2020-2021 Virginia Tech

[TheDataKing]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Please tag a pre-allo moderator when the secondary prompt is posted.

Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback: Virginia Tech

Secondary Prompts 2020-2021:
1) Tell us about constructive criticism you have received, or a personal challenge you have experienced, that you found particularly impactful. Please describe how that experience has advanced your development as a future physician thought leader.
2) Explain how interactions with people who are different from you have shaped your world view and relate how you would enrich the VTC community.
3) Describe three aspects of VTCSOM and how those align with your philosophy of medicine.
4) If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry.

All 600 words max, 0 minimum

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

They just emailed me, my application is under consideration for a secondary

 

[annperkins]

They just emailed me, my application is under consideration for a secondary

Same here!

 

[eartharte]

Same here!

same here: OOS

 

[sleepypickle]

Under consideration email received

 

[Bada Bing]

+5 (OOS)

 

[Smareo]

Secondary received OOS

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

Secondary received OOS

+1, anyone know how competitive the screen is/how excited I should be?

 

[GroundDigger]

For those who received the secondaries. Did they get rid of the 400 minimum word count?

 

[yogi4lyfe]

For those who received the secondaries. Did they get rid of the 400 minimum word count?

Yes, it looks as though the minimum word count is "0".

 

[Smareo]

For those who received the secondaries. Did they get rid of the 400 minimum word count?

When looking at the portal, it says minimum word count is 0

 

[yogi4lyfe]

Secondary Received, OOS

 

[eartharte]

Secondary received, OOS

 

[Smareo]

1) Tell us about constructive criticism you have received, or a personal challenge you have experienced, that you found particularly impactful. Please describe how that experience has advanced your development as a future physician thought leader.
2) Explain how interactions with people who are different from you have shaped your world view and relate how you would enrich the VTC community.
3) Describe three aspects of VTCSOM and how those align with your philosophy of medicine.
4) If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry.

All 600 words max, 0 minimum

 

[DrLlamaCake]

For those who received the secondaries. Did they get rid of the 400 minimum word count?

It’s now just 600 max per essay with no minimum

 

[GroundDigger]

What does this question even mean? "If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry."

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

1) Tell us about constructive criticism you have received, or a personal challenge you have experienced, that you found particularly impactful. Please describe how that experience has advanced your development as a future physician thought leader.
2) Explain how interactions with people who are different from you have shaped your world view and relate how you would enrich the VTC community.
3) Describe three aspects of VTCSOM and how those align with your philosophy of medicine.
4) If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry.

All 600 words max, 0 minimum

@TheDataKing

 

[Lampy]

What does this question even mean? "If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry."

I'm thinking it might be a typo for medical iniquity?

 

[DrLlamaCake]

What does this question even mean? "If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry."

Also looking for any guidance...is this just open ended and we define what we mean by medical inquiry?? Is it more in regards of research? Is it some secret term I don’t know lol

 

[MaesterDean]

Secondary received, OOS. I had been under the impression that Virginia Tech did not require CASPer, and I did not see it listed as an option when I first reserved my test, but per their secondary email, "Completion of the CASPer test," is a minimum requirement for consideration for an interview.

They are listed as an option for CASPer now, so unless they were recently added I must just have missed them. Regardless, it is definitely a requirement, so heads up for anyone else who might need to add them!

 

[annperkins]

Secondary received, OOS

 

[2025MD]

What does this question even mean? "If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry."

I think it means if funding (money) didn't matter, how would you recommend we conduct research

 

[Lampy]

I think it means if funding (money) didn't matter, how would you recommend we conduct research

That does make sense given how they're more research focused!

 

[sadgeboi]

3) Describe three aspects of VTCSOM and how those align with your philosophy of medicine.

Thoughts on this prompt? I'm not sure that I understand what philosophy of medicine means.

 

[annperkins]

Anyone have any tips on answering "If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry"? I'm so lost as to how to even begin. Like do we write how we would conduct research in general or about a specific research project we are passionate about?

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

Anyone have any tips of answering "If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry"? I'm so lost as to how to even begin. Like do we write how we would conduct research in general or about a specific research project we are passionate about?

I would write about a project you would work on if money was no barrier

 

[pigsinacloth]

I would write about a project you would work on if money was no barrier

LOL do you think we lose points if our study is actually still really unrealistic? I have had an idea for a huge disease screening study for a few years now, but like I don't actually have any idea if it would even be remotely effective or feasible.

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

LOL do you think we lose points if our study is actually still really unrealistic? I have had an idea for a huge disease screening study for a few years now, but like I don't actually have any idea if it would even be remotely effective or feasible.

My idea involves a worldwide effort so I don't think so haha

 

[GroundDigger]

The last essay prompt was updated to: If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry. Please explain a scientific study or a project that you would design.

 

[deleted1043625]

The last essay prompt was updated to: If funding were no object, describe how you would direct medical inquiry. Please explain a scientific study or a project that you would design.

