Help me decide...Rochester vs. UVA

[ticktock5051]

Hey all,

I’ve been offered acceptances at Rochester and University of Virginia (UVA) and would greatly appreciate any input in helping me decide. Basically, what it comes down to is that I’m fairly certain I’d rather live/be at UVA but I’d rather learn/attend school at Rochester. I’m really outdoorsy and I love that UVA is wicked close to Shenandoah National Park as well as several national forests. However, Rochester is in a (relatively) much larger metro area so I think I’d have more patient contact there. Plus, I prefer Rochester’s curriculum. I’ve included a list of pro’s and cons to further explain.

I’d really appreciate ANY input ya’ll have to offer, especially from current students at either institution.



Rochester

Pros:

· I love their curriculum. I think Rochester’s Double Helix curriculum does a great job of blending the hard science of medicine with the “softer” humanistic side. I’m very intrigued that Rochester claims to be/formulates their curriculum to be the “liberal arts of medical school”

· Rochester eases students into learning medicine. The first 6 weeks are spent doing an Intro to Clinical Medicine and Biostats course. This appeals to me because I’ll have taken two years off by the time I matriculate. I think I’d be setting myself up for success with this more relaxed pace

· The population of Rochester is 200,000 and the metro area is about 1 million (5x more than that of Charlottesville where UVA is). I think I’d have plenty of opportunities for patient contact

· I felt like I gelled with the students at Rochester. However, I realize this might be an artifact of my interview experience because it was my first interview (I was excited and optimistic) and it was early in the interview season (so students more readily approached and were friendly with the interviewees)

· It felt like the faculty were really supportive and prioritized the students

· Rochester is the home of the biopsychosocial model of medicine. I learned about this outlook/methodology during an undergrad Abnormal Psych class and have always wanted to apply it to medicine

· Rochester is a much more dangerous city than Charlottesville and has a larger underserved population. Because of this, I’d definitely see more trauma and interact with patients on the “fringes” of the medical community

· Weird pro but: I went to Burning Man in 2014 and volunteered at the festival’s medical tents. One of the doctors I met there went to Rochester and my interviewer had also gone. Because of this, I feel like Rochester may produce physicians that are more akin to me (this could be totally off-base though)



Cons:

· The weather. I’m not really a fan of cold/the winter but I’m no stranger to it. I grew up in Chicago and went to school in Boston (including during the Snowpocalypse of 2010). So maybe I’m overthinking the climate aspect

· Relatively few outdoor opportunities. I know the Finger Lakes are close by but they’re a relatively small area and I’m not sure how gung-ho I’d be about snowshoesing for half the year

· School and students seem somewhat liberal (not opposed to such views but I don’t want this to be an engrained part of the school’s ethos).

· No recorded lectures

· 2 years pre-clinical: I wouldn’t mind getting on the wards sooner and this will decrease time for electives compared to a school w/ 18 mos preclinical



UVA

Pros:

· Proximity to outdoor opportunities. I know that I’ll be in school and have to focus on studying, but it would be great to live close to the mountains and go for a hike to blow off some steam and reward myself

· 18 mos pre-clinical: get on the wards sooner

· Have student organizations I’d love to join (pre-med mentorship group and Wilderness Medicine Club). No such opportunities exist at Rochester; I could start them but I’d rather have the organizing legwork already done for me

· In the South: I’ve never lived in this region of the country and would like to try it out after living in the Midwest and Northeast. I’ve got family in Georgia and have been camping in Virginia so I already have experienced the area and like it

· They really trust their students. UVA has a pretty incredible Honor Code whereby students can take exams on their own time at home. However, I think this unstructured kind of exam administration might be poor practice for Step 1 (thoughts?)

·



Cons:

· Relatively small population (Charlottesville= 40,000. Charlottesville metro=200K). Is this a big deal though? Is this “enough” people to get ample hands-on experience? The ER at UVA is 40 beds and the ER at Rochester is 140. Rochester also has 30% more inpatient admissions/year. Since UVA is a great hospital, I feel like it would draw a relatively large number of patients seeking treatment for rare diseases, which is interesting but not something I want to pursue. I’d love feedback from students on this.

