VCU Students - need some info...please

[Landshark]

Hello,

I'm in-state (Virginia) and I think my best bet for getting into Dental School is VCU. I was just wondering what the interview process was like, how were the facilities, faculty, students, etc?

Also, when did you apply, what did they seem to stress: GPA / DAT, volunteer time, etc. Your stats?

I know I'm being as random as possible....wait, no I could do better , but any information would be very helpful! Thank you very much!

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[rocknightmare]

I am going to VCU next year.

Facilities are okay. The building itself is old, but the chairs look good in comparison to other schools I been to. I work with few of the facuilty currently and the ones I have talked to seem friendly. But as with all schools there are some aholes. I haven't had much interaction with the student body yet, but I do know that there is a large # of married people with kids at the school. Its also in a big town that the new mayor is trying to improve in safety (he stepping over some people though)


I sent my application in sometimes in September, got an interview 1st week of december, got accepted in 2nd round ~January 15-20.

GPA/DAT is a big thing and also why dentistry seem to be obivous for me (prove them through shadowing and knowing what the field entails)

Graduated from UVA - Overall GPA 3.4, and DAT 21/21/17.

 

[Landshark]

Sweet; thanks for the information...especially considering it's going to a Hokie from a Wahoo (hope I spelled that right....I really do like UVA )

 

[rocknightmare]

At least you know which school is better I hope

 

[Trookie]

I applied on July 29.
Application was received around late September.
Interviewed on October 19.

I have not heard back. I'm assuming it was due to my poor DAT score, since I had great LOR, experience, and GPA.

3.52 overall/3.47 science
18/18/16

What I'm wondering is how the D.5 program works? I found a pretty decent job out here in Richmond, but I would gladly drop it in a heartbeat for acceptance to their DDS or their D.5 program.

 

[dentist_to_be?]

I applied on July 29.
Application was received around late September.
Interviewed on October 19.

I have not heard back. I'm assuming it was due to my poor DAT score, since I had great LOR, experience, and GPA.

3.52 overall/3.47 science
18/18/16

What I'm wondering is how the D.5 program works? I found a pretty decent job out here in Richmond, but I would gladly drop it in a heartbeat for acceptance to their DDS or their D.5 program.

I feel your pain... I called sharon strong, and she told me today that the third round of offers was sent out last week, and that they would look at my file again, once those people start rejecting... thats IF they do..
Her nice way of telling me I have been waitlisted.. I accept that... atleast I am going somewhere, but i would have like to save $60000, VCU is a decent school.

AND dont get me started on the D.5 program
The program means good students get excluded this year, last year they accepted 19 people, which means 17 (2 are out) seats gone this year. I wouldnt personally go into D.5 if youve already been accepted somewhere else. Remember you only save $60000, but going into a five year program means you lose one year of income, which will probably be more than $60000. Also, D.5 also doesnt guarantee you will get into D1, you have to get Bs in all your classes.

 

[rocknightmare]

for the d.5 do they need to have bs in both semsters??

and does anybody know anybody in that program?

 

[dentist_to_be?]

for the d.5 do they need to have bs in both semsters??

and does anybody know anybody in that program?

Yup they need to have alteast a B in every class...
for the 17 people remaining in D.5 --> they need to get Bs this semister, if some dont, then a few more seats will open up.

 

[Landshark]

I applied on July 29.
Application was received around late September.
Interviewed on October 19.

I have not heard back. I'm assuming it was due to my poor DAT score, since I had great LOR, experience, and GPA.

3.52 overall/3.47 science
18/18/16

What I'm wondering is how the D.5 program works? I found a pretty decent job out here in Richmond, but I would gladly drop it in a heartbeat for acceptance to their DDS or their D.5 program.

Well about the D.5 program; you HAVE to get an interview first, then if your rejected they will recommend you take the D.5 program, which is a list of courses you would be taking along with, I think, the Dental students. If you do well in those courses then there is a good chance you'll be accepted in the next round of applications; you'll also be exempt from the courses you took. Nice program if you ask me...I wasn't eligible because I didn't get an interview.

One more thing: they told me they wanted to see 18's across the board on my DAT's, which I see you have, except for the PAT....and I'm not sure how much they weigh the PAT, although I think its pretty high on their list (guessing they want 18's on it as well...but don't quote me).

 

[Trookie]

Daggonnit! I knew that PAT score would be a problem. I actually met with Dr. Healy just 3 days before I received my interview invite when he came to VT to meet with pre-dents. I asked him if he recommended that I retake my DAT, and he said NO. So much for that.

Landshark, do you mean that VCU wants 18s across the board for the DDS program or the D.5 program?

 

[Landshark]

Daggonnit! I knew that PAT score would be a problem. I actually met with Dr. Healy just 3 days before I received my interview invite when he came to VT to meet with pre-dents. I asked him if he recommended that I retake my DAT, and he said NO. So much for that.

Landshark, do you mean that VCU wants 18s across the board for the DDS program or the D.5 program?

DDS Program.

I spoke with him back in February and he flat out told me I wasn't getting an interview, which I was not surprised by, because of my DAT scores. All he said is that "they" wanted to see 18's across the board, so I assume that also applies to the PAT section. I could say that, in my case, "I" needed 18's but I can't be for sure: I assume that's what they want to see from all applicants; that's their average DAT score they've listed on their site.

 

[Landshark]

BTW,

I got an official rejection email today, so check your email....

 

[DrTacoElf]

VCU is solid. I interviewed there in september (applied on May 18th) and was accepted Dec 3rd via usps mail. Although I will not attend here due to the high out of state cost I was happy with what I saw in terms of students. With the exception however being the lunch with 4th years, one was really cocky and I didn't like that one bit.

