What does this mean for VCU?

[st85]

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I have interviews at UVA and EVMS and am an in-stater. I also work at VCU and volunteer at VCU Hospital. I figured I would definately get an interview at VCU. I got my application status updated and when I checked, it said:

"The committee's file review indicates that they would like to consider your file further. We are now in the process of scheduling interviews and will continue to do so through February. Unfortunately, the committee indicates interest in far more candidates than we are able to interview. Since we are dependent on the Committee member's schedules for interview spaces, we are unable to predict when or if we will be able to schedule you this year. Please continue to check this site to learn when further action has been taken. "

I'm not sure what that means, should I call them and see whats up? They're admissions office is very unorganized. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[st85]

Also, I took August MCATs and my file's been complete since 11/19

 

[meanderson]

I'm an out of state and got a similar message. basically it means you are in the hold category for an interview. From what I understand, some people in this group get interviewed and some people don't.

 

[TheFlash]

I assume that message means your are in a "hold" category for an interview. I wouldn't sweat it too much, as many people in this category get interviews. Remember that VCU/MCV is swimming in applications this year. I heard a rumor that it got over 5000 applications (25% more than last year!). Likewise, the hold period may be extended more so in this application cycle than in past years, but hopefully they'll get to you guys sooner than later.

Best of luck,

tf

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by st85
I have interviews at UVA and EVMS and am an in-stater. I also work at VCU and volunteer at VCU Hospital.

VCU shows almost no loyalty to its workers or volunteers.

Hope your luckier than others who have given lots and lots of time to VCU/MCV just to get stabbed in the back later.

It is funny though,they have sent the same emails out for years. Always the same wording. Oh well, I guess if it works well, there's no point to change.

 

[TheFlash]

Originally posted by Amy B
VCU shows almost no loyalty to its workers or volunteers.

Hope your luckier than others who have given lots and lots of time to VCU/MCV just to get stabbed in the back later.

It is funny though,they have sent the same emails out for years. Always the same wording. Oh well, I guess if it works well, there's no point to change.

Sorry to hear that AmyB. I've noticed that you're quite unhappy with your past experiences at VCU/MCV. Care to elaborate a bit for us current applicants?

tf

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by TheFlash
Sorry to hear that AmyB. I've noticed that you're quite unhappy with your past experiences at VCU/MCV. Care to elaborate a bit for us current applicants?tf

Does my distaste for MCV show that much😳

Long, long story, here's the very short version.....
I got waitlisted after being told I would otherwise. True I did have one bad semester where I got 3 'C and 1 A (the only C's on my transcript) which of course did lower my GPA. But it was all due to that ONE semester when my grandmother died during my final exams and it was 2 weeks after the MCAT. The doctor that interviewed fought for me saying that I was an outstanding applicant who had one semester of bad luck.

But the committee was "worried that I cared too much for my grandmother and I should have cared more for my studies." Bull sh--. is all that I have to say about that. All this came from the mouth of Dr. Heldberg herself. I had met with her (at her request) for 3 years. She always told me what a great person I was and how I would make a fine asssest to MCV. She told me she wanted to accept me, but the committee gave me a low priority rating due to how I handled my grandmother's death. I told her they had no right to pass judgement on how I let my last grandparents death affect me.

I can't go into details, but I felt totally betrayed at what happened to me by MCV. Keep in mind I was a student ambassador, was elected to the honor council, was an elected SGA member and was on the president's council which met every month with Dr. Trani (pres of VCU/MCV), I set up all pre-med events and tours and worked at the hospital and cancer center for years.

