2021-2022 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM-Carolinas)

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Any current students here... can you suggest best places to live near VCOM? I'm fine with commuting 15-20 min. Thank you!
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EagerEagle said:
First year here - most of all the didactic courses are graded on a standard grading scale (A, B+, B, C+, C, etc.). All of the exams are administered in-person on your personal computer and are multiple choice, Step 1/Level 1 board style questions (except OMM and Anatomy practical exams which are taken in the OMM/PPC labs or anatomy lab, respectively).

If I could add any additional advice here it'd be this: do NOTHING academic during your summer break before starting medical school, regardless of the institution you end up. U.S. Medical Education quite literally takes advantage of how driven you *soon to be med students* are and throws an immense amount of information at you. You'll need to have the right mindset going in and the best way to achieve that is to give yourself a break and recognize your accomplishments thus far. Don't try to "get ahead" by studying. It will do nothing for you, promise.
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Thanks for posting that info! Do you have an idea of how many students @ VCOM take Step 1 & COMPLEX vs. COMPLEX only. Also, any advice on where to live would be much appreciated. Willing to commute 15-20 min.
 
ablue22 said:
Any current students here... can you suggest best places to live near VCOM? I'm fine with commuting 15-20 min. Thank you!
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Wife and I rented a fat duplex in Boiling Springs. Place was huge and dirt cheap, plus the commute was braindead easy. The Flats at Fairview. Felt like living in luxury compared to some apartments I've seen. Highly recommend.

I'm graduating in a couple months, people can @ me or message directly with questions.

EDIT: Regarding your question about COMLEX (not COMPLEX) and Step 1, it quite frankly doesn't matter what your peers are doing. It entirely depends on what specialty you are pursuing and whether they care about board scores. Going for family med? Absolutely no one cares. Radiology/surgery/other competitive specialties? You're going to need to take Step 1, even if it's pass fail. Realistically everyone should take the Steps if they're confident they can pass. You don't want to give places a reason to rule out your application by a checkbox.
 
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kelminak said:
Wife and I rented a fat duplex in Boiling Springs. Place was huge and dirt cheap, plus the commute was braindead easy. The Flats at Fairview. Felt like living in luxury compared to some apartments I've seen. Highly recommend.

I'm graduating in a couple months, people can @ me or message directly with questions.

EDIT: Regarding your question about COMLEX (not COMPLEX) and Step 1, it quite frankly doesn't matter what your peers are doing. It entirely depends on what specialty you are pursuing and whether they care about board scores. Going for family med? Absolutely no one cares. Radiology/surgery/other competitive specialties? You're going to need to take Step 1, even if it's pass fail. Realistically everyone should take the Steps if they're confident they can pass. You don't want to give places a reason to rule out your application by a checkbox.
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Thanks for the info! I think those apartments are all 3 br. Will definitely check out boiling springs area.
 
ablue22 said:
Thanks for the info! I think those apartments are all 3 br. Will definitely check out boiling springs area.
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You're correct, mine was 3 BR. I shared the master with my wife then each of us had our own office. It was amazing. Even if you don't go with them, Boiling Springs has lots of other nice places that are dirt cheap. I wouldn't recommend getting sandwiched in those ****ty apartments that are renovated factories. The noise cancellation is nonexistant and it's effectively a party house.
 
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kelminak said:
You're correct, mine was 3 BR. I shared the master with my wife then each of us had our own office. It was amazing. Even if you don't go with them, Boiling Springs has lots of other nice places that are dirt cheap. I wouldn't recommend getting sandwiched in those ****ty apartments that are renovated factories. The noise cancellation is nonexistant and it's effectively a party house.
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Noted!
 
