Edward Via - Auburn (VCOM-Auburn) Discussion Thread 2014 - 2015

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Ok. I got my complete email a week and a half ago. I'm just getting. Little concerned.

Don't be. VCOM-Auburn is sometimes EXTREMELY fast with their IIs, and at other times they are in line with other schools. We've seen as little as one week, and as long as 2 months. A week and a half is nothing. 🙂

 

[EastTennesseeQueen]

When were you complete, if you don't mind?

I actually got my complete email after they called to invite me for the interview. I sent in my secondary a week ago though.

 

[doctorveebs]

I got my complete email and my II the same day. But they "lost" me for a couple of weeks after I was actually complete.

 

[baxt1412]

Idk if I can wait until Dec 2 ufggghhhh

 

[tdotdub13]

Is anyone else interviewing on Wednesday the 19th?

 

[RiverhawkXC]

For those of you worried about the timeline, I got my complete email on 9/10 and did not receive a call for an interview until 10/14. Just sit tight. And I agree with everything that has been said in this thread, this school seems awesome and I would gladly attend if accepted.

 

[rev0]

did they mention anything about required attendance during the interview? i cant seem to recall

 

[baxt1412]

did they mention anything about required attendance during the interview? i cant seem to recall

don't think anyone in my group asked.

according to the VCOM handbook, attendance is required to be at 85% or greater. excused absences are included in this 15% number.

assigned seating and they take a picture of the class each session to assure attendance

 

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

did they mention anything about required attendance during the interview? i cant seem to recall

Planning on cutting class? LOL. 🙂

 

[baxt1412]

the 85% attendance does kinda suck... but oh well. i barely skipped in UG, but it seems so common with podcasts in med school

 

[Careful... Icarus!]

don't think anyone in my group asked.

according to the VCOM handbook, attendance is required to be at 85% or greater. excused absences are included in this 15% number.

assigned seating and they take a picture of the class each session to assure attendance

Whoah I get the 85% attendance but assigned seating? If thats how they take the pic and account for attendance that's really archaic and controlling. I'll gladly start a petition to pay $50 more a student (150 students = $7.5K) to buy an electronic attendance system.

 

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

Whoah I get the 85% attendance but assigned seating? If thats how they take the pic and account for attendance that's really archaic and controlling. I'll gladly start a petition to pay $50 more a student (150 students = $7.5K) to buy an electronic attendance system.

How about something really cool like a heat-seaking drone with onboard retina scanner?

 

[baxt1412]

Whoah I get the 85% attendance but assigned seating? If thats how they take the pic and account for attendance that's really archaic and controlling. I'll gladly start a petition to pay $50 more a student (150 students = $7.5K) to buy an electronic attendance system.

i dont think anybody in my interview group asked about it, that's just in the handbook under the attendance policy. and i assume the auburn campus will be the same since they are striving to have basically everything the same besides the location.

 

[Careful... Icarus!]

i dont think anybody in my interview group asked about it, that's just in the handbook under the attendance policy. and i assume the auburn campus will be the same since they are striving to have basically everything the same besides the location.

I don't recall anyone in my interview group asking about it either. It's probably not that bad and they might assign it by the small groups you work with or something like that. Not ideal but doesn't change the fact this is for sure my top school and I've turned everyone else down haha.

 

[baxt1412]

could also be like how some schools "require formal dress" but in reality don't really enforce it.

 

[doctorveebs]

As much as I'm paying? They're going to have to bloody kick me out of the building to close it up.

 

[ChiefComplaint]

For the Background check --> do we just go to www.PreCheck.com? Where do we go from there? Anybody completed their background check and would like to give a simple step by step instruction of where do go and what to do to get this done? I could email Jasmine, but I feel you guys would be just as effective a resource!

***NEVERMIND---I found it***

1) Go to http://www.precheck.com/student-background-check
2) Find Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
3) Complete all required fields and submit

 

[davidng150]

For the Background check --> do we just go to www.PreCheck.com? Where do we go from there? Anybody completed their background check and would like to give a simple step by step instruction of where do go and what to do to get this done? I could email Jasmine, but I feel you guys would be just as effective a resource!

Check out http://www.vcom.edu/2018/backgroundcheck.html. It's last year's site but the steps are the same.

 

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

As much as I'm paying? They're going to have to bloody kick me out of the building to close it up.

^^ This. Although if I get accepted, I'm moving into my guest room and turning my master bedroom into a work room with a conference table, overhead high def LED projector, and several 4' x 8' white boards. Oh, and coffee maker LOL.

 

[baxt1412]

I am confused as to what you guys are talking about lol

 

[Itsjustme3]

I STILL haven't gotten a secondary here. My AACOMAS was released in late September. Alabama resident. This is frustrating

 

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

I STILL haven't gotten a secondary here. My AACOMAS was released in late September. Alabama resident. This is frustrating

Have you called in?