Am I bitter, YOU BET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

However I will refrain from posting negative things about MCV from now on. But when I read about more in-state students that are graduates from VCU and who have worked there and donated their time and energy to MCV and who are being passed up for admissions,.... well it pisses me off. Sorry for venting. I am now turning back to my old sweet self🙂 😎

 

[st85]

Amy B, That really does not surprise me about the school. I went to UVA for undergrad and in comparison, VCU is very poorly run and that is why it is not very well respected as a University. The funny part is that I have 6 interviews, a couple at much more reputable Med Schools (UVA and Georgetown) yet my file isn't good enough for an interview at VCU? And I am an instate resident and both work and volunteer at the school. VCU tries so hard to be considered among the best Universities in the country, but it never will be. I know they have had many more applications then usual, but the funny part is that the only reason they are getting so many more applications is because VCU is starting to be known as a med school that's easy for out of staters to get into. That combined with the fact that they take a lot of out-of-staters is only going to lead to less qualified applicants being accepted. Most out of staters who are good applicants are going to get into some other schools and arent going to pay a high tuition to go to a mediocre school like VCU. They will just go to some private school instead. That means that the only out of staters who go to VCU are going to be the one's who can't get in anywhere else. I know someone last year who had sorry numbers, 3.0 gpa and 27 MCAT, yet he still got into MCV because he was an out of stater. Last year's entering class at VCU had an average MCAT of 28 and GPA of 3.4. Thats about as low as it gets for med schools. I know instaters who were told they would have gotten an interview if they were out of state residents. MCV would be an ok place for me to go in theory, because it would be cheap, but even volunteering at the hospital has shown me how poorly run it is. If I was to get into VCU I would still definately go to a private school like Georgetown even though it would be much more expensive because I really question what kind of people run VCU. I would rather go to VCU than some other places I have interviews at though, like Drexel, Temple, EVMS, NYMC, which is why I am bitter that I may not get one at VCU. Anyways, just me venting.

 

[Amy B]

I totally agree with what you are saying. I was also told if I had been an out-of state student my chances would have improved. The state is in a budget crunch and bringing in out-of-staters brings in big bucks. It is a shame that it is getting that reputation of being an easy school to get into as an out-of-stater. That is not what state schools are suppossed to be for.

I had gotten accepted at Ohio State, but waitlisted at MCV. I made a VERY, VERY big mistake and withdrew my applications and kept only MCV due to my husband's job and because I was told to be very optimistic about getting my acceptance email over the summer. I was out of the country that summer but I was told to keep in touch and check my email often, which I did. But all of a sudden the communication that I had with the school over the past 3 1/2 years stopped. Politics is all I can say.

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent again.

Good luck with your interviews

 

[abbeacon]

AmyB,

Sorry to hear of your negative experiences at MCV.. I went to UR for undergrad (I'm out of state) and had kept in close contact with Dr. Heldberg during my time in Richmond and while pursuing a graduate degree.. She was extremely helpful throughout the whole process and offered candid advice about my application and my chance of gaining admission.. I'm somewhat surprised you had such a bad experience, but it seems to reaffirm the MCV philosophy discussed above and in another thread.

I interviewed at MCV on the second day of interviews this cycle, and was then put on hold until they got my august mcat score.. I was surprised to get an interview so early with such a low mcat (26--went up 7 points in august, though), but wasn't complaining.. I'm currently on-hold, so we'll see what happens next month. But it's unfortunate for VA residents that the school essentially gives a "preference" to out-of-state residents, presumably because of money. All states are facing budget crises, but that doesn't mean the answer is to penalize in-state taxpaying citizens by admitting more out of staters. I'm sure that I'm preaching to the choir, but even as an out of stater, I think it's an unfortunate situation for you guys..

abbeacon

 

[haujun]

To st85, remember many VCU students have been placed on waitlisted before. VCU admission committee expect that many of accepted applicants will decline their offer of admission and go elsewhere around summer months. However, two years ago there was rather "little movement" in the waitlist and a lof of waitlist applicants stay waitlisted. Good luck to you and congrats on interview at UVA and EVMS.

 

[meanderson]

The out of state waitlist movement at VCU is going to be MASSIVE i predict this year. I think some out of state people who are on "hold for interview" now will get a late interview, then waitlisted, then accepted. Then I think a lot of these people will get into other schools/and or turn down VCU when they get into their state school, continuing the waitlist movement.

