VCOM-Blacksburg Discussion Thread 2010-11

[danaling12]

Congratulations to all of you guys that got accepted!!!! That's exciting news and hope to see you all next year!!! If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Awesome job guys!!

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[HappyDO]

Does anyone know if you can do your 4th year rotations outside of VA? I see on their catalog they say you can do some rotations at places of your choice but it seemed limited? Any thoughts?

 

[danaling12]

Does anyone know if you can do your 4th year rotations outside of VA? I see on their catalog they say you can do some rotations at places of your choice but it seemed limited? Any thoughts?

I'm not 100% sure, but your 4th year you have some rotations that you have to do at VCOM approved sites. You also have 4-5 medical/surgical electives/selectives that you can do at any site as long as you get previous approval. The current advice is to use these electives to visit places you are interested in for residency to see if you like the hospital, people, etc, and so that the program directors and such can meet you. So I'm pretty sure you are able to go anywhere you like. I would look at the website under 3rd and 4th year tab for more information.

 

[wilso3]

On a side note....did anyone see VT whoop up on FSU on saturday? It was fun watching Floridians freeze during tailgating festivities.

 

[danznchandee16]

On a side note....did anyone see VT whoop up on FSU on saturday? It was fun watching Floridians freeze during tailgating festivities.

haha, yep! i live off interstate 77 and there was a traffic jam and all the cars around me had VT stickers/flags/paint all over their cars as they were driving down to charlotte for the game. it was awesome!

 

[Salad1n]

Does anyone know when the next batch of invites go out?

 

[GTP]

hello all,

congrats to the meticulous people who already have interview invites/acceptances. I really f'ed up and just sent in my primary today. What do you guys think? Do I have a chance at all?

Also, can someone please be a dear and post the prompts for the secondary? I want to submit it immediately in case I get an invite.

thanks

 

[danznchandee16]

hello all,

congrats to the meticulous people who already have interview invites/acceptances. I really f'ed up and just sent in my primary today. What do you guys think? Do I have a chance at all?

Also, can someone please be a dear and post the prompts for the secondary? I want to submit it immediately in case I get an invite.

thanks

you may still have a chance. i didnt send my primaries into late oct/early nov last year and it took a month for AACOMAS to send it out. then i got a secondary from VCOM very quickly. but i definitely took too long to fill it out. i got an interview but the class was already full by january so i was waitlisted with an automatic acceptance for this year. so as long as you fill out the secondary as soon as you get it you may still be okay. good luck!

 

[GTP]

Thanks. That kind of sucks though. If AACOM does not send out my application till january, it does not look good. I guess I just have to wait and see.

 

[paintballswimgu]

hello all,

congrats to the meticulous people who already have interview invites/acceptances. I really f'ed up and just sent in my primary today. What do you guys think? Do I have a chance at all?

Also, can someone please be a dear and post the prompts for the secondary? I want to submit it immediately in case I get an invite.

thanks

You should still have a chance, one more spot will be opening up as soon as KCUMB receives my deposit. I don't want to withdraw until i'm positive KCUMB has me in their system.

 

[Hottpants89]

I'll be giving up a spot in the next couple days too.

 

[GTP]

Thanks everyone

 

[DO_doctor]

congrats on the acceptances! let me know if any of you have questions

 

[TigerWrestler]

Interviewed 12/7....ACCEPTED 12/23!!! What a Christmas present!!! Good luck to everyone!

 

[twocentnews]

Hey everyone,

I was put on hold at VCOM, but recently I sent them an update for my job as well as a transcript for a class I just took. Julianne Smart in the office wrote back thanking me for the updates, and she also included that I was welcome to write a letter of intent. I haven't been offered an interview or anything, but should I take her up on the offer and write one? Would it be a bad idea if I get an interview but then am waitlisted later? I'm assuming you can only write so many LOIs to a school.

Help would be much appreciated.

 

[Hottpants89]

Hey everyone,

I was put on hold at VCOM, but recently I sent them an update for my job as well as a transcript for a class I just took. Julianne Smart in the office wrote back thanking me for the updates, and she also included that I was welcome to write a letter of intent. I haven't been offered an interview or anything, but should I take her up on the offer and write one? Would it be a bad idea if I get an interview but then am waitlisted later? I'm assuming you can only write so many LOIs to a school.

