Hi everyone!
I looked into EVVCOM application for admission.
Spoke with a fellow in the admissions office: deadline 1 March and the class is so far only 1/2 filled. He said that it wouldn’t be a waste of time to apply…so, I finished the aacomas app in about three days 
and now I’m waiting for all the materials to arrive (scores, transcripts, LORs).
Whew! Anyone familiar with Blacksburg? What’s it like to live there?
Mary, I know that you were accepted there last month. Congratulations!! I loved reading your posts about the program and interview. Perhaps we could be classmates in the fall. In any event, I have lots of questions about the school for anyone who’s willing to help out. In a like-minded vein, I’d be happy to answer lots of questions that anyone may have regarding UT-Houston, or the other Texas medical schools. Or life as a researcher.
Anyway, congratulations to everyone who has been accepted for the 2003 class. You folks are the inspiration for those still working towards their goals.
Cheers, ya’ll.
Pete
Pete, that’s very promising news! I wish you all the best.
I can give you my perspective on Blacksburg as a Hokie Mom - my son is a junior there. From where I sit Blacksburg looks like a great college town. Everyone seems to be friendly and happy. When my kid was considering Virginia Tech, I tried to talk to lots of parents about it and eventually concluded that virtually EVERYbody loves it there - it was so rare to hear a negative comment.
A lot of the undergrads end up settling in there after graduation 'cause they like it so much!
Blacksburg on the map is in Podunk, VA but don’t let that fool you. As Mary in PA has commented, it’s a highly wired/wireless place with more than its share of geeks and high-tech lovers. It’s also breathtaking beautiful, in the New River Valley between two mountain ranges (Blue Ridge and Shenandoah). Hiking, boating, tubing, camping, skiing are nearby. I loooove Blacksburg. Now, I can’t really comment on Blacksburg or Roanoke as health care settings. I can tell you that the folks at Montgomery General Hospital in Blacksburg were real nice to my son one evening after he suffered a flag football injury 
but that’s about it!
Oh, and their quarterback next year is likely to be a young man named Marcus Vick, whose big brother Michael says, "He’s better than I was."
Finally, contrary to popular belief, a Hokie is not a “castrated turkey.” (I suppose one could castrate a turkey, but why???) It’s just a made-up name, someone around 1898 thought it went well in a cheer.
(Nonsensical team names don’t bother me: I’ve been a Wahoo and a Hoya!)
| QUOTE (Rothgar @ Feb 9 2003, 09:40 PM) |
| Mary, I know that you were accepted there last month. Congratulations!! I loved reading your posts about the program and interview. Perhaps we could be classmates in the fall. In any event, I have lots of questions about the school for anyone who's willing to help out. In a like-minded vein, I'd be happy to answer lots of questions that anyone may have regarding UT-Houston, or the other Texas medical schools. Or life as a researcher. Anyway, congratulations to everyone who has been accepted for the 2003 class. You folks are the inspiration for those still working towards their goals. Cheers, ya'll. Pete |
Hi Pete,
...yeah, get your stuff in ASAP and maybe we'll be classmates!
If you haven't filled out the secondary already, I suggest that you do it in advance (i.e. NOW!!). Go to the website of EVVCOM and click the link for secondary app, fill that thing out...that way you can zap it to them pronto. (Since they already know you are applying, you might consider zapping it to them now too). It was a fairly easy app, but it still takes time. They even booked my interview before they had my secondary in their hands, (so follow up with 'em very soon to get your interview!).
I'm a little surprised that only 1/2 of the class is filled; I know they are running behind schedule in that way. The accreditation is done, the building schedule is ahead...I can tell you the physical plant will rock! We'll have terrific facilities: labs, lecture rooms, etc...plus V. Tech. People are real excited.
Please feel free to message me privately if you want to talk more about the school, interview, etc. Blacksburg seemed like a welcoming place...handsome land, decent people. I'd like to hear about your research...one, I don't know what you've done and I count myself among the perpetually curious
, and two, I'm interested in more research for myself. I'll soon need to make the transition from "you all" to "y'all"... this is different, yet congruent, to the "a-yuh" of my childhood in Maine.
Take good care!
Hi there,
As a native Virginian who does not have any trace of a Southern accent, I can tell you that Blacksburg is pretty similiar to Charlottesville in being primarily a college town. That being said, you are going to find out that your patient base is pretty underserved being and will come from rural Virginia and West Virginia. You are going to find that many of your patients will have abused tobacco and alcohol. Many patients will have little or no regular healthcare. The average educational level of your patients is going to be around the fifth-grade level.