 

[st85]

What really bothers me about VCU taking so many out of staters is that Virginia has such a shortage of physicians, especially in southwestern virginia. Taking tons of out of staters does not help the state at all. I know that there is still a chance that I will be interviewed, I'm trying to stay positive, I know I'm lucky to have interviews, it just makes me mad that I have interviews at more reputable schools, but probably will not make the cut at VCU (a not so reputable school) when I am an instater.

 

[BonBon Doux]

Originally posted by st85
Amy B, That really does not surprise me about the school. I went to UVA for undergrad and in comparison, VCU is very poorly run and that is why it is not very well respected as a University...VCU tries so hard to be considered among the best Universities in the country, but it never will be.

Oh no! I got into VCU in December and I am really excited about possibly going there (yes, I am an out-of-state resident but application isn't so bad). I had no idea that it was not well-respected. 🙁

I really liked the school...students and administrators were really nice...I had no idea that it is so looked down upon.

BonBon

 

[mcv08]

Please do not let the words of one individual influence your decision whatsoever. I really do not understand the sense of entitlement some people have in this process. No school anywhere owes any applicant anything. I was rejected by my school w/o even an interview, despite many semesters of volunteer work and research at the institution. Did it hurt? Of course. Did I proceed to go on SDN and slander their reputation? Of course not. To do so would be immature. I realize that this is a highly competitive process and that I should not take anything personally. Schools really do receive more applications from qualified applicants than they have interview slots available. Unfortunately, some qualified applicants may not get an interview in any given year. That's just the way the process works. And to those that are pointing at MCV's #'s and claiming that it is a safety, not so. The reason that the gpa of the incoming class was only 3.5 and the mcat 28.3 is b/c the school really goes out of its way to look beyond the numbers, while many other schools just claim to do so. Just b/c your numbers are higher than their averages does not mean you're getting in. And just because your numbers are below their averages does not mean that you're geting rejected. That's the beauty of averages folks. Whatever the adcom at MCV is doing, it seems to be working. The Step 1 pass rate was 98% and the match list is solid. My advice to those who are considering MCV is go with your impression of the school, not someone else's, especially if they got rejected and are still admittedly bitter.

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by mcv08
Who said MCV is not well respected? An applicant that the school rejected who is admittedly bitter? And that makes it so, right? Please. Do not let the words of one jaded individual influence your decision whatsoever. I really do not understand the sense of entitlement some people have in this process.

Are these words directed towards me newbie? I am hardly a jaded individual. Nor do I feel I am entitled to something I haven't earned. If you read through my posts you will see one of the main things wrong with MCV is that they are a STATE-funded school. As such they have certain obligations under the state constitution to provide a place for state residents to go to school. Aside from Univ of NH, I think that is the one, most every other state school in the country has a much, much much lower rate of out-of-state acceptances.

A state funded school is not suppossed to give preference to out-of-state students. And that is a fact.

Originally posted by mcv08
Did I proceed to go on SDN and slander their reputation? Of course not. To do so would be immature.And to those that are pointing at MCV's #'s and claiming that it is a safety, not so.

No slander from me, just pure, plain facts. They have a 46% out-of-state acceptance rate for a STATE-funded school. No slander here. And the talk amongst the VCU students is not good when it comes to MCV. Say what you want, I have 4 years at VCU that I have heard truckloads of students and their impression as to what is happening at MCV.

Did you attend VCU and are you an instate student? Are you new to SDN or did you get a new account to show us you are from the class of 2008 at MCV?

Many students are becoming more and more disallusioned about their own state school. Check out the rate of the guarenteed admits that actually end up going to MCV, it is quite small. Most take the MCAT and go elsewhere and only stay a G-admit as a backup. That is another reason why it is getting a reputation among VCU students as a backup school.

Originally posted by mcv08 Whatever the adcom at MCV is doing, it seems to be working. The Step 1 pass rate was 98% and the match list is solid.

Great I am glad they are succeeding for their students sake. I have friends there and want them to succeed.

Originally posted by mcv08 My advice to those who are considering MCV is go with your impression of the school, not someone else's.