 

[baxt1412]

Have you called in?

i second this

 

[Careful... Icarus!]

I STILL haven't gotten a secondary here. My AACOMAS was released in late September. Alabama resident. This is frustrating

It could take until late November then; 2 weeks to 3 months is the turn around which they state in their initial email, unless that has changed.

 

[rev0]

hey guys, i have a dilemna..

So I have been accepted to both vcom and cusom but have trouble on choosing which one to attend. Would any of you please offer any hindsight on which one i should lean towards? yes i know the decision is mine to make but I would really appreciate your advice. Thanks again

 

[baxt1412]

hey guys, i have a dilemna..

So I have been accepted to both vcom and cusom but have trouble on choosing which one to attend. Would any of you please offer any hindsight on which one i should lean towards? yes i know the decision is mine to make but I would really appreciate your advice. Thanks again

gotta look at cost of actual school (tuition, fees, etc), cost of living, cost of moving, curriculum/freq of tests/type of education (PBL, etc), research opportunities, clinical rotations, location of rotations, opportunity of international rotations, time allocated for board prep, board pass rates, residency match rates, etc. just make a column for each school and then all of these categories and physically write them down. it will actualize the decision more readily than an electronic list would. overall, just how the school felt on your interview day matters a lot too. a school could have the best connections in the world but if you didn't feel at home, it'd be an abysmal 4 years.

i think you probably already have an idea deep down, most people do.

 

[Itsjustme3]

Have you called in?

Yeah I called 2 weeks ago, and was told it would be a few weeks, just thought I would get a secondary before the app cycle is half way done

 

[ChiefComplaint]

Background check ordered and paid for today. I will send in the $1500 deposit as soon as I can find the extra change in my sofa cushions. =)

Next, I will have to work on getting a DO letter of recommendation before matriculation next Spring. Any thoughts of seeking out an experience that will afford me a DO LOR?

 

[baxt1412]

Background check ordered and paid for today. I will send in the $1500 deposit as soon as I can find the extra change in my sofa cushions. =)

Next, I will have to work on getting a DO letter of recommendation before matriculation next Spring. Any thoughts of seeking out an experience that will grant me a DO LOR?

Find every DO within a few hours drive and ask them to shadow or meet for lunch/dinner and talk about school, etc.

I will pm u too because I want to hear your opinion on the school

 

[EastTennesseeQueen]

Interviewed here today. First time visiting Auburn, and I must say I'm in love the town and the campus. The people there were so incredibly nice too. Praying so hard I get that wonderful acceptance call next week! 🙂

 

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

Interviewed here today. First time visiting Auburn, and I must say I'm in love the town and the campus. The people there were so incredibly nice too. Praying so hard I get that wonderful acceptance call next week! 🙂

Are they making calls next week? I thought it was the week after next that they are calling.

 

[EastTennesseeQueen]

Are they making calls next week? I thought it was the week after next that they are calling.

I'm pretty sure they said we'd know before thanksgiving!

 

[baxt1412]

Weird. Well I guess when II terviewed on 11/11 they were trying to plan a date to meet but they thought it was going to be 12/2. If they told you thanksgiving, hopefully that means me and the rest on my day too

 

[tdotdub13]

From what I was able to gather after the interview they are supposed to make a decision by next week

 

[baxt1412]

From what I was able to gather after the interview they are supposed to make a decision by next week

*bites off all fingernails*

 

[PostModernMed]

Any recent interviewees care to comment on if they spoke on rotation sites and projected residency placement?

 

[ChiefComplaint]

Can anybody confirm that VCOM-Auburn is a participating COCA accredited AACOM member college for the VSAS? VCOM-Virginia is listed, but VCOM-SC and VCOM-Auburn are not. My intuition tells me that if VCOM-Virginia is listed, then the satellite campuses are, by proxy, also considered participating COCA accredited AACOM member colleges.

 

[ChiefComplaint]

Any recent interviewees care to comment on if they spoke on rotation sites and projected residency placement?

I think one of the main rotation sites is East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC), a 400-bed hospital in Opelika, AL.

 

[PostModernMed]

Is VCOM still ultra-conservative like back in 2005? I haven't seen any thread on this in forever, so I'm guessing not. But anyone heard differently?

 

[Careful... Icarus!]

