I’ve been in final review almost 2 weeks now
Omg sameeee! After waiting a little over a month, the final review process has started at last. Good luck to many of you in the same boat too!Got moved to final review today :/ .
*fingers crossed *
Good luck with the transfer! It's not too late at all because the MABS application closes in April and there's still time! So from what I heard and gathered from responses with the MABS representatives AND current students, they are slightly changing their benchmarks. Even though it sounds like it's now just a guaranteed interview, that's actually part of the positive faculty evaluation. I'm still uncertain about these changes, but I'm hopeful that with hard work and collaboration, it'll work out for a lot of us!I’m going to transfer my AACOMAS application today, hopefully it’s not too late in the application cycle.
Also, I saw people stating meeting the benchmarks just guarantees an interview but the website states differently? I was just wondering if you have a 3.6+, positive committee review and a 498+ MCAT if you actually got an acceptance.
Thanks for your reply, I have been out of school for 3 years and my score on the MCAT was a 499 with a 122 in Chem which is ironic because I’m a pharmacist lol (working full time plus 6-7 years removed from undergrad didn’t make it easy) I was just wondering because I’m fairly confident I can hold a 3.6 and someone at VCOM mentioned a guaranteed acceptance about a week ago on the phone.Good luck with the transfer! It's not too late at all because the MABS application closes in April and there's still time! So from what I heard and gathered from responses with the MABS representatives AND current students, they are slightly changing their benchmarks. Even though it sounds like it's now just a guaranteed interview, that's actually part of the positive faculty evaluation. I'm still uncertain about these changes, but I'm hopeful that with hard work and collaboration, it'll work out for a lot of us!
Anytime, and if anything, I can kinda relate! I was on the pre-Med track in undergrad and even graduated early, but bc of my struggles of retaking the MCAT and not being able to surpass the 500 mark (I got a 496 at the highest), I ended up being almost 3 yrs out since undergrad as well and felt the need to go back and really experience the rigor of medicine beforehand. For me with the revised benchmarks, I'll be needing a 3.75 GPA, and while that is more challenging, I know in my power that I will do everything I can to make it. I've been hearing on/off about guaranteed acceptance vs. the new addition of an interview being a part of the positive evaluation, so that is where I am unsure of in regards to the changes. To me, it doesn't sound like a full-blown guaranteed interview only though. That's just my take on it. If you have any more questions, feel free to message me! All the best!Thanks for your reply, I have been out of school for 3 years and my score on the MCAT was a 499 with a 122 in Chem which is ironic because I’m a pharmacist lol (working full time plus 6-7 years removed from undergrad didn’t make it easy) I was just wondering because I’m fairly confident I can hold a 3.6 and someone at VCOM mentioned a guaranteed acceptance about a week ago on the phone.
Yay, congrats!!! So you'd say you waited less than 3 weeks to hear back after getting a final review, right? This is exciting!Got my acceptance today! For reference my application was under review stating 11/6, final review 2/12 and acceptance 3/3.
Yes! My acceptance email came in around 7:30 pm. They have very random timing!Yay, congrats!!! So you'd say you waited less than 3 weeks to hear back after getting a final review, right? This is exciting!
Oh wow, I didn't think of this scenario, but since your secondary application came, it must be that the transfer hasn't been official yet. If it was official, it would go through and your VCOM application would have been withdrawn. Personally, if the secondary came this late in the cycle and you'd have to write and further wait for a potential interview invite, I'd say go for MABS then due to the odds. Just curious, but when did you submit your primary VCOM application?I just had my D.O app transferred over yesterday, but received a secondary application invite from the D.O program a day after. I wonder if this is an error if we have to do another secondary application for MABS in addition to the "supplemental application" I finished for MABS before the transfer. Or is the official withdrawl and transfer to MABS not official?
Man this app has been a long cycle and this confusion is a bit frustrating haha, would love some help/feedback if secondary email that has happened to anyone else?
