VCU CERT 2019-2020

[xxmelodies]

Didn't see a thread up for the program for this year (did a search so if I somehow missed it, my bad!) so I thought that I'd throw one up for those of us who are applying!

Best of luck everyone

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[has103]

Did you hear anything from them yet?

 

[keelhaul]

For reference, I heard back about 2 days after I submitted my application (in late January)

 

[has103]

For reference, I heard back about 2 days after I submitted my application (in late January)

Wow, I submitted my application in late January too but I haven't heard back anything yet.
Do you think I should contact them in regards to what is going on with my application?

 

[xxmelodies]

Wow, I submitted my application in late January too but I haven't heard back anything yet.
Do you think I should contact them in regards to what is going on with my application?

I haven't completely submitted everything yet, but I've heard the turn around time is generally quick once they have all of the documents in their office! I personally haven't heard of anyone waiting more than ~a month after everything physically got to the school so I might give it maybe another week or two and then give them a call.

 

[keelhaul]

Wow, I submitted my application in late January too but I haven't heard back anything yet.
Do you think I should contact them in regards to what is going on with my application?

Yeah, I would double check with them if you haven't heard by the end of the month, and in the meantime I would review their website and make sure you sent everything in properly, because personally there was a few things I had to email them for my application.

 

[DentED1]

Anyone out there matriculating for sure? Where are you going for housing leads? Might need a roommate too!

 

[xxmelodies]

Anyone out there matriculating for sure? Where are you going for housing leads? Might need a roommate too!

I’m not matriculating for sure or anything but I’m pretty familiar with the Richmond area so if you need some apartment suggestions, let me know!

 

[DentED1]

Could definitely use some housing guidance--seems like some of the apartments closer to MCV campus are pretty sketchy/ sketchy neighborhoods and the nicer stuff is up near Monroe campus, but then really not within walking distance. Are there any particular areas to avoid ? Thanks for any advice--if you know of specific places to check out or to avoid, please list.

 

[ppushpak]

Finished CERT in 2018, incoming M1 VCUSOM 2023. Feel free to ask any questions

 

[ppushpak]

Could definitely use some housing guidance--seems like some of the apartments closer to MCV campus are pretty sketchy/ sketchy neighborhoods and the nicer stuff is up near Monroe campus, but then really not within walking distance. Are there any particular areas to avoid ? Thanks for any advice--if you know of specific places to check out or to avoid, please list.

Lived in Cedar Broad my year of CERT, about a 15 minute walk to campus and Sanger Express (5 minute bus ride to campus) is a block away. I think as long as you live within 2 streets of Broad Street the area is pretty fine. I think a lot of people overplay how "sketchy" the area is.

 

[xxmelodies]

So I haven’t personally lived in these apartments but just going off the area/what I know it’s near and places that I’ve considered renting at because of good word of mouth type reviews:
The Locks (kind of expensive though)
The Lofty (~15 minutes by car to the campus)
French Quarter Apartments (right in the middle of everything really, you could probably walk to MCV campus or take the campus connector- there’s a stop right down the street and then you get off at the next stop)
The Link Apartments (I’ve heard good things and parking on site is free but it’s across the river from Richmond itself so you would have to buy a parking pass from the school and commute in that way)
I’ve heard good things about Cedar Broad too!

 

[neverlatealwaysontime]

Finished CERT in 2018, incoming M1 VCUSOM 2023. Feel free to ask any questions

Hi! i applied to the CERT program, got accepted and it looks like I might start this summer. Did you apply to VCUSOM after the program or concurrently?

 

[ppushpak]

I applied after and with the guaranteed interview (interviewed August 2018) and was accepted Feb 2019.

Some people apply concurrently to medical schools but the guaranteed interview option is only available to use AFTER you complete the program. Most people who I know in CERT and apply to VCUSOM concurrently do not get an interview. I know of one person who applied concurrently, ED'd to VCU, and was accepted as long as they performed well in CERT (I don't think they were given a GPA to maintain and I don't know their other stats). I have heard of dental students getting interviews in January after they finish the 1st semester of CERT.

