2019-2020 Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM-Colorado)

[Cornfed101]

Question for accepted students. The prerequisite coursework on the rvucom website says that you need 12 credits of general biology. My undergrad institution only provides 10 credits. Would that be an issue. Any of accepted students have less than 12 biology credits?

yes, they are very strict about the hour requirements

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[skiracr]

Hey all! Attending Utah campus this July.
Question for current students. I’m in the market for a new laptop. Any reason BESIDES personal preference or pricing to pick between Windows and Apple at RVU? Any software issues with course material or anything? Thx!

Either will work fine, I have an apple. But, you have to be careful to not download any updates until the school tells you its okay because sometimes it messes up the exam software

 

[GetReady14]

Interviewed 3/23, just got an acceptance email! Placed on APS status. They said most people on the APS list end up matriculating into the class they applied to. Does anybody have know any stats on that?

 

[alijen]

Question for accepted students. The prerequisite coursework on the rvucom website says that you need 12 credits of general biology. My undergrad institution only provides 10 credits. Would that be an issue. Any of accepted students have less than 12 biology credits?

The requirement can be met by taking other courses such as anatomy, physiology, micro, etc. Any biological science course will suffice.

 

[StudentDr23]

Does anyone know if this year's residency match list is publicly available?

Yes it's on the website, but I've also linked it here --> http://www.rvu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Residency_MatchList_2020.pdf

 

[Athack]

Many students are at Courtney Downs Apartment which is close to school, I personally went with Parliament Apartments due to it being more central to everything else.

 

[Retro.viridae]

Current/former students: What time do the required labs usually start? I know the starting times probably vary from class/semester, but is it ever super early? Just trying to figure out if I'll have time to drop my kids off at school in the morning.

 

[skiracr]

Current/former students: What time do the required labs usually start? I know the starting times probably vary from class/semester, but is it ever super early? Just trying to figure out if I'll have time to drop my kids off at school in the morning.

Labs are almost always in the afternoon, exams are almost always early morning though

 

[Retro.viridae]

Labs are almost always in the afternoon, exams are almost always early morning though

Thank you!

 

[flatlander94]

Many students are at Courtney Downs Apartment which is close to school, I personally went with Parliament Apartments due to it being more central to everything else.

Are you talking about the Parliament Apartments in the Denver Tech Center? If so, how's the location been? I'm also thinking about living in the DTC but I'm worried about traffic and losing too much time while commuting.

 

[skiracr]

Are you talking about the Parliament Apartments in the Denver Tech Center? If so, how's the location been? I'm also thinking about living in the DTC but I'm worried about traffic and losing too much time while commuting.

It takes 15-20 minutes to commute from DTC to campus but in the evenings/rush hour I25 can get pretty slow. BUT, in a pinch you can hop on C-470 instead of arapahoe from I25 and that cuts down some time.

 

[skiracr]

K. That's kind of what I was expecting. Where do you live? What are some of the pros and cons of living in the DTC vs. living near campus? Also, it looks like you ski (lol) should easier access to the mountains be a consideration at all? This is obviously situation dependent but would love to hear your opinion on the matter as another skier. TIA!

I forgot to put this in my message to you, access to the mountains is pretty much equal no matter where you live in the south metro Denver area. The closest skiing is going to be Winter Park which is 1.5 hours away, Vail is 2, Steamboat is 3, Aspen/Snowmass is 4.

 

[DOTOBE222]

Do accepted students have any updates on what they expect classes will be like in July? Have they already decided that it will be online and have there been any updates on events like the white coat ceremony?

 

[primary_oocyte]

Do accepted students have any updates on what they expect classes will be like in July? Have they already decided that it will be online and have there been any updates on events like the white coat ceremony?

Currently they are still planning for regular class format in July, but they said they're going to keep us posted as the situation progresses. White coat ceremony they haven't said anything about.

