2009-2010 Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Application Thread

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I was told that 40 people are interviewing Oct 17.
 
Got an interview invite for 10/17 yesterday. This will be a very intersting interview.
 
Just got my interview packet in the mail. I really hope I get put in Group 2 so I can eat lunch earlier and interview later 🙂 This MMI thing is going to be intense - 2 hours are reserved for it!
 
not so calm now said:
Just got my interview packet in the mail. I really hope I get put in Group 2 so I can eat lunch earlier and interview later 🙂 This MMI thing is going to be intense - 2 hours are reserved for it!
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You get your mail on a SUNDAY!?!?! 😉

I'm looking forward to getting my mail now. Really looking forward to hearing more about this whole interview day!
 
what has been the avg response b/w time secondary was sent in and interview offer?
 
For anyone that's curious about how the MMI process works I've had a bunch of MMI interviews before and have a lot of experience with them (they're pretty common up here in Canada). Feel free to PM me or post a message if you have any questions about the process.
 
Typical Premed said:
For anyone that's curious about how the MMI process works I've had a bunch of MMI interviews before and have a lot of experience with them (they're pretty common up here in Canada). Feel free to PM me or post a message if you have any questions about the process.
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I'm interested in hearing more about them. Are the scenarios pretty hard? Sounds like there's some fun potential involved here, and the fact that you're meeting lots of different people means opportunity for more first impressions in case you happen to make a bad one. How does the scoring work? Are there some types of answers that are more "correct" than others?
 
quick question....for sending in traditional lors, does vtc only accept through interfolio/virtualevals....i have a grad letter in addition to my undergrad packet which is sent via virtualevals....will they not accept it if it is mailed to them?
 
I am not sure I can get the ETS evaluations done so fast, and plus if they accept standard letters then I'd rather just use those, which I have sent, BUT do they look more positively on those use the ETS i.e. is it one of those recommended, but really must do things?
 
Nafis64 said:
I am not sure I can get the ETS evaluations done so fast, and plus if they accept standard letters then I'd rather just use those, which I have sent, BUT do they look more positively on those use the ETS i.e. is it one of those recommended, but really must do things?
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We really don't know since this is their first year. My intuition would be yes, you should get them done.
 
are there any interview invites for the November or December dates yet?
 
how long does it actually take to send an ETS PPI report? i've been waiting for ~2 weeks
 
ramzax said:
how long does it actually take to send an ETS PPI report? i've been waiting for ~2 weeks
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definitely call ETS and ask... they were pretty quick in delivering mine, however they charged me twice for the delivery... an issue they still havent resolved... anyways, what i am getting at is that there a lot of kinks in their system... calling cant hurt...
 
Freezer said:
the only way i found out was that they sent me an email (seemed like a form letter) stating i was complete...
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Me too.

Really excited about seeing the school this weekend! Or is the school not actually finished yet and we're meeting in some other building?
 
Anyone know about/invited to a second interview date after 10/17?
 
Saw this article today, thought ya'll might be interested in taking a look.

I'm really surprised they haven't gotten more applications. I wonder if 1200 reflects people who sent in the secondary too.
 
Interesting read (much of my family is in Roanoke). I think the newbie status of the school will be a challenge for them this year. But keep in mind, over time, the should take a lot of clinical work away from UVA. UVA SOM has a strong presence in Roanoke and they might just be bumming if Tech takes off and swallows up all that work.
 
Considering that the school is Virginia Tech Carilion I imagine the students at VTC would have priority at Carilion Clinic rotations over UVA students. UVA might just have to deal.
 
An interviewer at a school mentioned that that was likely to happen over time.
 
not so calm now said:
Saw this article today, thought ya'll might be interested in taking a look.

I'm really surprised they haven't gotten more applications. I wonder if 1200 reflects people who sent in the secondary too.
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No surprise to me (and my posts earlier in this thread, for which I caught hell, predicted this).

They were hurt by the late announcement of the school taking apps. If they had been allowed to spread the news in April/May, it could have helped.

But they compounded the lateness problem with the ETS garbage, which they finally relented on in late August.

By that time, I had already done all the secondaries I could stand to do. I never submitted the secondary, and I live within 2 hours of the school...since there is no instate advantage RE tuition, I passed.

Good luck.
 
flip26 said:
No surprise to me (and my posts earlier in this thread, for which I caught hell, predicted this).

They were hurt by the late announcement of the school taking apps. If they had been allowed to spread the news in April/May, it could have helped.

But they compounded the lateness problem with the ETS garbage, which they finally relented on in late August.

By that time, I had already done all the secondaries I could stand to do. I never submitted the secondary, and I live within 2 hours of the school...since there is no instate advantage RE tuition, I passed.

Good luck.
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Yeah, I agree they should have thrown the ETS out earlier. By the time they did, most applicants probably had run out of steam to do the secondary. That, compounded with the fact it was a fairly difficult secondary probably shot ~1500 or so more people out.

