EVMS Class of 2012!!!!

[menelaus84]

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Heya all!!! Thought I'd begin our own little spot to converse and talk about great things to come! haha. Welcome all to the EVMS thread for the Class of 2012!!! Let's begin talking cause you will all soon know that I love doing just that =)

 

[Daydreamer2008]

Hey! Congrats. EVMS is a great school. Maybe I'll see ya there next year!!! Where are you from?
🙂

 

[menelaus84]

heya! Im from LA but Im studying in Palo Alto right now. I hope to see you in Norfolk as well!!

 

[bostampa2007]

heya! Im from LA but Im studying in Palo Alto right now. I hope to see you in Norfolk as well!!

hey guys, i called the admission office and learned that i got accepted. 🙂
but still waiting for the dean letter though?

 

[menelaus84]

congrats! yeah, I'm still waiting for that as well. I get paranoid thinking perhaps they said you're rejected instead of accepted =P haha.

 

[MC Tasty]

I found out I got in yesterday. I called and they told me the good news. Just waiting on the paper confirmation 😀

 

[ayeaye]

mctasty when did you interview?

 

[Shejeboshease]

mctasty when did you interview?

yeah i just want to see that letter....i don't know if i should call them again to make sure that its me.

 

[MC Tasty]

mctasty when did you interview?

I interviewed in mid October. I called about 2 weeks after I interviewed and person I talked to said a decision is generally made about 3 weeks after you interview. So I called a week later and got the good news. 🙂

 

[Shejeboshease]

I interviewed in mid October. I called about 2 weeks after I interviewed and person I talked to said a decision is generally made about 3 weeks after you interview. So I called a week later and got the good news. 🙂

me too...did you interview on oct. 17th? there were about nine of us on that day. by the way, did you get the official letter yet or just phone acceptance?

 

[Haemulon]

Congratulations on your acceptances!! I am looking forward to meeting you all next year. This is a great school and I have very much enjoyed it so far. If you have any questions about the school, curriculum, what everything is like, etc... , i'd be happy to try to answer them for you. So feel free to PM me. Enjoy the feeling of success everyone, You made it! 🙂

 

[bostampa2007]

Congratulations on your acceptances!! I am looking forward to meeting you all next year. This is a great school and I have very much enjoyed it so far. If you have any questions about the school, curriculum, what everything is like, etc... , i'd be happy to try to answer them for you. So feel free to PM me. Enjoy the feeling of success everyone, You made it! 🙂

thanks buddy.

i just called the admission office to asked them when we would be getting the letter. I interviewed on oct. 17th and learned that i got accepted on nov. 5th. in any case, she told me that they sent my acceptance package on nov. 7th. i'm in VA, so i'm just hoping to get the package today or tomorrow. i hope its fedex not just regular mail.
so i just gotta keep waiting.

 

[MC Tasty]

I just got my acceptance package today in the mail. They were mailed on the 7th and I got mine (I'm also in VA) today on the 8th.

Congrats to all the other people who got in!

 

[RunningKing]

Did you write to the adcom indicating that you wanted to go there? I just interviewed on Wed., and fell in love with the school (and area) in 1 day. I am from the midwest, and was like "wait, no subzero weather, no snowstorms, no daily windowscraping, no 5 month long colds, what am I waiting for!"

 

[MC Tasty]

I was just myself. This was my 3rd time applying to EVMS. My two previous times I was waitlisted. I called the adcom and wrote many letters during those two previous years and nothing happened.

On my third interview, I went in confident, and just told the truth. Interviewers can pick out BS. 3 weeks later I was in. As simple as that.

However, I did send thank you notes to all of my interviewers asap. This is very important as it leaves a good impression and keeps you in their mind when they are discussing you at the adcom meetings.

Good luck! I hope you get in!

 

[doc4kidsva]

Congratulations to all of you getting accepted to EVMS! I'm an M1 now, but I'll also be a member of your class because I'm in the dual degree program. With that being said, if you all have any questions feel free to ask. Again, congratulations.