Hello to all on this forum. I am a current Mabs student and would like to give my story and allow you all the make your own decision following this. I came into this program with a 494 MCAT and thus I had to have a 3.75 GPA to meet the benchmarks. I got a 3.85 following first semester and was eligible for December acceptance. My entire class was accepted under the idea of NO interview. A week prior we received an email from the dean saying we would now have to interview. Following the interview me and many other students who also met the MCAT and GPA were rejected. This is only ONE of the many issues this program has brought me and my classmates. We are basically told we cannot argue exam grades or even simply ask questions without having your positive interview benchmark being negative. One of our professors this semester is even not allowed to write her own exams and none of the material lines up and so we are all struggling. After contacting the dean about this information NOTHING has happened, the issues at hand continue. You all are adults and can make your own decision regarding this information, but I thought it important to at least inform you all. Thank you for your time.
How many students do you personally know of that didn’t get accepted because of the interview?I am not sure about the exact stats! I know all together 62 individuals met GPA and MCAT at December but I do not know how many met the final interview benchmark!
Gotchu! Did they point out any reason for the rejection after the interview?I am not sure about the exact stats! I know all together 62 individuals met GPA and MCAT at December but I do not know how many met the final interview benchmark!
So apparently it’s no longer a guaranteed admission if you meet the benchmarks. It’s a guaranteed formal interviewHey, I am in a similar boat as you. So the program is a guaranteed seat if you meet the benchmarks. I talked with admissions at VCOM and they told me to check in with them in March before sending over my application to the MABS program.
Yes I am stuck in a dilemma. I received the email that the transfer is complete. But literally received the secondary the day after. I contacted sheilla ballard late friday and she told me to follow up with a VCOM rep.Oh wow, I didn't think of this scenario, but since your secondary application came, it must be that the transfer hasn't been official yet. If it was official, it would go through and your VCOM application would have been withdrawn. Personally, if the secondary came this late in the cycle and you'd have to write and further wait for a potential interview invite, I'd say go for MABS then due to the odds. Just curious, but when did you submit your primary VCOM application?
I think this question would best be answered by a MABS or VCOM representative. I suggest contacting Ms. Sheila Ballard ([email protected]) or Ms. Alisa Hewitt ([email protected]). They're rather quick with feedback. Let us know what they say. Good luck!
Omg, this is rather nerve-wrecking news. I actually just came back today from a road trip to Blacksburg and checked out my future apartment and even VCOM! It was a nice day and seeing this now makes me rather scared of the sudden changes to the benchmark that no longer has guaranteed admissions!Hello to all on this forum. I am a current Mabs student and would like to give my story and allow you all the make your own decision following this. I came into this program with a 494 MCAT and thus I had to have a 3.75 GPA to meet the benchmarks. I got a 3.85 following first semester and was eligible for December acceptance. My entire class was accepted under the idea of NO interview. A week prior we received an email from the dean saying we would now have to interview. Following the interview me and many other students who also met the MCAT and GPA were rejected. This is only ONE of the many issues this program has brought me and my classmates. We are basically told we cannot argue exam grades or even simply ask questions without having your positive interview benchmark being negative. One of our professors this semester is even not allowed to write her own exams and none of the material lines up and so we are all struggling. After contacting the dean about this information NOTHING has happened, the issues at hand continue. You all are adults and can make your own decision regarding this information, but I thought it important to at least inform you all. Thank you for your time.
current student here. in my experience, getting on anyone's "bad side" is composed of holding them accountable to the standards that they set in place, reaching out for help, giving feedback, and asking questions that they do not like.I spoke with a current MABS student who got accepted to the Dec benchmarks and they basically said that they only knew a few that didn't get accepted and one person they knew didn't because there was something they said in their interview that was not perceived well and they are given another chance at the May benchmark. But other than that they said the interview for them wasn’t bad and was a standard 25-30 min interview. Just be conversational and have good interview skills. Also, don't get on any faculties or the dean's bad side.