 

[theoriginalyaga]

Submitted on 4/16 and was accepted 5/1.

I'm definitely interested in this program (amongst others that I applied to), but I plan on applying concurrently to medical schools so I'm not sure how beneficial the linkage aspect is to me. Thoughts?

 

[ppushpak]

Considering about 60% of people don’t get into medical school each year it may not help you this year but it may help you next year.

If you really like a medical school and have been accepted to their post bacc I would consider starting the post bacc and ED to the medical school and they may give you a conditional acceptance based on your performance in the post bacc.

 

[neverlatealwaysontime]

Considering about 60% of people don’t get into medical school each year it may not help you this year but it may help you next year.

If you really like a medical school and have been accepted to their post bacc I would consider starting the post bacc and ED to the medical school and they may give you a conditional acceptance based on your performance in the post bacc.

thank you kind sir!

 

[meow07]

Hi all! I received an email about an acceptance, and it says I have 10 days to respond if i will be accepting the offer? Has anyone else received this email? Does anyone know if responding is binding?

 

[terpfan15]

Was accepted to this program. Just wanted to know how likely it is to get accepted into medical school without a glide year?

 

[ppushpak]

Was accepted to this program. Just wanted to know how likely it is to get accepted into medical school without a glide year?

Depends on your current stats

 

[Sloth97]

Finished CERT in 2018, incoming M1 VCUSOM 2023. Feel free to ask any questions

hi! I just was accepted and wanted your thoughts on how your time at the program was, and (if your comfortable) sharing your stats on your completion of the postbacc? Thanks!

 

[ppushpak]

Overall I thought the program was fair in terms of examinations. Not too difficult but not easy either. If you manage your time you can do stuff outside of the program. I did 200+ hours of community service (includes breaks like Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring) in addition to being able to do other fun stuff like go out occasionally or spend time with friends. It was nice that the program had recorded lectures like med schools have. Small margin of error between an A and B and yes an 89.9 will be held as a B and it's not worth arguing.

My Stats. 3.01uGPA from a top 25 undergrad, lower sGPA but never calculated. 511 MCAT. ECs were strong in nonmedical activities and average to average plus in medical activities. I got a 4.0 in the program but that doesn't necessarily guarantee acceptance into VCUSOM as I have few friends that are still on the WL or rejected despite getting a 4.0.

TLR
Would I do the program over again? Yes.
My rating of the program is probably a 8.5-9/10. It works but you have to work hard from the start of the program to the finish.

 

[Sloth97]

Overall I thought the program was fair in terms of examinations. Not too difficult but not easy either. If you manage your time you can do stuff outside of the program. I did 200+ hours of community service (includes breaks like Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring) in addition to being able to do other fun stuff like go out occasionally or spend time with friends. It was nice that the program had recorded lectures like med schools have. Small margin of error between an A and B and yes an 89.9 will be held as a B and it's not worth arguing.

My Stats. 3.01uGPA from a top 25 undergrad, lower sGPA but never calculated. 511 MCAT. ECs were strong in nonmedical activities and average to average plus in medical activities. I got a 4.0 in the program but that doesn't necessarily guarantee acceptance into VCUSOM as I have few friends that are still on the WL or rejected despite getting a 4.0.

TLR
Would I do the program over again? Yes.
My rating of the program is probably a 8.5-9/10. It works but you have to work hard from the start of the program to the finish.

Thank you so much! How is the area? Why did you think your friends didnt get in? THank you again! Any cons?

 

[ppushpak]

I guess the biggest con is despite getting a 4.0 you can not be accepted.

Area is good! Richmond is a small city but has all the amenities without the noise, traffic, or population. Definitely, a lot of development going on

I don't know why my friends didn't get in. I know some of their statistics (MCAT/GPA) but it's hard to evaluate medical school acceptances based on GPA and MCAT solely as for VCU it truly is a holistic process.

