2012-2013 Virginia Commonwealth University Application Thread

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maybe i'm worrying too much, but I am OOS, complete first week of Sept, and haven't gotten any sort of status updates.. just that I'm complete and under review since the first week of Sept. If they hated me would I have gotten rejected already? Should I be worried?
 
cinamin said:
maybe i'm worrying too much, but I am OOS, complete first week of Sept, and haven't gotten any sort of status updates.. just that I'm complete and under review since the first week of Sept. If they hated me would I have gotten rejected already? Should I be worried?
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My girlfriend is in the same boat. I think they r just backed up.
 
OK, Virginia Resident here w/ with nerve wracking questions
All VA schools received my app on Aug 23 (w/ ugly 25 mcat and pending score)
Got my retake score today of a 32. My gpa is 3.9
VCU still needs my committee letter of recommendation (rest of schools got prof letters cuz they allow it and it was faster on my part)

Is the VCU priority method for interviews and basis for when you applied - Does this mean when you applied w/ primary or when you are complete. Aug 23 for primary isn't horrible but mid october for complete status (waiting for LORs)
Any insight to any of the other VA med schools when you have a retake this late? Guess I still got a chance for D.O and I'm all into rural family medicine and I will try leveraging it like crazy.
 
When you are complete. That's how most (if not all) schools are I think.
 
GrabSlamBoot said:
My girlfriend is in the same boat. I think they r just backed up.
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ok thanks for the reply because i was reading this thread in august just before submitting and it seemed that people were hearing back within 2-3 weeks... i guess they got bombarded with apps by the first week of sept.

btw... way to go on all your interviews.. checked out your mdapps... interview much? lol 👍
 
cinamin said:
ok thanks for the reply because i was reading this thread in august just before submitting and it seemed that people were hearing back within 2-3 weeks... i guess they got bombarded with apps by the first week of sept.

btw... way to go on all your interviews.. checked out your mdapps... interview much? lol 👍
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Lol thanks man. Congrats on vcu.
 
cinamin said:
maybe i'm worrying too much, but I am OOS, complete first week of Sept, and haven't gotten any sort of status updates.. just that I'm complete and under review since the first week of Sept. If they hated me would I have gotten rejected already? Should I be worried?
Click to expand...

I have been under review since first week of August. I emailed the admissions office yesterday to make sure everything was alright. They said they were backed up and my application was in the next batch. However since other people who applied at the same time as me already got reviewed much earlier than me, I think we are sorted out into a tier system maybe? I am certainly not very high on it.
 
Just got a further status... Do you guys think I still have a chance at this stage?
 
wolfwolf said:
Just got a further status... Do you guys think I still have a chance at this stage?
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i've personally had the further status since 7/30 🙁 although others have received II a bit after being given the "further" status
 
Interview invite! 🙂

OOS. 3.5s/3.6c/38

Complete 8/31
May status 9/5
Interview invite 10/3 (4 weeks to the day)
 
imcanadaian said:
i've personally had the further status since 7/30 🙁 although others have received II a bit after being given the "further" status
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At least you have a status. I've been complete since late July. I'm starting to think my application has been lost and forgotten.
 
You guys paid for your applications to be sent to the school and I think you have the right to call and at least ask if your application is being processed. There have been cases in other schools where I submitted my LORs and they never received it so it's honestly best to just call!
 
flodhi1 said:
You guys paid for your applications to be sent to the school and I think you have the right to call and at least ask if your application is being processed. There have been cases in other schools where I submitted my LORs and they never received it so it's honestly best to just call!
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I agree. It seems that there have been several technical errors this year, so perhaps they misplaced some applicants' information. I would definitely give them a call just to make sure they have all of the necessary application materials, considering how long it has been since some of you submitted.
 
flodhi1 said:
You guys paid for your applications to be sent to the school and I think you have the right to call and at least ask if your application is being processed. There have been cases in other schools where I submitted my LORs and they never received it so it's honestly best to just call!
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I would second this. While our Admissions team does an excellent job, technical errors do occur. When I applied, my LORs didn't download for some reason. I eventually called and asked about it b/c I knew the LORs had been sent over a month ago. When I called, they explained that there was a known computer glitch with AMCAS and that it's possible that my file didn't to be manually downloaded again. It turned out my file had been downloaded during that glitch on the AMCAS servers and it resulted in my LORs not being reported to MCV. Once I asked about it, they had me complete within the week and I got an interview invite about a month later. It cost me a Sept/Oct interview, so I didn't get my acceptance until Dec, but it all worked out in the end! ...So by all means, give them a call!



As a side note, one of our standardized pts today was telling our group how impressed he has been with MCV students this year and last year (the first year he worked with MCV's standardized pt program). He said last year he was very impressed with how well the M1s did by comparison to other schools where he had worked. He said he has been even more impressed this year and is convinced they must be telling us what to watch out for with each standardized pt (although they do not) because we always catch the "hidden" problems and such. Just another reason MCV is so well thought of for its clinical training.
 
imcanadaian said:
sorry to hear that 🙁 did you have one of the many different statuses? (further? may? committee?) or just complete?
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i actually had the committee message a few days before then the rejection, i applied last year as well and had the further status but no II.
 
