2017 Post Bacc Vcom

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Supermanwife

Supermanwife

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Hi everyone. Just starting a thread for 2017 VCOM post bacc program (graduate certification program). Best of luck to all....
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Supermanwife said:
Hi everyone. Just starting a thread for 2017 VCOM post bacc program (graduate certification program). I just submitted my application yesterday.. Best of luck to all....
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Did you apply to VCOM this cycle for their DO program or are you going straight to the post bacc?


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Quick Question: Do either of you know how the sGPA and cGPA is calculated? Do they use the same policy as AACOMAS? Do they replace retaken courses with the higher grade?
 
MDwannabe21 said:
Quick Question: Do either of you know how the sGPA and cGPA is calculated? Do they use the same policy as AACOMAS? Do they replace retaken courses with the higher grade?
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Sorry I don't have an answer for you as I've been accepted DO this cycle and will no longer be doing the program. Would definitely give the post bacc admissions a call!
 
MDwannabe21 said:
Quick Question: Do either of you know how the sGPA and cGPA is calculated? Do they use the same policy as AACOMAS? Do they replace retaken courses with the higher grade?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure. That's a great question. I just called but no answer. Might try in the morning...
 
What do you all think about the aamc practice test 2, that was just released?
 
Supermanwife said:
Someone from the 2016 post said they emailed the program and the response was yes, they take retakes and the GPA according to aacomas...
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Thank you, I got the same response! Certainly something to keep in mind folks (if applicable)
 
Just put in my application over the weekend. Has anyone else applied? I was told they will start reviewing applications in January.
 
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dcall426 said:
Just put in my application over the weekend. Has anyone else applied? I was told they will start reviewing applications in January.
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Good luck! Hopefully, this thread will get rolling with others who apply/have applied. Yes it's January.
 
For all of you thinking about doing VCOM's graduate certificate program... do it!! I'm currently halfway through the program and just got my acceptance to their DO program starting next fall. I know the 3.6 requirement sounds scary, but it's definitely doable if you start studying hard from day 1. I feel 100x more prepared for med school now, the professors are all really helpful and excited to teach, and the environment of Blacksburg is amazing. One heads up if you do get accepted: Don't get too attached to the VA campus if you're not from VA...they WILL send you to either Spartanburg or Auburn due to the demand for the VA campus.

Feel free to ask me any questions! Good luck everyone!
 
FutureDoctorChloe said:
For all of you thinking about doing VCOM's graduate certificate program... do it!! I'm currently halfway through the program and just got my acceptance to their DO program starting next fall. I know the 3.6 requirement sounds scary, but it's definitely doable if you start studying hard from day 1. I feel 100x more prepared for med school now, the professors are all really helpful and excited to teach, and the environment of Blacksburg is amazing. One heads up if you do get accepted: Don't get too attached to the VA campus if you're not from VA...they WILL send you to either Spartanburg or Auburn due to the demand for the VA campus.

Feel free to ask me any questions! Good luck everyone!
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Wow!!. 3.6 does sound tough but it's good to hear from someone who is in the program now. Even the fact that you said that you feel more prepared gives me high hopes for this program... Thank you and congrats...
 
dcall426 said:
Just put in my application over the weekend. Has anyone else applied? I was told they will start reviewing applications in January.
Click to expand...

Have you taken the MCAT? I heard that they give preference to those who meet the Mcat benchmark.
 
FutureDoctorChloe said:
For all of you thinking about doing VCOM's graduate certificate program... do it!! I'm currently halfway through the program and just got my acceptance to their DO program starting next fall. I know the 3.6 requirement sounds scary, but it's definitely doable if you start studying hard from day 1. I feel 100x more prepared for med school now, the professors are all really helpful and excited to teach, and the environment of Blacksburg is amazing. One heads up if you do get accepted: Don't get too attached to the VA campus if you're not from VA...they WILL send you to either Spartanburg or Auburn due to the demand for the VA campus.

Feel free to ask me any questions! Good luck everyone!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the encouragement!! How competitive do you think admissions are to the certificate program?? I am definitely going to apply but feel as if my application is very average or below average.
 
