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esperanzarising9 said:
Lol this is random but can someone comment on the dating life at VCU? I realize that Richmond is a small area, so typically do many medical students date each other?

@ppushpak and others

Thanks so much!
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I’d estimate that 35% of my class came in with relationships but that is probably variable year to year. Richmond has a pretty sizeable youth population. Especially in the Medical campus area where we have the School of Denistry, Physical Therapy, Nursing, Pharmacy, Graduate Health Sciences, and Occupational Therapy. Dating between students happens but I think it’s kept on the DL, not sure why
 
ppushpak said:
I’d estimate that 35% of my class came in with relationships but that is probably variable year to year. Richmond has a pretty sizeable youth population. Especially in the Medical campus area where we have the School of Denistry, Physical Therapy, Nursing, Pharmacy, Graduate Health Sciences, and Occupational Therapy. Dating between students happens but I think it’s kept on the DL, not sure why
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@ppushpak Hi, thank you so much for helping out students applying! I'll be applying to VCUSOM and it is one of my top choices, especially since it is a strictly P/F institution for pre-clinical years.

Would you or any current student be able to comment on how you like the curriculum at VCUSOM so far?

Do you like how all the C3 curriculum is structured? There isn't much information on the website.

Do most students attend class or skip and study on their own, are lectures helpful or do most classmates end up using board resources like Boards and Beyond, Pathoma, First Aid, etc to study? How we'll does the curriculum ALONE prepare students for boards and what is the typical average at VCUSOM?

How many hours a day typically do most students study, is there time to do other things other than study all the time?


Thank you!
 
wanttopass123 said:
@ppushpak Hi, thank you so much for helping out students applying! I'll be applying to VCUSOM and it is one of my top choices, especially since it is a strictly P/F institution for pre-clinical years.

Would you or any current student be able to comment on how you like the curriculum at VCUSOM so far?

Do you like how all the C3 curriculum is structured? There isn't much information on the website.

Do most students attend class or skip and study on their own, are lectures helpful or do most classmates end up using board resources like Boards and Beyond, Pathoma, First Aid, etc to study? How we'll does the curriculum ALONE prepare students for boards and what is the typical average at VCUSOM?

How many hours a day typically do most students study, is there time to do other things other than study all the time?


Thank you!
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Can’t answer the others but from my understanding it’s now Pass with Distinction, Pass, Fail for preclinical.
 
Morc said:
Can’t answer the others but from my understanding it’s now Pass with Distinction, Pass, Fail for preclinical.
Click to expand...
So this year they added a Distinction as a possibility for pre-clinical years, but it's not really part of the grading system if that makes sense. So the classes themselves still are just P/F, and your transcript only shows P/F, but if you get an average 92% or higher over the course of the 3 pre-clinical semesters then your Dean's Letter for applying to residencies will say in it that you received a Distinction in your pre-clinical curriculum. There is no downside to not having it, because it isn't stated anywhere if you did not receive it, it's just a bonus if you did. It was added because it can be a helpful marker for students who are applying into more competitive residencies to show PDs that these students have been consistently high achieving, but nothing bad happens if you aren't gunning for it either!
TLDR: We are still a P/F pre-clinical curriculum, but there is an added Distinction if you know off the bat that you want to have an edge for super competitive residencies.
 
NeuroticButCute said:
So this year they added a Distinction as a possibility for pre-clinical years, but it's not really part of the grading system if that makes sense. So the classes themselves still are just P/F, and your transcript only shows P/F, but if you get an average 92% or higher over the course of the 3 pre-clinical semesters then your Dean's Letter for applying to residencies will say in it that you received a Distinction in your pre-clinical curriculum. There is no downside to not having it, because it isn't stated anywhere if you did not receive it, it's just a bonus if you did. It was added because it can be a helpful marker for students who are applying into more competitive residencies to show PDs that these students have been consistently high achieving, but nothing bad happens if you aren't gunning for it either!
TLDR: We are still a P/F pre-clinical curriculum, but there is an added Distinction if you know off the bat that you want to have an edge for super competitive residencies.
Click to expand...

Thank you for this insight, I did not know this. Would you be able to comment on the curriculum as a whole? Do most students attend class or skip and study on their own, are lectures helpful or do most classmates end up using board resources like Boards and Beyond, Pathoma, First Aid, etc to study? How we'll does the curriculum ALONE prepare students for boards and what is the typical USMLE average at VCUSOM?
 
I interviewed on Jan 30th and was told we would potentially receive an update on the portal this following Monday. I got an email last night (Friday) saying there was a change to my portal. Now it's Saturday evening and still don't see any noticeable changes. Did anyone else see anything like this?
 
