MCV/VCU: your opinions?

[labrynth79]

Okay, I think I'm 95% sure of MCV, but I wanted to get imput from other people. What made others interested in this school or not interested? If you were accepted or interviewed, what were your impressions? I'm kinda also curious to see what schools people turned down or accepted to either attend MCV or reject MCV, especially if you are out-of-state (like me!). thanks all .

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[gg]

well, i chose mcv over nymc, mcphu, and rush. first of all, i like their one subject at a time approach, early contact with patients through preceptorship, excellent clinical facilities, beautiful state (i'm an outdoor guy), friendly people, and nicer weather than in chicago. secondly, the associate dean for admissions was very candid about the school. she explained the good and bad aspects of mcv and thoroughly described what can we expect during the whole application process. and i got so called 'good vibes' when i interviewed there; my interviewer seemed really interested in me, my motivations and experiences. from all the schools i interviewed at and got accepted to only at mcv i got a feeling that this is going to be the right med school for me.

 

[elle]

Hi,
I think MCV is a very good school. I was accepted but decided to go elsewhere, so take my remarks with a grain of salt.
Let's see... I have a few friends there who have been very happy and candid about their experiences at MCV and it seems like while students study a lot, their stress level is usually not that high. There is a good amount of out-of-staters, which is nice. Apparently third year is very intense, and MCV is known for their clinical training.
All of that is pretty impressive to me, but I just did not get the best vibes there - I thought that I could be happy at MCV but definitely happier elsewhere (on some sort of random scale since I am really happy to be attending medical school in the first place!) What sort of vibes did you get there? It might sound silly, but I think gut feeling can be very helpful in these decisions.

Did this help at all? Probably not - sorry - I always end up not really answering questions in these postings!

 

[HanSolo]

Hi Labrynth79,
Alrite here's my take-a Cal applicant:
When I set out to apply, MCV/VCU didnt figure prominently in my thinking-just a school that fits my stats(which are very average). However, when I visited the school for the interview, suffice to say that I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed with MCV.
First off, the people-I stayed with a student host(you could pm me to get his email, he could give you more insights about MCV)- are absolutely the nicest and friendliest bunch and they are genuine, not the "show-case" kind, whom schools routinely put out (trust me, I observed intently on this).
Secondly, the facilities and curriculum: the lecture halls for 1st and 2nd year are almost brand new; I think MCV has the largest hospital in the state of Virginia and a very diverse patient population(didnt know this until I did some research about it-i used to think UVA has it bigger, but I was wrong). The 06-class at MCV also has a chance to do rotation at Fairfax Co. Hosp. which is a very good hosp. in Northern VA. I have heard that the residents and attendings at MCV are not the "malignant" kind and more than willing to teach students ---> excellent clinical training. One thing about the curriculum about MCV is the block exam schedule, so that you wont be in the "behind-and-catchup" mode. I think you have heard the standard story about board pass rate the likes, so I wont go into that :wink:
Thirdly, location and reputation-wise: Honestly, I dont like the city Richmond much; it's a bit run-down, but it's only 1hr20 from DC and I heard it's not far from the VA beach and the Fan area of med students are ok. Personally, I absolutely love Virginia-so green and clean. I heard it's Not that cold in Richmond, snow 1-2 a year?? MCV does have a good reputation in VA (behind UVA of course, my #1 choice school) and as far south as Duke (heard this from Duke applicants in myy interview and a Duke-grad resident in the Hosp.). Further, I have come across grad from MCV in residencies in CA, which is music to your ears, correct?
Tuition at MCV is cheaper than most private schools.
The reason I subsequently withdrew here is because I..........like UC schools more
Overall, I am very impressed with MCV.
Oh, btw MCV does have quite a contingent of UC-people in its student body :wink:

 

[labrynth79]

Thanks for all the input! I just got NYMC admissions offer yesterday, but I think I'll stick with MCV.