VCU/MCV School of Pharmacy Class of 2017

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pharmtech3

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Hi everyone! I noticed there was no VCU SOP thread so I thought I'd start one. Feel free to post questions/stats/whatever for the 2012-2013 application cycle.
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It's now only a little more than 2 weeks until the PharmCAS deadline (9/4/12) for Early Decision applications for the VCU Class of 2017.

If you are a good student planning to apply for Pharmacy School during 2012-13, you have completed 60 or more hours of prerequisite courses, and you know that VCU is the right School of Pharmacy for you; VCU Admissions encourages you to apply for Early Decision.
 
VCU Admissions said:
It's now only a little more than 2 weeks until the PharmCAS deadline (9/4/12) for Early Decision applications for the VCU Class of 2017.

If you are a good student planning to apply for Pharmacy School during 2012-13, you have completed 60 or more hours of prerequisite courses, and you know that VCU is the right School of Pharmacy for you; VCU Admissions encourages you to apply for Early Decision.
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Hey VCU Admissions, when do you guys start reviewing Regular Decision applicants? Do you wait until after you're finished with Early Decision? Thanks!
 
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Bows said:
Hey VCU Admissions, when do you guys start reviewing Regular Decision applicants? Do you wait until after you're finished with Early Decision? Thanks!
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The priority for our Admissions Committee during September and early October is to review and/or interview Early Decision applicants and these candidates receive priority for interview slots during this time period. Sometimes, we may not have a full slate of qualified Early Decision candidates for a given interview date, so the remaining interview slots will be offered to Regular Decision applicants who have applied early in the cycle. We will start inviting the remaining Regular Decision candidates for interviews dates in the later part of October through March.
 
The VCU School of Pharmacy Office of Admissions often gets the question: "Does VCU have a supplemental application?"

VCU does have a supplemental application, but it does not need to be completed upon an applicant's initial application through PharmCAS. When an applicant is invited for an interview, the supplemental application will be sent to them. Applicants can bring the completed supplemental application with them to their interview.
 
It's now only 1 week until the PharmCAS deadline (9/4/12) for Early Decision applications for the VCU Class of 2017. Early Decision is a particularly good option for Out-of-State applicants.
 
Hi,
I just decided I want to go to Pharmacy School at VCU. I haven't taken the PCAT nor started the PharmCas process yet. Am I too late to start the application process? When is the deadline for regular application for the VCU class of 2017?
 
creyes said:
Hi,
I just decided I want to go to Pharmacy School at VCU. I haven't taken the PCAT nor started the PharmCas process yet. Am I too late to start the application process? When is the deadline for regular application for the VCU class of 2017?
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No, it is not too late for you to apply to the VCU Class of 2017. The application deadline for regular decision is February 1, 2013, but we would recommend that you try to submit your application this fall if possible. VCU has "rollling admissions" and students are accepted into the class starting in October. Students who wait to apply near the deadline have less availability of interview days and most of the class may be filled by the time they are invited for an interview. It is acceptable for you to take the September and/or January PCAT, but if you wait to first take the exam in January, it is still best to submit your application during the Fall of 2012.
 
VCU Admissions said:
No, it is not too late for you to apply to the VCU Class of 2017. The application deadline for regular decision is February 1, 2013, but we would recommend that you try to submit your application this fall if possible. VCU has "rollling admissions" and students are accepted into the class starting in October. Students who wait to apply near the deadline have less availability of interview days and most of the class may be filled by the time they are invited for an interview. It is acceptable for you to take the September and/or January PCAT, but if you wait to first take the exam in January, it is still best to submit your application during the Fall of 2012.
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Thanks for your soon respond!
 
I know today is the deadline for early decision. One of my letter of recommendation writers haven't summited the letter yet, do I need to wait until she does to summit my application and just apply regular decision? Will it look bad to summit that recommendation after I turn in my application? I was really hoping to apply early decision.
 
kgpharm said:
I know today is the deadline for early decision. One of my letter of recommendation writers haven't summited the letter yet, do I need to wait until she does to summit my application and just apply regular decision? Will it look bad to summit that recommendation after I turn in my application? I was really hoping to apply early decision.
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If your application is complete except for one letter of recommendation, I would suggest that you go ahead and submit your application to PharmCAS for "early decision". The fact that one of your references didn't respond in a timely fashion shouldn't reflect negatively on you, and PharmCAS will forward it as soon as they receive it. According to the PharmCAS website: "PharmCAS will NOT determine if you have met the reference requirements for a particular pharmacy school", which sounds to me as if they would forward on to the School whatever reference letters were submitted and maintain your status as an "early decision" candidate, even if one of your letters hadn't been received yet. If a student applies for "early decision", the worse that will happen if the application is incomplete, is that PharmCAS will convert the application to "regular decision" and send it on. Good students applying relatively early for "regular decison" could still be invited for an interview very early in the process and potentially be accepted only slightly later than students accepted through the "early decision" process.
 