Advice for someone doing CERT now or in the future. VCU's motto is smart and nice. So in addition to doing well in the program definitely do stuff like nonclinical volunteering as that is a huge pillar of their medical school. But focus on school first. If you get a bad GPA in the program, you're setting yourself back. First, start doing well and then add outside commitments like volunteering.

 

[Sloth97]

I guess the biggest con is despite getting a 4.0 you can not be accepted.

Area is good! Richmond is a small city but has all the amenities without the noise, traffic, or population. Definitely, a lot of development going on

I don't know why my friends didn't get in. I know some of their statistics (MCAT/GPA) but it's hard to evaluate medical school acceptances based on GPA and MCAT solely as for VCU it truly is a holistic process.

Advice for someone VCU's motto is smart and nice. So in addition to doing well in the program definitely do stuff like nonclinical volunteering as that is a huge pillar of their medical school. But focus on school first. If you get a bad GPA in the program, you're setting yourself back. First, start doing well and then add outside commitments like volunteering.

Thank you so much for the help! I wish you the best of luck

 

[Sloth97]

I guess the biggest con is despite getting a 4.0 you can not be accepted.

Area is good! Richmond is a small city but has all the amenities without the noise, traffic, or population. Definitely, a lot of development going on

I don't know why my friends didn't get in. I know some of their statistics (MCAT/GPA) but it's hard to evaluate medical school acceptances based on GPA and MCAT solely as for VCU it truly is a holistic process.

Advice for someone doing CERT now or in the future. VCU's motto is smart and nice. So in addition to doing well in the program definitely do stuff like nonclinical volunteering as that is a huge pillar of their medical school. But focus on school first. If you get a bad GPA in the program, you're setting yourself back. First, start doing well and then add outside commitments like volunteering.

Also one more question haha! I'm deciding between VCU and Temple's ACHS program right now and having trouble because both are such great programs that offer great support...between Temple's several linkages versus VCU's guarenteed interview both are so enticing...any thoughts?

 

[ppushpak]

Just figure out the conversion ratio. I know VCU accepts about 20 people to their med school from CERT every year by the end of the waitlist. I think my year’s number is slightly less right now. There were 100 people in my program and only 33 got above a 3.5 GPA

 

[Flufpot12]

Is anyone still looking for housing? Also, I don’t fully understand what the cost of tuition is for oos students for this year. Does anyone know where/when we find out? Thanks.

 

[xxmelodies]

Is anyone still looking for housing? Also, I don’t fully understand what the cost of tuition is for oos students for this year. Does anyone know where/when we find out? Thanks.

Thus for the 2018-2019 school year, the total per semester (tuition and required fees) is $14,108.50 for Virginia resident students and $14,438.50 for non-resident students.

I know tuition for undergrads is the same for this year as it was last year due to a tuition freeze, I’m unsure if the freeze also applies for CERT students. If not, tuition may be a little higher than listed above, I would contact financial aid they should know

 

[Flufpot12]

I applied after and with the guaranteed interview (interviewed August 2018) and was accepted Feb 2019.

Some people apply concurrently to medical schools but the guaranteed interview option is only available to use AFTER you complete the program. Most people who I know in CERT and apply to VCUSOM concurrently do not get an interview. I know of one person who applied concurrently, ED'd to VCU, and was accepted as long as they performed well in CERT (I don't think they were given a GPA to maintain and I don't know their other stats). I have heard of dental students getting interviews in January after they finish the 1st semester of CERT.

What’s the best place to study on campus? Did you typically study in your room or the library?

 

[ppushpak]

I’m a room study-er. Can’t get anything done in a library I look around too much.

TML is a library on the MCV Campus
Cabell Library is on the Monroe Park (MP) campus. 4th floor of Cabell is reserved for graduate students only.
I hear the Library of Virginia is pretty nice
Some apartment complexes have lounges
Also lots of random coffee shops around the area

 

[medicdoc123]

@ppushpak Hey, I'm currently WL at VCUSOM this cycle but I was thinking about applying if not accepted. First off congrats on the acceptance, I'm sure you worked your tail off in CERT to get in. I had a few questions.