Supermanwife said:
Have you taken the MCAT? I heard that they give preference to those who meet the Mcat benchmark.
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No, I am taking it in June. I need to study for it as I am a career changer. I did submit my GRE though which was really high so I hope that shows meeting the MCAT benchmark wouldn't be a problem. Have you taken the MCAT?
 
dcall426 said:
No, I am taking it in June. I need to study for it as I am a career changer. I did submit my GRE though which was really high so I hope that shows meeting the MCAT benchmark wouldn't be a problem. Have you taken the MCAT?
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I havent seen anything on the GRE, they may accept you but still require the MCAT. That would be a good thing if they do accept it. Im studying for it now. I'm planning on taking it this yr before the program starts.
 
Do you all think that the grade replacement will apply to this program? I'll call on Monday to find out if no one knows..
 
I read a post that said it would be effective 2018. By then we wouldve completed the program and they would go by that GPA not your undergrad.. Right?
 
FutureDoctorChloe said:
For all of you thinking about doing VCOM's graduate certificate program... do it!! I'm currently halfway through the program and just got my acceptance to their DO program starting next fall. I know the 3.6 requirement sounds scary, but it's definitely doable if you start studying hard from day 1. I feel 100x more prepared for med school now, the professors are all really helpful and excited to teach, and the environment of Blacksburg is amazing. One heads up if you do get accepted: Don't get too attached to the VA campus if you're not from VA...they WILL send you to either Spartanburg or Auburn due to the demand for the VA campus.

Feel free to ask me any questions! Good luck everyone!
Click to expand...

Hey there,

I'm thinking about this program due to the AACOMAS changes. Could I ask what your stats were to get into this program? I'll have a 3.03 and 28 MCAT (plus some ECs) wondering if I'll have a shot from the other side of the US.

Thanks!
 
Hey Supermanwife,

The grade replacement policy is strictly done through AACOMAS. VCOM doesn't do grade policy as a school. They did mention that they look at trends and seem to favor the last 120 credit hour if you hit sufficient amount of credits.
 
impervious0ne said:
Hey Supermanwife,

The grade replacement policy is strictly done through AACOMAS. VCOM doesn't do grade policy as a school. They did mention that they look at trends and seem to favor the last 120 credit hour if you hit sufficient amount of credits.
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
MDwannabe21 said:
Thank you so much for the encouragement!! How competitive do you think admissions are to the certificate program?? I am definitely going to apply but feel as if my application is very average or below average.
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I'm not sure about this year, I'm pretty sure last year they had around 400 applications and we started the year with 98 students.
 
Supermanwife said:
I read a post that said it would be effective 2018. By then we wouldve completed the program and they would go by that GPA not your undergrad.. Right?
Click to expand...
Correct! Their benchmarks are based on your graduate certificate GPA, MCAT scores, and getting a positive faculty evaluation.
 
From ghosting previous posts, it seems that they don't send out decisions until at least the end of March (for those of us who applied between December to early January) 😳

Everything I've heard about this program makes me want to be a part of it even more! And I've lived in Blacksburg for 4 years during undergrad so I would be very comfortable with the idea of going back!

With that, there are parts of me that wish this next month or so would fly by. Best of luck to you guys! :luck:
 
Debating whether or not to apply to this program especially if I'm applying this summer to DO schools. Haven't taken the MCAT yet, but this seems like a good fit for GPA repair and being exposed to a med. school curriculum to garner more acceptances in the future. I'll keep tabs on this page for the next month or so.
 
IdealNFP said:
Debating whether or not to apply to this program especially if I'm applying this summer to DO schools. Haven't taken the MCAT yet, but this seems like a good fit for GPA repair and being exposed to a med. school curriculum to garner more acceptances in the future. I'll keep tabs on this page for the next month or so.
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I think that decision would be based on your stats, either way you'd start med school the same time.If your GPA is impacted by retakes then I'd suggest applying. If your GPA is par and you have a solid MCAT then I wouldn't suggest taking this as it would be a waste of money... Good thing the app fee is only $25 and $100 to hold your spot.
 
mccortisol said:
From ghosting previous posts, it seems that they don't send out decisions until at least the end of March (for those of us who applied between December to early January) 😳

Everything I've heard about this program makes me want to be a part of it even more! And I've lived in Blacksburg for 4 years during undergrad so I would be very comfortable with the idea of going back!

