2016-2017 University of Virginia Application Thread

BU Medical Sciences
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NonTradWarrior said:
I was under the impression that all applicants received a secondary. Is there a screen I'm not aware of? I haven't received any communication from them at all.
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AAAmeds said:
Also, what do current students think about the Next Generation curriculum at UVA?
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Could you expand on exactly what it is you want to know. Your current question is too broad. No matter where you go to school in the US, you are going to get a good (self-taught) education and be prepared for residency. Ward experiences certainly vary school to school, however.

applesaucey said:
Interviews start on 9/6 so I imagine they'll be coming out soon. The first IIs were sent out right around this date last year, and even earlier in previous years. I'll be surprised if there aren't any this week.
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I don't know what to tell you. I didn't fall along too closely last year. Way back when I applied I got the II the same day I submitted my secondary.
 
I completed mine 7/15. So hopefully I get one soon.
 
Congrats to the people who received invites today - I got one as well and had a quick and potentially silly sounding question. On the invite calendar only five dates are being shown as available to me - do we have to pick from one of those dates or will later slots show up in a few days/weeks?
 
emkate said:
Congrats to the people who received invites today - I got one as well and had a quick and potentially silly sounding question. On the invite calendar only five dates are being shown as available to me - do we have to pick from one of those dates or will later slots show up in a few days/weeks?
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I wanted to know this too, but I ended up.choosimg the one day that worked for me rather than wait and see, risking that the good day became full.
 
emkate said:
Congrats to the people who received invites today - I got one as well and had a quick and potentially silly sounding question. On the invite calendar only five dates are being shown as available to me - do we have to pick from one of those dates or will later slots show up in a few days/weeks?
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My best guess is that, as the dates fill up, they replace it on your calendar with the next available one. I had intended to sign up for the September 12 slot when I first got the email, but by the time I got home from work that date was no longer an option and a later one appeared. I can only assume this means that that date filled up before I could pick it. If you feel comfortable enough waiting for those to fill up to see if you get other options then that's your choice, but I personally didn't risk limiting my options for dates!
 
So, for those of you with interviews, are you following all their rules for the head shot? I have a photo that I've been using for all my apps, but my head and shoulders are slightly tilted (so not facing the camera) and also the background is not a white/light color. There is a colored background. I could take another photo, but it def won't look as good, and also I'd have to shave (I was planning on growing it out till my interviews).
 
Just submitted secondary here! Congrats on to all those with early IIs!
 
Iwannaknow said:
So, for those of you with interviews, are you following all their rules for the head shot? I have a photo that I've been using for all my apps, but my head and shoulders are slightly tilted (so not facing the camera) and also the background is not a white/light color. There is a colored background. I could take another photo, but it def won't look as good, and also I'd have to shave (I was planning on growing it out till my interviews).
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followed the rules. didn't wear a tie or jacket though.
 
LakridsA said:
I'm a VA resident with a 509 MCAT 3.5gpa and 3.4sgpa is it worth it for me to apply here? The average stats are so high


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
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You have a very* poor shot with your stats. I do not think it is worth the $100, but, if you have the money, go ahead.
 
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premedwishful said:
Why are you interested in attending the University of Virginia School of Medicine? What factors will be most important to you in choosing a medical school?
How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and the University of Virginia School of Medicine?
Describe a situation which you found challenging. How did you manage it?
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Are there word limits?
 
el_barto said:
I think it is inappropriate telling a person that they virtually have no shot getting into UVA SOM. OP may have something apart from his numbers that will add value to a med school class.
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That's why I apologized. 👍
 
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So I am going UVA undergrad. My stats are in my signature. sGPA is 3.58; LizzyM is 72; submitted my secondary 7/17; how likely might I be to get an interview? Also realize my signature says non-traditional, but I'm traditional
 
danskrani_xx7272xx said:
So I am going UVA undergrad. My stats are in my signature. sGPA is 3.58; LizzyM is 72; submitted my secondary 7/17; how likely might I be to get an interview? Also realize my signature says non-traditional, but I'm traditional
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I think you've got a good shot assuming ECs are on point.
 
Does anyone know the best way to travel to UVA?
 
lowkey_md said:
Does anyone know the best way to travel to UVA?
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For me, flying into Charlottesville was about $200 cheaper than any other option. I believe some people also fly into DC and take some kind of shuttle? That was much more expensive in my case, however.
 
lowkey_md said:
Does anyone know the best way to travel to UVA?
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I'm a UVA undergrad. I would say that flying into Cville airport is going to be your best bet. Driving from DC is going to be 2.5 hours and you will probably also hit traffic on US29. If you're looking for a cheaper airport, I would suggest trying Richmond over DC - it's closer and I-64 is essentially a straight shot to Cville.

You could also check Norfolk airport - it would be about the same distance as DC
 
II received this past Monday! Completed on 7/10
3.96/520 and OOS.
 
Iwannaknow said:
Yeah I decided to take another pic. Goodbye moustache 🙁
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received II today and I am using a photo with a full beard (shaped though), you dont need to lose your moustache.

Submitted- 7/13 LizzyM 81.7 (3.87 and 526) OOS
 
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AAAmeds said:
Also, what do current students think about the Next Generation curriculum at UVA?
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Current UVA medical student here. Since no one has answered, I'll take a shot at this...