 

[DOTOBE222]

Currently they are still planning for regular class format in July, but they said they're going to keep us posted as the situation progresses. White coat ceremony they haven't said anything about.

Thank you!

 

[JASPER-Shlubz]

yes, they are very strict about the hour requirements

Cornfed101 do you know what they count as general biology credits? I have 9 credits worth of introductory to biology courses. Would my 15 credits of additional lower division bio courses such as Cell & Molec and Genetics/Evolution count towards this requirement?

 

[Cornfed101]

Cornfed101 do you know what they count as general biology credits? I have 9 credits worth of introductory to biology courses. Would my 15 credits of additional lower division bio courses such as Cell & Molec and Genetics/Evolution count towards this requirement?

I don’t know exactly what they count, but I had only 4 credits of intro bio and then micro and cell bio with lab and they counted those

 

[klp1216]

For anyone accepted and planning to move to Parker, has anyone gotten their financial aid letter for proof of income yet? I want to try and move in late May/early June but not sure what to tell landlords when they ask for proof of income...

Thanks!

 

[Retro.viridae]

For anyone accepted and planning to move to Parker, has anyone gotten their financial aid letter for proof of income yet? I want to try and move in late May/early June but not sure what to tell landlords when they ask for proof of income...

Thanks!

I e-mailed Student Financial Services and asked for a letter. RVU sent me a letter that says how much I'll be making to give to landlords. So far some apartment complexes have said they'll accept it, others have said they won't.

 

[Dr. Birdperson]

To any current students or alumni,
Is the entire booklist absolutely necessary? If not, which books are absolute musts and which ones are dust collectors? Just wanted to check before I drop 3 grand. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Retro.viridae]

To any current students or alumni,
Is the entire booklist absolutely necessary? If not, which books are absolute musts and which ones are dust collectors? Just wanted to check before I drop 3 grand. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

There's a booklist? I didn't even know that. I'm not sure if you were on the virtual second look day, but on the student panel one of the students said they haven't bought any of the books. That seems to be the consensus amongst students I've talked to.

 

[Cornfed101]

To any current students or alumni,
Is the entire booklist absolutely necessary? If not, which books are absolute musts and which ones are dust collectors? Just wanted to check before I drop 3 grand. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

There's a booklist? I didn't even know that. I'm not sure if you were on the virtual second look day, but on the student panel one of the students said they haven't bought any of the books. That seems to be the consensus amongst students I've talked to.

Who needs books these days?

 

[skiracr]

I would recommend an anatomy atlas but that's about it, the library has books if needed

 

[MDFUTURE123]

I would recommend an anatomy atlas but that's about it, the library has books if needed

Yeah during Second Look, a couple students said that they never bought any books (some were M2s) and they were doing just fine

 

[MDFUTURE123]

Just to be clear, with the tuition that we are paying, we dont receive any tech/ipads? We have to buy those on our own??

 

[skiracr]

Just to be clear, with the tuition that we are paying, we dont receive any tech/ipads? We have to buy those on our own??

correct, unfortunately

 

[Dr. Birdperson]

Who needs books these days?

Yeah, there's a booklist on the class website. I found e-copies of every one of them for free. So, to anyone out there about to buy books, don't!

 

[StudentDr23]

To any current students or alumni,
Is the entire booklist absolutely necessary? If not, which books are absolute musts and which ones are dust collectors? Just wanted to check before I drop 3 grand. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

The only book that I would recommend for the systems courses is Costanzo's Physiology, although if you don't mind online books, you can view it through the school's library website. I also really like the BRS Physiology book because it has practice questions at the end of each section (it's divided into systems, e.g., Resp, Cardio, Renal, etc.). There's anatomy atlas's at every lab tank in the anatomy lab, and the only time I've ever actually looked in an atlas was during lab.
For OPP, I wish I would have utilized the Savarese OMT Review book sooner. It's super easy to read and can make OPP a lot easier to get through (OPP actually has some of the harder tests).

