VCOM-Carolinas vs. Vcom-Virginia vs. VCOM-Auburn

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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MedNation907 said:
How does knowing what specialties students are placed into have any effect what so ever on that institution? It just doesn't make sense to me. I would think the hospital systems they place students matter, not the specialty itself. I feel like most students who wish to enter Osteopathic practice actually share the emphasis in primary care, and is reflected in those placement lists.

I've noticed that asking if students are matched in x specialty is a trend on SDN, and I don't get why that information is helpful at all..
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Dont read too far into it. I just got the impression that if you dont go to MSUCOM, KCUM, or like some other really well established osteo school, its much less common to land a competitve specialty.
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asdf123g said:
Dont read too far into it. I just got the impression that if you dont go to MSUCOM, KCUM, or like some other really well established osteo school, its much less common to land a competitve specialty.
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Yeah I have similar fears. Not that I even have an urge to enter a specific specialty, I actually really like Family Medicine, but keeping my options open is also important to me. However I see much more value in the location/quality of rotations, and VCOM not having 3rd year electives worries me..

But then again I'm a dumb pre-med who probably, in all actuality, knows nothing yet lol
 
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asdf123g said:
Dont read too far into it. I just got the impression that if you dont go to MSUCOM, KCUM, or like some other really well established osteo school, its much less common to land a competitve specialty.
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Nah, you can get to any specialty from any school. Primary care is VCOM's primary mission, and they actually stick to it. Just means the onus is on the student to go out and get the work done that he/she needs to.

MedNation907 said:
But then again I'm a dumb pre-med who probably, in all actuality, knows nothing yet lol
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Don't worry. I'm a dumb 3rd year who in all actuality still knows nothing yet.
 
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NeuroSpeed said:
Nah, you can get to any specialty from any school. Primary care is VCOM's primary mission, and they actually stick to it. Just means the onus is on the student to go out and get the work done that he/she needs to.


Don't worry. I'm a dumb 3rd year who in all actuality still knows nothing yet.
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Any chance you have a match list from VCOM?
 
ICUrunning said:
Any chance you have a match list from VCOM?
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This is the best source I could find: http://www.vcom.edu/outcomes/#32

The outcomes report doesn't show which hospitals those specialties are located in though
Here are the OMNEE hospitals they send students:
 
MedNation907 said:
This is the best source I could find: http://www.vcom.edu/outcomes/#32

The outcomes report doesn't show which hospitals those specialties are located in though
Here are the OMNEE hospitals they send students:
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I appreciate the info. Good luck on your journey to becoming a physician.
 
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Do all these VCOM schools have mandatory attendance and a dress code? ... (Sorry if this has been answered before)
 
ICUrunning said:
Any chance you have a match list from VCOM?
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MedNation907 said:
This is the best source I could find: http://www.vcom.edu/outcomes/#32
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Here's the match list for the VA campus class of 2014. http://www.vcom.edu/AR/2014/section_7/#55/z
You can find lists for other years in the links here: http://www.vcom.edu/AR/index.html

They are usually towards the ends of the VA campus students / SC campus students sections.

Crookster said:
Do all these VCOM schools have mandatory attendance and a dress code? ... (Sorry if this has been answered before)
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Yes.
 
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NeuroSpeed said:
Here's the match list for the VA campus class of 2014. http://www.vcom.edu/AR/2014/section_7/#55/z
You can find lists for other years in the links here: http://www.vcom.edu/AR/index.html

They are usually towards the ends of the VA campus students / SC campus students sections.


Yes.
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I didn't see dermatology as that one person had said. I also noticed a lot of primary care matches, which isn't bad, but everyone always says primary care is self-selected very commonly at DO schools...would you say that is true (in regards to self selection)? Or is that something schools just like to say? How many students out of 10 would you say self select out primary care at your school (just a rough guess)?
 
asdf123g said:
I didn't see dermatology as that one person had said. I also noticed a lot of primary care matches, which isn't bad, but everyone always says primary care is self-selected very commonly at DO schools...would you say that is true (in regards to self selection)? Or is that something schools just like to say? How many students out of 10 would you say self select out primary care at your school (just a rough guess)?
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I guess you didn't look at the other years, because there are derm matches there. Including matches in Optho, Ortho, ENT, and Neurosurg. Yes, VCOM has LOTS of students who go into medicine for primary care. I would say that easily over 50% of my class is going to go primary care because that's what they want - not because they are falling back on it. I can't comment on other schools and their culures.
 
