2019-2020 VCOM/Bluefield MABS Program

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Pachamamisto said:
It probably could be. When I met with he dean he told me it isn't advisable, but that successfully students typically go to class the 20hrs a week and study an additional 40 hrs a week. So if you could find a flexible job to add on top of a 60hr a week commitment, you probably could swing it. Also you might not find you "need" or "want" to study 8 hrs a day in addition to classes, but that 5 hrs works for you. Then you'd have a 45 hr commitment a week. Personally, I think finding free time for myself within the program will be useful in preventing burn out and having a healthy and happy life. Kudos to you if you're someone who can do it all though!
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Thank you so much for the information!
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DaddyNoBeard said:
I lived in Roanoke during the extent of the program and worked part time as well. I was a private tutor for college students and worked a couple of hours here and there a week! There were other students who had jobs and did well too! I do recommend getting a "feel" for the program before getting one! I've had friends work at Panera, Kroger's, and as bouncers at some of the local bars.
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Okay, super helpful! Thank you so much!
 
Didnt know that I was a felon in the eyes of VCOM lol
 
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Hi! Yesterday I found out I was accepted off the waitlist! I am super excited to start classes in less than a month. I am a little nervous though because I haven’t taken the MCAT yet and I am not sure how studying for classes and the MCAT will go. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Are there any students that have been accepted and are still studying for the MCAT? Thanks! Can’t wait to meet everyone!
 
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FuturePedsDO:) said:
Hi! Yesterday I found out I was accepted off the waitlist! I am super excited to start classes in less than a month. I am a little nervous though because I haven’t taken the MCAT yet and I am not sure how studying for classes and the MCAT will go. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Are there any students that have been accepted and are still studying for the MCAT? Thanks! Can’t wait to meet everyone!
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I'm accepted and have been studying for the MCAT, but I take it in 2 days, so unless I screw up majorly I won't be studying for it while in classes. However, having been "studying" for it while in classes this spring, my advice is to make yourself a study plan and follow it. Do not tell yourself you will do it later in order to study more for your actual class. Even if it is only for 10 minutes a day, get it done. And do practice questions and exams. You won't know what content you are weak on if you don't do practice questions and tests.
 
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Thank you all for your reccomendations on where a pet owner could live. Upon further looking, my partner and I have secured a spacious farmhouse in Blacksburg. We are soo excited to make it our own and to have friends over :D . Many thanks to the kind folks here!! Can't wait to meet y'all
 
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FuturePedsDO:) said:
Hi! Yesterday I found out I was accepted off the waitlist! I am super excited to start classes in less than a month. I am a little nervous though because I haven’t taken the MCAT yet and I am not sure how studying for classes and the MCAT will go. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Are there any students that have been accepted and are still studying for the MCAT? Thanks! Can’t wait to meet everyone!
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Congrats!! Do you mind sharing your stats?
 
Hi y'all! I'm super excited to start and meet some lovely people. I'm sure that the link has been posted before, but would someone be kind enough to post the FB group for this cohort?

Thanks :D
 
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Pachamamisto said:
Hi y'all! I'm super excited to start and meet some lovely people. I'm sure that the link has been posted before, but would someone be kind enough to post the FB group for this cohort?

Thanks :D
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2019-2020 Bluefield/VCOM MABS Program
 
I’m still having trouble deciding between this bridge program or the WVSOM bridge program. Any facts or opinions about the VCOM bridge program or the other ?
 
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Where is the MABS campus located? At Bluefield ? Or the VCOM campus?
 
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avatar3619 said:
VCOM campus. The building is located at Rackspace (1691 Innovation Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060 )
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If you are not from VA but have to bring a spouse and kids to VA for the program are you able to stay there for med school?
 
