Official: VCU Pre-Medical Basic Health Sciences Certificate Program Fall 07

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Trying to salvage a dying thread...
 
Any recommendations for places with studios or one bedrooms for 700/month or less? Where is everyone living?
 
i live in the fan, so i'll either have to ride my bike to class or take the bus. i found it on craigslist. there's a ton of new listings everyday.

also, vcu has a webpage

http://www.usca.vcu.edu/offcampus/housing/

you just make a username and password and there are some other listings. i personally like craigslist better. just more off a selection and better pictures.
 
i am in the biochem program. i got my packet today with orientation information. I was wondering how come there is no mention of tuition or any deposit? 😕

am i missing something?
 
I think it's normal. I'm in the biochem program too and I didn't receive anything about a deposit. Be sure to set up your e-mail account and E-services account though. I was able to check on my financial aid status through E-services and also register for classes.
 
Unless things have changed in the last few years, you guys will register during orientation.
 
I read in the welcome packet that we are going to register during orientation, but I was looking through the E-services website and I saw a link to register for classes. I tried it and it seemed to work. I figured that if I wasn't supposed to then it wouldn't have let me. Sorry for any confusion.
 
Unless they have changed things, you cant register for graduate classes through e-services. Plus you have to get your advisor to sign off on all your class choices.
 
I read the same thing in the welcome packet, but I looked online a few weeks ago and it let me register as well.

Don't know if I'm supposed to or not, but I'm registered for classes.

The whole process has been totally disorganized for me thus far. However, VCU did just switch over to a brand new system, so it probably has a few kinks. I suppose we'll find out during orientation what we're really supposed to do.
 
Which elective did you sign up for? I registered for drug dependence.

Does anyone know how the drive from the West End or from the Southside to school is? I'm visiting Richmond next week to find an apartment. Are the West End and Southside worth looking at or should I just stick to the Fan?
 
West end is anywhere from 20 min to 35 min in the morning.

Southside can be anywhere from 20 min to an hour.

Stick to the fan/shockoe bottom.
 
i signed up for drug dependence as well. can't wait for classes to start!

i agree with instatewaiter -- stick to the fan, downtown, shockoe bottom, or church hill.

especially since we're having classes everyday. the commute would be awful.
 
hey all, ill be doin the physio program as well.

im living at the berkshire on west franklin. its a very nice apartement building and the best thing of all is that its right across the street from the bus stop which will take you directly to mcv for free. that was the most important thing for me cuz driving to school will be hell according to my brothers who both went to mcv.
 
🙂 hye, i just wanted to introduce myself--- i will be in the physiology post bac program starting fall 07.... anyone else in this program who would like to get together and form a study group...... let me know so we can get started and be ahead of the game....
BTW, where are all u guyz living????.... how cheep is berkshire????
 
Hi. I'm doing biochem.

Does cingular get pretty good service in Richmond? What cell phone service does everyone have?
 
I ended up getting T-mobile. the fave 5 is pretty useful and the service has been pretty good so far.
 
zaf said:
Instatewaiter,
I have a question abt MCV admission??--- i have a 26 on the MCAT but if i get a 4.0 GPA in the first sem of the post bac in phys program 07........... are my chances of gettin in med school for 08 good??????
Click to expand...

I do know someone who got in to MCV med school from the Cert program originially w/ a 26. I am not so sure if retook it or not but I would recommend retaking it. Of course at this time, it is probably too late to take it again and not worth the risk of doing poorly in the program. So I think you just have to roll the dice this round.

MCV is generally one of the best med schools for looking at the whole applicant but those who have lower MCAT scores and are in the class have done truly exceptional things in their spare time (like spending a year giving aid to tibetan children for example).


In all honesty, most of the people who did very well in the program came from great schools (UVA, Duke, Wash U, etc) and had high MCAT scores.
That said, a 25 or 26 is generally though to be the threshold for passing Step 1 of USMLE (medical boards) so if you pull a 4.0 you should have a solid shot at getting in. And, if by chance you dont get in, you will be very well prepared for the MCAT after the Cert program and can take it again then.

So, the 26 is going to be a thorn in your side but a 4.0 in the program, as you will soon find out, is exceptionally hard to achieve and in my mind should alleviate any doubts about your aptitude. So study hard and do well.

Good luck guys and girls
 
What goes on during the orientations? Are they really mandatory? I just found an apartment, but my move in date isn't until Aug 23 and our first orientation is on the 17th. I don't know if it's worth staying in a hotel for a few days just for the 2 orientations.
 
thanks instatewaiter-- for the advice-- i really appreciate it!!!!..... as you said, takin the MCAT again is not an option right now .... i just need to perform well in the fall so that my grades can make for the 26....is there someone on campus, I can talk to abt my situation-- like a counsellor or prof or someone???...









Instatewaiter said:
I do know someone who got in to MCV med school from the Cert program originially w/ a 26. I am not so sure if retook it or not but I would recommend retaking it. Of course at this time, it is probably too late to take it again and not worth the risk of doing poorly in the program. So I think you just have to roll the dice this round.

MCV is generally one of the best med schools for looking at the whole applicant but those who have lower MCAT scores and are in the class have done truly exceptional things in their spare time (like spending a year giving aid to tibetan children for example).


In all honesty, most of the people who did very well in the program came from great schools (UVA, Duke, Wash U, etc) and had high MCAT scores.
That said, a 25 or 26 is generally though to be the threshold for passing Step 1 of USMLE (medical boards) so if you pull a 4.0 you should have a solid shot at getting in. And, if by chance you dont get in, you will be very well prepared for the MCAT after the Cert program and can take it again then.