 

[menelaus84]

Which dual degree? and why is it that you're still an m1? just curious as I'm planning to do the md/mph program, but not sure whether I want to commit that extra year...

 

[doc4kidsva]

Which dual degree? and why is it that you're still an m1? just curious as I'm planning to do the md/mph program, but not sure whether I want to commit that extra year...

MD/MPH. I will still be an M1 because the program allows you to split your M1 year into two years. This allows you to complete your MPH degree in the first two years. When you complete your MPH requirements, you will enter your M2 year so that you can have a normal M2,M3,M4 year. This is helpful so that you don't have to worry about finishing your MPH degree while studying for the boards.

I hope this was helpful for you. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

 

[menelaus84]

Which track are you doing? I'm thinking of doing epidemiology. I'm just afraid that I won't feel like I'm a part of any one particular entering class if I split it up like that. What was it like for you?

 

[joanofarc0907]

Hey guys. I'm also a current M1, so if you have any questions at all, or want to come down to check it out again and need a place to crash for the night let me know 🙂 Can't wait to meet you all at preview weekend!! We'll have a lot of fun.

 

[doc4kidsva]

Which track are you doing? I'm thinking of doing epidemiology. I'm just afraid that I won't feel like I'm a part of any one particular entering class if I split it up like that. What was it like for you?

I'm doing the Health Management track.

I still feel like part of the class. When I first got here I didn't, but that was my fault because I distanced myself. Once I got it together it was no problem.

I will always have friends in the 2011 class, but I will be graduating in 2012. I look at it from the aspect that I will always have someone to give me a heads up.

 

[menelaus84]

I'm curious as to whether any of you have an opinion about EVMS and the surrouding norfolk area with respects to race, sexual orientation, liberal thinking in general. From the sounds of it, the area appears to be more liberal than other cities in VA, but not quite like the fishnet stocking wearing people in SF. Any opinions?

On another note, what's the surrounding area like by EVMS in terms of social activities?

 

[MC Tasty]

The night before I was interviewing at EVMS I drove by the Norva and there was an insane clown posse (very hard music) concert going on and the people in line looked quite liberal to me. A few girls were dressed up as quite sexy/naughty nurses.

I don't know if it is the norm, but it gives me some confidence that there is a liberal nature to Norfolk.

 

[Haemulon]

Eh, Norfolk is a regular city. You will find different types of people with different beliefs and tolerances, same as anywhere else. I think that you will probably find like-minded people matching whatever your views/social lifestyle is like. We are a pretty diverse class and blend very well. I think you will find that most everyone is pretty easy-going around here. It's all kind of a moot point though, since you will likely be spending a lot of your time in the library/study rooms anyway 😉 Well ..... there and the ping pong room. 😀

 

[Shejeboshease]

Eh, Norfolk is a regular city. You will find different types of people with different beliefs and tolerances, same as anywhere else. I think that you will probably find like-minded people matching whatever your views/social lifestyle is like. We are a pretty diverse class and blend very well. I think you will find that most everyone is pretty easy-going around here. It's all kind of a moot point though, since you will likely be spending a lot of your time in the library/study rooms anyway 😉 Well ..... there and the ping pong room. 😀

my acceptance letter is dated nov. 7th, but i didn't get it until the 11th. so i sent my acceptance deposit on the 13th...i called the admission office today and they still haven't received my deposit yet...now i'm worried whether they would receive my deposit within the ten days deadline that they set up.

 

[menelaus84]

I called regarding the same thing. They said that it should be fine... that they don't actually enforce the 10 day restriction until later on in the application year. (towards the end). They told me to call back next week

 

[menelaus84]

No action here on this thread =/ You guys on waitlists, have you heard anything back?

 

[OCallag]

No action here on this thread =/ You guys on waitlists, have you heard anything back?