· I felt like the school was somewhat preppy

· I didn’t feel as great a bond with students but I only met a small handful

· The PBL aspects of the curriculum seem disorganized (thoughts from students?) At Rochester, PBL is done in cloistered small groups of 7-10 people w/ a physician preceptor. At UVA, all the small groups meet in a giant conference room (each group sits @ their own table) and jointly analyzes a case together with all the other groups in the room. I question how much I’d get out of this. Students I spoke with seemed to view the experience as adequate, slightly cumbersome, yet helpful for certain topics. Since this is about 20% of the curriculum, I think this could be an issue



I’d appreciate any input ya’ll have to offer. Thanks so much!

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[Chelsea FC]

rough morning mean response. apologies. Also I suggest you post this in the allopathic forum where more med students and doctors are available

 

[ticktock5051]

@Chelsea FC, I'm not asking for anybody to decide for me, just to give me some insight. I'm primarily interested in whether or not people in med school or current doctors can comment on whether or not a smaller metro area like Charlottesville can give enough patient contact. How would I know that for myself?

 

[deleted245139]

Can't comment on the school per say, but from Rochester originally...
Biased, but I LOVE the city. Small enough to feel manageable yet large enough to feel metro. Spring and summer bring a TON to do, Charlotte beach park, Hamlin beach, finger lakes. Winter can be dismal, and yes, lots of snow but chicago is similar with weather patterns. Wegmans is a staple (if you're unfamiliar, ask around... Those who know it, LOVE it)

As for the school, you seem to like it alot. My friends who went loved it and came out excellent docs.

Really can't say enough great things about Rochester. Good luck with your choice!

 

[NotWayneBrady]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...in-school-specific-discussions-forum.1183784/

 

[Revolution9]

These are both really good schools, congratulations. As they would likely be viewed academically similar, you should probably go with the one where you would feel most comfortable and, thus, where you are most likely to succeed.

 

[mvenus929]

UVA

Pros:

· Proximity to outdoor opportunities. I know that I’ll be in school and have to focus on studying, but it would be great to live close to the mountains and go for a hike to blow off some steam and reward myself

· 18 mos pre-clinical: get on the wards sooner

· Have student organizations I’d love to join (pre-med mentorship group and Wilderness Medicine Club). No such opportunities exist at Rochester; I could start them but I’d rather have the organizing legwork already done for me

· In the South: I’ve never lived in this region of the country and would like to try it out after living in the Midwest and Northeast. I’ve got family in Georgia and have been camping in Virginia so I already have experienced the area and like it

· They really trust their students. UVA has a pretty incredible Honor Code whereby students can take exams on their own time at home. However, I think this unstructured kind of exam administration might be poor practice for Step 1 (thoughts?)

Cons:

· Relatively small population (Charlottesville= 40,000. Charlottesville metro=200K). Is this a big deal though? Is this “enough” people to get ample hands-on experience? The ER at UVA is 40 beds and the ER at Rochester is 140. Rochester also has 30% more inpatient admissions/year. Since UVA is a great hospital, I feel like it would draw a relatively large number of patients seeking treatment for rare diseases, which is interesting but not something I want to pursue. I’d love feedback from students on this.

· I felt like the school was somewhat preppy

· I didn’t feel as great a bond with students but I only met a small handful

· The PBL aspects of the curriculum seem disorganized (thoughts from students?) At Rochester, PBL is done in cloistered small groups of 7-10 people w/ a physician preceptor. At UVA, all the small groups meet in a giant conference room (each group sits @ their own table) and jointly analyzes a case together with all the other groups in the room. I question how much I’d get out of this. Students I spoke with seemed to view the experience as adequate, slightly cumbersome, yet helpful for certain topics. Since this is about 20% of the curriculum, I think this could be an issue



I’d appreciate any input ya’ll have to offer. Thanks so much!

1. The online tests are very similar to step 1 structure, besides the location in which you take it. I didn't find the steps to be terribly different, and I don't think any testing environment really prepares you more than another.

2. I found the patient load at UVA to be adequate for my education as a student. I chose to move away for residency because the volume was not high enough, but this was not a concern in school. That said, you do have to do some away rotations because of the relatively low volume. I found this to be an advantage because I got to see how other programs and other systems worked.

3. Straight up PBL is done in small groups... That's CPD. The TBL exercises are done in large groups and are more about re-inforcing concepts than learning new concepts.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to pre-allo because http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...in-school-specific-discussions-forum.1183784/

Here are my thoughts. I'm quite familiar with UVA (I was choosing between there and where I am now), have volunteered at their hospital, and am from Virginia.