Has anyone heard from VCU yet?
 
Bows said:
Has anyone heard from VCU yet?
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I received a voicemail today asking me to call admissions back. I called back around 7:30PM and left a voicemail. I am not sure what the call was regarding. :confused: Did anyone else receive a call today?
 
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saaarah said:
I received a voicemail today asking me to call admissions back. I called back around 7:30PM and left a voicemail. I am not sure what the call was regarding. :confused: Did anyone else receive a call today?
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I am sure it is good news! =)
 
cm119 said:
I am sure it is good news! =)
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Oh my gosh I am hoping so badly it's good news! I am literally jumping out of my skin right now eagerly waiting for tomorrow! I don't want to get my hopes up though...:xf::xf::xf:
 
Interviewing on the 22nd! Nervous and excited! Anyone else going that day?
 
Congrats PharmTech3!! Are you early decision or regular? Good luck!!!! Please let us know how it goes :)
 
saaarah said:
Oh my gosh I am hoping so badly it's good news! I am literally jumping out of my skin right now eagerly waiting for tomorrow! I don't want to get my hopes up though...:xf::xf::xf:
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I also got a voicemail from them yesterday morning and I called back and left a message, but haven't heard anything back yet....fingers crossed that it's good news:xf::xf::xf:
 
pharmtech3 said:
Interviewing on the 22nd! Nervous and excited! Anyone else going that day?
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Congratulations!!!! How exciting! Would you mind letting us know if you applied early decision or regular? I am regular.
 
Now I am really dying to know what the message was about
 
farmacy2012 said:
Now I am really dying to know what the message was about
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Same thing happened to me. Called back and left a message last night! I've been calling this morning too but I just get voicemail.

Does anyone know the hours of the admissions office?
 
saaarah said:
Same thing happened to me. Called back and left a message last night! I've been calling this morning too but I just get voicemail.

Does anyone know the hours of the admissions office?
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I've been calling them multiple times too since yesterday morning and always keep getting voicemail. :scared:
 
Is it possible for VCU Admissions to clarify what the call could have been about? I am thinking of emailing them if I don't hear back from them soon.
 
I'm interviewing on the 29th!
 
CJay said:
I'm interviewing on the 29th!
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Congratulations CJay!!! Did they inform you via a phone call???? Are you a regular or early decision applicant?
 
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farmacy2012 said:
Congratulations CJay!!! Did they inform you via a phone call????
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Thank you!! Yes they did, they told me they would be sending the supplemental application in the mail.
 
farmacy2012 said:
Congratulations!!!! How exciting! Would you mind letting us know if you applied early decision or regular? I am regular.
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Thank you!!!! I did early decision. My pharmcas was mailed the 8th! Good luck everyone!
 
pharmtech3 said:
Thank you!!!! I did early decision. My pharmcas was mailed the 8th! Good luck everyone!
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Congrats pharmtech3!!! So exciting. Good luck on your interview on the 22nd. Let us know it goes. =)
 
In the application confirmation email they sent out, it says they will call to schedule the interview if selected..hope they get back to me soon!!
 
I received a phone call on Tuesday and I have my interview on the 22nd! I am an early decision applicant.. can't wait!:D
 
I am a early decision applicant and I got a call from from VCU School of Pharmacy admissions office few days ago. I am having my interview on Sept. 22nd! I am sooo nervous and excited at the same time!! Good Luck everyone =]
 
VCU Admissions, could you please tell us a little about VCU? How's the curriculum/class schedule. What makes it different from other Pharmacy schools? Thanks!
 
farmacy2012 said:
Is it possible for VCU Admissions to clarify what the call could have been about? I am thinking of emailing them if I don't hear back from them soon.
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To everyone who tried to call the VCU SOP Admissions Office on Friday:

We're sorry, but our receptionist was out ill on Friday. Our usual office hours are 8:15am-5:00pm, but we have a small office staff, and if the receptionist is out, at lunch, or performing other duties your call will go to Voicemail. She makes every effort to return phone calls as soon as possible.

FYI: Usually, all of the invitations for an interview are extended over the phone, so that the applicant can select an interview date on the spot.
 
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Interviewing on September 29th!!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::):):)
 
Does VCU do blind or open interviews? It's one on one right? Hoping for an invite soon!
 
