Rocky Vista University (RVUCOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

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Dexter0410 said:
So does anyone know when white coat ceremony is? They had us try them on at our interviews but there isn't really a date in the portal for when it is... Just wondering so I can make plans for immediate family and what not.


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Orientation begins July 18
White Coast Ceremony is July 22
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(Asking for a friend) does anyone know about wait list movement?!
 
Henry101 said:
(Asking for a friend) does anyone know about wait list movement?!
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I haven't heard of any yet. I called admissions and they said to expect to see some movement as of May 1st/2nd.
 
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Can any current students talk about transportation lol
Is a car a necessity? I'm coming from Manhattan and we hate driving and I don't know what I'm going to do in the middle of Parker. What do most students do? Just live in the complex across the street?
 
Henry101 said:
Can any current students talk about transportation lol
Is a car a necessity? I'm coming from Manhattan and we hate driving and I don't know what I'm going to do in the middle of Parker. What do most students do? Just live in the complex across the street?
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Well there isn't really a grocery store within walking distance.... so for that reason alone, yes a car is a good idea. Parker is a suburb, and this particular area is almost rural. You can carpool when you go out with friends, but you don't want to be dependent on others the whole time you're here. I would say a car is a necessity.
 
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denverfotomed said:
Well there isn't really a grocery store within walking distance.... so for that reason alone, yes a car is a good idea. Parker is a suburb, and this particular area is almost rural. You can carpool when you go out with friends, but you don't want to be dependent on others the whole time you're here. I would say a car is a necessity.
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Agreed. I'll be biking to school but King Soopers across from Parker road is not walkable.
 
Did anyone submit the optional CV along with their secondary?
 
bon22 said:
Did anyone submit the optional CV along with their secondary?
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...Yes?

Figured Optional meant "1346091 other applicants are submitting it, so should you."
 
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Henry101 said:
Can any current students talk about transportation lol
Is a car a necessity? I'm coming from Manhattan and we hate driving and I don't know what I'm going to do in the middle of Parker. What do most students do? Just live in the complex across the street?
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A car is 100% necessary
 
Anyone have suggestions on how to figure out housing? I'm still on the APS right now, but under the likely scenario that I end up in this year's class, I will have to figure out housing before July. I'm assuming I won't be able to get into the class page before I receive the final decision, but I've looked at Oodle Marketplace for price ranges and possible housemates. Any other suggestions?
 
odette115 said:
Anyone have suggestions on how to figure out housing? I'm still on the APS right now, but under the likely scenario that I end up in this year's class, I will have to figure out housing before July. I'm assuming I won't be able to get into the class page before I receive the final decision, but I've looked at Oodle Marketplace for price ranges and possible housemates. Any other suggestions?
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I would say to just wait it out. Most people don't sign a lease until June.
 
How is the OMM class at RVU? How is it graded?
 
Isotopes said:
How is the OMM class at RVU? How is it graded?
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Hi I'm a first year here to answer your question. OMM (and all pre-clinical [i.e. years 1 and 2] classes at RVU for that matter) is graded pass/fail with >70% constituting a pass. You typically have a 1 hr lecture and 2 hr lab weekly. During 1st year, each semester has 2 exams that constitute 100% of your grade but you also have 6 competency sessions spread out over both semesters (think they start around Nov/Dec) where you need to clear a checklist of skills in front of an OPP faculty member in order to pass the class (each session is typically 10 minutes, I think two of them are 15 minutes). The competencies are separate from your grade but you need to complete all of them to pass the class. Hope this clarifies a bit. Let me know if you have any further questions!