Dochopeful13 said:
If you are not from VA but have to bring a spouse and kids to VA for the program are you able to stay there for med school?
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I am not sure how they work with students with such circumstances. I do believe this is one of the "case by case" basis that they consider where you have to talk with the dean and write a letter to appeal your case etc. The program director/dean will explain the process in detail when it comes closer to the end of the first semester.
 
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avatar3619 said:
I am not sure how they work with students with such circumstances. I do believe this is one of the "case by case" basis that they consider where you have to talk with the dean and write a letter to appeal your case etc. The program director/dean will explain the process in detail when it comes closer to the end of the first semester.
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Thank you. Is there a main program contact I could email?
 
Dochopeful13 said:
Thank you. Is there a main program contact I could email?
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They should have a number on the website for their office. I would call there and ask them who you should contact. Also, which state are you from? Because if you are from a few states around VA, you get the option to go to the VA campus. The states that I know for sure that were included last year were students from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I am not sure if I am forgetting any others though. As stated earlier in this thread though, this may change as the VCOM dean had allowed Pennsylvania students who met the benchmarks to come to the VA campus for the first time last year.
 
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avatar3619 said:
They should have a number on the website for their office. I would call there and ask them who you should contact. Also, which state are you from? Because if you are from a few states around VA, you get the option to go to the VA campus. The states that I know for sure that were included last year were students from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I am not sure if I am forgetting any others though. As stated earlier in this thread though, this may change as the VCOM dean had allowed Pennsylvania students who met the benchmarks to come to the VA campus for the first time last year.
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IL unfortunately lol
 
For those not on FB, please message me so I can give you the GroupMe link. Thanks!! Can’t wait to meet you all.
 
Hey guys. How are you wonderful people doing? If anyone (preferably male) is in need of a room. Please contact me at (240) 423 5068 [preferably] or [email protected], so you can see some pictures of the room. The room is fully furnished with bed, bed frame, bedside closet, drawer dresser, study table & chair, mini fridge and fully furnished bathroom.

All you need to bring in is your clothes and bed spreads. The cost of all the furniture mentioned is $650 (negotiable). They will be all yours to keep. The rent is $450 without monthly utilities (water, light & internet) which range from $20 - $100 depending on the season. You will have two awesome male roommates who are both graduate students at VTech. Every one has separate bathrooms but a shared kitchen and living room. The room is 10-12 minutes away from the MABS class room at the RackSpace Building. The neighborhood is also filled with previous MABS students who are currently first years. You'll love it here! If you get the room asap, you will not be paying any rent for the month of July. That'll be on my tab. :)

Please contact me at (240) 423 5068 [preferably] or [email protected], so you can see some pictures of the room.
 
Hey guys I just got accepted today. If anyone (by some miracle) is still looking for a female roommate please PM me!
 
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Zist said:
Hey guys I just got accepted today. If anyone (by some miracle) is still looking for a female roommate please PM me!
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Hey! Good to hear! I have been wondering about your status since you were still awaiting a decision! Make sure to join our FB group and GroupMe if you have not already and I look forward to meeting you in 2 weeks! :)
 
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Hello future MABS students and future DOctors. I've got an important resource for you guys. Its a question bank (qbank) from many years of the certificate program and VCOM classes. This was of great use to me and many others in the class. However, only a handful of people got it last year and they used it quietly. However, to even the playing field and ensure that every one of you has an equal opportunity to succeed in this amazing program, I'd be sharing the link to the qbank here. Before I do that, let me say a few things...

There were times when 90-95% of the questions in this qbank repeated themselves on exams and there were other times when no question showed up. The morale of this is that you SHOULD NOT solely depend on this qbank and you SHOULD definitely study for your exams, however, please make sure to look over the question in this bank and use them as a great resource to complement your studying. That said, here is the link. Use wisely!! Go dominate guys!!