NeuroSpeed said:
I guess you didn't look at the other years, because there are derm matches there. Including matches in Optho, Ortho, ENT, and Neurosurg. Yes, VCOM has LOTS of students who go into medicine for primary care. I would say that easily over 50% of my class is going to go primary care because that's what they want - not because they are falling back on it. I can't comment on other schools and their culures.
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What % of that 50% could easily get a competitive specialty but willingly choose not to? I only say that because some people fall into the trap of cognitive dissonance.
 
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asdf123g said:
as in they didnt get a good enough board score so in their head they "really wanted primary care the whole time."
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I don't know everyone's board scores so I can't comment on the exact number. I do personally know several who's board scores are good enough for any specialty, yet are still going FM. There's also the phenomenon where people legitimately want FM or Peds, and thus they know they don't have to crush the boards, so they don't put the effort in to get the huge scores.

Be careful about how far into this you want to read, because there's no way to know everyone's mind, and all the variables that are important to each person.
 
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Match lists=Student Interests. It doesn't measure anything else.

And I was accused of reading too far into it...
 
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NeuroSpeed said:
I don't know everyone's board scores so I can't comment on the exact number. I do personally know several who's board scores are good enough for any specialty, yet are still going FM. There's also the phenomenon where people legitimately want FM or Peds, and thus they know they don't have to crush the boards, so they don't put the effort in to get the huge scores.

Be careful about how far into this you want to read, because there's no way to know everyone's mind, and all the variables that are important to each person.
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valid points
 
There is a very ignorant and naive stigma against primary care practices on SDN just because it is not 'competitive.' Tell that to the thousands of students who will never have the opportunity to step in a medical school, deliver a baby or even listen to a heatbeat. VCOM-VA has set a stellar standard for its branch campuses and Osteopathic schools across the nation.

Additionally students who want to go into primary care are not necessarily going to beat their heads against the walls as a student who wants to match Ortho (Btw VCOM-VA has multiple students matching ortho) so you cannot solely look at scores for main motivation for choosing PC.

Also I have looked at the match list for the VA campus and little over 50% go into primary care for various reasons. I know that VCOM screens heavily for students that fit their mission so I do not doubt that the my classmates and students attending their dreamed of becoming a family practice doctor or and internist. Furthermore like any other school they are sending atleast 1-2 students to respectable residencies in primary care like VCU, EVMS, and the Carillion Clinic.

The VA Campus gives students the opportunity to succeed with research at VA Tech campus and working with student-athletes at Tech and Radford. Plus having mission trips give students an opportunity to experience medicine in a different country.

Lastly in Virginia, VCOM has become a brand name institution and all the MD students in the state speak highly of it. I cannot speak for the Carolina or Auburn Campus, but with the leadership and students I've met with on my interview day I can say they will be just as successful.
 
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asdf123g said:
I didn't see dermatology as that one person had said. I also noticed a lot of primary care matches, which isn't bad, but everyone always says primary care is self-selected very commonly at DO schools...would you say that is true (in regards to self selection)? Or is that something schools just like to say? How many students out of 10 would you say self select out primary care at your school (just a rough guess)?
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NeuroSpeed said:
I don't know everyone's board scores so I can't comment on the exact number. I do personally know several who's board scores are good enough for any specialty, yet are still going FM. There's also the phenomenon where people legitimately want FM or Peds, and thus they know they don't have to crush the boards, so they don't put the effort in to get the huge scores.

Be careful about how far into this you want to read, because there's no way to know everyone's mind, and all the variables that are important to each person.
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Sorry for jumping into this friendly exchange. Judging a match list by specialty does not tell you anything about the quality of their matches. It is the programs that the students match into that show their quality. There are internal medicine and pediatrics programs on the ACGME side that have average step I scores of 240. Again a good part of matching well is up to the individual.
 
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ket35 said:
I am excited to comment on this thread because VCOM (both Virginia and Carolinas) is a wonderful school.

1. The Virginia campus is affiliated with Virginia Tech, which allows students the perks of using Tech's facilities, join clubs, play intramurals, go to sports events, etc. This also gives the option for cheaper housing.