Warren Peace said:
Thanks! I'm really excited for it -- even after seeing the price of plane tickets!
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Yah Cali to RIC tickets are brutal but hey at least you can get student housing and save at least 100 bucks.
 
Called admissions today and scheduled my interview for 10/17 at 10am! 😀
 
Cuongoff said:
whoa nice. I wonder if I can call them and try and reschedule for an earlier date if any are available
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You can always try but they possible dates by priority score as I understand so your offered dates will differ from those offered to other applicants.
 
It can't hurt to call, I spoke to Candace. I don't know my priority score, but when I checked online, the dates available to me varied from 10/8/12 to 3/5/13.


Cuongoff said:
whoa nice. I wonder if I can call them and try and reschedule for an earlier date if any are available
Click to expand...
 
has anyone else who received the further status not heard anything for 2+ months? I'm not sure if this is the type of school that's waiting for me to express interest before they give me an interview or not
 
1289 said:
has anyone else who received the further status not heard anything for 2+ months? I'm not sure if this is the type of school that's waiting for me to express interest before they give me an interview or not
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They've assigned you a priority score. That will not change. You simply have not yet been high enough on their list to interview. That's all there is to it. Just sit back and wait. Being neurotic about things isn't going to help... however, it will cause a shortened lifespan and higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and mental health issues.
 
How did/are you guys get/getting to the airport from the school after the interview? Is there simple public transportation/shuttle service? Or is taking a cab the best way?
 
👍

Guess all of the premeds will be living shorter lives, and end up with heart disease, stroke, and multiple mental health issues.

music2doc said:
They've assigned you a priority score. That will not change. You simply have not yet been high enough on their list to interview. That's all there is to it. Just sit back and wait. Being neurotic about things isn't going to help... however, it will cause a shortened lifespan and higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and mental health issues.
Click to expand...
 
Oh something that I didn't mention. I think my friend used connections to get me the interview. Should I call and risk them taking back the II (is that possible?)?

music2doc said:
You can always try but they possible dates by priority score as I understand so your offered dates will differ from those offered to other applicants.
Click to expand...
 
music2doc said:
They've assigned you a priority score. That will not change. You simply have not yet been high enough on their list to interview. That's all there is to it. Just sit back and wait. Being neurotic about things isn't going to help... however, it will cause a shortened lifespan and higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and mental health issues.
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lol i was just curious. this was an overly dramatic response to say the least haha.
i know there are a lot of schools that like to get LOIs and the like, jw if I should start working on one for here, but I'm not going to.
 
Cuongoff said:
Oh something that I didn't mention. I think my friend used connections to get me the interview. Should I call and risk them taking back the II (is that possible?)?
Click to expand...

They're not going to take back an interview invite and I doubt your friend "used connection" even if s/he is a student here. Sure, we can always mention a premed we know will be applying and the Dr. W/C will probably tell us she'll be "looking out for their application" but that's mostly just her being nice. I highly doubt my (or any other student's) dropping by has any significant impact upon whether or not you receive an II. The only exception would be if the person is actually an adcom member and was acting in a somewhat less than ethical manner....
 
1289 said:
lol i was just curious. this was an overly dramatic response to say the least haha.
i know there are a lot of schools that like to get LOIs and the like, jw if I should start working on one for here, but I'm not going to.
Click to expand...


Some do but I think it's the exception rather than the rule. Most schools have a system and you pretty much just have to wait until it's your turn. There's really no point in worrying yourself silly about how to get noticed. The fact is that they are evaluating candidates per their system and will take candidates as they see fit. There are a large number of people nominating candidates for interview at each school and your goal is to have your app get that nomination. Chances are that the person whose email you have is NOT the one doing that nomination (at least not of your app) since the emails you have are the admissions staff (who are generally not on the actual committee, except, for instance, the Director and Dean; at MCV, however, the Dean is NOT on the adcom anymore...).
 
^ So you're saying that Dr. WHC does not get to vote on who gets in when the ADCOM reviews your file post-interview?
 
It sounds like everyone is assigned a priority score and updated after being reviewed... been complete for 1 month and haven't heard anything so I guess they haven't reviewed me yet? anyone still waiting for anything that was complete around 1 month ago? Just want to make sure I didn't get lost in the pile...

Is this school open to update letters before being assigned a priority number?
 
cinamin said:
It sounds like everyone is assigned a priority score and updated after being reviewed... been complete for 1 month and haven't heard anything so I guess they haven't reviewed me yet? anyone still waiting for anything that was complete around 1 month ago? Just want to make sure I didn't get lost in the pile...

Is this school open to update letters before being assigned a priority number?
Click to expand...

