2017 Post Bacc Vcom

[kelminak]

ah!!! I am in the same boat but I am deciding between Hopkins HSI vs VCOM! I can't decide and I feel like I change my mind everyday!

Honestly, you should do the HSI. Hopkins is a great school with a boatload of connections. There's obviously no guaranteed admission, but if you say you did a post bacc at that school it will very much turn heads and perhaps get you into an MD program. Have you done your MCAT yet? That would be a big factor for me. If you haven't and you knocked it out of the park, you could get into an MD program. If you have and it's not that great, VCOM would be the better choice.

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[kelminak]

Thinking about applying... science GPA prob pretty close to 2.9, guess does not hurt to try but cGPA 3.2. So should I apply now and then let them know I am taking MCAT end of this month?

Earlier you can get your application the better. They process and admit people on a first-come first-serve basis so the longer you wait, the more you disadvantage yourself. You don't need an MCAT score to be accepted, but yeah you should tell them you're going to take it.

 

[funnybr]

Accepted on 3/1 and had my VCOM app transferred over to this program on 1/28 so the turn around for me was about a month.


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[kelminak]

Accepted on 3/1 and had my VCOM app transferred over to this program on 1/28 so the turn around for me was about a month.


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Congrats!! Stats + where you're from? I applied around a similar time but your stuff probably processes faster if they don't have to calculate things on their own.

 

[nanie91]

I applied too close to the deadline the first time around, and all the seats had been filled before they had a chance to review my file. Definitely try to get your application in as early as possible!

Oh okay!!! I applied now and I'm just missing one transcript I'm going to send out today and then email Ms. Hewitt. You applied in april then?? I think thats when they get the bulk of their applications

 

[vle]

How long after the application submission did everyone reach out to Ms. Hewitt?

 

[kelminak]

How long after the application submission did everyone reach out to Ms. Hewitt?

I gave it a month. It would depend on when you submitted tbh. If you did 2 weeks ago, it's almost guaranteed they're not close to processing your applictaion yet.

 

[funnybr]

Congrats!! Stats + where you're from? I applied around a similar time but your stuff probably processes faster if they don't have to calculate things on their own.

Thanks! I'm currently on the waitlist for med school, but this program is an awesome backup in case that doesn't happen.
They actually said it was an extremely manual process to transfer apps over, so for me to expect it to take awhile. Not too sure if that in fact made it much faster.

I'm from Texas and my sGPA is 3.1 and cGPA 3.48 MCAT 499

Had a ton of extracurriculars too so that may have helped.



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[nanie91]

Thanks! I'm currently on the waitlist for med school, but this program is an awesome backup in case that doesn't happen.
They actually said it was an extremely manual process to transfer apps over, so for me to expect it to take awhile. Not too sure if that in fact made it much faster.

I'm from Texas and my sGPA is 3.1 and cGPA 3.48 MCAT 499

Had a ton of extracurriculars too so that may have helped.



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You got waitlisted with a 499 MCAT ?? That's a low scoreee

 

[Supermanwife]

I wonder if there were any accepted that didn't transfer their application?

 

[nanie91]

You got waitlisted with a 499 MCAT ?? That's a low scoreee

no offense

 

[nanie91]

im sooo stressed out . i love this program and i love vcom

 

[Futuredoc157]

You got waitlisted with a 499 MCAT ?? That's a low scoreee

Thats actually VCOM's average and probably a few other DO schools

 

[funnybr]

no offense

I'm aware my score isn't great, I'm not oblivious to that.....so you're stating the obvious..... but like I said I think my extracurriculars really helped out. In addition I'm a first generation college student/ child of immigrants/grew up underprivileged so maybe that had some weight? I don't know.


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[nanie91]

I'm aware my score isn't great, I'm not oblivious to that.....so you're stating the obvious..... but like I said I think my extracurriculars really helped out. In addition I'm a first generation college student/ child of immigrants/grew up underprivileged so maybe that had some weight? I don't know.


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Whatever, if you got in you deserve it!!!! again, no offense

 

[nanie91]

Thats actually VCOM's average and probably a few other DO schools[/QUOTE


oh okay

 

[stormie3]

I wonder if there were any accepted that didn't transfer their application?

I'm wondering the same thing because it seems like so far it has only been people who transferred over their applications... it makes me nervous that people who were complete in January are getting accepted and mine was complete in October

 

[nanie91]

does anybody know how many people have been accepted thus far. So they cap the class at 100 and 3 people on sdn have received acceptances

 

[nanie91]

I'm wondering the same thing because it seems like so far it has only been people who transferred over their applications... it makes me nervous that people who were complete in January are getting accepted and mine was complete in October

are you sure your complete maybe you should email and ask

 

[nanie91]

I'm aware my score isn't great, I'm not oblivious to that.....so you're stating the obvious..... but like I said I think my extracurriculars really helped out. In addition I'm a first generation college student/ child of immigrants/grew up underprivileged so maybe that had some weight? I don't know.