SDN allows posters to post their opinions and experiences and people reading the information have to deceide what to use and what to ignore. I would hardly think anyone here is not going to go to a school simply based on what some else had said in a public internet forum.

 

[gold&black2005]

As a guaranteed admit at MCV, just thought I should correct Amy. The past two years, all but 5 (of 40) of the GMeds stayed at VCU, with only a handful taking the MCAT in order to become eligible for scholarships. MCV is quite a reputable school, particularly in the South -- on par, medical center and quality of clinical experience, with Duke, Emory, andUAB, and above thatof UVA. Amy's story is heartbrealing, but it is by no means a resounding statement that MCV blows. And for the OP, sounds like youre one of those wahoos who can't fathom that all other state schools dont bow down to "the university." I've heard this many times: uva students cant accept having to wait from mcv becaue they do ook at EVERYONE from the state, not just UVA. I am sure MCV will accept you, if you are ob. qualified enough to get into UVA > but don't knock MCV simply ut of spite.after all, there must be some reason you decided to work there.

 

[Amy B]

I personally took the MCAT with 14 Gmeds and of those, only 3 went to MCV, perhaps things have changed in the past few years, since this was a number of years ago. Perhaps it was only the year I took the MCAT and applied that the Gmeds decided to go elsewhere.

The ones I ran around with were always talking about what a joke the program had become. Since I was at VCU in the late 90's and you have been there the last 2 years, maybe the feeling within the gmeds has changed. I can only base it on what I saw when I was there.

I do feel that I got a great education at VCU. I loved the Biology department and the prof, although a number of my favorites have retired in the past few years.

Again, what I am upset with is that there are so many well-qualified in-state students rejected/waitlisted so they can continue to have a high out-of-state percentage. I know great stats and great ECs aren't a guarantee of accptance, but come on, schools like UNC take less than 10%, WVU less than 10%, Tenn 0-3%, ENC 0%, etc......

I will graciously bow out of posting about MCV again unless it is general information people are requesting. I do know almost every possible detail about their admissions process. As I have said before, I was tightly connected to them.

Peace to all😍

 

[cather]

I had a bad interview experience at MCV. I was insulted and disrespected at my interview. I'm a VA tax-paying resident and I had to take time off from school to go to the interview and then when I get to my interview, the interviewer insults me.
The experience left a really bad impression on me.

If I was an out of state resident, I would not go to MCV. I mean, why pay $30,000 to go to a school like that, unless it is the only school you get into, then I would maybe go.
I thought the facilities looked like a bomb hit it and everything seemed disorganized.

 

[mcv08]

Originally posted by cather
I had a bad interview experience at MCV. I was insulted and disrespected at my interview. I'm a VA tax-paying resident and I had to take time off from school to go to the interview and then when I get to my interview, the interviewer insults me.
The experience left a really bad impression on me.

If I was an out of state resident, I would not go to MCV. I mean, why pay $30,000 to go to a school like that, unless it is the only school you get into, then I would maybe go.
I thought the facilities looked like a bomb hit it and everything seemed disorganized.

Translation:

I'm waitlisted at MCV. I'm hoping this post can convince one or maybe even 2 accepted individuals that are unsure about matriculating to give up their spot! As always, careful what you believe on an ANONYMOUS internet forum. 😉

 

[mcv08]

Originally posted by Amy B

The ones I ran around with were always talking about what a joke the program had become. Since I was at VCU in the late 90's and you have been there the last 2 years, maybe the feeling within the gmeds has changed. I can only base it on what I saw when I was there.

I do feel that I got a great education at VCU. I loved the Biology department and the prof, although a number of my favorites have retired in the past few years.

Again, what I am upset with is that there are so many well-qualified in-state students rejected/waitlisted so they can continue to have a high out-of-state percentage. I know great stats and great ECs aren't a guarantee of accptance, but come on, schools like UNC take less than 10%, WVU less than 10%, Tenn 0-3%, ENC 0%, etc......