2. OMM at VCOM is amazing. Dr. Harden is one of the guru's of OMM and his level of expertise is invaluable.

3. Yes, both Virginia and Carolina's campus have a family medicine focus (as it is in our mission statement) they are well apt in providing you with the training and mentor ship required to go into any specialty of your choice. As the AOA match just occurred 3 days ago, there are already many surgery, EM, derm, etc etc residency placements for this year.

4. As some faculty do reuse questions from previous exams, however those questions are not released to students. There is no such thing as getting an "easy A" by talking to a previous student. Many professors do use questions from COMLEX prep companies, because they are preparing you for what to expect for boards.

5. Speaking of boards, VCOM has a 98% first pass rate on the COMLEX Level 1, with their mean well above the national average. Virginia campus uses RC-Med Review (free to students) as an intensive boards review program 2 months prior to boards.

6. Yes, both campuses have an attendance policy and a dress code. The attendance policy states that you can miss up to 15% of you classes within a block (yes, I know this can be a bummer at times). But, statistics show that attendance correlates with GPA, and GPA significantly correlates with board scores. It's a win-win. The dress code is business casual, throw on some slacks and a polo and you are good to go. Might as well build that wardrobe for residency anyways, right?

7. As for the clinical rotations, yes the campuses have difference Clinical affairs offices. They both work very hard to ensure that you are placed in the rotation location in which you prefer. This year we had a 95% satisfaction with students placing in one of their top 3 choices. Getting what you need accomplished for audition rotations and Sub-I's is on you to ensure that things are completed in a timely manner.

8. As for Auburn, they too will be affiliated with a large university, and while ACOM does have a grasp on the Alabama territory, VCOM already has established rotation sites across the East cost of Alabama. All schools are required to prove availability of rotation sites before they are accredited, which Auburn has clearly done, as they have been approved for pre-accreditation status.

9. One major difference between the Virginia and Carolina's campus that seems to be the "buzz" between students, is that Carolina's has stacked exams and Virginia does not. I guess it just depends on if you are into that sort of thing.

All in all, VCOM has it's pros and cons, such as any medical school, but VCOM definitely does it's best to provide only the best for its students.
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On 8, Auburn is not just pre-accredited. It's fully-accredited.
 
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sorry for bumping this old thread, but is it worth it for me to apply here. Their class profiles show a strong regional preference. I'm from CA and have never lived in a rural area. I am interested in primary care though. still confused about the differences between the 3 campuses though after reading this thread
 
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Oh_Gee said:
sorry for bumping this old thread, but is it worth it for me to apply here. Their class profiles show a strong regional preference. I'm from CA and have never lived in a rural area. I am interested in primary care though. still confused about the differences between the 3 campuses though after reading this thread
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VCOM-VC and VCOM-CC seem to both have a strong regional bias to the area. VC is affiliated with Virginia Tech. I don't think CC is affiliated with a university.

VCOM-Auburn is affiliated with Auburn University and is fairly new. I am from CA and received and ii from this particular campus, so I would say their regional bias is not there or perhaps not as strong for now as it is a new campus site.
 
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I'd choose Virginia for the V-Tech football games alone lol
 
schlitter22 said:
I'd choose Virginia for the V-Tech football games alone lol
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what about auburn. i feel like i was robbed of a true college football experience by going to UCSD lol
 
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Oh_Gee said:
what about auburn. i feel like i was robbed of a true college football experience by going to UCSD lol
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True. I went to Oregon State. Talk about robbed :( haha
 
Oh_Gee said:
sorry for bumping this old thread, but is it worth it for me to apply here. Their class profiles show a strong regional preference. I'm from CA and have never lived in a rural area. I am interested in primary care though. still confused about the differences between the 3 campuses though after reading this thread
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I was accepted to vcom-cc this past cycle, I am from Oklahoma. I just wrote a letter explaining why I wanted to go there. I rejected my acceptance because I was accepted elsewhere. Even if I wasn't accepted to another school I don't think I would have gone.
 
PathoTurnUp1865 said:
I was accepted to vcom-cc this past cycle, I am from Oklahoma. I just wrote a letter explaining why I wanted to go there. I rejected my acceptance because I was accepted elsewhere. Even if I wasn't accepted to another school I don't think I would have gone.
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what?
 