Hidekimatsui649 said:
I interviewed on Jan 30th and was told we would potentially receive an update on the portal this following Monday. I got an email last night (Friday) saying there was a change to my portal. Now it's Saturday evening and still don't see any noticeable changes. Did anyone else see anything like this?
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The first update is a confirmation that you interviewed there, the second one on Monday will be after your file is reviewed by the admission committee and a decision is made. It's also possible you'll be seeing your actual decision since Monday falls on the day VCU releases decisions.
 
wanttopass123 said:
Thank you for this insight, I did not know this. Would you be able to comment on the curriculum as a whole? Do most students attend class or skip and study on their own, are lectures helpful or do most classmates end up using board resources like Boards and Beyond, Pathoma, First Aid, etc to study? How we'll does the curriculum ALONE prepare students for boards and what is the typical USMLE average at VCUSOM?
Click to expand...
It's a pretty even mix of people who go to lecture and people who don't, I'd say on most days we'll have a little over half the class in lecture. It depends a lot on the block we're studying too, so like one block a lot of people will come to the lectures then the next block people prefer to stay home and hit Pathoma and Anki. I personally am a lecture goer and don't use many outside resources because I get resource overload super fast, but there are definitely people who just get the highlights of the class lecture then do Pathoma, B&B, Anki, etc. all day and they do fine too. There's at least a handful of every type of studier and class goer!
The curriculum has been trimmed and modified over the recent years to prepare students for Step 1, but they definitely can't cover EVERYTHING you need to know, so I'd say curriculum alone does about 70% of the work to prepare you, and getting the nitty-gritty from outside resources and practicing with Q banks will take you the rest of the way.
This is what I found on a document for VCU's Step stats: Average Step 1 Pass rate : 95%, Average score 229; Average Step 2 Pass rate: 96%, Average Score 240
 
HappEness said:
@NeuroticButCute How difficult is it to get a 92% at VCU?
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I don't really know for sure to be honest. I will say that I believe our averages for courses tend to be in the mid-80's, so it definitely takes more work than the typical student puts in, but I have several friends who are going for it and they are still able to make time for things outside of class, so it isn't impossible to get.
 
@NeuroticButCute Thanks for your helpful input. What happens if we get above 92% for all but 1 pre-clinical semesters? Is that just considered a pass instead of a pass with distinction?
 
rasputinc said:
hey all I'm a current M1 at VCU- feel free to message me if you have any questions about VCU or the Richmond area in general (I'm a Richmond native as well). Good luck with the cycle!
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Hey would you still be cool answering questions? I tried to message you but it wouldn't let me lol
 
HappEness said:
@NeuroticButCute Thanks for your helpful input. What happens if we get above 92% for all but 1 pre-clinical semesters? Is that just considered a pass instead of a pass with distinction?
Click to expand...
I believe it's an average for the semesters overall, so if you got like 98 averages for two semesters then like a 90 for a semester it should still average out to get distinction, whereas if you're getting 92 averages then get like an 88 average then you won't. But again, it's not like it's Distinction/ Pass/ Fail, so no matter what it's just a "Pass" on your transcript, and the distinction part just goes in your Dean's Letter during M4.
 
NeuroticButCute said:
I believe it's an average for the semesters overall, so if you got like 98 averages for two semesters then like a 90 for a semester it should still average out to get distinction, whereas if you're getting 92 averages then get like an 88 average then you won't. But again, it's not like it's Distinction/ Pass/ Fail, so no matter what it's just a "Pass" on your transcript, and the distinction part just goes in your Dean's Letter during M4.
Click to expand...

Thanks @NeuroticButCute for your helpful replies! This might be a dumb question but what is a Dean's Letter, and how much significance does it hold during residency applications?

Is a Dean's Letter when applying to residency comparable to a Committee Letter when applying to med school?

@ppushpak @Morc @NeuroticButCute
 
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HappEness said:
Thanks @NeuroticButCute for your helpful replies! This might be a dumb question but what is a Dean's Letter, and how much significance does it hold during residency applications?

Is a Dean's Letter when applying to residency comparable to a Committee Letter when applying to med school?
Click to expand...
Not a dumb question, but too early to worry about residency things lol. It’s not worth it yet.
 
I won't make too many comments on the curriculum because I am an M1 and it's hard to truly understand the curriculum at this stage of my education. Maybe an M4 or M3 can chime in if they're on here as they've gone through STEP and Clinicals

External Resources - Sketchy, Pathoma, First Aid, UWorld are helpful resources. You can't rely only on external resources to pass in-house exams but they're definitely congruent with what we are being taught but lack the depth/specificity in some subjects. i.e. Sketchy was perfect for Micro but Pathoma wasn't sufficient for Heme/Onc

Distinction (92%) - I think the Deans looked at recent classes who finished their pre-clinical years and historically about 10% of the class achieved at least a 92 weighted average in Preclinical Coursework. The weighted average is based on Class Hours. For example, our Micro/Immuno block is roughly twice as long as our physio block so the grade you receive in Micro/Immuno is worth more.

Studying Time - it definitely varies per person and per background. I think there is time to do stuff like go to the gym, cook, watch TV, or whatever you want to do in your free time. However, when you are studying, you have to be focused. Stay on top of school and you'll be fine. Do not procrastinate.\

Best of luck tomorrow to all those waiting, feel free to keep asking questions on here
 
@ppushpak I appreciate the responses.

Also, being someone who has never been in med school before, I am unclear about what a typical med school schedule looks like. I know it varies for everyone, but roughly from what time to what time are you in classes or doing something related to med school?

For those who decide to not to attend class, are they just in their room all the time studying?