Just to put this out there, I asked about the organizational structure of VCOM since it has three campuses. VCOM-Auburn and VCOM-CC are not satellite campuses to VCOM-VC. If you picture an organizational tree, there is the VCOM board etc. under it are the three campuses. This means all services from academics to financial aid are taken care of at that site and not reported back to a "mother-ship" campus. Just another reason VCOM gets it right and other schools don't.
(In general true 'satellite' campuses end up being C+ to B- schools because of organizational issues, Example: LECOM-B; the words in parentheses are mine and don't reflect the ADCOM's opinions)

EAMC is a main rotation site for VCOM-Auburn and it has good hospital statistics (check out HealthGrades and similar sites). There are additional sites available to us not just in AL, but also in GA, NC, SC and VA (check out the yearbook). From what I know, cough cough, they are working very hard to secure other rotation sites all over the state. Also remember that some AMEC sites will be available as well, you just have to apply. AMEC has 1600 spots a year and ACOM and other participants can't use up all those spots, therefore Auburn students will be able to get some if you apply / qualify. Hope that calms some of you with concerns about rotations. VCOM-Auburn is doing everything right. If you need more proof closer go check out VCOM's accreditation and track records, Anti Plot-Twist: they have a near perfect residency placement and board prep record and a perfect accreditation record.

As far as VSAS participation goes, the requirement is to have a rising 4th year class so VCOM-CC should be listed. I think it might not be because AAMC just hasn't updated the list or COCA just hasn't sent updates to AAMC. Nothing to worry about though.

Is VCOM still ultra-conservative like back in 2005? I haven't seen any thread on this in forever, so I'm guessing not. But anyone heard differently?

How you mean? I've heard they're kind of controlling and pretty strict but I'm curious what your take on it is.

 

[ChiefComplaint]

As far as VSAS participation goes, the requirement is to have a rising 4th year class so VCOM-CC should be listed. I think it might not be because AAMC just hasn't updated the list or COCA just hasn't sent updates to AAMC. Nothing to worry about though.

Enjoyed your comments. Where do you think we can get more concrete information regarding VCOM-Auburn's designation as a COCA accredited AACOM member college? I feel like participation in the VSAS opens up even greater opportunities for rotations and, quite possibly, residencies.

 

[ChiefComplaint]

Is VCOM still ultra-conservative like back in 2005? I haven't seen any thread on this in forever, so I'm guessing not. But anyone heard differently?

Conservative? Could you expound?

 

[PostModernMed]

I've heard they used to be very conservative minded. I'm fairly conservative too, but I'll have a beer occasionally and don't want to be reprimanded hahaha

 

[Careful... Icarus!]

Enjoyed your comments. Where do you think we can get more concrete information regarding VCOM-Auburn's designation as a COCA accredited AACOM member college? I feel like participation in the VSAS opens up even greater opportunities for rotations and, quite possibly, residencies.

I would contact one of three people: Jasmine Oliver, William King or Dean Palmarozzi (preferably in that order). More likely than not, if Jasmine doesn't have an answer she will refer your question to Bill who will respond.

 

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

I've heard they used to be very conservative minded. I'm fairly conservative too, but I'll have a beer occasionally and don't want to be reprimanded hahaha

I cannot speak for VCOM, but I will say this about Auburn University: we were recently voted the most conservative campus in the nation. When I told this to one of my classmates (who will be attending VCOM-Auburn BTW), he shook his head and said, "I don't like that ... I would like to think that there are other campuses even more conservative than this..." A few classmates in the area nodded their heads in agreement.

It's extremely conservative here. Even the girls wear camo, NRA/S&W/Browning hats, and shirts with uplifting scripture. I hear kids talking about their small groups and how excited they are about the next weekend's service. FYI this applies equally to the kids in the hard science classes; I think most of us don't have an issue reconciling our faith with science.

 

[PostModernMed]

Ok well that's how I am. So that's good to know!

 

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

Ok well that's how I am. So that's good to know!

🙂🙂🙂

 

[baxt1412]

Not how I am but I'm not super liberal in those regards. I think I will fit in fine. Yes I saw rural students on our tour but you saw "normal" students too, for lack of a better term.

 

[AMH0514]

I cannot speak for VCOM, but I will say this about Auburn University: we were recently voted the most conservative campus in the nation. When I told this to one of my classmates (who will be attending VCOM-Auburn BTW), he shook his head and said, "I don't like that ... I would like to think that there are other campuses even more conservative than this..." A few classmates in the area nodded their heads in agreement.

It's extremely conservative here. Even the girls wear camo, NRA/S&W/Browning hats, and shirts with uplifting scripture. I hear kids talking about their small groups and how excited they are about the next weekend's service. FYI this applies equally to the kids in the hard science classes; I think most of us don't have an issue reconciling our faith with science.

Oh man, I'm basically a liberal hippie (at this point in my life at least), so that will be interesting hah. But I don't mind varying opinions and feel like everyone is entitled to their personal viewpoints. 😀

 

[EastTennesseeQueen]

Can anybody confirm that VCOM-Auburn is a participating COCA accredited AACOM member college for the VSAS? VCOM-Virginia is listed, but VCOM-SC and VCOM-Auburn are not. My intuition tells me that if VCOM-Virginia is listed, then the satellite campuses are, by proxy, also considered participating COCA accredited AACOM member colleges.

If you log onto your AACOMAS you should have a message concerning this 🙂