Bows said:
VCU Admissions, could you please tell us a little about VCU? How's the curriculum/class schedule. What makes it different from other Pharmacy schools? Thanks!
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The VCU/MCV SOP has been educating pharmacists since 1838 and the next oldest pharmacy school in VA graduated their first class only 12 years ago. We are one of less than 20 health science centers (a medical center plus schools of pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, nursing, and allied health) in the U.S., and the only one in VA. We believe strongly in interprofessional education. We have over 3000 alumni practicing pharmacy in VA, which is approximately 65% of the pharmacists in the state.

Although some didactic courses continue an entire semester, many of our courses are modular (shorter, more intense courses), lasting between 1.5 and 8 weeks. The cornerstone courses of the curriculum are the Pharmacotherapy courses which consist of 17 modules over a 5 semester period using innovative team based learning methods. Most modules pertain to a particular disease state (e.g., cardiology, infectious disease).

The Pharm.D. program is a four year curriculum with a total of 156 credit hours. Like most Pharm.D. programs, the entire 4th year of the program is experiential and we offer many types of rotations with approximately 800 affiliate faculty in VA and around the country. We have 2 satellite campuses where students may move to for their 3rd and/or 4th year. One is at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Northern VA and the other is at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville.

We offer combined degree options including Pharm.D/M.S., Pharm.D./Ph.D, Pharm.D./M.B.A., Pharm.D./M.P.H, and Pharm.D./Certificate in Gerontology. Approximately 30% of our students continue on to residency programs or other post-graduate studies after graduation.

Although national surveys may not be particularly meaningful, the U.S. News and World Reports recently ranked our primary training hospital (the VCU Health System) the #1 medical center in VA and the VCU SOP is ranked #21 of the approximately 135 pharmacy schools in the country (the next highest in VA is ranked #70).

Admission to our School is very competitive, as we receive on average, over 1500 applications each year for our 140 1st year positions. The average GPA of entering students is a 3.4 and the average score in each section of the PCAT is around the 70th percentile.
 
I am flying in from California..is there anyone else here out of state? Where is a good place to stay that is close to VCU? Any input will be greatly appreciated as I've never been to Richmond.
 
PharmaT said:
Does VCU do blind or open interviews? It's one on one right? Hoping for an invite soon!
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Interviews are closed folder. There are two, two-on-one interviews. One consists of a Faculty-Student team. The other consists of an Alumni-Student team.
 
ARx said:
Interviews are closed folder. There are two, two-on-one interviews. One consists of a Faculty-Student team. The other consists of an Alumni-Student team.
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Thanks!!! :) Have you interviewed with them before?
 
saaarah said:
Thanks!!! :) Have you interviewed with them before?
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Yes, I interviewed last year. It was probably the most relaxed interview you will ever have too. I was nervous going into it but they were very nice and the interview flowed just like a normal conversation which calmed me down a lot. Everyone I know would say the same thing so try not to worry too much!
 
VCU Admissions said:
The VCU/MCV SOP has been educating pharmacists since 1838 and the next oldest pharmacy school in VA graduated their first class only 12 years ago. We are one of less than 20 health science centers (a medical center plus schools of pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, nursing, and allied health) in the U.S., and the only one in VA. We believe strongly in interprofessional education. We have over 3000 alumni practicing pharmacy in VA, which is approximately 65% of the pharmacists in the state.

Although some didactic courses continue an entire semester, many of our courses are modular (shorter, more intense courses), lasting between 1.5 and 8 weeks. The cornerstone courses of the curriculum are the Pharmacotherapy courses which consist of 17 modules over a 5 semester period using innovative team based learning methods. Most modules pertain to a particular disease state (e.g., cardiology, infectious disease).

The Pharm.D. program is a four year curriculum with a total of 156 credit hours. Like most Pharm.D. programs, the entire 4th year of the program is experiential and we offer many types of rotations with approximately 800 affiliate faculty in VA and around the country. We have 2 satellite campuses where students may move to for their 3rd and/or 4th year. One is at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Northern VA and the other is at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville.

We offer combined degree options including Pharm.D/M.S., Pharm.D./Ph.D, Pharm.D./M.B.A., Pharm.D./M.P.H, and Pharm.D./Certificate in Gerontology. Approximately 30% of our students continue on to residency programs or other post-graduate studies after graduation.

Although national surveys may not be particularly meaningful, the U.S. News and World Reports recently ranked our primary training hospital (the VCU Health System) the #1 medical center in VA and the VCU SOP is ranked #21 of the approximately 135 pharmacy schools in the country (the next highest in VA is ranked #70).

Admission to our School is very competitive, as we receive on average, over 1500 applications each year for our 140 1st year positions. The average GPA of entering students is a 3.4 and the average score in each section of the PCAT is around the 70th percentile.
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Thanks for the great information!!! How many students do you interview and how many are you accepting?
 
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