Also, random but out of curiosity, does VCU have tutoring services for students who are having trouble with classes? If so, how’s the quality and who are the tutors (I.e. professors, older students)?

I know that some students shadow during M1. If you are interested in shadowing, does VCU connect you with opportunities? Or do you have to find them yourself?

From your experience, how do you fit research into your med school schedule?

Another question I had is what is it like to make new friends at VCU? I’m guessing that you’re able to make friends during the first few weeks of med school due to orientation. But when people stop attending classes, how can you actually meet these people? Or, is it at that point you’re limited to making friends who attend class and social events?

I know that there is not a second look. When is the best time I should visit to learn more about VCU?

I apologize for the many questions, and thank you so much for taking the time to reply to them.

@Morc @ppushpak @NeuroticButCute
 
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Anybody who interviewed last week have any portal changes yet?
 
On hold update just now, interviewed last week
 
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Just placed on hold as well. Where does this place me? Waiting for an R, A, or WL on March 1?
 
Mine said placed on hold last week. No update today. Anyone know what this means?
Interviewed 01/16
 
HappEness said:
@ppushpak I appreciate the responses.

Also, being someone who has never been in med school before, I am unclear about what a typical med school schedule looks like. I know it varies for everyone, but roughly from what time to what time are you in classes or doing something related to med school?

For those who decide to not to attend class, are they just in their room all the time studying?

Also, random but out of curiosity, does VCU have tutoring services for students who are having trouble with classes? If so, how’s the quality and who are the tutors (I.e. professors, older students)?

I know that some students shadow during M1. If you are interested in shadowing, does VCU connect you with opportunities? Or do you have to find them yourself?

From your experience, how do you fit research into your med school schedule?

Another question I had is what is it like to make new friends at VCU? I’m guessing that you’re able to make friends during the first few weeks of med school due to orientation. But when people stop attending classes, how can you actually meet these people? Or, is it at that point you’re limited to making friends who attend class and social events?

I know that there is not a second look. When is the best time I should visit to learn more about VCU?

I apologize for the many questions, and thank you so much for taking the time to reply to them.

@Morc @ppushpak @NeuroticButCute
Click to expand...

1. I'll get back to this question at another time

2. I study in my room but there's plenty of spaces to study on/off campus. Cabell Library is on the undergrad campus. Tompkin's McCaw is on the Med School Campus. The medical school building has many side rooms where you can study. In the afternoon you can study in the lecture hall. There's a student activities building that has study space. I've had friends study in coffee shops (there's many).

3. This year, a tutoring program called PALS (Peer Assisted Learning) was implemented where underclassmen can connect to upperclassmen. Upperclassmen sign up for subjects they are proficient in. You reach out to them to set up tutoring. All of this is free to the student.

4. There are student interest groups in most specialities that can connect you to shadowing opportunities. It's not too hard to find opportunities. Most docs wants med students checking out their speciality

5. Some Student Interest Groups will collect info from faculty on their needs in research. There are many opportunities. Some you may have to seek out but not too hard to find an opportunity.

6. Orientation week is very nice - it's almost a full 2 weeks. Amazing time and you have a lot of fun and meet people. After those first few weeks, the school does a good job exposing you to people you know and don't know. We get shuffled a lot in groups. Every pre-clinical semester we get a new table group. Anatomy groups. We have small groups where we learn physical exams. When we practice clinical medicine with standardized patients we get paired with someone. There are many more ways but just a small preview of how many different ways we can meet people.

7. Best time to visit - I will defer this question to someone else bc tbh I'm not quite sure haha. Anytime is probably good
 
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ppushpak said:
1. I'll get back to this question at another time

2. I study in my room but there's plenty of spaces to study on/off campus. Cabell Library is on the undergrad campus. Tompkin's McCaw is on the Med School Campus. The medical school building has many side rooms where you can study. In the afternoon you can study in the lecture hall. There's a student activities building that has study space. I've had friends study in coffee shops (there's many).

3. This year, a tutoring program called PALS (Peer Assisted Learning) was implemented where underclassmen can connect to upperclassmen. Upperclassmen sign up for subjects they are proficient in. You reach out to them to set up tutoring. All of this is free to the student.

4. There are student interest groups in most specialities that can connect you to shadowing opportunities. It's not too hard to find opportunities. Most docs wants med students checking out the school

5. Some Student Interest Groups will collect info from faculty on their needs in research. There are many opportunities. Some you may have to seek out but not too hard to find an opportunity.

6. Orientation week is very nice - it's almost a full 2 weeks. Amazing time and you have a lot of fun and meet people. After those first few weeks, the school does a good job exposing you to people you know and don't know. We get shuffled a lot in groups. Every pre-clinical semester we get a new table group. Anatomy groups. We have small groups where we learn physical exams. When we practice clinical medicine with standardized patients we get paired with someone. There are many more ways but just a small preview of how many different ways we can meet people.

7. Best time to visit - I will defer this question to someone else bc tbh I'm not quite sure haha. Anytime is probably good
Click to expand...
Thank you so much @ppushpak for taking the time to answer many of my questions. I really appreciate it
 
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