Help would be much appreciated.

Don't think there are formal rules for that. Obviously you should only do it to one school though. I declined an acceptance today so hopefully that ones yours now. Good luck.

 

[mje5070]

Hey everyone,

I was put on hold at VCOM, but recently I sent them an update for my job as well as a transcript for a class I just took. Julianne Smart in the office wrote back thanking me for the updates, and she also included that I was welcome to write a letter of intent. I haven't been offered an interview or anything, but should I take her up on the offer and write one? Would it be a bad idea if I get an interview but then am waitlisted later? I'm assuming you can only write so many LOIs to a school.

Help would be much appreciated.

I sent in a letter last year, received an interview 3 weeks later and was accepted. Well worth it in my opinion.

 

[kygirl12]

Hey everyone,

I was put on hold at VCOM, but recently I sent them an update for my job as well as a transcript for a class I just took. Julianne Smart in the office wrote back thanking me for the updates, and she also included that I was welcome to write a letter of intent. I haven't been offered an interview or anything, but should I take her up on the offer and write one? Would it be a bad idea if I get an interview but then am waitlisted later? I'm assuming you can only write so many LOIs to a school.

Help would be much appreciated.

I wrote a letter of interest and recieved an interview invite the day after I submitted it and was accepted! Definitely worth my time to do so. Good luck!

 

[danznchandee16]

if any of you current VCOM students dont mind me asking, how much did you have to borrow your 1st year for school, books, and living expenses?

 

[tideleonheart]

I'm not 100% sure, but your 4th year you have some rotations that you have to do at VCOM approved sites. You also have 4-5 medical/surgical electives/selectives that you can do at any site as long as you get previous approval. The current advice is to use these electives to visit places you are interested in for residency to see if you like the hospital, people, etc, and so that the program directors and such can meet you. So I'm pretty sure you are able to go anywhere you like. I would look at the website under 3rd and 4th year tab for more information.

You have 4 electives (any teaching instititution in the US, and even some places abroad), 3 medical selectives (choose from a list of medicine stuff. What is medicine stuff? anything not surgery basically), and 2 surgical selectives (all the types of surgeries). All selectives though have to be at AOA/VCOM sites, so no MD programs in the selective list. Out of the 5 selectives (3 med + 2 surg), 3 have to be at a VCOM site. ANY vcom site. Also we have to do ER somewhere in there too...

Keep posting questions you might have. -3rd year

if any of you current VCOM students dont mind me asking, how much did you have to borrow your 1st year for school, books, and living expenses?

I took out the max which was something like 28k (total of 60k that year including tuition). Books aren't that big of an expense unless you just buy every single thing they say to buy, which you shouldn't do. Honestly I know some in my class who did the whole thing without buying books.. A lot of them are available digitally entirely online through the vcom library. Also, the library has them physically. Medical textbooks also aren't grossly overpriced as compared to undergrad.

 

[SG3]

First off, congrats to those accepted. I was applying this coming summer, do you all mind sharing your Stats/background info? You can PM it to me if you'd rather. Thanks a lot

 

[danaling12]

First off, congrats to those accepted. I was applying this coming summer, do you all mind sharing your Stats/background info? You can PM it to me if you'd rather. Thanks a lot

Hey SG3,

I am currently a first-year student here at VCOM, when I applied I had:

cGPA- 3.64
sGPA- 3.3
MCAT- 27Q
ECAs- PACU volunteer, Pre-med honor society, World Health Organization Intern, and a few other various non-medical clubs/jobs
I am from PA and grew up in an Appalachian area.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask or PM me!

Hope this helps!

 

[wilso3]

For those current students, what is the competition like to get rotations in the Salisbury/Fayetville area 3rd year? Just an assumption, but with so many VCOM students being VT alumni, I would imagine a lot would want to stay in Virginia for rotations. Any information you have would be appreciated.

 

[Lucylu123]

For those current students, what is the competition like to get rotations in the Salisbury/Fayetville area 3rd year? Just an assumption, but with so many VCOM students being VT alumni, I would imagine a lot would want to stay in Virginia for rotations. Any information you have would be appreciated.

They change the way they group the sites every year, so don't bank on how the rotations are grouped this year being the same in 2-3 years. Don't go into your 1st 2 years planning on going to one certain site for your rotations. They are very open about the fact that some rotation sites may change. Just know that you will need to be flexible for your rotations.