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PathoTurnUp1865 said:
I was accepted to vcom-cc this past cycle, I am from Oklahoma. I just wrote a letter explaining why I wanted to go there. I rejected my acceptance because I was accepted elsewhere. Even if I wasn't accepted to another school I don't think I would have gone.
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may i ask why you didn't like CC?
 
asdf123g said:
what?
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Before I got my interview I didn't think I was going to get one because of the regional bias so I wrote a letter explaining why I was a good fit. After I visited I decided I was not a good fit and declined my acceptance. I was accepted elsewhere.
 
Oh_Gee said:
may i ask why you didn't like CC?
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The tour was pretty awkward, I didn't like the area, and compared to other schools I wasn't overly impressed with the school. The faculty was very nice and welcoming. Another thing was the cost was crazy expensive compared to me going in state.
 
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I declined my offer at VCOM-CC mainly because I didn't like the idea of stacked exams, and I had other offers. I liked the area and the people there were awesome. Other offers aside, I would have happily gone. There are other reasons for declining that I just couldn't justify being an ms-0 so I'd rather not mention them, basically just didn't get the vibe I was looking for from VCOM.
 
MedNation907 said:
I declined my offer at VCOM-CC mainly because I didn't like the idea of stacked exams, and I had other offers. I liked the area and the people there were awesome. Other offers aside, I would have happily gone. There are other reasons for declining that I just couldn't justify being an ms-0 so I'd rather not mention them, basically just didn't get the vibe I was looking for from VCOM.
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what're stacked exams?
and do you mean OMS?
 
Oh_Gee said:
what're stacked exams?
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The coupled areas of study in a given block isn't integrated into one single, long length exam -- instead it's basically a bunch of separate tests you'd sit for in one day. So it's just lacking the integration that I really liked, as I see it.

Oh_Gee said:
and do you mean OMS?
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Sure did.
 
BUMP

What is the grading scale for pre-clinical? A/B/C/D/F or P/F, etc?
 
ToonLink said:
There is a very ignorant and naive stigma against primary care practices on SDN just because it is not 'competitive.' Tell that to the thousands of students who will never have the opportunity to step in a medical school, deliver a baby or even listen to a heatbeat. VCOM-VA has set a stellar standard for its branch campuses and Osteopathic schools across the nation.

Additionally students who want to go into primary care are not necessarily going to beat their heads against the walls as a student who wants to match Ortho (Btw VCOM-VA has multiple students matching ortho) so you cannot solely look at scores for main motivation for choosing PC.

Also I have looked at the match list for the VA campus and little over 50% go into primary care for various reasons. I know that VCOM screens heavily for students that fit their mission so I do not doubt that the my classmates and students attending their dreamed of becoming a family practice doctor or and internist. Furthermore like any other school they are sending atleast 1-2 students to respectable residencies in primary care like VCU, EVMS, and the Carillion Clinic.

The VA Campus gives students the opportunity to succeed with research at VA Tech campus and working with student-athletes at Tech and Radford. Plus having mission trips give students an opportunity to experience medicine in a different country.

Lastly in Virginia, VCOM has become a brand name institution and all the MD students in the state speak highly of it. I cannot speak for the Carolina or Auburn Campus, but with the leadership and students I've met with on my interview day I can say they will be just as successful.
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What's the difference between the affiliation Virginia Tech has with VTC and VCOM? Just curious!
 
mats7 said:
What's the difference between the affiliation Virginia Tech has with VTC and VCOM? Just curious!
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I'm pretty sure VTC is an actual Public-Private partnership in which VT is the public research uni and the Carilion Clinic is the private hospital affiliate. They joined up to become a unified biomedical health that is very VERY focused on research. They have a class size of 42.

VCOM is affiliated with VT but not in the sense of being in a partnership with them like Carilion Clinic. VCOM is much more community focused but being side by side with some solid research inst as well as just being housed in a research park gives you the opportunity to explore your options and pursue scholarly work if you want.
 
AlteredScale said:
I'm pretty sure VTC is an actual Public-Private partnership in which VT is the public research uni and the Carilion Clinic is the private hospital affiliate. They joined up to become a unified biomedical health that is very VERY focused on research. They have a class size of 42.