Nah, the waitlist letter noted that they won't start taking people off of the waitlist until the spring. They put me on the lower third of the waitlist (although it's early and it could shift a lot), but I'm not holding my breath for an acceptance. I doubt it's going to happen. 🙁

 

[87138]

No action here on this thread =/ You guys on waitlists, have you heard anything back?

I just found out today I was accepted! I was very positively impressed by EVMS when I interviewed there.

 

[menelaus84]

Congrats! Where are you from? Finally there's some movement on this list. Hopefully more people will join =)

 

[87138]

Congrats! Where are you from? Finally there's some movement on this list. Hopefully more people will join =)

Oh crap, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you asked about the waitlist. I wasn't on the waitlist.

I didn't mean to get peoples' hopes up. I'll feel like an ass if I did.

Anyway, I'm from PA.

 

[87138]

Also, anyone know anything about a "second look" day at EVMS? I wouldn't mind heading down there again to visit, especially on the school's dime😉. I really like southern VA.

 

[joanofarc0907]

Also, anyone know anything about a "second look" day at EVMS? I wouldn't mind heading down there again to visit, especially on the school's dime😉. I really like southern VA.

There is def going to be a second look weekend. I can't remember the exact dates we were planning on, but i think its the 1st or 2nd weekend in march. you'll hear more about it as time gets closer. Its still in the early planning stages since the M1's plan it for you all. But just so you know, EVMS doesn't pay for you to get down here. Once you're here we will provide housing and get most of your food, but not travel.

 

[87138]

There is def going to be a second look weekend. I can't remember the exact dates we were planning on, but i think its the 1st or 2nd weekend in march. you'll hear more about it as time gets closer. Its still in the early planning stages since the M1's plan it for you all. But just so you know, EVMS doesn't pay for you to get down here. Once you're here we will provide housing and get most of your food, but not travel.

Haha, yeah sorry I didn't mean to suggest that travel expenses were paid for. Just that housing/food might be. Not that I'm trying to take advantage of the school, but it's great that schools are willing to provide housing/food for people who want to get a second look. I remember being surprisingly impressed with EVMS when I visited, and imagine that a second look might impress me even further.

I don't know much about "second looks." What exactly does this entail? And is it one day, or an entire weekend, or what?

 

[joanofarc0907]

Haha, yeah sorry I didn't mean to suggest that travel expenses were paid for. Just that housing/food might be. Not that I'm trying to take advantage of the school, but it's great that schools are willing to provide housing/food for people who want to get a second look. I remember being surprisingly impressed with EVMS when I visited, and imagine that a second look might impress me even further.

I don't know much about "second looks." What exactly does this entail? And is it one day, or an entire weekend, or what?

Since it isn't planned this year, I can only tell you what i know from going to it last year. Basically we got to the school on friday night, had a few planned events and some fun ones for when we were done. Then Saturday we got more info about the school in some formal presentations, followed by a POETS (put off everything tomorrow is saturday...in this case it was sunday) which is basically free food for everyone and socializing and a progressive (basically a party) following it. It was a really good time and I highly recommend coming out to it if you are on the fence about EVMS and another school, or even if you have decided you are coming to the school, because it is very fun and you won't want to miss it!!

I know there was some talk about trying to get the prospectives out of the scheduled meetings in time to go to the annual MD-PA flag football game and barbecue, which would be really fun, but I'm not sure since the schedule has not been planned yet.

You'll learn more about EVMS, gives you a chance to socialize with EVMS students and see if you like the atmosphere outside of a black suit 🙂 Hope to see you all there.

 

[AppTrail]

Since it isn't planned this year, I can only tell you what i know from going to it last year. Basically we got to the school on friday night, had a few planned events and some fun ones for when we were done. Then Saturday we got more info about the school in some formal presentations, followed by a POETS (put off everything tomorrow is saturday...in this case it was sunday) which is basically free food for everyone and socializing and a progressive (basically a party) following it. It was a really good time and I highly recommend coming out to it if you are on the fence about EVMS and another school, or even if you have decided you are coming to the school, because it is very fun and you won't want to miss it!!