Glad I waited to fill it out because I was highly confused hahaha

 

[ruecglias]

Thoughts on this prompt? I'm not sure that I understand what philosophy of medicine means.

I think it has to do with how you would conduct yourself as a physician and more generally how your values/opinions line up with the school's, your opinions of how healthcare is delivered currently, etc etc.

 

[ruecglias]

LOL do you think we lose points if our study is actually still really unrealistic? I have had an idea for a huge disease screening study for a few years now, but like I don't actually have any idea if it would even be remotely effective or feasible.

This is literally the hardest question if you're not actively involved and invested in research... -_-

 

[eartharte]

Did you guys use up the entire 600 word max?

 

[GroundDigger]

Did you guys use up the entire 600 word max?

I hit about 200-300 words for each. I kept it concise and on topic rather than dragging it and boring the adcoms

 

[premed202022]

Anyone having trouble with the last two prompts?

 

[DrPolStan]

Anyone having trouble with the last two prompts?

yes, the research project is a doozy

 

[premed202022]

yes, the research project is a doozy

yeah I tried to tie it into my previous research experience but my proposed project just sounds stupid

 

[thunderstorm1824]

I've been putting off this secondary because I think it's a tricky one :/ for the first prompt: "Tell us about constructive criticism you have received, or a personal challenge you have experienced, that you found particularly impactful. Please describe how that experience has advanced your development as a future physician thought leader" I don't know that my typical adversity/challenge essay works here. My adversity essay is about a dance injury and how that helped me be more resilient and able to adapt but I'm having trouble relating that to the "physician thought leader" concept. I'm considering writing about how I kind of botched my first journal club presentation in my research lab and my PI gave me constructive feedback that helped me become a better critical thinker/understand research more deeply. I think this is a weaker topic than my dance injury but it seems closer to what they're looking for? Anyone have thoughts?

 

[moorsinstitute]

How did you guys answer the medical inquiry question? I'm assuming it's asking us to write about how we would conduct research but are their looking for a full description of the population and methods we would use? Or should I just talk about the kind of research I want to do??

 

[thunderstorm1824]

How did you guys answer the medical inquiry question? I'm assuming it's asking us to write about how we would conduct research but are their looking for a full description of the population and methods we would use? Or should I just talk about the kind of research I want to do??

I also have the same question. I'm concerned about fleshing out my answer because I feel like I could answer this in a few sentences but it seems like they're asking for a more detailed response.

 

[aliengeometry]

How did you guys answer the medical inquiry question? I'm assuming it's asking us to write about how we would conduct research but are their looking for a full description of the population and methods we would use? Or should I just talk about the kind of research I want to do??

I just talked about the broad field I would want to focus on. I don't know enough about research to design an entire experiment for a 500 word secondary without making a fool of myself, and I figured they're more interested in knowing what areas we want to prioritize - biomedical, public health, psychological, etc. No one wants to read 4000 methods sections imho.

 

[deleted1044561]

Are you all going full-jargon on the research question? I'm pumped this school puts so much emphasis on research.

 

[Bloobury]

Any other folks not get a secondary (yet)? Verified (with all LORs) on 7/10, MCAT score on 7/21. I got an email right away on 7/10 saying I'm under consideration for a secondary, but haven't heard anything else yet. Wondering if I didn't make the cut due to GPA.

 

[Lampy]

Any other folks not get a secondary (yet)? Verified (with all LORs) on 7/10, MCAT score on 7/21. I got an email right away on 7/10 saying I'm under consideration for a secondary, but haven't heard anything else yet. Wondering if I didn't make the cut do to GPA.

I would call/email the school. Your cGPA seems high to have been screened out tho at 3.4, what's your sGPA?

 

[Bloobury]

I would call/email the school. Your cGPA seems high to have been screened out tho at 3.4, what's your sGPA?

Edit: I got the secondary on 7/30. (Application verified 7/10, MCAT score 7/21). Still dillydallying on submitting the secondary though....

 

[deleted1050883]

Are you all going full-jargon on the research question? I'm pumped this school puts so much emphasis on research.

I went off with full research jargon

 

[Texas_premed]

I think it means if funding (money) didn't matter, how would you recommend we conduct research

So do y'all think it's better to have medical research for this question. I have some ideas that I developed while working in a university lab, but they could be carried out by a PhD. Not sure if I should emphasize medical research over general scientific research.

 

[2025MD]

So do y'all think it's better to have medical research for this question. I have some ideas that I developed while working in a university lab, but they could be carried out by a PhD. Not sure if I should emphasize medical research over general scientific research.

hmm, I think I would be honest and write what you know. The project I wrote about would be interdisciplinary, but it is something I have always dreamed of researching.

 

[sylvester500]

Glad I waited to fill it out because I was highly confused hahaha

But this honestly is worse than the first version. This puts much more pressure on the applicant to really put together a well-thought-out experimental design. Much more than simply describing one's desired area of medical inquiry.

 

[futuremd25!]

Anyone aware of the exact definition of a "physician thought leader"? The word thought is throwing me off