MABS/VCOM Old Question Bank
 
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MCATKILA said:
Hello future MABS students and future DOctors. I've got an important resource for you guys. Its a question bank (qbank) from many years of the certificate program and VCOM classes. This was of great use to me and many others in the class. However, only a handful of people got it last year and they used it quietly. However, to even the playing field and ensure that every one of you has an equal opportunity to succeed in this amazing program, I'd be sharing the link to the qbank here. Before I do that, let me say a few things...

There were times when 90-95% of the questions in this qbank repeated themselves on exams and there were other times when no question showed up. The morale of this is that you SHOULD NOT solely depend on this qbank and you SHOULD definitely study for your exams, however, please make sure to look over the question in this bank and use them as a great resource to complement your studying. That said, here is the link. Use wisely!! Go dominate guys!!
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You're amazing...
 
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Saltlf2017 said:
I’m still having trouble deciding between this bridge program or the WVSOM bridge program. Any facts or opinions about the VCOM bridge program or the other ?
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They're both compatible but I would choose WVSOM due to curriculum.
 
MCATKILA said:
Hello future MABS students and future DOctors. I've got an important resource for you guys. Its a question bank (qbank) from many years of the certificate program and VCOM classes. This was of great use to me and many others in the class. However, only a handful of people got it last year and they used it quietly. However, to even the playing field and ensure that every one of you has an equal opportunity to succeed in this amazing program, I'd be sharing the link to the qbank here. Before I do that, let me say a few things...

There were times when 90-95% of the questions in this qbank repeated themselves on exams and there were other times when no question showed up. The morale of this is that you SHOULD NOT solely depend on this qbank and you SHOULD definitely study for your exams, however, please make sure to look over the question in this bank and use them as a great resource to complement your studying. That said, here is the link. Use wisely!! Go dominate guys!!
Click to expand...

Wow. Thank you so so much.
 
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Did some of the people who made the March or the May benchmark ended up getting accepted to VCOM for this year? I just wanted to know what are the chances for you to be matriculated the same year if you made the later benchmark.
 
Raindrop Cake said:
Going off of this, I'm pretty sure state citizenship only plays a major role for the Virginia campus, while students from other states (besides Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and those few others) can pretty much choose freely between the Carolinas and Auburn campuses regardless of their permanent address.
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Does anyone know where IL residents are placed??
 
Hello! Do you guys think I have a chance of getting admitted to MABS for the next cycle? I am attaching my information:
-AZ resident
-Biomedical Engineering Major
-cGPA:3.58
-sGPA: 3.35(my grades are not great in math classes)
-Experiences include:
Anatomy and Physiology preceptor(1 semester)
Molecular Biology preceptor(1 semester)
Cancer center volunteer-50 hrs
Clinical Research in the emergency department-100 hrs
-As for employment, I work in AZ in an admissions office
-I have not taken the MCAT yet.


Thanks!!
 
dinanina97 said:
Hello! Do you guys think I have a chance of getting admitted to MABS for the next cycle? I am attaching my information:
-AZ resident
-Biomedical Engineering Major
-cGPA:3.58
-sGPA: 3.35(my grades are not great in math classes)
-Experiences include:
Anatomy and Physiology preceptor(1 semester)
Molecular Biology preceptor(1 semester)
Cancer center volunteer-50 hrs
Clinical Research in the emergency department-100 hrs
-As for employment, I work in AZ in an admissions office
-I have not taken the MCAT yet.


Thanks!!
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I totally think you could get into direct with your stats. I don’t think you need a SMP.
 
Anybody know from past students in the program if during graduation they disclose if you have been accepted to a medical school or not?
Or is it something that is private to the graduate.
 
Saltlf2017 said:
Anybody know from past students in the program if during graduation they disclose if you have been accepted to a medical school or not?
Or is it something that is private to the graduate.
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they dont mention it
 
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I meet the MCAT requirement, however both my cumulative and science GPAs are sub-3.0.

Does this program have automatic cut off for GPA?
 
iqe2010 said:
I meet the MCAT requirement, however both my cumulative and science GPAs are sub-3.0.