I know there was some talk about trying to get the prospectives out of the scheduled meetings in time to go to the annual MD-PA flag football game and barbecue, which would be really fun, but I'm not sure since the schedule has not been planned yet.

You'll learn more about EVMS, gives you a chance to socialize with EVMS students and see if you like the atmosphere outside of a black suit 🙂 Hope to see you all there.

sweet, i can't wait. Also, what is the consensus among current students for cell phone carriers? Which carriers work well both around campus and inside buildings? Finally, do current students recommend getting a PDA or PDA/smartphone for the first year or is this not necessary until the clinical years? I only ask because my contract is about to expire in a few months.

 

[joanofarc0907]

Personally I have verizon and as you will hear from almost every student is that there are lots of areas of lewis hall that are just dead zones all around. Generally I get off and on reception in the lecture halls (enough to get texts and if i'm lucky phone calls) reception in the library is good, but you get nothing in the computer lab or in the student lounge. I don't find it a problem though because where the service is out is usually a place I shouldnt be using my phone anyways.

As for the PDA I would def say don't get one until 3rd year. With the way technology is, you'll be outdated by the time you actually use it a significant amount.

Hope that helps.

 

[MC Tasty]

I just got a verizon smart phone (samsung i760) and I love it. I fully expect to upgrade 2 years from now, but PDAs really help me organize so I would recommend one just for pure organization. But that is just me.

 

[Haemulon]

Personally I have verizon and as you will hear from almost every student is that there are lots of areas of lewis hall that are just dead zones all around. Generally I get off and on reception in the lecture halls (enough to get texts and if i'm lucky phone calls) reception in the library is good, but you get nothing in the computer lab or in the student lounge. I don't find it a problem though because where the service is out is usually a place I shouldnt be using my phone anyways.

As for the PDA I would def say don't get one until 3rd year. With the way technology is, you'll be outdated by the time you actually use it a significant amount.

Hope that helps.

I use Alltel and have been able to get reception most everywhere, although it does get cracklly in a few spots. But most of my friends have Sprint or Verizon and definitely experience the dead spots like you described. It's weird that the school's wireless internet network also gets spotty in some places, even certain parts of the library. And I havn't been able to connect to wireless on the second floor (like the MDL), I guess there is a separate network up there?

New students: I wouldn't don't worry too much about it. If you have problem with reception in a certain area, you can just study somewhere else 😉

Hey Joanofarc: have a great break!!!

 

[joanofarc0907]

And I havn't been able to connect to wireless on the second floor (like the MDL), I guess there is a separate network up there?

Yeah there is a separate network up in MDL, but if you use the MDL laptops that are always there (and super nice) you're fine. And thanks Haemulon, see you in january 🙂

 

[Eversion]

As another current student, I'll also open the door for PMs and try to throw in my opinion when I can. The only thing I can think to add is about housing. Even though it seems really early, if you're pretty sure you're going to EVMS next year and want the best shot at getting into the school owned apartments, now would be a good time to get ahold of Carol Ashburn at the EVMS Hague Club Apartments about getting on the waiting list. A lot of students try to get in there because the school owns the apartments and rent is a lot less than anything else in downtown Norfolk. This time of year you can beat the rush of new names for next year as usually there's a few M1s that seem to get in every year.

As for cell phone carriers and PDA's. I'm currently also with alltel and will backup Haemulon's statements. It does seem to work very well throughout the building, even in stairwell and lounge where others have trouble, I'll get a crackle now and then but a call will hold. At the risk of sounding too much like a salesperson, since I don't have a landline, My Circle, the unlimited to any 10 numbers is nice because I've never worried about using up anytime minutes and I've got a few family members that are real talkers. I've also heard a number of people echo joanofarc's comments about Verizon definitely having a few dead spots in the computer lab and student lounge. Some people also tend to avoid the stairwell with it and the lecture hall has good and bad days. But it doesn't seem like a big problem because people learn the places to avoid if they're on the phone. Anybody works well outside or near a window.