Again, I'm just in shock lately to read all of this. I have a lot of former friends from undergrad who praised this program, so I am assuming that the recent benchmark changes have taken a toll on the current students and the outlook of the overall program now. The thing I am confused about most is how asking questions for help and just being eager to learn can result in a negative evaluation? Is there any reasoning behind this from the faculty's standpoint? Sounds quite the contrary on how the students should be treated. Plus, it should be encouraged for a student to not hesitate to ask for support via tutoring and office hours. So what gives...?current student here. in my experience, getting on anyone's "bad side" is composed of holding them accountable to the standards that they set in place, reaching out for help, giving feedback, and asking questions that they do not like.
Good luck to you as well whatever you choose to do. I was accepted off the waitlist last year 7 days before the program started so just be patient!Again, I'm just in shock lately to read all of this. I have a lot of former friends from undergrad who praised this program, so I am assuming that the recent benchmark changes have taken a toll on the current students and the outlook of the overall program now. The thing I am confused about most is how asking questions for help and just being eager to learn can result in a negative evaluation? Is there any reasoning behind this from the faculty's standpoint? Sounds quite the contrary on how the students should be treated. Plus, it should be encouraged for a student to not hesitate to ask for support via tutoring and office hours. So what gives...?
Anyway, I am still waiting for my acceptance since I transferred my application in mid-January. I'm on final review and if I get a seat, I will move forward with caution now. Nervous for the future, but I waited the past 2.5 years to get into med school and I really want to only go to VCOM. Thank you all for the advice and wish me luck. Hoping for the best for you guys too!
Thank you for taking your time to write about this.Hi everyone. I am a current student and wanted to provide my experience.
During the fall semester, most of the classes had their lectures pre-recorded and only 1-2 teachers actually had live zoom lectures. We had in-person exams and the testing staff was very rude. During the anatomy practical, there was a mistake that caused the questions paired up with wrong answer choices. When it was brought up to the testing staff, they told one student rudely that they should look at the answer choices again (thinking the student did not know the answer). Eventually, they realized their mistake. Another big problem was that some professors had their email addresses set up Friday before the test on Monday. At the end of the semester, we were reassured by the dean that he would talk to his staff and make sure that they are more responsive, and that all the professors will have their emails setup on time. There was another instance where they imputed someone’s grade wrong. This student told the class about this and many students sent emails to get their grades double-checked. However, the student, whose grade was imputed wrong, was told by the dean that they should have not told the class. 62 students met the fall benchmarks and were sent an email that there would be an interview. No one knew that was the case and when brought to his attention, we were told that they changed the policy and that no student was accepted before those changes were represented on their website. We were given a week to prepare for the interview and were told that it would be “casual”. Now we know that they rejected people based on their performance and told some that they do not have to continue in the spring semester.
Now moving onto the spring semester. Fortunately, all lectures are being done live through zoom and recorded as well. We also have a forum where we can ask questions to professors, and so they will not get 50 emails about the same question. Most of the professors reply within hours, except for one. This particular professor does not communicate properly. For the first exam, our questions were answered in a timely manner, however for the second and third exams, this professor waited until 10 minutes before the exam started to answer all the questions. Also for the second and third exam, the questions were not representative of what we were taught. It’s frustrating that this one class is messing up a lot of people’s GPA. Also, this semester, we have exam reviews and we were told that challenging questions would be looked at in a negative way, and may have a negative impact on the evaluation.
We have a town hall meeting every month so the Dean can relay some information and address any concerns that students have. This last town hall multiple issues were brought up to the dean and like every other town hall, every issue was brushed off. The main concerns as listed above were brought to his attention and some new ones. Some major concerns were that grades were lower for certain classes and how professors did not answer questions on time. For one class's issue of grades being lower, he stated that averages were the same as last year and for one class it was “few” points lower because one individual had not taken the test and had an 0 inputted. However, the current professor for that class told us that the first exam average was 5% lower and the second exam average was the lowest he has ever had in his 19 years of teaching (10% worse). For the other class where the professor would not answer our questions, the dean told us that he would talk to the teacher and won’t follow up with us about it.
Some of these situations I experienced myself. Some I was told by other students. Overall, anytime a concern was brought up, it was just brushed off. There is a clear lack of professionalism and respect for students. Just wanted to share my experience with everyone.