Does this program have automatic cut off for GPA?
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If memory serves me right there is a cutoff.

"Applicants should have achieved at least a 3.2 science and cumulative grade point average."
 
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Askaquestion101 said:
If memory serves me right there is a cutoff.

"Applicants should have achieved at least a 3.2 science and cumulative grade point average."
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The cutoffs for both GPA's are 3.0, according to the application, but I would call -- I talked to VCU about being below their cutoffs, and they said I could still apply -- so worth making a call.
 
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Do you think I would still be considered an early applicant if I submit everything by the end of November?
 
Big_Mac said:
Do you think I would still be considered an early applicant if I submit everything by the end of November?
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You should be fine. I am a current MABS student and I did not apply until March. Some of my classmates applied on the deadline and they got accepted one week before classes start.
 
Nala_Dawn said:
You should be fine. I am a current MABS student and I did not apply until March. Some of my classmates applied on the deadline and they got accepted one week before classes start.
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okay awesome thanks!
 
Big_Mac said:
Do you know how to transfer your AACOMAS app to your PostBacCas app by chance? lol
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No idea. I had never applied to medical school before I applied for this program but I would reach out to AACOMAS or PostBacCAS help lines. They probably know. Sorry!
 
Hey guys! I applied to VCOM for the current DO cycle, but still haven’t heard back from them. Was wondering if it’s possible to even apply to this post bacc just in case I don’t get any acceptances for this year’s traditional cycle? (have MCAT scores that are 497-500) Thanks!

EDIT: don’t know if this matters but I am from California
 
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snake_fire said:
Hey guys! I applied to VCOM for the current DO cycle, but still haven’t heard back from them. Was wondering if it’s possible to even apply to this post bacc just in case I don’t get any acceptances for this year’s traditional cycle? (have MCAT scores that are 497-500) Thanks!

EDIT: don’t know if this matters but I am from California
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Yes it is. You should be able to either transfer the AACOMAs info to PostBacCAS, or something similar. I did not do that, but I have fellow classmates who applied directly to VCOM and then transferred their info to this program as well in case they did not get accepted at VCOM. I don't know how to do it personally, but you can always attempt to reach out to the Post-Bac administration or maybe VCOM. They might know how to do so preventing you from having to fill everything out again on PostBacCAS.
 
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Nala_Dawn said:
Yes it is. You should be able to either transfer the AACOMAs info to PostBacCAS, or something similar. I did not do that, but I have fellow classmates who applied directly to VCOM and then transferred their info to this program as well in case they did not get accepted at VCOM. I don't know how to do it personally, but you can always attempt to reach out to the Post-Bac administration or maybe VCOM. They might know how to do so preventing you from having to fill everything out again on PostBacCAS.
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this is great, thanks for the info!
 
snake_fire said:
Hey guys! I applied to VCOM for the current DO cycle, but still haven’t heard back from them. Was wondering if it’s possible to even apply to this post bacc just in case I don’t get any acceptances for this year’s traditional cycle? (have MCAT scores that are 497-500) Thanks!

EDIT: don’t know if this matters but I am from California
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Hey so I just did this couple days ago lol. You need to call them and then they will send you the directions of how to transfer your AACOMAS app to apply to the MABS program. You cannot apply to VCOM and MABS program at the same time so I officially withdrew my application to VCOM.
 
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Big_Mac said:
Hey so I just did this couple days ago lol. You need to call them and then they will send you the directions of how to transfer your AACOMAS app to apply to the MABS program. You cannot apply to VCOM and MABS program at the same time so I officially withdrew my application to VCOM.
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hey man! did you have to call to withdraw your app?
 
I know this is an old post but many people applying to this from the thread seem to have a competitive GPA. Why not retake MCAT and aim for 505+ then apply to DO directly? Also, are the "benchmark" GPAs considering only the semesters you go there or ugGPA as well?
 
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