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ablue22 said:
Thanks for posting that info! Do you have an idea of how many students @ VCOM take Step 1 & COMPLEX vs. COMPLEX only. Also, any advice on where to live would be much appreciated. Willing to commute 15-20 min.
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I know another student also already commented on this, but figured I would also add another opinion. I don't recommend living in the Boiling Springs area to be completely honest. I currently live in Boiling Springs and am so ready to move closer to school for second year. The traffic on the highway from boiling springs to Spartanburg is really hectic, especially on 8AM exam mornings. It would be so much simpler to just live in Downtown Spartanburg or close by the school (no more than 10 minutes from VCOM). You will also be much more connected to fellow classmates. My friends that live in renovated housing such as in the factories (e.g., Drayton Mills) really love where they live and the aesthetics. So I recommend touring them on your own and/or speaking with current students that live there to get a better representation of that.

Additionally, since the curriculum at VCOM is no longer 100% mandatory lecture attendance as it was for current 3rd and 4th year students, there is more time to be involved with community engagement, activism, study group activities, and extracurricular learning activities with VCOM, so living close is, in my opinion, a necessity.

I also know that there are about 3+ brand new apartment complexes that are being finished now for move-in next year that would be great options (The Ellington, Bon Haven, The Charles, etc.).

In regard to Step 1 (USMLE)/Level 1 (COMLEX), I plan to take both. I am unsure what the plan for other students is at the moment. One of my 4th year friends recommended it unless you knew 100% you wanted to do family med - in which case, just save yourself time and money and only take COMLEX.
 
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Thank you for your reply. Super helpful and much appreciated!
 
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EagerEagle said:
I know another student also already commented on this, but figured I would also add another opinion. I don't recommend living in the Boiling Springs area to be completely honest. I currently live in Boiling Springs and am so ready to move closer to school for second year. The traffic on the highway from boiling springs to Spartanburg is really hectic, especially on 8AM exam mornings. It would be so much simpler to just live in Downtown Spartanburg or close by the school (no more than 10 minutes from VCOM). You will also be much more connected to fellow classmates. My friends that live in renovated housing such as in the factories (e.g., Drayton Mills) really love where they live and the aesthetics. So I recommend touring them on your own and/or speaking with current students that live there to get a better representation of that.

Additionally, since the curriculum at VCOM is no longer 100% mandatory lecture attendance as it was for current 3rd and 4th year students, there is more time to be involved with community engagement, activism, study group activities, and extracurricular learning activities with VCOM, so living close is, in my opinion, a necessity.

I also know that there are about 3+ brand new apartment complexes that are being finished now for move-in next year that would be great options (The Ellington, Bon Haven, The Charles, etc.).

In regard to Step 1 (USMLE)/Level 1 (COMLEX), I plan to take both. I am unsure what the plan for other students is at the moment. One of my 4th year friends recommended it unless you knew 100% you wanted to do family med - in which case, just save yourself time and money and only take COMLEX.
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I don't remember the drive ever being that bad? I mean compared to a major city, the "hectic 8 AM traffic" in Boiling Springs is laughable. I think I usually left a half hour before my test and that gave me ample time to get there and get settled without any concerns about being late. Most drives were 15 minutes, then you add the time to walk up the massive flights of stairs, etc.

It depends on what you're looking for in a place. My wife and I are older than most matriculants, so living in a renovated factory that has no sound cancelling was absolutely unacceptable to us. It definitely is a college 2.0 feeling there, whereas having our entire half of the townhome to ourselves allowed us to feel like actual adults. Not to mention our place was MASSIVE and gave us tons of room to feel comfortable. If those aren't your priorities, maybe living downtown will be a better choice for the convenience. I'm not a very social person as it is, so I don't feel like I missed out on much.

Ultimately different people are going to look for different things! :)
 
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kelminak said:
I don't remember the drive ever being that bad? I mean compared to a major city, the "hectic 8 AM traffic" in Boiling Springs is laughable. I think I usually left a half hour before my test and that gave me ample time to get there and get settled without any concerns about being late. Most drives were 15 minutes, then you add the time to walk up the massive flights of stairs, etc.