I wouldn't say a PDA/smartphone is ever required at EVMS, even for 3rd year. The school loans out PDA's during required rotations in 3rd/4th year if you don't want to pay the extra expense for the device and possible data plan. But I'm sure it would make things easier to have your own because you'd be more familiar with it and I will probably get one for 3rd year. But for 1st and 2nd year, the only real advantage, as MC Tasty stated, is organization and you won't have to carry around the big week-by-week schedule every day. Palms seem to be the most popular PDA among physicians and I've even seen a few 4th years that carry a Palm and a separate cell phone rather than a combination Treo or PPC. Several 4th years I've talked to even swear by doing that because the battery lasts about a week rather than a day or two.

 

[menelaus84]

Thanks Eversion and other EVMS students for sharing their opinions.

Prob should have asked this more clearly during my interview, but I would like to see what y'all enjoy doing on your "free time" whenever it may occur. From what I remember, Norfolk was a decently sized city so I would imagine there are plenty of places to hang out with friends. What do you guys think? Also, are there any questions I should be asking as a student debating between schools?

 

[menelaus84]

bump

 

[Eversion]

For free time, there's really a lot of different options and you'll probably get a different answer from every student. Every EVMS class elects social chairs to coordinate a lot of different events over the year. There's actually a trip to the Outer Banks coming up soon as well as a number of smaller things like beach days, bowling trips, nights at the movies, going out to a post-test bar some nights, and a lot of other things. There's also a lot of people that get together on their own for dinners, game nights, and other events. But there's also a lot of people that just prefer to spend time with their family, and even leave Norfolk to get back home to their family whenever the opportunity comes up so you're never really obligated to attend any social events. But there are a lot of social events that go on and opportunities to get together with other students in your free time.
As a student debating between schools, one question you might want to try to ask several students are things they don't like, or things that get on their nerves about their own school. Not every student will have things they don't like, but I generally found that to be a question that caught most people off-guard and gave you an honest response from most students.

 

[menelaus84]

Well, I guess my follow up question then should be, "What are your likes and dislikes about EVMS?"

What are the best and worst things about EVMS that you may or may not find at other schools?


Thanks a bunch =)

 

[Eversion]

For me, I really didn't have too many complaints. The only negatives I can think of is at EVMS, don't look forward to getting a financial aid award letter before school starts. And that really makes some people's decision harder because you don't know if you're getting any scholarships, grants, or just loans. There has been a lot of talk about correcting this problem for the upcoming year though. The only other negative, which is also being corrected is some of the lab times that tend to drag on and cause a 9-4 day a couple times a week. I remember when I was interviewing a couple years ago, several schools were proud of the fact of having much shorter days and labs for certain classes like Histology and Pathology based online to be more efficient with time. In those classes, EVMS has stayed true to the microscope, but that is starting to change. We started for the first time this year doing a Micro lab that was computer-based. Many of the histo and path labs are also available under a virtual slide box and we've been told that in the future, the school will be moving in that direction except for the things they really feel you understand better seeing first-hand.

As for the positives, the biggest thing for me was the atmosphere I noticed during the interview and was true as a student. Students help each other out here and the atmosphere is really supportive. I've obviously never attended another med school, but nowhere else struck me as having the bond that EVMS students had. A few other points that I really like about EVMS are some of the professors emphasis on humanism is medicine. It really helps to remind you why you're going through all this work in the end... for the patient. Another thing is the location of the school. It's right by CHKD which makes it a very attractive school for anybody considering Peds. I also like the safety aspect of the location. Whether you live in the Hague Club or park in the parking garage, I felt like it was a campus designed to keep students as safe as possible in a larger city. And the standardized patient program, is a bad thing for some while others love it. I really like the program because it helps you adjust to actually interviewing a patient and communication skills, which is arguable the most important part of medicine. It's at least true that if you're poor at communication skills, there's nothing more likely to cause a bad situation with a patient furious enough to bring up a lawsuit. In the LGM component of the class, I've also worked with a lot of patients myself and presented them to my LGM doctor to the point to where heading into third year I already feel comfortable doing it rather than it being introduced to the concept at the beginning of third year. It's also a low-intensity class that nobody worries about failing. You really get out of it what you put into it.