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yea underprivileged makes a huge difference

 

[stormie3]

are you sure your complete maybe you should email and ask

Yes, I emailed to confirm in December and Ms. Hewitt said that they have received everything and she was putting it in the queue for processing and preparation for admissions committee review.

 

[SIGNDOC2500]

I called and they won't let me apply until I have officially been rejected from the DO program. They said it could be later than the 4/15 deadline before I hear anything from DO, but they would not consider it "late" since I already have an application with the DO program. It's getting so late in the cycle, I don't think I'm going to get an interview at VCOM. I am waitlisted at another DO school. Do you think not having an application in now will hurt my chances? Do they save seats for some that are transferred from the DO?

 

[nanie91]

I called and they won't let me apply until I have officially been rejected from the DO program. They said it could be later than the 4/15 deadline before I hear anything from DO, but they would not consider it "late" since I already have an application with the DO program. It's getting so late in the cycle, I don't think I'm going to get an interview at VCOM. I am waitlisted at another DO school. Do you think not having an application in now will hurt my chances? Do they save seats for some that are transferred from the DO?

oh yeah i dont know why they do that because they dont want their applicants to move from the post bac into the DO but i mean if they have an alternate list I don't know why they would do that

 

[nanie91]

Thanks! I'm currently on the waitlist for med school, but this program is an awesome backup in case that doesn't happen.
They actually said it was an extremely manual process to transfer apps over, so for me to expect it to take awhile. Not too sure if that in fact made it much faster.

I'm from Texas and my sGPA is 3.1 and cGPA 3.48 MCAT 499

Had a ton of extracurriculars too so that may have helped.



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did you get in with those statistics

 

[kelminak]

did you get in with those statistics

That's literally the reason they posted. You need to slow down.

 

[Supermanwife]

I was just about to say please BREATHE

 

[nanie91]

do you guys think im annoying???

i love you all tho

 

[kelminak]

do you guys think im annoying???

i love you all tho

You're just going a little overboard. You can put more than one quote in a response and you can edit your responses as well.

P.S. just because they cap at 100 students doesn't mean they only give out 100 acceptances considering lots of people end up getting into medical school or going to a different program. There's no point fretting until you hear back from them one way or another.

 

[nanie91]

You're just going a little overboard. You can put more than one quote in a response and you can edit your responses as well.

P.S. just because they cap at 100 students doesn't mean they only give out 100 acceptances considering lots of people end up getting into medical school or going to a different program. There's no point fretting until you hear back from them one way or another.

oh okay ill chillaxxx
also i didnt know that maybe ill look into it the quote repsonse thing and you can edit a response I would do that

also you made me feel better about the 100 thing.... that helped me

 

[PNWisBest]

You're just going a little overboard. You can put more than one quote in a response and you can edit your responses as well.

P.S. just because they cap at 100 students doesn't mean they only give out 100 acceptances considering lots of people end up getting into medical school or going to a different program. There's no point fretting until you hear back from them one way or another.

You are required to send in a very small deposit to hold your seat within a couple of weeks, I believe. I don't think that they send out a ton of acceptances like the medical schools usually do! That's why its a much slower response time.

 

[kelminak]

You are required to send in a very small deposit to hold your seat within a couple of weeks, I believe. I don't think that they send out a ton of acceptances like the medical schools usually do! That's why its a much slower response time.

I'm not sure why it would be any different? Every competitive medical grad program I know of sends out more acceptances than there are seats simply because people decline or get into other programs. People just forfeit the deposit to go to the program they'd prefer. It's a spendy process but the schools aren't going to mind the extra money.

 

[PNWisBest]

I'm not sure why it would be any different? Every competitive medical grad program I know of sends out more acceptances than there are seats simply because people decline or get into other programs. People just forfeit the deposit to go to the program they'd prefer. It's a spendy process but the schools aren't going to mind the extra money.

I just meant the capacity to send out more acceptances for ~95-100 seats is less than a school or program that has 186-200 seats to fill.