I think UVA is a great school. The catchment area for the hospital is actually bigger than you might think because they're really only competing with VCU for central/central western Virginia, so you see a fairly diverse patient load (not NYC or LA diverse, but probably about as diverse as Rochester tbh). You also get referrals for specialty services. The ED is small, but you do get some variety (we had some gunshot wounds and such come in when I was volunteering there, though it's not super frequent). The students I talked to seemed to think they were getting a strong education with good clinical exposure. UVA self-publishes their Step 1 median (240) and also told us this at the interview. They also said that they had a couple students score in the 280 range the year before I applied, so I wouldn't worry about not being prepared for Step 1 (because if you're not, that's going to be on you).

I wouldn't really say UVA is deep south - it's southern, but I personally found it to be quite different than, say, rural South Carolina (or even rural western Virginia for that matter). Additionally, the UVA area is going to be fairly liberal too (maybe not as much as Rochester, but more than anywhere else in the state other than Richmond and Northern Virginia). The town isn't huge, but it's not tiny either. It's basically the definition of a college town. However, if you have a car, Richmond is ~50 minutes away on 64, and DC is about 2 hours up route 29 (both are very easy drives), so if you want to go to a bigger city on weekends, you have options. Plus, you can take the train to NYC if you really need to go somewhere big for a weekend or something. I am at a school with a 1.5 year preclinical curriculum and I think the pace is great. I don't know what we would do with 2 full years.

PBL is really hit or miss. If you're an active learner, you'll be fine. If you really like reading, watching lectures, and note-taking, it might be tougher. Most people adapt either way so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

The main thing that turned me off about UVA is that they seemed to really focus on primary care at second look and weren't really forthcoming about research opportunities. It seemed like if you wanted to do summer research, you had to apply for an external NIH grant or work at a different school, or work without funding. As someone interested in a research-heavy surgical specialty and who wants to do academic medicine, it was a little upsetting that research didn't seem to be extremely accessible. However, that being said, I do know people there who matched very well into competitive surgical specialties at places they really wanted to go, so it could have been that the tiny window I was looking through didn't paint the full picture, so take this with a grain of salt.

Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with either school.

 

[mvenus929]

The main thing that turned me off about UVA is that they seemed to really focus on primary care at second look and weren't really forthcoming about research opportunities. It seemed like if you wanted to do summer research, you had to apply for an external NIH grant or work at a different school, or work without funding. As someone interested in a research-heavy surgical specialty and who wants to do academic medicine, it was a little upsetting that research didn't seem to be extremely accessible. However, that being said, I do know people there who matched very well into competitive surgical specialties at places they really wanted to go, so it could have been that the tiny window I was looking through didn't paint the full picture, so take this with a grain of salt.

Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with either school.

Unless things have radically changed in the year and a half that I've been away from UVA, that is absolutely not accurate. The vast majority of my class did the summer scholars program, which does provide funding. If you have a specific project and a mentor that you want to work with, I'm sure they will help you do it. I personally chose not to do research because 1. My class had the shortest summer break in the history of UVA, and I did not want to spend the entire break doing research, so I opted to travel to Europe and do some clinical volunteering, and 2. The specialty I was interested in didn't really require it.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Unless things have radically changed in the year and a half that I've been away from UVA, that is absolutely not accurate. The vast majority of my class did the summer scholars program, which does provide funding. If you have a specific project and a mentor that you want to work with, I'm sure they will help you do it. I personally chose not to do research because 1. My class had the shortest summer break in the history of UVA, and I did not want to spend the entire break doing research, so I opted to travel to Europe and do some clinical volunteering, and 2. The specialty I was interested in didn't really require it.

This was just the impression that I got during my interview day when I asked about research opportunities and at second look. I'm happy to know that this is not the case.

 

[unicorn416]

Unless things have radically changed in the year and a half that I've been away from UVA, that is absolutely not accurate. The vast majority of my class did the summer scholars program, which does provide funding. If you have a specific project and a mentor that you want to work with, I'm sure they will help you do it. I personally chose not to do research because 1. My class had the shortest summer break in the history of UVA, and I did not want to spend the entire break doing research, so I opted to travel to Europe and do some clinical volunteering, and 2. The specialty I was interested in didn't really require it.

Would also like to second this. Students also go abroad (mostly to Guatemala, as well as Brazil, India, and Rwanda). I've found that the faculty are very dedicated and want to help you do whatever you want to do.