It depends on what you're looking for in a place. My wife and I are older than most matriculants, so living in a renovated factory that has no sound cancelling was absolutely unacceptable to us. It definitely is a college 2.0 feeling there, whereas having our entire half of the townhome to ourselves allowed us to feel like actual adults. Not to mention our place was MASSIVE and gave us tons of room to feel comfortable. If those aren't your priorities, maybe living downtown will be a better choice for the convenience. I'm not a very social person as it is, so I don't feel like I missed out on much.

Ultimately different people are going to look for different things! :)
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Definitely looking for quiet location within 15-20 min of campus. And really want to avoid college party type apartments.:thumbup:
 
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Any current students...how do like the curriculum (pace of classes) and exam schedule? Is anatomy taught over two semesters M1 or goes into M2?
 
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ablue22 said:
Any current students...how do like the curriculum (pace of classes) and exam schedule? Is anatomy taught over two semesters M1 or goes into M2?
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Current OMS-1 here - the curriculum is quite different than what you are use to in undergrad. There are 8 Blocks total, with Block 1 being a review of all the basic science concepts (honestly the most annoying I think as of now), Block 8 being a comprehensive review/board preparation time, and Blocks 2-7 being systems. Anatomy starts in Block 1 with the skeletal system and then Block 2 anatomy is muscles, their actions, attachments, innervations, and blood supply to those muscles. You'll have cadaver lab from Block 2 thru Block 5. I have never taken anatomy before this point, but still perform very well academically and feel that it is taught at a good pace here.

There are usually 2 exams/week so you are forced to stay on top of the material (this takes some time to get used to, but you'll catch on - promise). I think it helps me stay accountable with studying the material. I know some of my friends that go to other medical schools have much fewer exams than us and we have compared things that we are learning and it seems that the VCOM examinations require much more attention to detail. I think this is because VCOM wants all of their exams to be board-style so that every exam is preparing you for USMLE/COMLEX Step/Level 1.
 
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EagerEagle said:
Current OMS-1 here - the curriculum is quite different than what you are use to in undergrad. There are 8 Blocks total, with Block 1 being a review of all the basic science concepts (honestly the most annoying I think as of now), Block 8 being a comprehensive review/board preparation time, and Blocks 2-7 being systems. Anatomy starts in Block 1 with the skeletal system and then Block 2 anatomy is muscles, their actions, attachments, innervations, and blood supply to those muscles. You'll have cadaver lab from Block 2 thru Block 5. I have never taken anatomy before this point, but still perform very well academically and feel that it is taught at a good pace here.

There are usually 2 exams/week so you are forced to stay on top of the material (this takes some time to get used to, but you'll catch on - promise). I think it helps me stay accountable with studying the material. I know some of my friends that go to other medical schools have much fewer exams than us and we have compared things that we are learning and it seems that the VCOM examinations require much more attention to detail. I think this is because VCOM wants all of their exams to be board-style so that every exam is preparing you for USMLE/COMLEX Step/Level 1.
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As someone who has taken the boards, I can confidently say they are not akin to the boards at all. UWorld will show you the difference very quickly.

Regardless, one thing I will say is that at the beginning of every block they send out a recommended study schedule. It's actually really, really good. I would copy the entire thing onto my Google calendar and just autopilot study whatever lectures it told me to that day. There were times where I'd make minor adjustments (1 lecture 1 day, 4 the next day? Smoothed out to 2 and 3, etc) but for the most part it was really solid, especially in the biggest crunches. Don't disregard the study schedule!
 
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kelminak said:
As someone who has taken the boards, I can confidently say they are not akin to the boards at all. UWorld will show you the difference very quickly.

Regardless, one thing I will say is that at the beginning of every block they send out a recommended study schedule. It's actually really, really good. I would copy the entire thing onto my Google calendar and just autopilot study whatever lectures it told me to that day. There were times where I'd make minor adjustments (1 lecture 1 day, 4 the next day? Smoothed out to 2 and 3, etc) but for the most part it was really solid, especially in the biggest crunches. Don't disregard the study schedule!
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kelminak said:
As someone who has taken the boards, I can confidently say they are not akin to the boards at all. UWorld will show you the difference very quickly.