That said, Fayetteville was not a competitive site this year. The more competitive ones are NRV and Roanoke, Spartanburg SC, and Eastern VA. As long as Fayetteville is still a site in the next few years, I doubt you would have too much trouble getting it. Salisbury is not its own site. They use Salisbury for just a few rotations but the majority of rotations would be elsewhere. I know it is part of the Morganton, NC region but I'm not sure what other regions it is linked to.

Hope that helps!

 

[twocentnews]

Are they contacting people on pre-interview holds at all?

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

Are they contacting people on pre-interview holds at all?

i don't know the answer to this question, but if it were me i'd contact them.

 

[twocentnews]

i don't know the answer to this question, but if it were me i'd contact them.

Yep, good call. I did talk to Julianne Smartt and she said no changes for me yet; I was just wondering if anyone else was placed on a pre-interview hold and if their status changed at all.

 

[liquifaction]

Yep, good call. I did talk to Julianne Smartt and she said no changes for me yet; I was just wondering if anyone else was placed on a pre-interview hold and if their status changed at all.

I was wondering about this too. I was placed on a pre-interview hold back in September and have been on hold ever since. I called the admissions office a few times between now and then and it just seems like all they will tell you is "if there is a change in your status we will notify you." So basically, there is nothing to do but wait, which is sucks

 

[LiveNow]

I was wondering about this too. I was placed on a pre-interview hold back in September and have been on hold ever since. I called the admissions office a few times between now and then and it just seems like all they will tell you is "if there is a change in your status we will notify you." So basically, there is nothing to do but wait, which is sucks

I was placed on hold before my interview last year as well. I am a first year now. One of the reasons for me was that they were waiting for me to finish some upper science courses and raise my GPA, once I got those in I sent in an LOI and I think that was the best advice anyone could have given me. About a week after I sent it in I got an interview. I know the waiting can be challenging but hang in there, send in an LOI if you haven't yet...message me if you have any other questions I'm happy to help...

 

[Genius1984]

Told today that my interview will be 02-23. Kinda nervous. Wish I knew how many seats they have left to know my chances......

 

[Hershi]

does anyone know how late they interview until?

 

[bige11]

Told today that my interview will be 02-23. Kinda nervous. Wish I knew how many seats they have left to know my chances......

From what I understand interviews this late usually result in wait list and a guaranteed acceptance for the following year if they like you.

 

[danaling12]

does anyone know how late they interview until?

Hey everyone,

I am currently a first year at VCOM. I interviewed for the class of 2013 in late March and was waitlisted. When the rankings for the waitlist came out I was told that if I did not get in that I would have a guaranteed acceptance to 2014. There wasn't much movement on the waitlist, and gave up another acceptance and took a year off to go to VCOM. So even if you are a late interviewee I would still encourage you to interview your best as you never know if people may drop out that week. If there aren't spots you still make a strong case for yourself for a good waitlist ranking and guaranteed early acceptances. So don't give up hope and trying! If you have any questions feel free to ask!

 

[HSDiplomat]

I found out today that I was accepted for an interview when I called in to check on the status of my application (Thanks Ms. Bea Jones, best Valentine's Day gift ever!). My interview is scheduled for 02/28. I know it's late in the game but VCOM is by far and away my first choice. Danaling, thanks for the advice. Those of us who're still interviewing can use it.

Hey everyone,

I am currently a first year at VCOM. I interviewed for the class of 2013 in late March and was waitlisted. When the rankings for the waitlist came out I was told that if I did not get in that I would have a guaranteed acceptance to 2014. There wasn't much movement on the waitlist, and gave up another acceptance and took a year off to go to VCOM. So even if you are a late interviewee I would still encourage you to interview your best as you never know if people may drop out that week. If there aren't spots you still make a strong case for yourself for a good waitlist ranking and guaranteed early acceptances. So don't give up hope and trying! If you have any questions feel free to ask!

 

[Genius1984]

Good luck HSDiplomat, I have my interview next week and hope I get in this year and not next year. I'm 26 y/o PhD student so hopefully I get in med school this year!