Only 13% of the budget at MCV is funded by the state. That's not a whole lot. And it's probably even less after the budget cuts. They still accept more in staters than out of staters. Virginia residents still come out with a pretty good deal considering the fact that the state only produces ~700 applicants/ yr. Face it, the ratio of in state applicants to seats in Virginia is not nearly as high as other states, which are much more competitive. Besides, MCV is not the only school to increase out of state enrollment. Many other schools have done the same. Think of it this way. You now have a better chance at these schools. And I find it funny that some people who choose to knock the school, facilities, etc are upset over the fact that they haven't received an interview or were rejected from there. If it's so crappy, why would you even want to attend? Hmm... 😉

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by mcv08
Translation:

I'm waitlisted at MCV. I'm hoping this post can convince one or maybe even 2 accepted individuals that are unsure about matriculating to give up their spot! As always, careful what you believe on an ANONYMOUS internet forum. 😉

Actually this person had a very real and legitimate concern due to what happened in their interview. Even the staff at MCV was concerned, so your assement is incorrect.

As to you believing they were waitlisted, well..this person brought this problem to SDN months ago, so no, they aren't a disgruntled waitlister. And since you haven't been on SDN before Jan, you wouldn't know this.

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by mcv08
If it's so crappy, why would you even want to attend? Hmm... 😉

And since I didn't apply there this time I don't want to attend and since I have acceptances from other places, I don't care what happens to MCV.😛

 

[cather]

Originally posted by mcv08
Translation:

I'm waitlisted at MCV. I'm hoping this post can convince one or maybe even 2 accepted individuals that are unsure about matriculating to give up their spot! As always, careful what you believe on an ANONYMOUS internet forum. 😉

Sorry, Mcv08 but your comments are wrong. As far as I know, I am not on the waitlist and I do not intend to go to MCV next year. I will be going to another school.

By your words, I suspect you are associated with the admissions committee at MCV or go to school there and naturally are trying to stick up for your school.

In any case, I already posted about my bad experience at MCV a long time ago. I think it is important to bring up these kinds of experiences on SDN so that people get a complete picture of the school. I really did have a bad experience at MCV and I am still thinking about actually writing to my state senator/congressmen about what happened because it was discrimination.

 

[mcv08]

Originally posted by cather
Sorry, Mcv08 but your comments are wrong. As far as I know, I am not on the waitlist and I do not intend to go to MCV next year. I will be going to another school.

By your words, I suspect you are associated with the admissions committee at MCV or go to school there and naturally are trying to stick up for your school.

In any case, I already posted about my bad experience at MCV a long time ago. I think it is important to bring up these kinds of experiences on SDN so that people get a complete picture of the school. I really did have a bad experience at MCV and I am still thinking about actually writing to my state senator/congressmen about what happened because it was discrimination.

Chill dude. It was a joke. As for your experience, that sucks. But one bad interviewer does not represent the entire school. I think most people will realize that.

 

[st85]

MCV08, Don't take offense to what I said about MCV. Its just not the right school for me, you may love the school, and it may be perfect for you, I would just rather go to another school. To answer your question, I work and volunteer at VCU because I am taking a year off and I am from Richmond, so working there allows me to live at home and save money. I used to think that VCU might be a good med school to go to, but working there has just shown me that it is not for me. Things there are generally unorganized and poorly run. The facilities are disgusting (I see them every day) although Sanger Hall isn't that bad. I know you are thinking that the only reason I am saying that is because I got waitlisted, but if you ask any of my friends, I have always told them that there are plenty of private schools I will go to instead of VCU eventhough it meant paying double the tuition. VCU as a whole is just not a very reputable school, that is not my opinion, that is just plain fact. There are several state schools in just Virginia that are more highly touted like Virginia Tech, UVA, William and Mary, JMU, George Mason, etc. As a medical school, maybe I was a little harsh in saying that it has a poor reputation, but to compare it to schools like UNC, UVA, Emory, Duke, and UAB is just laughable. I know that VCU doesn't owe me anything just because I work there and volunteer there, my only point is that a state school should not give preference to out of staters just for the sake of money. Weren't MCV's numbers 3 or so years ago a lot higher? I believe the average MCAT was a 30 and the average gpa was a lot higher than it is now. But then they started letting in tons of out of staters, they had to drop their standards and that is why their averages are so low. As far as their guaranteed admissions program, I don't know much about it, I passed it up out of high school to go to a better school because I did not want to go to VCU, but from what I understand all you have to do is pull a 3.5 to stay in the program. Lets be real, anyone can pull a 3.5 at VCU. For some, VCU might be a great situation, just not for me, sorry if I offended anyone.