In the end, it was a tough decision for me because I really liked all the other schools I considered, but I'm really glad that I came to EVMS. I feel like I've learned a lot more medical information than I ever thought I would, while having a lot of great, supportive friends, and I understand now that every decision I make practicing medicing should be made asking myself what's best for the patient. Sorry to go on forever, but at least to me that's how I would describe the downsides, the upsides, and how I feel about choosing EVMS.

 

[Daydreamer2008]

For me, I really didn't have too many complaints. The only negatives I can think of is at EVMS, don't look forward to getting a financial aid award letter before school starts. And that really makes some people's decision harder because you don't know if you're getting any scholarships, grants, or just loans. There has been a lot of talk about correcting this problem for the upcoming year though. The only other negative, which is also being corrected is some of the lab times that tend to drag on and cause a 9-4 day a couple times a week. I remember when I was interviewing a couple years ago, several schools were proud of the fact of having much shorter days and labs for certain classes like Histology and Pathology based online to be more efficient with time. In those classes, EVMS has stayed true to the microscope, but that is starting to change. We started for the first time this year doing a Micro lab that was computer-based. Many of the histo and path labs are also available under a virtual slide box and we've been told that in the future, the school will be moving in that direction except for the things they really feel you understand better seeing first-hand.

As for the positives, the biggest thing for me was the atmosphere I noticed during the interview and was true as a student. Students help each other out here and the atmosphere is really supportive. I've obviously never attended another med school, but nowhere else struck me as having the bond that EVMS students had. A few other points that I really like about EVMS are some of the professors emphasis on humanism is medicine. It really helps to remind you why you're going through all this work in the end... for the patient. Another thing is the location of the school. It's right by CHKD which makes it a very attractive school for anybody considering Peds. I also like the safety aspect of the location. Whether you live in the Hague Club or park in the parking garage, I felt like it was a campus designed to keep students as safe as possible in a larger city. And the standardized patient program, is a bad thing for some while others love it. I really like the program because it helps you adjust to actually interviewing a patient and communication skills, which is arguable the most important part of medicine. It's at least true that if you're poor at communication skills, there's nothing more likely to cause a bad situation with a patient furious enough to bring up a lawsuit. In the LGM component of the class, I've also worked with a lot of patients myself and presented them to my LGM doctor to the point to where heading into third year I already feel comfortable doing it rather than it being introduced to the concept at the beginning of third year. It's also a low-intensity class that nobody worries about failing. You really get out of it what you put into it.

In the end, it was a tough decision for me because I really liked all the other schools I considered, but I'm really glad that I came to EVMS. I feel like I've learned a lot more medical information than I ever thought I would, while having a lot of great, supportive friends, and I understand now that every decision I make practicing medicing should be made asking myself what's best for the patient. Sorry to go on forever, but at least to me that's how I would describe the downsides, the upsides, and how I feel about choosing EVMS.

Thanks for all the info 🙂 really helps!!!

 

[Doc11Hopeful]

Thanks for all of the input Eversion. I am currently on the waitlist but hoping for some good news sometime this spring! Hopefully I will be able to post here as a legitimate EVMS class of 2012 member! *crossing fingers*

 

[Daydreamer2008]

Thanks for all of the input Eversion. I am currently on the waitlist but hoping for some good news sometime this spring! Hopefully I will be able to post here as a legitimate EVMS class of 2012 member! *crossing fingers*

Good luck!!!

 

[ashmarj]

Hey all...just wondering if anyone had heard anything yet about specifics dates for a second look day/weekend!?