So, the 26 is going to be a thorn in your side but a 4.0 in the program, as you will soon find out, is exceptionally hard to achieve and in my mind should alleviate any doubts about your aptitude. So study hard and do well.

Good luck guys and girls
Click to expand...
 
instatewaiter mentions dr. whitehurst-cook in another thread. shes the dean of admissions.

where do people park when driving to the mcv campus?
 
parking downtown can be a pain. there are a few parking decks, all of which are on the vcu website.

http://www.bsv.vcu.edu/vcupark/FacilitiesMaps.htm
this has maps of where the parking decks are.

i live a few miles away from campus and will be either riding my bike or taking the bus.

vcu has a bus transit system that goes in a loop from vcu to mcv, with numerous stops on the way. it's probably the easiest way to get to class if you live near the vcu undergraduate campus.



anyways, bioc 503 is now on blackboard. pretty intense. there are tons of powerpoints, lecture notes, and weblinks. anyone else checked it out yet?
 
zaf said:
thanks instatewaiter-- for the advice-- i really appreciate it!!!!..... as you said, takin the MCAT again is not an option right now .... i just need to perform well in the fall so that my grades can make for the 26....is there someone on campus, I can talk to abt my situation-- like a counsellor or prof or someone???...
Click to expand...

Dr Whitehurst-Cook is the dean of admissions for the medical school. She is definitely a good resource. Also, each program will have a director: Ford for physiology, Leichnitz for Neuro, and I think Ratz is it for biochem but it may be grogan. They too will be good to talk to.

mrqwerty14 said:
parking downtown can be a pain. there are a few parking decks, all of which are on the vcu website.

i live a few miles away from campus and will be either riding my bike or taking the bus.
anyways, bioc 503 is now on blackboard. pretty intense. there are tons of powerpoints, lecture notes, and weblinks. anyone else checked it out yet?
Click to expand...

The A lot is the closest parking lot to campus.

as mrqwerty said, there is a shuttle between the campuses called the 'campus connector' which is free. You can also get a semester long bus pass through VCU which works on all of the GRTC buses for a much cheaper price than through the city of richmond. You can get these at the parking office (entrance on 10th st between marshall and leigh).
 
I have been accepted to the Biochem CERT program. I currently registered for 11 hrs. The courses are BIOC-503, PHIS-501, and BIOC-690. I was wondering what other electives would anyone recommend to take for the first semester? I would also like to get some input on course load (How many hrs is a good amt?) and difficulty of the electives.
 
When I was in the biochem program, the directors told us to take as few credits as we could (12 was the min they told us) so that we made sure that we did well the first semester. I was a bit skeptical that 12 credits would be enough in the eyes of the adcom. I had an apt w/ Dr H (old dean of med school admissions) right after school began and flat out asked her. She told me straight up that 12 credits was plenty. The Adcom is looking for people to get A's in mammalian physiology and in the biochemistry course. Everything on top of that is gravy. You will see when you get there that 12 credits in graduate school is most definitely not the same as 12 credits in undergrad.


So what I have been recommending is that people in the biochem program take Bioc691 which is a 1 credit journal club. It will give you practive on reading articles and, if you do the work, it should be an easy A.

Other easy electives include Biostat (if they still offer it first semester) and drug dependence. Stay away from Histology. It is rather hard.
 
hmm should i go for 12 credits with Bioc 690/691 or 13 credits with Drug dependence?
 
W/ drug dependence it would be 14. You are required to take the Bioc690 seminar course.
 
Anyone else get put on hold for grades by VCU SOM before getting the secondary application?
 
Hello my fellow BHS Post-bac Cert blah blah friends!

When is the orientation for Dept of Physiology?!!?
What time? Where? Where can I park?

I can't find the document!! PLEASE HELP!
I know it's either today or tomorrow : (

Also, is the SOM orientation today as well??!?!

Ahh! I'm such a mess! 😕
 
!!!

The orientation starts in less than two hours!

Hopefully you're checking this frequently or have called the school or something!

The general one - starts at 10AM in room 1-044 in Sanger Hall.
The physiology one is right after that at 1:30PM in room 3-025 in sanger hall as well.

There are some parking decks down there, just check out VCU's website. I'm not exactly sure which one is best though.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for saving my ass ! : )
 
Anyone nervous abt the program after orientation!!!!----its just so much pressure!!....
 
yea, the physiology syllabus is intense, but it doesn't look impossible.

anyone else having trouble with the financial aid department?

they said there's some problem with their system, so no financial aid has been put into my account, even though it shows that I'm awarded loans.

I hope my problems with vcu ends here. I've had enough struggles with them so far.
 
Hey guys,

My AAMC application was put on hold by AMCAS, because they want my transcript from VCU (posts-bach). I was wondering did I put my POST-BACH work into a wrong section. Because i just start my post-bac work two days ago. Help!!!!!!

Thanks
 
hey dont worry,
just call AMCAS and let them know that u are in the post bac program rite now and the trascripts will be available only after the 1st sem is over.. i ahd the same problem-- tehy took care of it for me...!









Hopeatlast said:
Hey guys,

My AAMC application was put on hold by AMCAS, because they want my transcript from VCU (posts-bach). I was wondering did I put my POST-BACH work into a wrong section. Because i just start my post-bac work two days ago. Help!!!!!!

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
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