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Niels Bohr said:
Hi I'm a first year here to answer your question. OMM (and all pre-clinical [i.e. years 1 and 2] classes at RVU for that matter) is graded pass/fail with >70% constituting a pass. You typically have a 1 hr lecture and 2 hr lab weekly. During 1st year, each semester has 2 exams that constitute 100% of your grade but you also have 6 competency sessions spread out over both semesters (think they start around Nov/Dec) where you need to clear a checklist of skills in front of an OPP faculty member in order to pass the class (each session is typically 10 minutes, I think two of them are 15 minutes). The competencies are separate from your grade but you need to complete all of them to pass the class. Hope this clarifies a bit. Let me know if you have any further questions!
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Would you mind if I messages you a question about housing?
 
Niels Bohr said:
Hi I'm a first year here to answer your question. OMM (and all pre-clinical [i.e. years 1 and 2] classes at RVU for that matter) is graded pass/fail with >70% constituting a pass. You typically have a 1 hr lecture and 2 hr lab weekly. During 1st year, each semester has 2 exams that constitute 100% of your grade but you also have 6 competency sessions spread out over both semesters (think they start around Nov/Dec) where you need to clear a checklist of skills in front of an OPP faculty member in order to pass the class (each session is typically 10 minutes, I think two of them are 15 minutes). The competencies are separate from your grade but you need to complete all of them to pass the class. Hope this clarifies a bit. Let me know if you have any further questions!

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Thanks so much. So do you practice/study OMM outside of the lecture and lab? Do you have to be pretty strong to do some of the OMM practices? I am a small person and I am worried about this.
 
Isotopes said:
Thanks so much. So do you practice/study OMM outside of the lecture and lab? Do you have to be pretty strong to do some of the OMM practices? I am a small person and I am worried about this.
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Yes to be successful you will need to practice outside of lecture/lab time since there are many techniques and they can sometimes be technical/require sensitive palpatory skills. In reality most of this practice will occur in the days leading up to your competencies since you will be quite busy with your systems course most of the time. I would not worry about your strength affecting your ability to perform techniques. Many have modifications that make it easier for you to gain a mechanical advantage when working with larger patients. We have some tiny people in our class that can perform HVLA on bigger people!

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Niels Bohr said:
Yes to be successful you will need to practice outside of lecture/lab time since there are many techniques and they can sometimes be technical/require sensitive palpatory skills. In reality most of this practice will occur in the days leading up to your competencies since you will be quite busy with your systems course most of the time. I would not worry about your strength affecting your ability to perform techniques. Many have modifications that make it easier for you to gain a mechanical advantage when working with larger patients. We have some tiny people in our class that can perform HVLA on bigger people!

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Do you practice on classmates outside of labs then?
 
Isotopes said:
Do you practice on classmates outside of labs then?
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Yes. Best to practice with classmates so they can correct/learn from you. If you don't live with a classmate then you can meet up with friends at school and practice on the OMM tables scattered all around the building there.
 
Niels Bohr said:
Yes. Best to practice with classmates so they can correct/learn from you. If you don't live with a classmate then you can meet up with friends at school and practice on the OMM tables scattered all around the building there.
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Spouses will benefit greatly.
 
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Niels Bohr said:
Hi I'm a first year here to answer your question. OMM (and all pre-clinical [i.e. years 1 and 2] classes at RVU for that matter) is graded pass/fail with >70% constituting a pass. You typically have a 1 hr lecture and 2 hr lab weekly. During 1st year, each semester has 2 exams that constitute 100% of your grade but you also have 6 competency sessions spread out over both semesters (think they start around Nov/Dec) where you need to clear a checklist of skills in front of an OPP faculty member in order to pass the class (each session is typically 10 minutes, I think two of them are 15 minutes). The competencies are separate from your grade but you need to complete all of them to pass the class. Hope this clarifies a bit. Let me know if you have any further questions!

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To clarify, a grade of 70% is required to pass; however grades are reported as percentages and not pass/fail.
 
alijen said:
To clarify, a grade of 70% is required to pass; however grades are reported as percentages and not pass/fail.
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Yeah I remember the Dean telling us it was pass/fail but then another staff member corrected him and said "well it's pass/fail in the way that if you get a 69 you fail and a 70 and above you pass. Just like undergrad" lol
 
This question is for current students - I have looked over the laptop specs on the portal but was wondering if anyone can provide recommendations for PCs that work well with the RVU software and for day-t0-day work.
 
