Feedback from anyone who took a non-AAMC prep for VITA

[r2med]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Is paying (like 250-350$) some online company for a VITA simulation (and feedback) worth it? Would appreciate feedback from anyone who has taken VITA recently.

 

[KnightDoc]

Is paying (like 250-350$) some online company for a VITA simulation (and feedback) worth it? Would appreciate feedback from anyone who has taken VITA recently.

How can anyone accurately answer this question?

VITA is so new that schools haven't even been able to answer how they are going to use it. It is not scored, and applicants receive no feedback, so how can anyone know how they did, or whether or not it made a difference in their outcome?

Without knowing that, how can anyone know whether or not paying for help is worth it? All we know now is that some enterprising individual has found a way to cash in on premed anxiety. No way to know now whether or not this particular service has any value at all, regardless of what anyone, whether or not they have taken and submitted VITA, thinks. JMHO.

 

[r2med]

How can anyone accurately answer this question?

VITA is so new that schools haven't even been able to answer how they are going to use it. It is not scored, and applicants receive no feedback, so how can anyone know how they did, or whether or not it made a difference in their outcome?

Without knowing that, how can anyone know whether or not paying for help is worth it? All we know now is that some enterprising individual has found a way to cash in on premed anxiety. No way to know now whether or not this particular service has any value at all, regardless of what anyone, whether or not they have taken and submitted VITA, thinks. JMHO.

Thanks. Only metric I can think of will be from those who took the VITA after a paid prep. I am sure they can tell whether the prep was useful in anyway or if they would have done pretty much the same way even without it.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks. Only metric I can think of will be from those who took the VITA after a paid prep. I am sure they can tell whether the prep was useful in anyway or if they would have done pretty much the same way even without it.

I know, but it's so new that I'm sure very few people fit that description. More importantly, they would still have no idea how they did (whether or not they improved), how, if at all, it was used, and whether VITA made any difference at all in their application. We just won't know until after the cycle, when, hopefully, if VITA killed anyone, they receive feedback on that from the schools so we can know how it is used so we can then target weak spots, with or without paid assistance.

My take, as someone who is not applying this cycle, is that the materials AAMC is making available for free should be adequate during this early roll out stage where nobody really knows how this is going to be used. I realize the whole process is very high stakes (I spared no expense buying everything in sight that I thought would help my MCAT prep!), but I don't see what expertise an outside party can bring to what is ultimately an undefined process that would be worth paying money for.

 

[r2med]

I just took VITA and felt like it went well. I did not pay for help but did practice extensively with others and recorded myself speaking. Personally, I think you can do well with standard interview prep. I don't really think any “professionals” selling their services know what they are talking about right now since VITA has been around for a whole of 4 weeks.

Thank you for your feedback. Appreciate it.

 

[r2med]

I know, but it's so new that I'm sure very few people fit that description. More importantly, they would still have no idea how they did (whether or not they improved), how, if at all, it was used, and whether VITA made any difference at all in their application. We just won't know until after the cycle, when, hopefully, if VITA killed anyone, they receive feedback on that from the schools so we can know how it is used so we can then target weak spots, with or without paid assistance.

My take, as someone who is not applying this cycle, is that the materials AAMC is making available for free should be adequate during this early roll out stage where nobody really knows how this is going to be used. I realize the whole process is very high stakes (I spared no expense buying everything in sight that I thought would help my MCAT prep!), but I don't see what expertise an outside party can bring to what is ultimately an undefined process that would be worth paying money for.

Thank you. Changed the title to reflect my intent to get feedback rather than judgment.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thank you. Changed the title to reflect my intent to get feedback rather than judgment.

Same thing, though. I doubt you are going to find too many people this early who paid for help with this, and, based on your stats and results so far, I really don't think the VITA is going to determine your fate!!! Save your money!!! 😎

 

[deleted1073160]

Does anybody who has taken VITA have any advice? I am taking it tomorrow and I am feeling slightly uneasy about the whole thing. Any tips on best types of questions to practice?
Thanks so much! 🙂

 

[r2med]

Does anybody who has taken VITA have any advice? I am taking it tomorrow and I am feeling slightly uneasy about the whole thing. Any tips on best types of questions to practice?
Thanks so much! 🙂

If you have taken the practice test, and know the answers for common things like Why Doctor, absolutely nothing to be nervous about.