1. Curriculum is 3 semesters long. This is the greatest benefit. You do Step 1 during Jan/Feb of MS2, start on the wards in Mar, and start 4th year the following Mar, which gives you more time to do the clinical (or research) rotations that are of interest to you and relevant to your future career. (And in case you're wondering: UVA still averages in the mid- to upper-230s on step 1. I don't think that the shortened curriculum has had too much of an impact on board scores, and trust me when I tell you that the Administration keeps an eye on this.)

2. Curriculum is P/F. People make a big deal out of this. It’s a nice thing to have, for sure: If life events intervene at some point, you don’t have to worry about a ‘C’ showing up on your transcript. As long as you pass, you’re fine. Also, maybe you can focus somewhat more on boards or big picture topics during MS2 rather than getting bogged down in details. Beyond those things, though, I don’t see much benefit. This is medical school. You’re going to work hard whether you're in a graded or a P/F system. (If you don’t, step 1 and MS3 will bite you in the ass.)

3. About 2/3 of classes are not required, and all classes (except for patient interviews) are podcasted. Students who don't learn well from lectures aren't forced to sit through them.

4. Faculty are generally receptive to student feedback and have modified the curriculum over the years to address criticisms and to meet student needs.

5. UVA will tout their “innovative”, systems-based curriculum. They are blowing smoke, IMO. Systems vs traditional (or whatever you want to call it) DOES NOT MATTER. You still learn the same things. What you need to understand is that UVA has a number of PhDs who have devoted a significant chunk of their careers towards designing this curriculum, and as a result the school has a vested interest in branding NexGen and talking it up. Instead of their sales pitch, focus on the above four points. Those are the real advantages and ultimately what you, as a medical student, care about.

6. The big downside: Some topics aren’t taught well and have been diluted significantly over the years. The two biggest offenders are anatomy and pharmacology. They are working to address these issues, but there is only so much you can do given the amount of space in the curriculum.

I'm happy to answer other questions that you guys might have.
 
HooAreYou said:
Current UVA medical student here. Since no one has answered, I'll take a shot at this...

1. Curriculum is 3 semesters long. This is the greatest benefit. You do Step 1 during Jan/Feb of MS2, start on the wards in Mar, and start 4th year the following Mar, which gives you more time to do the clinical (or research) rotations that are of interest to you and relevant to your future career. (And in case you're wondering: UVA still averages in the mid- to upper-230s on step 1. I don't think that the shortened curriculum has had too much of an impact on board scores, and trust me when I tell you that the Administration keeps an eye on this.)

2. Curriculum is P/F. People make a big deal out of this. It’s a nice thing to have, for sure: If life events intervene at some point, you don’t have to worry about a ‘C’ showing up on your transcript. As long as you pass, you’re fine. Also, maybe you can focus somewhat more on boards or big picture topics during MS2 rather than getting bogged down in details. Beyond those things, though, I don’t see much benefit. This is medical school. You’re going to work hard whether you're in a graded or a P/F system. (If you don’t, step 1 and MS3 will bite you in the ass.)

3. About 2/3 of classes are not required, and all classes (except for patient interviews) are podcasted. Students who don't learn well from lectures aren't forced to sit through them.

4. Faculty are generally receptive to student feedback and have modified the curriculum over the years to address criticisms and to meet student needs.

5. UVA will tout their “innovative”, systems-based curriculum. They are blowing smoke, IMO. Systems vs traditional (or whatever you want to call it) DOES NOT MATTER. You still learn the same things. What you need to understand is that UVA has a number of PhDs who have devoted a significant chunk of their careers towards designing this curriculum, and as a result the school has a vested interest in branding NexGen and talking it up. Instead of their sales pitch, focus on the above four points. Those are the real advantages and ultimately what you, as a medical student, care about.

6. The big downside: Some topics aren’t taught well and have been diluted significantly over the years. The two biggest offenders are anatomy and pharmacology. They are working to address these issues, but there is only so much you can do given the amount of space in the curriculum.

I'm happy to answer other questions that you guys might have.
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Doesn't the fact that some topics aren't taught well affect overall performance on boards and stuff? I feel like anatomy and pharmacology are huge topics to not be taught well (though I obviously don't know). What is taught particularly well?
 
Iwannaknow said:
Doesn't the fact that some topics aren't taught well affect overall performance on boards and stuff? I feel like anatomy and pharmacology are huge topics to not be taught well (though I obviously don't know). What is taught particularly well?
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The curriculum should prepare you to do well in MS3 as well as on boards, and MS3 is really where you'll notice that your anatomy and pharm knowledge is lacking.

But to address your questions: Anatomy is a small part of step 1, and you don't need an impressive knowledge of the subject to answer most of the questions. For pharm, First Aid actually does a decent job of covering the high-yield topics for boards, and it most certainly contained information that we did not address at all or barely touched upon in NxGen.

What's taught well? In general, UVA does a good job throughout of teaching you what's clinically relevant and what's not. Also, the GI, Cardio, and Renal systems are particularly well done.
 
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Should I bother applying here if I only have a very small amount (~25 hours) of non-clinical community service?
 
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