 

[PetuniaDursley]

I'm wondering the same thing because it seems like so far it has only been people who transferred over their applications... it makes me nervous that people who were complete in January are getting accepted and mine was complete in October

Same here. I was complete in October but all I've heard so far is that my application is "complete and in queue". I was expecting to hear back early Feb. but now its already march

 

[Futuredoc157]

I'm wondering the same thing because it seems like so far it has only been people who transferred over their applications... it makes me nervous that people who were complete in January are getting accepted and mine was complete in October

Nah i transferred my secondary over as well but im still waiting

 

[Futuredoc157]

I called and they won't let me apply until I have officially been rejected from the DO program. They said it could be later than the 4/15 deadline before I hear anything from DO, but they would not consider it "late" since I already have an application with the DO program. It's getting so late in the cycle, I don't think I'm going to get an interview at VCOM. I am waitlisted at another DO school. Do you think not having an application in now will hurt my chances? Do they save seats for some that are transferred from the DO?

Nah i would transfer the application. It says on vcom website for the post bacc program that the DO class is full by March unless you're coming off a waitlist

 

[eeostrander1]

Applied mid-Feb... Hoping to hear back by end of April! The email said wait 14 business days before checking on application submission. Is that to see if they have made a decision or just in general? I emailed to make sure they got everything and now I feel like a pest :O

 

[SIGNDOC2500]

Nah i would transfer the application. It says on vcom website for the post bacc program that the DO class is full by March unless you're coming off a waitlist

I tried, but the refused to transfer until I have a rejection from the DO program.

 

[Supermanwife]

Applied mid-Feb... Hoping to hear back by end of April! The email said wait 14 business days before checking on application submission. Is that to see if they have made a decision or just in general? I emailed to make sure they got everything and now I feel like a pest :O

It's not to ask for a decision, it's to make sure that they've received your application and all the materials.. So you're fine if you just checked on your materials after the 2 weeks

 

[rembrandtMD]

I got accepted for DO post bacc, but still gonna retake MCAT in May

 

[DexterMorganSK]

I got accepted for DO post bacc, but still gonna retake MCAT in May

Congrats! You mind sharing your stats and when you applied? Thanks!

 

[rembrandtMD]

gpa 3.48 MCAT 493 ;(

 

[kelminak]

gpa 3.48 MCAT 493 ;(

Why do you not save yourself $50k and just retake the MCAT then apply DO? Do you have good ECs?

 

[Salmanium Chloride]

Im not applying to this program this year, but thinking about applying next year. To someone already in the program, are the biochemistry/neuroscience/microbiology classes similar material to undergrad or significantly more difficult?

 

[FutureDoctorChloe]

A singular class? Probably not.



That's interesting. They definitely made it sound like you could stay at the campus closest to your permanent address. Why is it so important to get people to their other locations?

I think they're just trying to balance out the feeding of the accepted post-bacc students to all of the 3 campuses, otherwise VA campus would be overloaded from all of the states north of VA feeding into it (leaving less room for the normal applicants haha).

 

[adrian710]

Why do you not save yourself $50k and just retake the MCAT then apply DO? Do you have good ECs?

5oK? Isn't the program like 16K?

 

[DexterMorganSK]

5oK? Isn't the program like 16K?

http://www.vcom.edu/sites/default/files/premed/files/Grad Cert - 1617 COA.pdf

 

[PNWisBest]

Im not applying to this program this year, but thinking about applying next year. To someone already in the program, are the biochemistry/neuroscience/microbiology classes similar material to undergrad or significantly more difficult?

What I covered in Biochemistry in my undergrad, we covered in greater detail and bypassed what I had learned within 3 weeks. Didn't take Neuroscience in undergrad, but it is exactly like the med school version. Microbiology I can't remember.

The tests are different. It's not just memorizing and regurgitating the information on an exam. It's applied questions that can be 1 or 2 times removed, usually in clinical vignettes (3-5 sentences for a question stem), etc. I actually used a lot of board prep books to help with knowledge bases- BRE, Lange Q&A, etc.

 

[Futuredoc157]

What I covered in Biochemistry in my undergrad, we covered in greater detail and bypassed what I had learned within 3 weeks. Didn't take Neuroscience in undergrad, but it is exactly like the med school version. Microbiology I can't remember.

The tests are different. It's not just memorizing and regurgitating the information on an exam. It's applied questions that can be 1 or 2 times removed, usually in clinical vignettes (3-5 sentences for a question stem), etc. I actually used a lot of board prep books to help with knowledge bases- BRE, Lange Q&A, etc.

How long are the exams usually?

 

[PNWisBest]

How long are the exams usually?

It depends how many lecture hours are grouped into an exam. We've had as little as 4 chapters in a exam (25 questions) to 14 chapters (80 questions). Instructors usually pick 4-7 questions per lecture hour. Some like more, some don't. Really depends! You get 75 seconds per question (I think. I really can't remember), so all tests have different time limits.

 

[mivish]

Has anyone sent their LORs via regular mail?