But seriously, 1200 people is still a lot. With the ridiculous amount of qualified students getting rejected every year, I think this school is only positive. It's also combined with a highly-regarded teaching hospital, so I would have no doubts if I went here that I'd get a quality education. It shouldn't be hard to find exactly the type of students they want. They do mention something in the article that's interesting - that is, they know people will interview there but they're not sure how to entice them to matriculate once accepted. Good luck to you too.
 
not so calm now said:
Yeah, I agree they should have thrown the ETS out earlier. By the time they did, most applicants probably had run out of steam to do the secondary. That, compounded with the fact it was a fairly difficult secondary probably shot ~1500 or so more people out.

But seriously, 1200 people is still a lot. With the ridiculous amount of qualified students getting rejected every year, I think this school is only positive. It's also combined with a highly-regarded teaching hospital, so I would have no doubts if I went here that I'd get a quality education. It shouldn't be hard to find exactly the type of students they want. They do mention something in the article that's interesting - that is, they know people will interview there but they're not sure how to entice them to matriculate once accepted. Good luck to you too.
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The secondary with 2 long essays was the final straw for me, and I am sure others as well.

I was so burned out from doing secondaries, and frankly, the school wasn't very high on my 'hit parade' anyway. I already had several key interviews lined up by the time they killed the ETS requirement, so I could not find the motivation to fill it out...
 
flip26 said:
The secondary with 2 long essays was the final straw for me, and I am sure others as well.

I was so burned out from doing secondaries, and frankly, the school wasn't very high on my 'hit parade' anyway. I already had several key interviews lined up by the time they killed the ETS requirement, so I could not find the motivation to fill it out...
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Yeah, I imagine this was the case with many of the most competitive applicants.
 
hope everyones interview went well today!!!! if you are runnin' a little late, then good luck at your interview!!! lookin' forward to hearing about your experiences...
 
So no one's received an interview invite over the past couple of weeks? They're supposed to send out the next batch of invites around this time. Anyone received an invite for the November/December slots?

Good luck to those who interviewed today!
 
not so calm now said:
Yeah, I imagine this was the case with many of the most competitive applicants.
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Yep, I had looked at VTC early on, because the idea of attending a brand new school at a well-respected institution sounded kind of cool. However, most of my letters of recommendation were from people too busy to deal with the ETC nonsense. The crazy long secondary, along with the fact that Blacksburg, VA sounds like an absurdly boring city, really turned me off from the school. Oh well -- it'll be interesting to see what becomes of VTC in the next few years.
 
Woohoo! I get to be the first to post post-interview.

I loved the school. This was absolutely, by far, the best interview day I've been on. There was so much energy and enthusiasm from everyone. If I had any doubts about this school, all of them (and I mean all) were addressed. This school has their act together.

The day was 8 hours. We arrived at 8, first had some info sessions where we learned about the school. They apparently are in the process of gathering some merit and need-based financial aid, details to come later. The school's curriculum is really exciting and was developed by taking all of the best aspects of other schools and combining them. They also have a really interesting aspect where you take classes with nursing and PA students in order to develop interprofessionalism which is a really awesome idea.

The tour was great, they took us on top of the helicopter pad so we could see the whole city. The hospital is enormous and there are tons of research opportunities. You also have full privileges as a VT grad student, so all access to VT facilities (which are ~45 minutes away I think).

The MMI process was really, really fun, thought-provoking and just overall a great experience for interviewers and interviewees. I guess I can't really say much more since they made us sign a form agreeing not to talk about it.

At the end of the day, one of the deans gave a speech that was so good all the interviewees applauded. It was about how it was a challenge to attend a new school, but how people who do are self-selected to be up for a new adventure and how that quality will take you far (albeit, he said this much more articulately).

I think everyone left today feeling really positive about the school. I'm off to write the first ever interview feedback!
 
not so calm now said:
Woohoo! I get to be the first to post post-interview.

I loved the school. This was absolutely, by far, the best interview day I've been on. There was so much energy and enthusiasm from everyone. If I had any doubts about this school, all of them (and I mean all) were addressed. This school has their act together.

The day was 8 hours. We arrived at 8, first had some info sessions where we learned about the school. They apparently are in the process of gathering some merit and need-based financial aid, details to come later. The school's curriculum is really exciting and was developed by taking all of the best aspects of other schools and combining them. They also have a really interesting aspect where you take classes with nursing and PA students in order to develop interprofessionalism which is a really awesome idea.

The tour was great, they took us on top of the helicopter pad so we could see the whole city. The hospital is enormous and there are tons of research opportunities. You also have full privileges as a VT grad student, so all access to VT facilities (which are ~45 minutes away I think).

The MMI process was really, really fun, thought-provoking and just overall a great experience for interviewers and interviewees. I guess I can't really say much more since they made us sign a form agreeing not to talk about it.

At the end of the day, one of the deans gave a speech that was so good all the interviewees applauded. It was about how it was a challenge to attend a new school, but how people who do are self-selected to be up for a new adventure and how that quality will take you far (albeit, he said this much more articulately).