 

[skiracr]

Does anyone know if RVU is still going to require us to take Step 1? Seems silly now. There’s no benefit anymore, is there?

Also, can we take Step 2 without taking Step 1?

the requirement will stay. This year due to Covid and testing dates being cancelled the requirement was dropped (or so I've heard, I'm not 100% sure)

 

[skiracr]

Is RVU Pass/Fail for classes?

Yes, it is <70 Fail, >70 pass, >90 Honors

 

[seikomed]

“ Today we have invited in a few APS candidates. This is just the first wave, and we anticipate inviting more in after a few deposits are due next week.

I will continue to update you as more information becomes available.

Please let us know if you have chosen to accept a seat at another COM. If this is the case, we congratulate you and wish you the very best as you continue your medical education.

As always, stay safe and well.

Katy“

Congrats to those admitted! Hopefully we get some more good news next week

 

[Kzis]

Longtime lurker here. Was pulled off APS yesterday! I hope the rest of my APS buddies hear back soon.

 

[Futuredocdoc1]

With RVU being pass/ fail but still having a class rank, are you able to see your rank on each exam? What about at the end of each semester?

 

[StudentDr23]

With RVU being pass/ fail but still having a class rank, are you able to see your rank on each exam? What about at the end of each semester?

With the curriculum being P/F, we do not have class rank. You will get to see your quartile rank at the end of the second year (end of preclinical curriculum). The teacher will usually send out a combined average (CO and UT) after each exam.

 

[Futuredocdoc1]

With the curriculum being P/F, we do not have class rank. You will get to see your quartile rank at the end of the second year (end of preclinical curriculum). The teacher will usually send out a combined average (CO and UT) after each exam.

Gotcha. So if I understand correctly, you get a numerical score for each exam, but then at the end of each course are given either an honors, pass, or fail distinction on transcripts, based on the culmination of those scores?

 

[StudentDr23]

Gotcha. So if I understand correctly, you get a numerical score for each exam, but then at the end of each course are given either an honors, pass, or fail distinction on transcripts, based on the culmination of those scores?

Correct! I think someone else mentioned it earlier but 0-69.9% = F, 70.0-89.9 = P, and >90.0 = H for the transcript. A lot of courses only have exams but some courses have additional quizzes and other assignments.

 

[primary_oocyte]

Question, how strictly in the dress code enforced? Asking as someone who got very used to wearing leggings because of corona :/

 

[seikomed]

Just got the call, off the APS list! Interviewed 1/14

 

[drifloon]

Just got the call, off the list! Interviewed 12/14

+1, interviewed early January

 

[doc2be123123]

Just got the call, off the list! Interviewed 12/14

Congrats!! Were you on the APS or alternate list?

 

[seikomed]

Congrats!! Were you on the APS or alternate list?

thanks! APS

 

[skiracr]

Question, how strictly in the dress code enforced? Asking as someone who got very used to wearing leggings because of corona :/

Its not too strict, as long as your pants/leggings/jeans don't have huge holes in them it's fine. I've never heard of someone getting called out for violating the dress code but it is important to dress nicely for standardized patients.

 

[MDFUTURE123]

Dont Ya'll love this 90k Cost of Attendance 🙂

 

[Retro.viridae]

Dont Ya'll love this 90k Cost of Attendance 🙂

The CoL is insane - and this is coming from someone who lives in CA. I'm going from $1400/mo for a 4bdr/3ba newer home with solar to a 3bdr/2ba apartment for $1800/mo. So crazy that my rent is going up. I don't know how people are complaining about CoL in CA. They need to check out CO haha.

 

[Cornfed101]

The CoL is insane - and this is coming from someone who lives in CA. I'm going from $1400/mo for a 4bdr/3ba newer home with solar to a 3bdr/2ba apartment for $1800/mo. So crazy that my rent is going up. I don't know how people are complaining about CoL in CA. They need to check out CO haha.

are you from Death Valley or something? If you leave Denver it’s not too expensive.