Regardless, one thing I will say is that at the beginning of every block they send out a recommended study schedule. It's actually really, really good. I would copy the entire thing onto my Google calendar and just autopilot study whatever lectures it told me to that day. There were times where I'd make minor adjustments (1 lecture 1 day, 4 the next day? Smoothed out to 2 and 3, etc) but for the most part it was really solid, especially in the biggest crunches. Don't disregard the study schedule!
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So weekly exams are not similar to board style questions? Did you supplement w/ anki, sketchy, b&b, qbank during M1 or M2 or just focused on class material? Thanks!!
 
ablue22 said:
So weekly exams are not similar to board style questions? Did you supplement w/ anki, sketchy, b&b, qbank during M1 or M2 or just focused on class material? Thanks!!
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I'm not sure I'm the best person to follow but I really only started in Block 8 and crammed all of UFAP into it. No B&B. Block 8 hit with COVID and it basically gave me complete free time to do anything I wanted for studying. Any resource I viewed, I did the respective cards from Anking for. So I did all of sketchy micro and pathoma, then did some First Aid reading and did the cards for non-pathological stuff. I also did Pixorize for biochem at the end and that was a total pissaway of my money because there was almost no biochem. Also completely finished UWorld, but it's getting so bloated at this point I'm not sure how realistic it is (maybe they've paired it down since it's P/F now?).
 
Hi All,
So I just received the SECONDARY application from VCOM. It cost 50 dollars to submit. Seeing that its this late in the cycle, is this a legitimate shot to be looked at for an interview and possible acceptance or am I looking at a 50 dollar money grab?
 
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faststrike79 said:
Hi All,
So I just received the SECONDARY application from VCOM. It cost 50 dollars to submit. Seeing that its this late in the cycle, is this a legitimate shot to be looked at for an interview and possible acceptance or am I looking at a 50 dollar money grab?
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You should absolutely do it. Even if they interviewed you late, if they like you and there isn't room for you this year, I know they've done deferred acceptance for the next year which is better than if you have nothing!
 
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ablue22 said:
So weekly exams are not similar to board style questions? Did you supplement w/ anki, sketchy, b&b, qbank during M1 or M2 or just focused on class material? Thanks!!
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I started with using Anki but now I only use type-in anatomy decks specific to VCOM on Anki for practicals. Many other students use it frequently, though. I will probably use more often when studying for boards. I use Sketchy for pharmacology and *some* pathology (and for micro during Block 1). VCOM purchases COMBANK for all students to use whenever they want. They recommend doing like 5 board questions a day starting in Block 2. We sometimes have our quizzes through COMBANK for pathology. Also a lot of students use the Pathoma book/videos to review path (it's more of a high level overview). I bought B&B and have found it super helpful when I don't quite grasp a concept taught in lecture. For the most part I literally just study what is on the PowerPoints and am doing pretty darn well.

I would recommend NOT buying anything right now. During your orientation week, your leader will give you details on how they study/resources that they think are most helpful.
 
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faststrike79 said:
Hi All,
So I just received the SECONDARY application from VCOM. It cost 50 dollars to submit. Seeing that its this late in the cycle, is this a legitimate shot to be looked at for an interview and possible acceptance or am I looking at a 50 dollar money grab?
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I just received one as well and had similar thoughts.
 
EagerEagle said:
I started with using Anki but now I only use type-in anatomy decks specific to VCOM on Anki for practicals. Many other students use it frequently, though. I will probably use more often when studying for boards. I use Sketchy for pharmacology and *some* pathology (and for micro during Block 1). VCOM purchases COMBANK for all students to use whenever they want. They recommend doing like 5 board questions a day starting in Block 2. We sometimes have our quizzes through COMBANK for pathology. Also a lot of students use the Pathoma book/videos to review path (it's more of a high level overview). I bought B&B and have found it super helpful when I don't quite grasp a concept taught in lecture. For the most part I literally just study what is on the PowerPoints and am doing pretty darn well.