With that, there are parts of me that wish this next month or so would fly by. Best of luck to you guys! :luck:
Click to expand...

Okay, Someone told me that they said they will start sending out acceptances by email in February for those who submitted in October. So yes, those that submitted in January will probably hear back in March. #Fingerscrossed.
Wow, that's a plus for you. You know the area and everything that's great. I'm hoping it fly by too.
 
Anyone know if you can transfer the DO app from AACOMAS to this program? I rather pay $40 and have everything verified than paying $27 only to re-send transcripts and LORs. Thanks!
 
DexterMorganSK said:
Anyone know if you can transfer the DO app from AACOMAS to this program? I rather pay $40 and have everything verified than paying $27 only to re-send transcripts and LORs. Thanks!
Click to expand...

In the 2016 forum, I believe someone transferred their transcripts. Not sure if they will continue that this yr. Best bet to call and double check..
 
Supermanwife said:
I think that decision would be based on your stats, either way you'd start med school the same time.If your GPA is impacted by retakes then I'd suggest applying. If your GPA is par and you have a solid MCAT then I wouldn't suggest taking this as it would be a waste of money... Good thing the app fee is only $25 and $100 to hold your spot.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was highly considering this program. Seems pretty good, when I apply to DO schools in the summer I'll be a borderline candidate, and it'll really depend on the MCAT score, but I won't know until June what my MCAT score will be, so I might hold off and save some money and take the gap year fully. It doesn't hurt to apply either I guess since the cost is pretty low. I'll definitely keep tabs on this program though, and also I'm looking into LECOM post-bacc too because their deadline isn't until the summer.
 
I hope I'm not too late to apply. I've had quite a challenge scrambling for LoRs and won't have my essays done until this weekend. :/
 
IdealNFP said:
Yeah I was highly considering this program. Seems pretty good, when I apply to DO schools in the summer I'll be a borderline candidate, and it'll really depend on the MCAT score, but I won't know until June what my MCAT score will be, so I might hold off and save some money and take the gap year fully. It doesn't hurt to apply either I guess since the cost is pretty low. I'll definitely keep tabs on this program though, and also I'm looking into LECOM post-bacc too because their deadline isn't until the summer.
Click to expand...

Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I thought about Lecom and will probably apply there if I dont hear anything back by March/April. Best of luck!!!
 
kelminak said:
I hope I'm not too late to apply. I've had quite a challenge scrambling for LoRs and won't have my essays done until this weekend. :/
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I don't think so, they said they won't view applications until January. They didn't say when in January so I don't think you're late at all... Most won't apply till March/April....
 
My application is in! Also we should probably have this in the post-bacc forum so other people can find it.
 
kelminak said:
My application is in! Also we should probably have this in the post-bacc forum so other people can find it.
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Good! Someone created one already and I posted the link to this one... So they should be able to find this one in the post bacc section.
 
FutureDoctorChloe said:
For all of you thinking about doing VCOM's graduate certificate program... do it!! I'm currently halfway through the program and just got my acceptance to their DO program starting next fall. I know the 3.6 requirement sounds scary, but it's definitely doable if you start studying hard from day 1. I feel 100x more prepared for med school now, the professors are all really helpful and excited to teach, and the environment of Blacksburg is amazing. One heads up if you do get accepted: Don't get too attached to the VA campus if you're not from VA...they WILL send you to either Spartanburg or Auburn due to the demand for the VA campus.

Feel free to ask me any questions! Good luck everyone!
Click to expand...

Hi FutureDoctorChloe,

Congrats of your acceptance! Would you mind sharing why you chose VCOM post-bacc and what the classes are like? Do you take them with the medical students? What is it like living in Blacksburg? How many people in your class made it into the VCOM program so far? Is there anything you don't like about the program?

Thank you!
 
atang said:
Hi FutureDoctorChloe,

Congrats of your acceptance! Would you mind sharing why you chose VCOM post-bacc and what the classes are like? Do you take them with the medical students? What is it like living in Blacksburg? How many people in your class made it into the VCOM program so far? Is there anything you don't like about the program?