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dgbmonkey said:
This question is for current students - I have looked over the laptop specs on the portal but was wondering if anyone can provide recommendations for PCs that work well with the RVU software and for day-t0-day work.
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I'd like to note that on the class Facebook page many students have said that Macs have no compatibility issues even though it lists that on the laptop specs.
 
dgbmonkey said:
This question is for current students - I have looked over the laptop specs on the portal but was wondering if anyone can provide recommendations for PCs that work well with the RVU software and for day-t0-day work.
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I am a Mac user- however I'll say that the majority of PC users have a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (or newer model) or a Lenovo Yoga. There are a few Acer and Dell's around as well. There's maybe 2 people with an Alienware computer - which they probably use for gaming in their rare spare time. Really any new PC you buy should exceed the specs list. The testing software supports Windows 7, 8 and 10. I would recommend at least having Windows 10 already installed so you don't have to deal with those upgrade issues down the line. I would also recommend a computer with a stylus as that's the feature that most PC users love in class.

For Mac users on this thread...to address what bon22 mentioned, the class is split about 50/50 with PC and Mac. The Macs are either MacBook Air's or Pro's with a few new tiny MacBooks floating around (the thin pretty ones). The testing software supports OS X 10.7 and up. Meaning, Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, and El Capitan. I would recommend at least the 13" screen because the testing software can get kind of cramped during an exam. That being said, I've seen people using the new tiny MacBook's without issue. The only compatibility issues you may experience are: wirelessly printing to the library printers. Honestly, no one uses this feature (Mac or PC users). We all log into the print stations in the library. The second issue is with the SP (standardized patient) software. It doesn't work on Mac and it rarely works on PC. Again, most everyone uses the school computers in the library, ~20 minutes once a month, to access this software and write a self reflection. Even then, the computers in the library may have problems too. It's just that the SP software is very finicky. Don't let that stop you from using Mac if that's your preference. Years of classes before you have been successful with Mac.

**Edit:
One more thing I forgot to mention. Some people use Android tablets with keyboards, or iPads with keyboards to take notes on during class. Some people have the new iPad pro with digitized stylus. They keep a simple laptop at home that they only bring on test days. There's another idea for you all.
Hope this helps.
 
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denverfotomed said:
I am a Mac user- however I'll say that the majority of PC users have a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (or newer model) or a Lenovo Yoga. There are a few Acer and Dell's around as well. There's maybe 2 people with an Alienware computer - which they probably use for gaming in their rare spare time. Really any new PC you buy should exceed the specs list. The testing software supports Windows 7, 8 and 10. I would recommend at least having Windows 10 already installed so you don't have to deal with those upgrade issues down the line. I would also recommend a computer with a stylus as that's the feature that most PC users love in class.

For Mac users on this thread...to address what bon22 mentioned, the class is split about 50/50 with PC and Mac. The Macs are either MacBook Air's or Pro's with a few new tiny MacBooks floating around (the thin pretty ones). The testing software supports OS X 10.7 and up. Meaning, Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, and El Capitan. I would recommend at least the 13" screen because the testing software can get kind of cramped during an exam. That being said, I've seen people using the new tiny MacBook's without issue. The only compatibility issues you may experience are: wirelessly printing to the library printers. Honestly, no one uses this feature (Mac or PC users). We all log into the print stations in the library. The second issue is with the SP (standardized patient) software. It doesn't work on Mac and it rarely works on PC. Again, most everyone uses the school computers in the library, ~20 minutes once a month, to access this software and write a self reflection. Even then, the computers in the library may have problems too. It's just that the SP software is very finicky. Don't let that stop you from using Mac if that's your preference. Years of classes before you have been successful with Mac.

