I only wish I can receive a secondary. Been waiting since June and it sucks because I went to Virginia Tech for undergrad and grad school so definitely LOVE Blacksburg. :annoyed:
 
It seems like this is one of those schools that has a very long interview timeline, with lots of waiting?
 
lutzsh01 said:
Interview this morning!! Am I the only one excited about this school??? *crickets*
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You interviewed? How was it? Can you tell us more details? The set up of labs and courses? Rotations?
 
Nesmall2 said:
Congratulations and good luck on the interview, I only wish I can receive a secondary. Been waiting since June and it sucks because I went to Virginia Tech for undergrad and grad school so definitely LOVE Blacksburg. :annoyed:
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check your spam!! i've been waiting for weeks just to find out yesterday that it was in my spam folder :(
 
r0703 said:
check your spam!! i've been waiting for weeks just to find out yesterday that it was in my spam folder :(
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yeah definitely good advice, I found my secondary in my spam folder too as Im sure a lot of others did.

INTERVIEW: okay heres how it went.

First of all, Ive never been to Blacksburg, nonetheless Virginia Tech and all the fanfare that comes with such a large university with a D1 football team. I absolutely fell in LOVE with the blacksburg area, the beauty, nature activities like hiking and biking, the cost of living isnt bad, and theres a real strong presence of the students in the community (outreach work, partnerships etc.). They describe it as a 'small town' but honestly compared to what Im used to from my undergrad, Blacksburg isnt really that small of a town. At one point during the interview day, all of us were taken on a van tour through the entire town and VTech campus, and also showed popular living complexes for students. It was a great addition that I dont feel other campuses give their students, just mostly show them their own campus and point in the distance and say 'and thats there too'. They say that as a VCOM student, you are technically also a graduate student over at VTech so you get all the perks and options as a normal VTech graduate student (like dining hall, sports evens, intramural teams, concerts etc.).

ANYWAYS- so interview day started at 930AM, which was a nice change from the usual 7:30AM routine most other schools employ. The campus was really easy to find, and when you entered the admissions staff was there to greet you. Everyone was super friendly and seemed to be sincerely excited to meet all of us. Altogether there were 8 interviewees (5 guys 3 girls) and we were in a conference room as our home base so we could leave things as we came and went during the day. The facility was beautiful, immaculately clean, and modern. The anatomy lab is the best quality Ive ever seen, has wall to wall windows and good ventilation, not the usual dark and dreary basement labs that are typical.
Once we got there, we were given an informational handbook about the school (more like a phonebook) that was very detailed and even had pictures of all current students, faculty etc. We also had a schedule for the day with each interviewee's name and specific interview schedule as well as the faculty doing the interview. There were 8 of us so we were split into 2 groups of 4, where the first group had their first 2 interviews (30 mins each one with a professor and one w a clinician) and the second group sat for a short presentation, then the groups flopped. After the presentation we had lunch. We were given a paper at the beginning w the lunch options and we could pick what we wanted. It was good but there werent really gluten free options and when I wrote gluten allergy on my salad they still dumped a bunch of croutons all over it haha. Anyways, we ate with 2 current MS1 students and were able to pick their minds about their time at VCOM so far. They were both VTech graduates so they knew the area very well and seemed very comfortable with the rigorous block schedule they use. After lunch we had our 3rd interview with a current MS2 student, then the van tour of the campus, a financial aid presentation, and a wrapup.

The interviews were pretty laid back, conversational, and the time flew by so quick it felt like no time at all. It was open file so they knew everything about us beforehand and so asked a few questions about our history. My first interview with a clinician was great, but the second one was a little tougher. A lot of tough questions were asked like- what is the most pressing issue healthcare today and how would you fix that? I stumbled a little bit, but the interviewer helped keep the conversation moving along. Be sure to back up any red flags on your transcript (like a C in a required class) because they most definitely will ask about it. Of course, they did their best to make sure you didnt feel like you were under fire, but be prepared for anything. The student interview was reallllly laid back and its closed file- they dont know a thing about you except your name. They have a list of pre-arranged questions they can ask and they select a few from that. I liked the student interview the best because they really just wanted to get to know you rather than nit-pick things about your file, and they had been in your shoes 2 years ago so understand the pressure of interview situations.

The wrapup session was real quick, we found out that the interview committee meets every other friday to discuss candidates and right afterward make phone calls. If its an acceptance theyll call you, if rejection they will email. There is no waitlist because they feel that anyone who is worth being waitlisted is worth being accepted, so its yes or no. Theyll meet next friday so we will have a decision by friday which is really exciting, what a quick turnaround! Another great thing is that when you get your decision you dont have to decide until december, rather than put another deposit down to wait for other schools.

i absolutely loved this school, its definitely my number 1 so I would be absolutely honored to hear some good news next week. The wait is just about going to kill me. Hope this helps everyone in their upcoming interviews, good luck!
 
r0703 said:
check your spam!! i've been waiting for weeks just to find out yesterday that it was in my spam folder :(
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I have been checking my spam. I got a little neurotic and called the office and they said that they would email me by this week, but they told me that last time and that was in August :(
 
lutz Thank you for the amazing description of your day! Very helpful!! I am really excited to see this school. Unfortunately I just had to cancel my Oct 7th date due to family issues during that time. I actually don't know when I can reschedule. Hope someone on SDN gets a call for an ii now!!
 
Can someone tell me what the subject of the email is for a secondary invitation for this school? If i don't have anything or receive anything by this weekend, I am going to give them a call.
 
Nesmall2 said:
Can someone tell me what the subject of the email is for a secondary invitation for this school? If i don't have anything or receive anything by this weekend, I am going to give them a call.
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Its just VCOM Invitation for Secondary. Most people found it in their spam folders, including myself. Check there first
 
lutzsh01 said:
Its just VCOM Invitation for Secondary. Most people found it in their spam folders, including myself. Check there first
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Thanks, I checked and I found nothing from VCOM except for you are under review, and this could take three months. I am starting to loose hope :(. Hopefully something will come this week, if not I will call Ms. Farley one more time next week.
 
Nesmall2 said:
Thanks, I checked and I found nothing from VCOM except for you are under review, and this could take three months. I am starting to loose hope :(. Hopefully something will come this week, if not I will call Ms. Farley one more time next week.
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dont get discouraged, their interviews literally only started last week. Schools that started interviewing 2 months ago are still sending out secondaries, so it could still happen.
 
lutzsh01 said:
dont get discouraged, their interviews literally only started last week. Schools that started interviewing 2 months ago are still sending out secondaries, so it could still happen.
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Thanks for the hope. I was really hoping for some love from this school considering I did my undergrad and graduate school at Virginia Tech
 
hsalfeht said:
Does this school have geographical preference?
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I got an ii and from FL. I did goto a small liberal arts school in VA for one year and was born there. But I wouldn't really say that's strong geologic ties.
 
hsalfeht said:
Does this school have geographical preference?
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They actually highly favor those from the Appalachian Region... it's in their mission.
Of course they accept others, but it's something to keep in mind.
 
hsalfeht said:
Does this school have geographical preference?
Click to expand...

They actually highly favor those from the Appalachian Region... it's in their mission.
Of course they accept others, but it's something to keep in mind.
 
Just got the acceptance call. Interviewed 9/17
 
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