 

[danznchandee16]

does anyone know how late they interview until?

i believe they interview until the end of march. i interviewed around valentines day last year and was told all seats were filled as of january. i was waitlisted and was on the top tier so i got an automatic acceptance for the following year. however, the year before last they had seats open until the end of march from what a current student told me. so i think it's different every year

 

[danznchandee16]

From what I understand interviews this late usually result in wait list and a guaranteed acceptance for the following year if they like you.

guaranteed acceptances only go to those in the top tier of the wait list. admissions said there is a top, middle, and bottom of the waitlist. so only a portion of those waitlisted get an acceptance

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Anyone attending Accepted Student's Day March 12th? Looking forward to the day to meet a lot of new classmates!

 

[danznchandee16]

Just a reminder that Health Immunization forms/physicals/titer results are due by March 1st (next Tues!!) if you were accepted before Dec 31! I didn't see this until last week so I'm currently freaking out trying to get it all done! Just a heads up

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Just put all that in the mail...but was a little confused about the Hep B if I have already had the three required doses for this vaccine. Do I still have to have a titer although I have had the vaccines? The nurse and doctor didn't seem to think so by reading the information page provided. So I just included the dates for those doses. Also went ahead and sent copy of my CPR certification which isn't required to be sent in until later this summer. I was certified Aug. 2010. Will that still be okay for upcoming year when my CPR card says valid for one year?

 

[danaling12]

Just put all that in the mail...but was a little confused about the Hep B if I have already had the three required doses for this vaccine. Do I still have to have a titer although I have had the vaccines? The nurse and doctor didn't seem to think so by reading the information page provided. So I just included the dates for those doses. Also went ahead and sent copy of my CPR certification which isn't required to be sent in until later this summer. I was certified Aug. 2010. Will that still be okay for upcoming year when my CPR card says valid for one year?

You do need your Hep B titer, because if you are negative you have to repeat the entire series and have another titer drawn. I was negative and found out when I got here that I needed to have the series done again. I don't know about the CPR, but you should be good. Here is the PDF on the VCOM website that is pretty clear on what you need.

http://www.vcom.vt.edu/2015/forms/STUDENT%20HEALTH.pdf

 

[danznchandee16]

yes you have to have your MMR, Hep B and varicella titers, regardless if you have or haven't had the vaccines. It says that if you dont have everything you're supposed to have with the forms then you haven't met the deadline. I'd be calling the health coordinator and asking for an extension.

I think your CPR card will be fine, as long as it's valid before the July 1st deadline. I'll have to renew mine again since mine expires in May.

I hope I can get all my things turned in on time. Just got my physical and shot records done today. Titer results wont be in until early to mid next week so we'll see if it's on time!

 

[FutureDoc01]

I talked to VCOM today and said to write a letter of interest to help my application? Is it worth it this late in the cycle? I have a 3.6....I'm not sure what this means. I have been on post secondary hold since November....

 

[Hottpants89]

I talked to VCOM today and said to write a letter of interest to help my application? Is it worth it this late in the cycle? I have a 3.6....I'm not sure what this means. I have been on post secondary hold since November....

If they said it might help then I'd do it. It only takes a few minutes to write one of those.

 

[TNP123]

You should def. write the LOI. I worte one to VCOM after being on pre-interview hold and was then granted an interview, then accepted. If VCOM ranks high on your list you should def. do it.

 

[tndoc12]

Write that thing!

 

[FutureDoc01]

So I recieved at interview at VCOM. I'm working on my masters at another osteopathic med school. The first semester I got all A's and B's and two Cs. I have a 3.6 undergrad. How should I explain? We are taking the same classes as the med students and I just didn't realize what was expected of me and I bombed the first tests....


Opps.. Interview

 

[FutureDoc01]

Got an interview, but still sending the letter.

 

[danaling12]

Hey 2015ers,

Accepted Students Day is only 2 weeks away, and on Friday March 11th some current students and I are organizing informal meet and greets at some local restaurants. If you would like to attend and haven'ts RSVPed there is still time. I will be taking reservations until Monday March 7th. You can PM me or my email is on the thread for the Facebook group. Please just let us know how many people and if you could let us know what time you would be available for dinner. We look forward to meeting you!

 

[FutureDoc01]

I was offered an interview for next week. Does anyone know if they reject a lot post interview. The lady on the phone said I had a good chance of getting something either this year or next year. Do they just put you on waitlist if accepted with a conditional for next year?