Hope this helps.
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Thanks for the extensive info! I'm having trouble deciding between the surface pro 4 and MacBook Air. All of the reviews for the sp4 are hit or miss with problems. I've never been a Mac user, but I really don't want to run into tech problems during Med school.
 
bon22 said:
Thanks for the extensive info! I'm having trouble deciding between the surface pro 4 and MacBook Air. All of the reviews for the sp4 are hit or miss with problems. I've never been a Mac user, but I really don't want to run into tech problems during Med school.
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Then what I'd recommend is wait to buy your computer until sometime during the week before school starts. Go to Park Meadows mall (really close to school) which has both Microsoft and Apple stores. Buy whichever you decide on first and use it in school for 1-2 weeks. If you don't like it, you'll have minimum 30 days to return it - no questions asked and no restocking fees. Then you just go buy the other model same day - zero down time for you. I actually did this. I tried the Surface Pro 3 - hated it, returned it 2 days later. I mainly hated the flimsy keyboard and lack of hinge. If I went with PC again, I'd personally opt for the Surface Book with real keyboard and hinge, and detaches into tablet form.
 
denverfotomed said:
Then what I'd recommend is wait to buy your computer until sometime during the week before school starts. Go to Park Meadows mall (really close to school) which has both Microsoft and Apple stores. Buy whichever you decide on first and use it in school for 1-2 weeks. If you don't like it, you'll have minimum 30 days to return it - no questions asked and no restocking fees. Then you just go buy the other model same day - zero down time for you. I actually did this. I tried the Surface Pro 3 - hated it, returned it 2 days later. I mainly hated the flimsy keyboard and lack of hinge. If I went with PC again, I'd personally opt for the Surface Book with real keyboard and hinge, and detaches into tablet form.
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I definitely agree with waiting until the week of. I have no need of a laptop as my desktop is meeting my every need :)
Thanks for the help. I love that RVU students are so helpful.
 
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I was going to post this on the Facebook page but considering the recent conversations on computers, I think it's appropriate here. Some of my family members want to purchase medical supplies for me both as a gift and to lessen my expenses. I know each school has a different way they deal with this but could a current student just say if we are responsible for everything or everything but a stethescope or are the instruments bought directly from the school? Don't know how it works.
 
Ioannes Paulus said:
I was going to post this on the Facebook page but considering the recent conversations on computers, I think it's appropriate here. Some of my family members want to purchase medical supplies for me both as a gift and to lessen my expenses. I know each school has a different way they deal with this but could a current student just say if we are responsible for everything or everything but a stethescope or are the instruments bought directly from the school? Don't know how it works.
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You bring up a great question that many people actually had trouble with. At RVU you're responsible for everything - but understand that the cost of supplies is factored into your cost of attendance if you're taking out loans. When it comes to stethoscopes - they're great gifts for new medical students. However, for the purposes of med school, make sure they have both a diaphragm and a bell. A popular model people are gifted is the Littmann Cardiology II - which has no bell. You can't use this for testing purposes because the SP's have to visualize you using the correct side of the scope. At RVU, a Welch Allyn rep comes and brings all their kits for you to try out - with student pricing sheets. You can try out multiple models of scopes (including Littmann and Welch Allyn brands) and see which works best for you. They're delivered sometime in September in time for your first lab.

My advice: wait to buy your supplies until you can try them out at school. Then you can buy them on your own, or through the school. When it comes to stethoscopes, if you're going to be gifted one, make sure it has a diaphragm and a bell. If someone wants to gift you a medical toolkit bag, that's nice too, but any small tool bag (even from Home Depot) will do you fine while you're at school.
 
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Also - those of you eager textbook readers. I'd recommend waiting to buy books. Some of them are free to access online through school subscriptions. Some you may not need as they're optional. For some books, the professors might provide you the necessary reading out of them. When you start anatomy in the fall, your professor will bring ~10 different atlases for you to look at and decide which you want to order. That way you don't have to guess online as to which is best for you.
 