 

[green plastic]

I really liked vcu when i interviewed there, EXCEPT for the hospital facilities. Did anyone else think the hospital was just eerie and very run down? I think it would be depressing to spend my last two years of med school in that hospital.

 

[mcv08]

Originally posted by st85
MCV08, Don't take offense to what I said about MCV. Its just not the right school for me, you may love the school, and it may be perfect for you, I would just rather go to another school. To answer your question, I work and volunteer at VCU because I am taking a year off and I am from Richmond, so working there allows me to live at home and save money. I used to think that VCU might be a good med school to go to, but working there has just shown me that it is not for me. Things there are generally unorganized and poorly run. The facilities are disgusting (I see them every day) although Sanger Hall isn't that bad. I know you are thinking that the only reason I am saying that is because I got waitlisted, but if you ask any of my friends, I have always told them that there are plenty of private schools I will go to instead of VCU eventhough it meant paying double the tuition. VCU as a whole is just not a very reputable school, that is not my opinion, that is just plain fact. There are several state schools in just Virginia that are more highly touted like Virginia Tech, UVA, William and Mary, JMU, George Mason, etc. As a medical school, maybe I was a little harsh in saying that it has a poor reputation, but to compare it to schools like UNC, UVA, Emory, Duke, and UAB is just laughable. I know that VCU doesn't owe me anything just because I work there and volunteer there, my only point is that a state school should not give preference to out of staters just for the sake of money. Weren't MCV's numbers 3 or so years ago a lot higher? I believe the average MCAT was a 30 and the average gpa was a lot higher than it is now. But then they started letting in tons of out of staters, they had to drop their standards and that is why their averages are so low. As far as their guaranteed admissions program, I don't know much about it, I passed it up out of high school to go to a better school because I did not want to go to VCU, but from what I understand all you have to do is pull a 3.5 to stay in the program. Lets be real, anyone can pull a 3.5 at VCU. For some, VCU might be a great situation, just not for me, sorry if I offended anyone.

First of all, we are talking about the medical school, not the undergraduate institution. No one ever said the undergrad program at VCU was top notch. It's clearly not. In fact, that's probably one of the main reasons that VCU undergrads have a tough time getting into med school at MCV. How are schools like William and Mary, JMU (Just Missed UVA), and George Mason relevant to a thread that is talking about quality of graduate medical education? They're not, since they don't have medical schools affiliated with them. And no one ever said MCV was comparable to Duke, Emory, etc. I have no idea where you came up with that. For the US News rankings slaves out there, MCV is ranked in the top half of all med schools in the US. If they aren't considered to be a reputable institution, then neither are more than half the medical schools in the US. I'm not positive what the numbers were from a couple of years ago, but I am pretty sure they were around 3.5, 29. Could they have been higher? Sure. But the school doesn't focus solely on numbers, and like I said, their students are doing just fine in terms of step 1 and residency match.

 

[meanderson]

What is this about VCU giving preferance to out of staters? While they may let in a much higher% of out of staters than many partially supported state schools, I seriously doubt they actually give preferance to out of staters. I have a 3.86/32 and am on their hold for interview list. No, not great numbers, but if I were a virginia resident I would guess they would be good enough for at least an interview.

 

[Gut Shot]

I would like to address the percentage of out-of-state students at the Virginia public medical schools. Several posters have bemoaned the fact that MCV and UVA, despite being state-funded, admit a disporportionate number of out-of-state students.