1. I know earlier in June you said that your class started out with 100 people, ended up with 33ish people getting a 3.5. What do you think contributed to almost 70% of the class not getting an interview? How many students have gotten in from your class so far, did most happen to get WL'd and then come off WL?

2. Do you happen to know how many of those 33 students were pre-dental?

3. This may be something you may not be able to answer but if you do, do you know the rough estimate # of 4.0 students, 3.7 students, and 3.5 students? I'm assuming there is a MUCH higher correlation of the 4.0 and 3.7 students getting in than 3.5, so do you think it's worth doing the program knowing that you basically have to get a 4.0.

4. Lastly, from the pre-medical students from your class or previous, did students end up getting into other medical schools if they didn't end up getting into VCU?

 

[ppushpak]

Thanks, CERT is hard but is manageable

1. We only take 3-4 classes a semester. With our major classes being 5 credits. The grading scale is by 10s. Meaning an 80-89.99 is an B and a 90.00 is an A. The classes are difficult enough where people fall on either side of the border. The hardest class is physiology (5 credits) where my class only had 27% As and 54% Bs. And the remaining lower. When you have 5 credits of a 3.0 it can lower your GPA significantly. The other thing is a lot of the students, myself included, had some deficit coming into the program whether it be low GPA or low MCAT. Our program is very test heavy (pretty much only tests) so for those with low MCATs that may be a difficulty. For those that have low GPA, they may have trouble with study habits and being diligent (me) especially since you do need to have a med school-esque study schedule

2. I do not know exactly. Our dental class was only 20% of the entire class. If you use that number is between 6-7 dental students.

3. I don’t know the correlation of CERT GPA to acceptances . I know people with 4.0s in the program who are on the waitlist or were rejected after the interview. For VCU it truly is a holistic process. Considering you’re on the waitlist I’m sure your application is fine. I just don’t know if you need the program if you’re already on the waitlist. That must mean your application is really close and I’m not sure if the risk of the SMP is worth it.

4. Can’t speak to previous classes but it really depends. I have 4.0 friends who were accepted to MD schools, 4.0 friends accepted to DO schools, and 4.0 friends on multiple waitlists.

 

[xxmelodies]

Finished CERT in 2018, incoming M1 VCUSOM 2023. Feel free to ask any questions

Hey! Thanks for helping everyone out so much first of all. Just wondering how many mandatory attendance classes there are? I saw that all the required classes are recorded but just have kind of a weird situation atm so may not be able to attend classes too frequently for a bit

 

[ppushpak]

Technically They’re not mandatory to attend except for tests but the classes are not a walk in the park. It would be a big risk to skip the first few weeks before you even set your bearings in the class. I started watching lectures at home after the first tests as I did well and I felt comfortable with my study technique moving forward.

If you want to talk about it more you can PM me

 

[xxmelodies]

Definitely planning to attend every day until at least the first exam for sure! I know you said the classes were more exam based- was it more of a midterm+final only deal for most of the classes or was there 3-4 exams? I feel like the first one is always a little tougher to study for since you don’t know the professor’s testing style yet haha...

Do you have any other tips for acing that physiology class (or any of them, really)? What were some of the resources that you used outside of the textbooks/the slides that helped?

 

[ppushpak]

5-6 exams for the major classes (Physiology Histo Biochem)

Tips: Repeatedly go over slides. Make sure you understand how things work. Do practice questions they provide you.

I didn’t use any outside resources or textbooks

 

[Ten_Maz]

Is anyone still looking for housing? Also, I don’t fully understand what the cost of tuition is for oos students for this year. Does anyone know where/when we find out? Thanks.

I have a place a 3 minute walk from VCU med school. I'm moving out but if you need a place to stay it is nice and super convenient. 3 bedrooms if you have roomies. Landlord rents almost exclusively to vcu med and dental students.