 

[ticktock5051]

Thanks so much for the feedback!

Can somebody explain (especially @mvenus929) the different aspects of the curriculum? I might have been confused from the tour. So the giant group sessions aren't PBL? What's the difference between PBL, TBL, CPD?

Also, what's a "typical" weekly schedule like? I know lectures typically run from 8-12, but with other aspects of the curriculum (PBL, TBL, labs), what's a week really like?

 

[mvenus929]

Thanks so much for the feedback!

Can somebody explain (especially @mvenus929) the different aspects of the curriculum? I might have been confused from the tour. So the giant group sessions aren't PBL? What's the difference between PBL, TBL, CPD?

Also, what's a "typical" weekly schedule like? I know lectures typically run from 8-12, but with other aspects of the curriculum (PBL, TBL, labs), what's a week really like?

The TBL (Table Based Learning) sessions are marketed as PBL, but it's not the same context that other schools use it. At other schools, you are given a case of some sort and your team has to work through and you develop your own learning points from it. TBL has a 10 question quiz based on the pre-reading material that you do on your own, then as a group. Then you are given scenarios and specific answers, and come up with the answer as a group. The questions are designed to not have a 'correct' answer in order to stimulate discussion, and when you see what the other groups have chosen as their answer, you have a discussion explaining your rationale.

The true problem based learning is in CPD (Clinical Performance and Development, UVA's 'intro to doctoring' course). Every week (just about), you are given a case scenario that in theory is based on what you are currently learning in the system block you are in. As a group, you work through the history (each group does it a little differently, some just read the case, others practice interview skills) and physical for that case. You come up with a differential diagnosis and plan. Then, you are supposed to pick some topic to discuss based on the case and present that topic the following week (again, each group does it a little differently; my group had everyone researching some small topic and giving a short 5 minute presentation the following week, others focused more on presentation style, so someone would present the case as if we were on rounds, and others had one person each week giving some learning objective).

As for the typical weekly schedule, I'll allow current students to correct me, but generally, the vast majority of 'learning' time takes place in the morning (this includes lectures, TBLs, labs, and patient presentations). Once you are into the anatomy portions, there are some optional labs in the afternoon, and occasionally they'll need to have a mandatory lab in the afternoon, but for the most part, those are in the morning as well. CPD is one afternoon per week (same day, assigned based on your student dean). During either first or second semester of your first year, you will also have one afternoon per week of some sort of service learning opportunity, where you go volunteer somewhere for a few hours.

 

[unicorn416]

The TBL (Table Based Learning) sessions are marketed as PBL, but it's not the same context that other schools use it. At other schools, you are given a case of some sort and your team has to work through and you develop your own learning points from it. TBL has a 10 question quiz based on the pre-reading material that you do on your own, then as a group. Then you are given scenarios and specific answers, and come up with the answer as a group. The questions are designed to not have a 'correct' answer in order to stimulate discussion, and when you see what the other groups have chosen as their answer, you have a discussion explaining your rationale.

The true problem based learning is in CPD (Clinical Performance and Development, UVA's 'intro to doctoring' course). Every week (just about), you are given a case scenario that in theory is based on what you are currently learning in the system block you are in. As a group, you work through the history (each group does it a little differently, some just read the case, others practice interview skills) and physical for that case. You come up with a differential diagnosis and plan. Then, you are supposed to pick some topic to discuss based on the case and present that topic the following week (again, each group does it a little differently; my group had everyone researching some small topic and giving a short 5 minute presentation the following week, others focused more on presentation style, so someone would present the case as if we were on rounds, and others had one person each week giving some learning objective).

As for the typical weekly schedule, I'll allow current students to correct me, but generally, the vast majority of 'learning' time takes place in the morning (this includes lectures, TBLs, labs, and patient presentations). Once you are into the anatomy portions, there are some optional labs in the afternoon, and occasionally they'll need to have a mandatory lab in the afternoon, but for the most part, those are in the morning as well. CPD is one afternoon per week (same day, assigned based on your student dean). During either first or second semester of your first year, you will also have one afternoon per week of some sort of service learning opportunity, where you go volunteer somewhere for a few hours.

yeah pretty much. summary of a "typical" schedule: class is 8-12 every day with a mix of lecture, case presentations, ethics, TBL, workshops, social stuff, etc, plus CPD one afternoon. again, most classes aren't required except for TBL, CPD, patient presentations, and some workshop/problem sets.