Thank you!
Click to expand...

Hey I saw you haven't had a reply yet so I figured I would chime in. I am also in the program and was also offered a seat in next year's DO class. As for why I chose the VCOM post-bacc, I was actually rejected by them pre-II and in their rejection email they talked about this program so I figured I might as well apply as it was my second application cycle with no acceptances. I emailed the administration and they easily transferred my DO application over and I was accepted about a month later (in May). I was on a waitlist for another DO program but never got the call so I started here in the fall. My stats were 3.4/3.2 c/sGPA and 30 MCAT.

As for the classes, in the first semester we had anatomy, biochem, physio, neuroscience, health policy, and nutrition. All courses are taught by faculty members that teach the OMS-I and IIs and they stressed to us that they use the same lecture slides and pull exam questions from the same question banks. All the courses except one (nutrition) I felt were great classes taught by wonderful faculty that made their expectations very clear for what you need to know. They were all also very available for office hours or email. Also in this program you are in class from 8-12 with "mandatory" attendance. I put mandatory in quotes in that they don't take attendance (as far as I know) but I wouldn't be surprised if some faculty noticed if someone wasn't showing up to class on a regular basis. You do not take classes with medical students. In fact, you are in a building across the street from the actual medical school. The classroom is pretty nice so I don't mind it at all. In fact, I've probably stepped inside the main medical school building <5 times.

Blacksburg is a really cool town. It is a college town with lots to offer in terms of things to do whether it be hiking, sports, nightlife, etc. Plus your tuition fee includes the ability to use all of Virginia Tech's facilities. I will say the surrounding area is more rural than I expected and the local shopping mall leaves a bit to be desired, but I was too busy in the books to really care. If i remember correctly, 51 out of 98 received acceptance letters for the December review.

As for what I don't like about the program, I honestly have to nitpick to find something I don't like. I applied to maybe 30-35 med schools across two cycles and never was able to secure an acceptance until this program took a chance on me so I am eternally thankful. I guess I'm not a fan of how often you take tests in this program. Literally you have a test every Monday and sometimes Friday too. This can be a good thing in that you can bomb an exam and be totally fine, but maintaining that level of endurance to prepare for so many exams throughout the semester can be really tough mentally. Also not the biggest fan on the business casual dress code and mandatory attendance and the fact the program does not do any sort of lecture capture. However those are once again pretty nitpicky since all VCOM campuses have the same policies, including with the weekly testing (if i remember correctly)

Feel free to ask any more questions on here or PM me. Best of luck!
 
Thank you so much for your feedback and thoughtful responses AquaRegia241. Congrats on your acceptance as well! I do not know how to PM on SDN so I will just reply here with a few more questions.

Do you need a car to get around Blacksburg?

Are your classmates friendly/collaborative?

Do you know where I could find a list of residency programs VCOM students are admitted into?

How are the exams formatted? Is it just multiple choice?

Thanks again!
 
atang said:
Thank you so much for your feedback and thoughtful responses AquaRegia241. Congrats on your acceptance as well! I do not know how to PM on SDN so I will just reply here with a few more questions.

Do you need a car to get around Blacksburg?

Are your classmates friendly/collaborative?

Do you know where I could find a list of residency programs VCOM students are admitted into?

How are the exams formatted? Is it just multiple choice?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...


Not a problem! I'm happy to help. As for if you need a car, I would highly recommend it. There is a bus system here in Blacksburg and it is free for VCOM students but I have never used it so I can't comment much about it. But I've never run across problems with parking at school ever.

I would say my classmates are very friendly and collaborative. There is no competition in this program. If every student meets the benchmark, then every student gets accepted. We have a facebook group where we share study materials with each other and previous post-baccs have shared their old notes and test banks as well.

For residency programs, I don't think VCOM gives specific site locations where their students go, but they do provide a breakdown of the different specialties. You can look for yourself in this link. Go near the end for the residency information. http://www.vcom.edu/handbooks/outcomes/

Exams are all multiple choice taken on your computer. Though in our health policy class we did have short answer essay questions.
 
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