 

[Premed_2020!]

I saw on SDN that students have gotten into this program with less than 3.2 sGPA but on their page it says we need a 3.2. My science GPA is on the below a 3 but CGPA is above a 3. Does anyone know if its worth my time to apply?

 

[ppushpak]

Do it - my sGPA was <2.7 and my cGPA was <3

 

[Premed_2020!]

In the personal statement did you explain the reasons behind having a low gpa or no?

 

[Premed_2020!]

Also does anyone know how strong the linkage to their medical school is?

 

[xxmelodies]

In the personal statement did you explain the reasons behind having a low gpa or no?

Unless it fits into the narrative of why you want to pursue a career in dentistry/medicine OR explains why you had a lapse in education I don't think it's completely necessary as those are the topics the school wants you to address specifically. Maybe throw in a really brief explanation, if you want.

Also does anyone know how strong the linkage to their medical school is?

I'm afraid I can't give you solid statistics but I think previous threads have said somewhere in the realm of ~20 students from CERT matriculate into VCU Med from every class year? Most of the class from this past year is applying now but I'm personally aware of 2 students who got accepted concurrently over the past year- there may be a few more that I don't know, however. Students do get interviews at other schools though. For reference, we started off at just over 100 students (~110) in the program though quite a few people did drop throughout Fall or are no longer on track to completely finish the program within 2 semesters. We also had an additional ~15 students join us as Spring matriculates.

 

[Premed_2020!]

Unless it fits into the narrative of why you want to pursue a career in dentistry/medicine OR explains why you had a lapse in education I don't think it's completely necessary as those are the topics the school wants you to address specifically. Maybe throw in a really brief explanation, if you want.



I'm afraid I can't give you solid statistics but I think previous threads have said somewhere in the realm of ~20 students from CERT matriculate into VCU Med from every class year? Most of the class from this past year is applying now but I'm personally aware of 2 students who got accepted concurrently over the past year- there may be a few more that I don't know, however. Students do get interviews at other schools though. For reference, we started off at just over 100 students (~110) in the program though quite a few people did drop throughout Fall or are no longer on track to completely finish the program within 2 semesters. We also had an additional ~15 students join us as Spring matriculates.

How did you like the program? I'm assuming you are a current student?

 

[ppushpak]

25 people in my med school class of 184 were from CERT. There are no spots reserved for CERT students so the number can vary

I think I did explain the low GPA but it was not a main focus on my essay. I honestly reread my CERT essay before writing my PS for med school and it was pretty bad in retrospect. Not sure how much they value it but doesn’t hurt if other parts of your application are weak.

 

[xxmelodies]

How did you like the program? I'm assuming you are a current student?

I found it decently difficult but the material was interesting and I do feel like most of the professors were approachable and kind. Obviously this past semester was a change from the usual and I think the faculty overall did a good job with the transition to online. As with anything, there was room for improvement but they were very open to our feedback and doing what they could to help us succeed.

Having the CERT office there to glance over our apps and tell us areas where we could improve was extremely helpful. Overall: anyone going into the program should be ready to work, it's certainly not an easy course load and it's very easy to fall behind.

 

[Adéjàre]

Hey guys, any word how classes will be this year??

 

[greenturf]

Hey guys, any word how classes will be this year??

I was recently accepted and would also like to know if anyone on here might know!

 

[ppushpak]

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[Dupont_way]

Finished CERT in 2018, incoming M1 VCUSOM 2023. Feel free to ask any questions

Do you mind if I ask how you stood out/what you did during your CERT year and the gap year to snag that acceptance? (Congrats btw!) I'm thinking about applying to the program with a 3.1 sGPA so beyond the rigours of the program, I'm worried about the application cycle and how my past performance is what will ultimately lead to rejections.
Additionally, were there any required undergrad courses that you did not get a C or above in which you did not retake before applying? Currently, I have a C- in orgo 2 and am considering retaking it next semester before applying to CERT/med schools.