I am a current student and I agree with this.Thank you for taking your time to write about this.
Do any other previous students agree with this?
I am a current student, and I 100% agree with every situation described here. The saddest part is that all the concerns brought up as the class to the dean has been overlooked. Please pick another program that will provide you with resources and support to succeed. As all of us know that this field is challenging, and it is so important to be at a place that truly wants to see you succeed in your journey. Good luck !Thank you for taking your time to write about this.
Do any other previous students agree with this?
I am a current student who was accepted in the fall and I agree with this. There have been multiple times where us students addressed our concerns, but we never seemed to reach a proper solution. There have been things hidden from us and we have been lied to many occasions throughout the year. At the end of the day, it's always just "work harder, nothing is going to change".Thank you for taking your time to write about this.
Do any other previous students agree with this?
Wise choice buddy. This program is going to be even worse next year. They are so fake here and unprofessional.Just received my acceptance here. But I think unfortunately I’m going to take all the current students advice and pass😩
I completely agree with this. The program is not all bad. I have had some great professors and met many wonderful people. Academically, I am doing well, so I have no issue in that sense. However, this program is not worth the mental stress that comes purely from the lack of unprofessionalism and rudeness by some faculty. I know academic stress is there, but that is normal for any program.Current Student here.
I am sorry to hear about all the other current students on this thread. While many are voicing frustrations with the program, I would like to take the time and share my experience. I will admit that the program has had its ups and downs, but overall I have really enjoyed my time here. It has been a great experience getting to meet some of the faculty that I will be seeing again during my first year of medical school. First, I would like to say that this program is not easy and will be very challenging. As with many things in life, you are taking a risk with this program (as you would with many others) and you have to be comfortable betting on yourself and your capabilities. When I graduated from Virginia Tech in 2017, I had a 2.54 cGPA and an even lower sGPA. When I spoke with Health Professions Advising at my university, they recommended that I choose a different profession because they felt that I would not be competitive in any healthcare-related programs. I eventually went back to school and raised my GPA over the 3.0 minimum requirement and gained acceptance into the program last summer. Like many prospective students on here, I had also spoken with a few students that had a bad experience with the program and that made me very nervous. While I could have turned down my acceptance, I used that as a reminder that I needed to work hard and take full responsibility for my actions moving forward. Through hard work and perseverance, I can proudly say that I have a 4.0 in this program, something I had never achieved before in my life. My biggest piece of advice is to work hard from the very beginning and make a solid friend in the program. Having that accountability has personally kept me motivated and helped me avoid burnout. Also, be open to learning/experimenting with new study techniques. Once I learned a technique that suited my study style, the program became significantly easier and I felt more confident on test days.
If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. I am reaching out to a few other classmates that are also doing well in the program and will encourage them to post on here.
Current student. This is true. Not trying to scare you all, but $28,000 is a lot of money to be dissatisfied with the way the program is conducted/student treatment. However if you are set on this program, try your best to do your best!Thank you for taking your time to write about this.
Do any other previous students agree with this?
Best of luck! Are you from Virginia?Final Review: Feb 26th
Acceptance: March 17th
Despite so many mixed reviews on how the program is currently running, I've waited so long for this opportunity, want to go to VCOM, and already secured an apartment with my bff in Blacksburg... Today must be (hopefully) my lucky day on St. Patrick's bc I got my MABS acceptance! No one said it would be easy and I know I'm taking this risk as I would with any program I don't truly know about. I will accept this invitation to join the upcoming class and work my hardest to do well in order to prepare myself for medical school. Praying for the best - for all of us! Thank you
Thanks soo much! And yes, I live in Richmond, VA! Blacksburg is like 3.5 hours away from my home. How about you?Best of luck! Are you from Virginia?
Cool! I’m from southwest Texas but pretty sure going to end up in a SMP program in TX insteadThanks soo much! And yes, I live in Richmond, VA! Blacksburg is like 3.5 hours away from my home. How about you?
That's awesome!! I wish you the best of luck too as we go through our perspective medical journeyCool! I’m from southwest Texas but pretty sure going to end up in a SMP program in TX instead