Same, complete since mid-Aug and nada.
 
cinamin said:
It sounds like everyone is assigned a priority score and updated after being reviewed... been complete for 1 month and haven't heard anything so I guess they haven't reviewed me yet? anyone still waiting for anything that was complete around 1 month ago? Just want to make sure I didn't get lost in the pile...

Is this school open to update letters before being assigned a priority number?
Click to expand...

I don't really like giving black and white answers when there are none, but since that seems to be what a lot of pre-meds want. I am just going to say it:

No! Before interviews is NOT the right time for an update -- especially not before we are even halfway into the interview season!

If you STILL have not received ANY communication from a given school by Thanksgiving AND you have SIGNIFICANT updates AND its one of your top choices, THEN begin writing your update letter and send it by New Year's. Writing one now is just plain annoying, neurotic behavior and isn't going to make (m)any school(s) offer you an invite. Keep in mind, as well, that the people on the subcommittee that makes your interview offer probably will not even see your update and even if they do it is fairly unlikely they will take the time to read one more thing in your file. Save yourself the time and focus instead on improving yourself for interviews or, in case it's just not your year, another app cycle. Schools DO care about your updates when you reapply. They just don't really care that much mid-cycle because it is EXPECTED you are still bettering yourself. Writing them a letter about how you have added research in such and such or are still working with some volunteer activity is going to get the eye roll response that it deserves for being something you were expected to be doing anyway. It's not like it lands you in some elite group of applicants that are somehow more attractive.
 
I met 3 first year residents yesterday. One of them was from VCU and the other one was from UVA. The one from VCU said the first two years wasn't pass fail but the one from UVA said his brother is currently a second year and that it is pass fail.

Which one's right?
 
Cuongoff said:
I met 3 first year residents yesterday. One of them was from VCU and the other one was from UVA. The one from VCU said the first two years wasn't pass fail but the one from UVA said his brother is currently a second year and that it is pass fail.

Which one's right?
Click to expand...

It's going to be pass fail starting next year, if it isn't already. It may have been implemented recently.
 
Clichebomb said:
It's going to be pass fail starting next year, if it isn't already. It may have been implemented recently.
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Class of 2016 is the first P/F class (preclinical yrs only). Future classes will remains P/F for M1 & M2.
 
Does anyone know anything about the new curriculum next year? I talked to someone who already interviewed at VCU and was told that they are changing their curriculum to a PBL curriculum. Is there anything about this on the website? I don't want to talk about their old curriculum when they ask me "Why VCU" if it's going to change next year.
 
virtuoso735 said:
Does anyone know anything about the new curriculum next year? I talked to someone who already interviewed at VCU and was told that they are changing their curriculum to a PBL curriculum. Is there anything about this on the website? I don't want to talk about their old curriculum when they ask me "Why VCU" if it's going to change next year.
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Complete overhaul. They'll talk about it if you interview here. More PBL/less lecture. Condensed pre-clinical years (reduced pre-clinical experience to accommodate this but you're on the wards a semester early). Mini-rotations. Expanded public health/community health programming in M1. Expanded multidiscinplinary requirements w/ other schools. More elective time during M3 by shifting part of M3 curriculum into M2. Increased reliance upon UG science background to allow for condensed M1 courses (somewhat likely they will begin adding upper-div pre-reqs...)

Those are just a few of the changes I have heard about but we don't pay a whole lot of attention since most of it doesn't really affect us...
 
music2doc said:
Class of 2016 is the first P/F class (preclinical yrs only). Future classes will remains P/F for M1 & M2.
Click to expand...

For the record, Class of 2015 is the first P/F class (pre-clinical yrs only like you said). They call it competency achieved/competency not achieved though, but it means the same thing.
 
cinamin said:
It sounds like everyone is assigned a priority score and updated after being reviewed... been complete for 1 month and haven't heard anything so I guess they haven't reviewed me yet? anyone still waiting for anything that was complete around 1 month ago? Just want to make sure I didn't get lost in the pile...

Is this school open to update letters before being assigned a priority number?
Click to expand...

Here is an answer straight from Dr. W-C herself. I spoke with her about how admissions is going this year and the topic of updates came up so I figured I'd share it here for you guys. You can send updates in whenever you'd like, HOWEVER keep it short and sweet and relevant. Did a paper just get published? Great! Tell her it got published and send a link. Did you get that job/internship or whatever at the NIH? Awesome, tell her you got the job. Don't write more than a paragraph. SHE WILL NOT READ IT. If it's short, but unimportant, it will not get put into your file and you'll just be annoying one of the nicest admissions deans I've come across. Don't do that. I'm surprised at some of the e-mails she gets from you pre-meds. Use your brain cells guys. "I just applied for a position as a researcher at blah blah blah" means nothing until you actually GET the position and are working there.
 
SignOftheTiger said:
For the record, Class of 2015 is the first P/F class (pre-clinical yrs only like you said). They call it competency achieved/competency not achieved though, but it means the same thing.
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Ah ok, I stand corrected. I was thinking I'd had M2s tell me they were still on the old grading system. I guess not. Cool. Thanks for the info.
 
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