The obvious insinuation here is that the schools should increase the proportion of in-state students admitted. This would solve the apparent inequity that exists when comparing the Virginia public medical schools with those in other states, virtually all of which admit in-state students almost exclusively.

What this interpretation is ignoring is the fact that Virginia has a relatively high number of public medical school spots available per capita. For instance, the total enrollment of UVA and MCV is about 1250 students, and the population of Virginia is slightly over 7 million. Contrast this to California, which has approximately 2500+ spots and a population of over 33 million. Which odds would you rather take?

Or, one could be unfortunate enough to reside in Florida, which has just under 1000 spots and a population of 16 million. New York likewise has 2400+ spots and 19 million people.

If you take into account a 40% out-of-state enrollment for MCV, the number of spots left available for in-state applicants still isn't bad when compared to many other states. That said, some other states are statistically much more favorable for in-state applicants than Virginia. Texas, for instance, has 20 million people and a whopping 4000+ spots. Ohio's 11.3 million people have 3200+ spots.

My point here is simply that Virginia does not, by comparison, offer a disporportionately lower number of in-state public medical school spots per capita than many other places.

And yes, I know that this analysis isn't of the most rigorous variety.

 

[TheFlash]

I agree with Havarti's assesment. Virginia is definitely one of the best states to reside in if you wish to attend medical school. Three medical schools that offer in-state preference for a state that isn't that big to begin with! As for VCU/MCV specifically: their class size is ~190 and about 115 of those seats are for state students. That's enough state students for an entire medical school class by itself! I think only Texas applicants face better odds.

Good luck all,

tf

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by TheFlash
I agree with Havarti's assesment. Virginia is definitely one of the best states to reside in if you wish to attend medical school. Three medical schools that offer in-state preference for a state that isn't that big to begin with! As for VCU/MCV specifically: their class size is ~190 and about 115 of those seats are for state students. That's enough state students for an entire medical school class by itself! I think only Texas applicants face better odds.

Good luck all,

tf

I am going to agree with this. The national mantra is you need a 30 and a 3.5 to get into med school. Do Virginia schools let in so many out of state students to cause residents the need to achieve impossibly high numbers to get into school? No. It is 29 and 3.45 avg for va residents at EVMS and VCU (actually, those numbers include out of staters too). In fact, I would argue that UVa needs to admit more out of state students to med school (at least 60/40 instate/out of state) to weather the current fiscal crisis and maintain a quality education.

Coops

 

[Gut Shot]

A few words about MCV's facilities, mainly in reply to Green Plastic:

First of all, don't think for a moment that you will spend the second two years of medical school trapped in any particular hospital. I'm a third year at MCV, and I will have spent a grand total of 12 weeks (out of 48) at the MCV campus during this academic year. Between doing rotations at McGuire VA (which is very nice, as VA's go), community practices, and outside hospitals, it is possible to do as little as 6 weeks at MCV campus.

Fourth year you'll spend on a golf course or similar locale, so it doesn't really count.

Second, about the campus facilities and hospitals, they certainly a mixed bag. I spent my first year wedged into a rather grim lecture hall. Second year we moved into the posh MSB lecture hall, and in the meantime the Egyptian building was renovated so that now first year students have much improved digs (including clinical training facilities).

The buildings on campus range from luxurious and brand new (Gateway Building) to West Hospital, which could easily double for an infirmary in Hell. Just stare at a Hieronymus Bosch painting for awhile and you'll get the idea. One the plus side, the library has recently gotten an interior facelift, the new Massey Cancer Center addition is underway, and the ER will also be getting substantial renovations. There are numerous other projects underway, due in large part to the most recent state higher education bond. My primary complaints here are parking and the elevators, which are both inadequate.

If you are considering MCV then I would urge you not to read to much into your brief glimpse of the campus. I didn't come to school here because I like shiny new things. I came because of the reputation for a hands-on learning environment, and the largely indigent patient population. After four years in an urban medical center that handles the lowest socioeconomic tiers of society, you will be *more* than adequately prepared for whatever you want to do.