it's kinda hard to describe what a "typical" week is like aside from the time schedule because each week is different and it depends on the block. in the fall, there are no labs and just classes. maybe there's 1 patient presentation, 1 social medicine class, 1 ethics class, 1 TBL and 1-3 problem sets or workshop-style classes each week, and toss in review sessions once or twice a week. the rest of the classes are more typical lectures or case presentations. come january, we start anatomy, so the first week or two of the block is lab-heavy but the following weeks return to the "regular" class schedule. when we begin anatomy, there are some days with no classes, but on other days there's a 3 or 4 hour lab.

the service learning is also very flexible depending on what you're doing - some students will do large blocks of time on the weekend, while others go once a week.

 

[ticktock5051]

The TBL (Table Based Learning) sessions are marketed as PBL, but it's not the same context that other schools use it. At other schools, you are given a case of some sort and your team has to work through and you develop your own learning points from it. TBL has a 10 question quiz based on the pre-reading material that you do on your own, then as a group. Then you are given scenarios and specific answers, and come up with the answer as a group. The questions are designed to not have a 'correct' answer in order to stimulate discussion, and when you see what the other groups have chosen as their answer, you have a discussion explaining your rationale.

The true problem based learning is in CPD (Clinical Performance and Development, UVA's 'intro to doctoring' course). Every week (just about), you are given a case scenario that in theory is based on what you are currently learning in the system block you are in. As a group, you work through the history (each group does it a little differently, some just read the case, others practice interview skills) and physical for that case. You come up with a differential diagnosis and plan. Then, you are supposed to pick some topic to discuss based on the case and present that topic the following week (again, each group does it a little differently; my group had everyone researching some small topic and giving a short 5 minute presentation the following week, others focused more on presentation style, so someone would present the case as if we were on rounds, and others had one person each week giving some learning objective).

As for the typical weekly schedule, I'll allow current students to correct me, but generally, the vast majority of 'learning' time takes place in the morning (this includes lectures, TBLs, labs, and patient presentations). Once you are into the anatomy portions, there are some optional labs in the afternoon, and occasionally they'll need to have a mandatory lab in the afternoon, but for the most part, those are in the morning as well. CPD is one afternoon per week (same day, assigned based on your student dean). During either first or second semester of your first year, you will also have one afternoon per week of some sort of service learning opportunity, where you go volunteer somewhere for a few hours.

yeah pretty much. summary of a "typical" schedule: class is 8-12 every day with a mix of lecture, case presentations, ethics, TBL, workshops, social stuff, etc, plus CPD one afternoon. again, most classes aren't required except for TBL, CPD, patient presentations, and some workshop/problem sets.

it's kinda hard to describe what a "typical" week is like aside from the time schedule because each week is different and it depends on the block. in the fall, there are no labs and just classes. maybe there's 1 patient presentation, 1 social medicine class, 1 ethics class, 1 TBL and 1-3 problem sets or workshop-style classes each week, and toss in review sessions once or twice a week. the rest of the classes are more typical lectures or case presentations. come january, we start anatomy, so the first week or two of the block is lab-heavy but the following weeks return to the "regular" class schedule. when we begin anatomy, there are some days with no classes, but on other days there's a 3 or 4 hour lab.

the service learning is also very flexible depending on what you're doing - some students will do large blocks of time on the weekend, while others go once a week.

-So it's accurate to say that most learning is done by early afternoon (like 1-2)? I took another look at the Rochester schedule and it intimidated me that the day is basically 8-4 everyday. That seems like a lot of material to digest, especially when Rochester doesn't record lectures (I plan on going to class, but it would be nice to reference and rewatch stuff on my own time).

-Since TBL is a component of each course, did ya'll find it valuable?

-Is it accurate to say that CPD is a component of every block rather than a separate course? I checked the UVA schedule (https://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/handbook/pdf/SMD19 2015-2017 1.14.16.pdf) and didn't see a specific CPD course

-Final miscellaneous question, what time of year does one take Step 1? Are there multiple administration dates? I saw that UVA has Step 1 study time in Feb and Rochester has theirs in May/June. If you have earlier Step 1 study time, are you just meant to remember all that you studied before taking the actual exam several months later?