 

[DrTacoElf]

DDS Program.

I spoke with him back in February and he flat out told me I wasn't getting an interview, which I was not surprised by, because of my DAT scores. All he said is that "they" wanted to see 18's across the board, so I assume that also applies to the PAT section. I could say that, in my case, "I" needed 18's but I can't be for sure: I assume that's what they want to see from all applicants; that's their average DAT score they've listed on their site.

My PAT was 17 and I was accepted so thats not an absolute number. However my AA and TS were quite a bit above 18.

 

[rocknightmare]

i think they care about aa more.

my 17 on pat didn't give me any problems.

 

[Landshark]

Yeah, I didn't think the 18 number was set in stone...but it was a suggestion given to me considering my below average GPA.

 

[rocknightmare]

there seems to be more pre-dental at vt than uva..

i guess most uva students are too snobby for dental school eh?



anyway GO HOOS!

 

[Landshark]

there seems to be more pre-dental at vt than uva..

i guess most uva students are too snobby for dental school eh?



anyway GO HOOS!

I'm not too sure about the pre-dental at Tech because I never actually adopted that program and went for the microbiology and immunology program because, at the time, it was a rare program for Virginia schools. I didn't actually decide I wanted to get into Dentistry until the Fall of 2004...haha, right before I applied!!

Nah, UVA students aren't too snobby for dental school....but most of my friends who went/go there want to take over the world...so ya know...Dentistry is kinda put aside j/k

 

[rocknightmare]

well seriously tho.. what i meant by pre-dent.. there doesn't seem to be too much interest into dentistry from uva as much as tech. but maybe i don't have some valid statistics yet.

i will let u know what type of people attend vcu in 5 months.

 

[dentist_to_be?]

I had a 21AA but 15 pat... they have waitlisted me... I think!

I called them yesterday and sharon strong said they were waiting for third round offers to reject before they would look at my file again

 

[Trookie]

A lot of the students that I met during my interview were from VT and Utah. Most of my friends that are bio majors at UVA are pre-med or pre-pharm.

I'm pretty sure I've been wait listed, too. Does anyone know if they have a formal wait list and how it works?

 

[rocknightmare]

sorry to hear that guys. I was on a wait list last year at med schools and that was tortorus. Everything works out in the end tho


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All UVA wants to be M.Ds. I was looking at the stat of people going ot Med school from uva last night. It was somewhere around 160 people that were accepted. Thats one crazy number! But still alot less than we started in Chem 141 so the weed out process worked to a certain extent.

 

[Trookie]

Did you get any flack during interviews for previously applying to med school?

 

[rocknightmare]

not really.

i explained why i choose dentistry in personal statement. and in it, it showed a little of the process of "seeing the light".

at the interviews. i told them what happened after getting wait listed and how i decided dentistry was my calling.

 

[rocknightmare]

wow didn't realize i passed the 500+ mark.. drtacoelf watch out i am coming after your 1000

 

[Tooth]

I applied in May 2004, was interviewed in early September and haven't heard anything back from VCU yet. I'm a Virginia resident graduating from a Utah school. Is anyone else in my position?

 

[dentist_to_be?]

I applied in May 2004, was interviewed in early September and haven't heard anything back from VCU yet. I'm a Virginia resident graduating from a Utah school. Is anyone else in my position?

that relly sucks! dont take it to heart... im not sure what is going on with VCU, i think it might be really competitive this year...

In october, I thought it might be too late to apply, I was going to wait until 2006 cycle. But first I called up sharon strong, told her my stats, and she said "oh you are shoe in"... please apply, at which point i said, "isnt it too late, wont it be better to apply early next year..." but she talked me into applying... which im glad for because i got in somewhere without wasting a year, but VCU is looking bleak.

 

[prelude]

I applied in May 2004, was interviewed in early September and haven't heard anything back from VCU yet. I'm a Virginia resident graduating from a Utah school. Is anyone else in my position?

I also interviewed with VCU in September and am still waiting to hear from them. I heard that they sent out their third round of acceptances about a week ago, but I'm not too sure about that though. I hope we hear something soon.

 

[prelude]

What I'm wondering is how the D.5 program works? I found a pretty decent job out here in Richmond, but I would gladly drop it in a heartbeat for acceptance to their DDS or their D.5 program.

From what I know, the way the D.5 program works is that you take 3 classes in the Fall and then another 3 or 4 classes in the Spring along with the D1 class. And as long as you get only B's and A's, then you will join the next year's D1 class and you will not have to take those 6 0r 7 classes over again. Essentially, you are spreading your D1 courseload over 2 years instead of 1. If you get a C in any of those classes as a D.5 then you're out of the program. The D.5 program has its plus and minuses. You get an easier workload during your first 2 (out of 5) years of dental school (allowing you to do really well, which is important if you want to specialzie), but it is a 5 year program.

 

[rocknightmare]

the reason for competitivness as it has been mentioned b4 is b/c of the 17 people extra in D.5... don't give up hope i guess since if you haven't heard a rejection yet there might still be a chance from the 3rd rounders not wanting the spot.

 

[Crankys]

Hi,

I'm starting VCU in a couple months. I'm trying to look for housing on campus or nearby (not looking to drive). Any suggestions, ideas, people to call, how this all works? Thanks!

VCU is solid. I interviewed there in september (applied on May 18th) and was accepted Dec 3rd via usps mail. Although I will not attend here due to the high out of state cost I was happy with what I saw in terms of students. With the exception however being the lunch with 4th years, one was really cocky and I didn't like that one bit.