I would recommend NOT buying anything right now. During your orientation week, your leader will give you details on how they study/resources that they think are most helpful.
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Super helpful info, many thanks!
 
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Waitlisted last year with no acceptance, what are the chances to get an interview this cycle?
 
Hey all! I’m a Sparkle City applicant. I received a secondary 2ish weeks ago, and received a completion email a couple of days ago. What is the current time frame in hearing back from VCOM?
 
is the class full? also what is the post acceptance rate?
 
Also when is the last time they gave out acceptances?
 
ped-neph92 said:
Hey all! I’m a Sparkle City applicant. I received a secondary 2ish weeks ago, and received a completion email a couple of days ago. What is the current time frame in hearing back from VCOM?
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Well I’ve been waiting since July for an interview.
 
can anyone provide any insight on some pros/cons of different housing options and complexes in the area? either places that you personally have stayed and liked/disliked, what types of places you would recommend/avoid, apartments vs townhomes, etc. i am starting to look into living arrangements and want to come up with a list of places to check out once i make a trip up to spartanburg, but it's hard to judge places just by looking at photos online sometimes haha. i don't want to live alone (at least not during my first year), so i am looking for 2-3 bedrooms. thanks in advance! :)
 
Hey everyone! I got a secondary last week from this school and I submitted it. I just wanted to know if they will truly look at it since it’s so far along the process. If I was to get an interview, would it probably be for a waitlist spot?

Thank you!!! Good luck to everyone!

Edit: don’t have a campus preference and I stated that on my secondary. In case this helps.
 
livingandlearning said:
can anyone provide any insight on some pros/cons of different housing options and complexes in the area? either places that you personally have stayed and liked/disliked, what types of places you would recommend/avoid, apartments vs townhomes, etc. i am starting to look into living arrangements and want to come up with a list of places to check out once i make a trip up to spartanburg, but it's hard to judge places just by looking at photos online sometimes haha. i don't want to live alone (at least not during my first year), so i am looking for 2-3 bedrooms. thanks in advance! :)
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Some of the popular places students live are: Drayton Mills, Montgomery Building, and Aug Smith on Main. Some of the newer ones include Bon Haven Apartments and The Charles Apartments (still under construction I think). I don't think you can go wrong. I know people that live at each of these locations and most of everyone has had a good experience so far. Some of our classmates live in rental houses in the area or town homes, too. I would also recommend having a roommate or two and living close to downtown/the school. It makes it so so so much easier to make new friends and stay motivated when times get tough. Also, the admissions department will send you more information at some point about which locations they recommend living I think.
 
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How long does it typically take to hear back after an interview here?
 
livingandlearning said:
can anyone provide any insight on some pros/cons of different housing options and complexes in the area? either places that you personally have stayed and liked/disliked, what types of places you would recommend/avoid, apartments vs townhomes, etc. i am starting to look into living arrangements and want to come up with a list of places to check out once i make a trip up to spartanburg, but it's hard to judge places just by looking at photos online sometimes haha. i don't want to live alone (at least not during my first year), so i am looking for 2-3 bedrooms. thanks in advance! :)
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My wife and I rented a townhome at The Flats at Fairview in Boiling Springs. It was REALLY cush there if you don't mind a tiny drive in the morning. Traffic was never that bad, especially if you left with ample time.
 
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Still waiting on an interview since August.
 
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GDTBATH16 said:
Still waiting on an interview since August.
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same here.... kind of disappointed since they emphasized that if you submitted your app early, you would most likely get reviewed early and pay less app fee. also because my main campus choice is SC and they also said that FL applicants are usually reviewed there. idk what happened :(
 
My portal changed to screen review. Fingers crossed for an interview
 
Hey everyone! I am a current student at VCOM-Carolinas and remember being in your shoes. If anyone would like advice for interviews or anything else about the school, feel free to message me!
 
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