 

[MDFUTURE123]

The CoL is insane - and this is coming from someone who lives in CA. I'm going from $1400/mo for a 4bdr/3ba newer home with solar to a 3bdr/2ba apartment for $1800/mo. So crazy that my rent is going up. I don't know how people are complaining about CoL in CA. They need to check out CO haha.

Well I live in Cali too, and the COL here is crazy. Maybe you dont live in a big city but I live in a tiny apartment and for the same type of apartment in CO, its like half the cost

 

[primary_oocyte]

The CoL is insane - and this is coming from someone who lives in CA. I'm going from $1400/mo for a 4bdr/3ba newer home with solar to a 3bdr/2ba apartment for $1800/mo. So crazy that my rent is going up. I don't know how people are complaining about CoL in CA. They need to check out CO haha.

I'm living in NYC right now and let me tell you, finding a 2 bed/2 bath for ~$2k a month would be impossible here and in CO that's the higher price point of apartments I've been seeing. I guess it depends where exactly you're looking, if you're in Denver proper the costs are definitely going to rise. If you go 10-15 min out, prices drop substantially

 

[Retro.viridae]

are you from Death Valley or something? If you leave Denver it’s not too expensive.

Haha no. But I'm not in a big city either. I'm in the central valley. I know SF and LA are crazy. But I didn't get a place in Denver. I was looking in Parker/Englewood/Aurora. It seemed like Denver was cheaper than the Parker area when I was looking. I could find places for like $850 there, but they didn't look safe. Parker was crazy expensive. The cheapest 3 bdr in Parker on Zillow right now is $1780/mo. I settled on the cheapest 3bdr I could find that was near school and safe looking (I have a wife and kids), which was in Englewood.

I'm living in NYC right now and let me tell you, finding a 2 bed/2 bath for ~$2k a month would be impossible here and in CO that's the higher price point of apartments I've been seeing. I guess it depends where exactly you're looking, if you're in Denver proper the costs are definitely going to rise. If you go 10-15 min out, prices drop substantially

Oh yeah, NYC is crazy expensive. I don't know how you guys do it over there.

Well I live in Cali too, and the COL here is crazy. Maybe you dont live in a big city but I live in a tiny apartment and for the same type of apartment in CO, its like half the cost

Yeah I live in the Central Valley. Just like people are saying the CoL is only crazy in Denver... well the same is true in CA. We have crazy high CoL, but it's concentrated in SF and LA. You go to Sac, Modesto, Merced, Fresno, they're all waaaaayyyyy cheaper. The rest of the state is nothing like SF/LA.

 

[Cornfed101]

Haha no. But I'm not in a big city either. I'm in the central valley. I know SF and LA are crazy. But I didn't get a place in Denver. I was looking in Parker/Englewood/Aurora. It seemed like Denver was cheaper than the Parker area when I was looking. I could find places for like $850 there, but they didn't look safe. Parker was crazy expensive. The cheapest 3 bdr in Parker on Zillow right now is $1780/mo. I settled on the cheapest 3bdr I could find that was near school and safe looking (I have a wife and kids), which was in Englewood.

Yeah it sucks to have to find a solo place on loans designed for a single person. We lucked out and found a nice 3br house in Parker for $1750. You aren't going to find anything cheaper than about $1600. My wife will have to work a bit and we are also planning on food stamps, Medicaid, etc..

 

[Retro.viridae]

Yeah it sucks to have to find a solo place on loans designed for a single person. We lucked out and found a nice 3br house in Parker for $1750. You aren't going to find anything cheaper than about $1600. My wife will have to work a bit and we are also planning on food stamps, Medicaid, etc..

Yeah, my wife will be working as well. She got a job as a teacher in Denver. It's going to be so stressful. That's really nice that you found a house for $1750 instead of an apartment! I'm kind of excited to live in an apartment because of all the amenities, but I'm worried that it's going to be so cramped.