I think everyone left today feeling really positive about the school. I'm off to write the first ever interview feedback!
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great to hear you had a very positive experience today... even though they are reporting less than 1500 applications so far, i feel those apps are still extremely competitive and anyone who gets a chance to interview here should be extremely proud of that... great job!!! i am tightly crossing my fingers hoping i get the same chance...
 
Freezer said:
great to hear you had a very positive experience today... even though they are reporting less than 1500 applications so far, i feel those apps are still extremely competitive and anyone who gets a chance to interview here should be extremely proud of that... great job!!! i am tightly crossing my fingers hoping i get the same chance...
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yep! Any other grad school program getting 1500 apps for 42 spots and people would be amazed at how competitive it is, but only for med school are people expecting 4-5x time. Good lucK!!
 
Ack! I must be the first person to post interview feedback and it's not an option! Halp, mods, halp!
 
So if I can't post interview feedback, in the meantime, I just want to say more good things about the school.

Basically - If you haven't applied here for fear of it being a new school, I can lay your fears to rest. They are also planning on having ~5-6 interview weekends so there's plenty of time to still send your app in. I would highly encourage anyone who's interested in this school to apply. Even if I don't end up here, I really think very highly of the school and wish it the very best in getting started!
 
Let me add my .02 on VTC. To echo the above posts, I LOVED this school. This was my first interview and I was pretty nervous but the entire staff was so welcoming (and aren't those Virginia people just the nicest?). I had my MMI interviews in the afternoon and after the first one I was not at all apprehensive of the process. I think all of us came to an understanding of how beneficial the MMI process really is in determining things about people a traditional interview cannot.

We were given a trolley tour of downtown Roanoke and also a very comprehensive tour of the Carilion hospital. This seems to be a school that really has its head on straight and I would be honored to be a member of the initial class. It was also amazing to see that after the MMI was said and done the bunch of us were sitting around laughing and joking with each other. It was a long day but what a great experience.

Three cheers for VTC!
 
I'll add to the VT info...

The school was GREAT.

I am convinced that the administration have planned the program out at EVERY level one could imagine in a very proactive way, and have used the opportunity of working with a "blank slate" to correct the things that are wrong with so many other medical education models.

This was my 11th interview. Some at the very programs that VT is modeling itself after. This interview day, while long, was great, and one of the best to which I have been for the simple reason that ALL questions (no matter how annoying or mundane...) were answered to my satisfaction. They really showed off what they have to offer (or will, after the buildings are complete) and I suspect they will have no problem, scholarship money provided, in filling their first class with 42 fantastic students who will help (through the open-minded administration) to "work out the kinks" as the class moves along.

This will become one of the next great programs.

There are still many unknowns. How can there not be? But, I would personally feel great about going to VT and hope for the chance to have it as an option.

:luck: everybody!
 
Wow. As much as I was concerned about the interview process at this school, having completed it, I have to say that I believe it will produce a clearer "picture" of the appllicant than the traditional formats that I have experienced. Was it a bit tiring? Yes. But the road to med school is long, and this process gives the applicant many opportunities to express his or her opinions on a range of topics, without being judged solely on the answer to "Why do you want to become a doctor?"

I am a skeptical person by nature, but I will say that the facilities presented, along with the curriculum, were very impressive.

On the other hand, let's be clear - if you're the jet-setter type (and you know if you are), then this will not be the school for you. Roanoke is a smaller city and while it does have a downtown nightlife, it is by no means anything comparable to a DC, NY, or any other big city. However, Roanoke is beautiful, the people are kind, and the cost of living is about half of the big cities.

all for now...
 
this is all great feedback guys. did they mention anything about when they would send the next batch of invites? thanks.
 
I don't recall them saying when they would send out the next invites. But it will certainly happen, and soon, because they have an interview date next month (I believe).
 
sdguy2008 said:
this is all great feedback guys. did they mention anything about when they would send the next batch of invites? thanks.
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Some people on here have already posted about having the November weekend. I bet it would help here to write a letter of interest and just email it to them...they seem to be pretty receptive to direct communication.
 
Invite for 11/14


Huzzah! I'm going on a road trip! And for the record, I will probably not admit my identity to you at the interview. Because then you'll tell me how much I don't look like my avatar and I'll be demoralized.
 
Compass said:
Invite for 11/14


Huzzah! I'm going on a road trip! And for the record, I will probably not admit my identity to you at the interview. Because then you'll tell me how much I don't look like my avatar and I'll be demoralized.
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Let's all collectively breathe a sigh of relief that you do, in fact, have a mouth.

Otherwise, congrats on the interviews!! I know you'll love it.
 
Sorry if I missed this somewhere...I tried to look back over the thread...
Are they inviting people for interviews via email? Snail mail? Some other method?
 
E-Mail. Also...

VTCSOM uses a rolling admission process and expects to send out its
first group of acceptances approximately one month after the initial
interview weekend. Subsequent acceptances will be sent out approximately
one month after each interview weekend.
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I really want to get an interview from VTC. I was complete a while ago, and I also did that PPI thing, so I feel that I deserve at least an interview. Do you guys think e-mailing them a letter of interest could help?
 
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