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denverfotomed said:
Also - those of you eager textbook readers. I'd recommend waiting to buy books. Some of them are free to access online through school subscriptions. Some you may not need as they're optional. For some books, the professors might provide you the necessary reading out of them. When you start anatomy in the fall, your professor will bring ~10 different atlases for you to look at and decide which you want to order. That way you don't have to guess online as to which is best for you.
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Wouldn't it be too late to wait to get the books after the classes have already started?
 
Not really - if you absolutely need a textbook, Amazon has great 2-day shipping (especially if you take advantage of the $50 prime subscription for students). Your first class will be Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms for which the textbooks are available electronically through the library should you need to read them. I purchased mine and never opened it. You will need a physical copy of the osteopathic manipulations manual, and that's only available on Amazon or from previous-class students. The reason I'd wait on that one is there might be a new edition coming out. That is not 100% definitive at all. Just by the time you get here, you'd want the newer one for that book specifically. For your principles of clinical medicine class (how to be a doctor and use a stethoscope) the lab manual is provided to you in lecture. You'll have nothing else to worry about until the 2nd or 3rd week of August. Anatomy won't start until September, so you'll be given plenty of time and opportunity to evaluate resources and purchase what you feel you'll need.
 
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denverfotomed said:
Not really - if you absolutely need a textbook, Amazon has great 2-day shipping (especially if you take advantage of the $50 prime subscription for students). Your first class will be Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms for which the textbooks are available electronically through the library should you need to read them. I purchased mine and never opened it. You will need a physical copy of the osteopathic manipulations manual, and that's only available on Amazon or from previous-class students. The reason I'd wait on that one is there might be a new edition coming out. That is not 100% definitive at all. Just by the time you get here, you'd want the newer one for that book specifically. For your principles of clinical medicine class (how to be a doctor and use a stethoscope) the lab manual is provided to you in lecture. You'll have nothing else to worry about until the 2nd or 3rd week of August. Anatomy won't start until September, so you'll be given plenty of time and opportunity to evaluate resources and purchase what you feel you'll need.
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^^ Most helpful RVU student of the month
 
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Just withdrew, sadly. Hope this provides an opportunity for someone out there. Wish I could have experienced this program. All the best and enjoy med school in paradise!


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Medbound40 said:
Just withdrew, sadly. Hope this provides an opportunity for someone out there. Wish I could have experienced this program. All the best and enjoy med school in paradise!


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May I ask where you opted to go instead?


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TCOM-Finances were the major factor, as I am much older and have a family so I needed to consider my debt burden carefully. It's just over $28,000/yr for OOS (I'm coming from the Northeast). I also loved the program there too.


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Medbound40 said:
TCOM-Finances were the major factor, as I am much older and have a family so I needed to consider my debt burden carefully. It's just over $28,000/yr for OOS (I'm coming from the Northeast). I also loved the program there too.


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Tuition here next year is going to be just under twice that. I don't know how young you'd have to be to ignore that ;)
 
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Yes, regardless of age, it is tough to pass up. I also needed more assurance that I wouldn't have to move the family again for the clinical years. Given the lottery system, it left too much uncertainty. Moving for residency is expected, but I needed to know the next 4 years would be in one place, for the most part.


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Medbound40 said:
Yes, regardless of age, it is tough to pass up. I also needed more assurance that I wouldn't have to move the family again for the clinical years. Given the lottery system, it left too much uncertainty. Moving for residency is expected, but I needed to know the next 4 years would be in one place, for the most part.


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The curriculum is exactly the same at both campuses. You can't go wrong with either choice. I also know that TCOM gives rotation preference to students with families. I believe RVU is the same too. But TCOM is an excellent school too.
Move to Fort Worth and buy a nice house with a yard for the kid with the money you save.
 
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Wooohoooo!!! Just got in. Definitely attending!


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Can someone tell me how many tickets we get for the white coat ceremony? My family would like to start making plans. Thanks.
 
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