Current VCU/MCV Students: How do you like it?

[yorrig.]

If you are currently a med student at MCV, how do you like it so far? What do you think the good spots vs. weak spots are from your perspective?

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[UCIgrad2002]

If you are currently a med student at MCV, how do you like it so far? What do you think the good spots vs. weak spots are from your perspective?

hey, i'm a second year at mcv, and i can honestly say that my experience here has been pretty sweet so far. the best thing about the curriculum here is that classes run from 8 to noon, so you have the afternoons free, and class is obviously not mandatory. they start you on clinicals right away in your first year which is good as well. mcv is well known out here on the east coast, and the hospital has a really good reputation. coming from the west coast, i had no idea, but i realize this now. the only downside i have in regard to mcv is the city of richmond itself. it's a tough city to get used to, it took me a whole year to do it, and i'm still not fully settled in. coming from orange county, it feels like i am in a different country, but the people and atmosphere make up for it, and
DC is right around the corner (90 miles around, lol, anyway you get my point). so all in all, i would highly recommend mcv, the training is superb, the faculty is bad ass, and teachers here keep winning national teaching awards every year. dr. costanzo, who wrote BRS physiology and the other physiology text book that every med student uses teaches here. another positive note about mcv is that she set up a board review class that starts in january of your second year and goes up until may, with two lectures a week focusing on what we need to know for the boards. it's something that no other med school has. to be honest with you, this was one of the deciding factors that made me choose mcv over two other east coast schools. well good luck with your decision and if you want more detailed info, just email me. peace.

 

[PoetMD]

UCIgrad2002, I'm also considering going there next year. I was wondering your opinion (and the general concensus) on going to class- does it help and is it worthwhile, or do you feel going to class each day is time that could be better spent?

 

[Chizwheel]

Hello, I'm a 3rd year med student at VCU/MCV SOM.

As to Yorrig's post, I wholeheartedly agree with UCIGrad2002. I am very happy here and I feel I'm learning a ton. The 1st 2 years are great and some of the professors are incredible teachers. As for the clinical stuff, VCU health system is a level 1 trauma center with over 400 hospital beds. It's the largest academic hospital in the entire area and we see everything here. And by starting the clinical exposure early, MCV students tend to fare much better than 3rd years at other schools who come into their clinical years without any clinical experience.

As for PoetMD, this decision really can't be answered by anyone but yourself. In general the best way to go is to attend class and see how much you get out of it. If you really aren't getting much (which is unlikely), then you can study at home. There are plenty of students who are home-schoolers at our schools who do fine. Note the key word is fine ; myself and the other students who are top 10 in our class are all class attenders. If you want to do great, it really does help to attend class. (do you really want to spend $40,000 a year for a packet of paper to read at home?)

 

[PoetMD]

Chizwheel, thanks a lot for your response-- that's actually what I was hoping to hear (that going to class is beneficial). I was really impressed with VCU on my tour and will probably go there.

 

[ouli]

Chizwheel, thanks a lot for your response-- that's actually what I was hoping to hear (that going to class is beneficial). I was really impressed with VCU on my tour and will probably go there.

Would anybody here choose (OR HAVE CHOSEN) MCV over UVA? tHANKS,

 

[chattkis]

Would anybody here choose (OR HAVE CHOSEN) MCV over UVA? tHANKS,

I have. Of course I don't start until August, so I dont know if it's the right decision. But for me, it's a no-brainer. MCV has everything I am looking for and I fit right in.

 

[ShyRem]

I was really impressed on my VCU interview day. Quite frankly, if they offered me a spot off the 'hold' status I'm currently in, I would withdraw from all but my state school, and I'd only stay hopeful there because of $$.