 

[unicorn416]

-So it's accurate to say that most learning is done by early afternoon (like 1-2)? I took another look at the Rochester schedule and it intimidated me that the day is basically 8-4 everyday. That seems like a lot of material to digest, especially when Rochester doesn't record lectures (I plan on going to class, but it would be nice to reference and rewatch stuff on my own time).

-Since TBL is a component of each course, did ya'll find it valuable?

-Is it accurate to say that CPD is a component of every block rather than a separate course? I checked the UVA schedule (https://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/handbook/pdf/SMD19 2015-2017 1.14.16.pdf) and didn't see a specific CPD course

-Final miscellaneous question, what time of year does one take Step 1? Are there multiple administration dates? I saw that UVA has Step 1 study time in Feb and Rochester has theirs in May/June. If you have earlier Step 1 study time, are you just meant to remember all that you studied before taking the actual exam several months later?

i would say all learning is done by 12 pm, except for CPD day once a week when there's an afternoon class and an occasional anatomy lab. UVA is more focused on independent learning, so we have plenty of material to go through before and after class.

i like TBLs. they have a graded component which is kind of nice because it forces you to keep up with the material. we also take the quiz individually and then in a group so it's a good review of material during discussion.

yes, CPD is not a separate block course. it's long-running course, basically every week during the first 18 months.

we're on an 18-month pre clerkship curriculum so we're done with basic sciences by christmas break of 2nd year. students have to take step 1 by a predetermined date, usually around the second week of february. some students take it in january, other wait until the last possible date. you can set your date whenever you want as long as its by the deadline. between the last exam prior to christmas break and the step 1 deadline is the step 1 study time, around 1.5 months with nothing except step 1 studying. i wouldn't say you're just supposed to "remember" it all. most students start reviewing old material during fall of second year. the curriculum is designed with reviews of prior blocks so that important information comes up more than once (for example, biochemistry reappearing during GI block). there's an emphasis on long-term learning, not just short term for exams, because you need to retain material for step 1.

 

[mvenus929]

-So it's accurate to say that most learning is done by early afternoon (like 1-2)? I took another look at the Rochester schedule and it intimidated me that the day is basically 8-4 everyday. That seems like a lot of material to digest, especially when Rochester doesn't record lectures (I plan on going to class, but it would be nice to reference and rewatch stuff on my own time).

-Since TBL is a component of each course, did ya'll find it valuable?

-Is it accurate to say that CPD is a component of every block rather than a separate course? I checked the UVA schedule (https://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/handbook/pdf/SMD19 2015-2017 1.14.16.pdf) and didn't see a specific CPD course

-Final miscellaneous question, what time of year does one take Step 1? Are there multiple administration dates? I saw that UVA has Step 1 study time in Feb and Rochester has theirs in May/June. If you have earlier Step 1 study time, are you just meant to remember all that you studied before taking the actual exam several months later?

1. All scheduled classes are done by noon, except CPD once per week and the occasional lab, which you will know well in advance. Most people spend the afternoons studying, so I wouldn't say all 'learning' is done by early afternoon, and how much time you spend studying out of class will depend on your learning style. That said, UVA is focused on independent learning, so there may be whole lectures you have to watch on your own time as part of your preparation for class.

2. TBLs were hit or miss while I was there. But I was also part of the first class on the NexGen Curriculum, so the complaints we had about the courses went to fix the problems for future classes. I hear the class below me had a much easier time of things.

3. CPD is a longitudinal course. It is a separate course, in that there is a separate grade on your transcript, but it is not a block. It's like Social Issues in Medicine (SIM), which is also a longitudinal course integrated into the rest of the curriculum, rather than a separate block. (See: https://med.virginia.edu/admissions/curriculum/pre-clerkship/). They seem to have taken down the graphic that represents this well, so I can't link you directly to that.

4. As unicorn mentioned, it is taken anytime after you finish classes in December til early February. There is no testing offered over Christmas (however Prometric defines that) or New Years (ditto), and nothing for the first two weeks in January. Beyond that, it is offered M-F, and some Saturdays. Remember, US students aren't the only ones trying to take the USMLEs. One guy in my class took Step 1 on like December 28th, about a week after finishing classes. You are required to pass Step 1 in order to continue with clerkships, so you can't delay taking it at UVA, as clerkships start at the end of February/beginning of March. I imagine Rochester has a similar set up so that they take Step 1 after they finish classes in May, in preparation for starting clerkships in July.