VCOM is affiliated with VT but not in the sense of being in a partnership with them like Carilion Clinic. VCOM is much more community focused but being side by side with some solid research inst as well as just being housed in a research park gives you the opportunity to explore your options and pursue scholarly work if you want.
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it sounded to me when i was at VCOM that their affiliation is very loose with VT.
 
asdf123g said:
it sounded to me when i was at VCOM that their affiliation is very loose with VT.
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VCOM definitely operates independently, but their affiliation with VT (and location in the CRC) opens a lot of research opportunities for their students -- something the majority of DO schools can't offer.
 
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Azete said:
VCOM definitely operates independently, but their affiliation with VT (and location in the CRC) opens a lot of research opportunities for their students -- something the majority of DO schools can't offer.
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I think its greatly exaggerated, that's all.
 
In case anybody is wondering VCOM Auburn is legit. I almost declined the interview because I've had 4 other interviews this last month (2 MD, 2 DO). However after attending I am so glad I did because VCOM Auburn made the biggest impact by far. I get the whole "new school thing" (in my opinion the only con of VCOM Auburn), but the reasons I think VCOM Auburn is legit is because 1) The town of Auburn is STOKED to have VCOM there. Everyone I met whether they were undergrad students or the waitress at Red Lobster were raving about how cool it was they finally had a med school. 2) You have access to every amenity an undergraduate student at Auburn would have for free. (Rec center (which is almost over the top impressive), Library, Lottery for sporting even tickets, etc) 3) the professors are excited for medical students to be at Auburn and are pouring out research opportunities. Lots of which in sports medicine which I think is awesome. 4) The facility is amazing. Cadaver lab is on the top floor with tons of window and a beautiful view not like the dungeon you see at a lot of places. 5) There is definitely not a "loose" association between auburn and VCOM auburn. The university, and the city is very excited.

Just my 2 cents
 
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DNC127 said:
In case anybody is wondering VCOM Auburn is legit. I almost declined the interview because I've had 4 other interviews this last month (2 MD, 2 DO). However after attending I am so glad I did because VCOM Auburn made the biggest impact by far. I get the whole "new school thing" (in my opinion the only con of VCOM Auburn), but the reasons I think VCOM Auburn is legit is because 1) The town of Auburn is STOKED to have VCOM there. Everyone I met whether they were undergrad students or the waitress at Red Lobster were raving about how cool it was they finally had a med school. 2) You have access to every amenity an undergraduate student at Auburn would have for free. (Rec center (which is almost over the top impressive), Library, Lottery for sporting even tickets, etc) 3) the professors are excited for medical students to be at Auburn and are pouring out research opportunities. Lots of which in sports medicine which I think is awesome. 4) The facility is amazing. Cadaver lab is on the top floor with tons of window and a beautiful view not like the dungeon you see at a lot of places. 5) There is definitely not a "loose" association between auburn and VCOM auburn. The university, and the city is very excited.

Just my 2 cents
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I second this opinion! I stopped at Dunkin Donuts after my interview and ended up chatting with the worker there for a good ten minutes about how great VCOM is and how excited they are to have them in town. He's an Auburn pre-med, and he was really enthusiastic about it!
 
DNC127 said:
In case anybody is wondering VCOM Auburn is legit. I almost declined the interview because I've had 4 other interviews this last month (2 MD, 2 DO). However after attending I am so glad I did because VCOM Auburn made the biggest impact by far. I get the whole "new school thing" (in my opinion the only con of VCOM Auburn), but the reasons I think VCOM Auburn is legit is because 1) The town of Auburn is STOKED to have VCOM there. Everyone I met whether they were undergrad students or the waitress at Red Lobster were raving about how cool it was they finally had a med school. 2) You have access to every amenity an undergraduate student at Auburn would have for free. (Rec center (which is almost over the top impressive), Library, Lottery for sporting even tickets, etc) 3) the professors are excited for medical students to be at Auburn and are pouring out research opportunities. Lots of which in sports medicine which I think is awesome. 4) The facility is amazing. Cadaver lab is on the top floor with tons of window and a beautiful view not like the dungeon you see at a lot of places. 5) There is definitely not a "loose" association between auburn and VCOM auburn. The university, and the city is very excited.

Just my 2 cents
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1) Not really important
2) Other schools do too. Minor plus at best.
3) Lets see them put their money where their mouth is. VCOM-VA was supposed to be THE medschool of VT according to past threads. Its not.
4) Not really important
5) See #3. Talk is cheap.
 
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