While Virginia Tech is going to be an intellectual enclave, you are going to come in contact far more often with the rural and “redneck” local populations. These folks can be very friendly but they can be pretty intimidating to people who have been urban dwellers. Most of your trauma is going to be blunt and most is going to be shipped up to us in Charlottesville as we are flyer of the Pegasus system, the major Trauma center and Blacksburg is square in our territory. We are also your Burn Center too!
The country-side is green and beautiful. I have always enjoyed the ride down Interstate 81. There are always plenty of outdoor activities such as skiing, hunting and fishing. The NASCAR circuit is alive and well in southwestern Virginia. The folks of southwestern Virginia are very different from Northern Virginia and more like eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia and Tennessee.
Having Va Tech in the town makes for good sports and a very high level of technology. The Va Tech campus is huge and very modern with a cross-section of students from all parts of Virginia.
I’ll pass through on my way to Salem, which is our affiliate in Roanoke, where I will be doing two months of General Surgery. 
Natalie
Hi everyone:
I apologize for the slow response. I have been juggling the completion of the secondary application, shadowing with my D.O. mentor, and keeping my experiments happily running along.
Mary R - thanks for the great words about Blacksburg. It does seem like a really wonderful place to live while doing the medical school thing. Plus, the cost of living is appears to be relatively cheap. That’s always a nice consideration when calculating financial burdens.
Mary B - Thank you very much for the advice. I’ve finished the secondary this morning and will be sending it off via Airborne Express. So hopefully I can have all my materials in to the school by the start of next week. I’ve found that their admissions office is super-nice.
Natalie - Yes, I suppose that you’re correct re: the patient population. And I’m not too worried about the redneck crowd. Both the Marines and living for a time in Bakersfield, California taught me about getting along there. Speaking of trauma, I LOVE your SOAP notes entries. UVA seems like a wonderful place to do a surgical residency. I’ve always been interested in a surgical residency, but I’d always worried that I’d be “too old” to play that game. However, I get the impression that you’re doing just fine. How competitive was getting the residency? Would spots be open to D.O. students?
Cheers, ya’ll!
| QUOTE (Rothgar @ Feb 11 2003, 12:13 PM) |
|
Natalie - Yes, I suppose that you're correct re: the patient population. And I'm not too worried about the redneck crowd. Both the Marines and living for a time in Bakersfield, California taught me about getting along there. Speaking of trauma, I LOVE your SOAP notes entries. UVA seems like a wonderful place to do a surgical residency. I've always been interested in a surgical residency, but I'd always worried that I'd be "too old" to play that game. However, I get the impression that you're doing just fine. How competitive was getting the residency? Would spots be open to D.O. students? Cheers, ya'll! |
Hi there,
Every residency program at the University of Virginia is open to any medical student who is a graduate of a LCME-accredited medical school. One of my colleagues in General Surgery is a graduate of the osteopathic medical school in Iowa. He is from North Carolina but went to school in Iowa. He is an excellent resident and is great fun to have as a colleague.
The main thing that you want to concentrate on, while in medical school, doing your best. The residency programs at UVa went into the stratosphere in terms of competitiveness. All residency programs this year had hundreds more applicants than in previous years. Some like General Surgery and Anesthesia were downright brutal because there is only a limited number of slots and many more applicants. That being said, things change from year to year so you can't use this year as a measure of what is going to happen next year or even in the next four years. Two years ago, General Surgery everywhere was hurting for applicants, this year, the numbers increased dramatically. Just remember that applications to various specialties go in cycles but if you are a well qualified applicant with good grades and numbers on USMLE Step I/COMLEX I, you will be able to determine your own fate. Look only to Dave as an example of how good performance in medical school translates into getting into a very competitive residency program.
Good luck with your applications and enjoy medical school!
Natalie
| QUOTE (Rothgar @ Feb 9 2003, 09:40 PM) |
| Whew! Anyone familiar with Blacksburg? What's it like to live there? |
I am excited about the new COM in Blacksburg - gives me another one to put on my list when I apply. As others have said, Blacksburg is a fantastic place. Cost of living is great. Lots of outdoor stuff to do. THE best Bluegrass. And BEAUTIFUL. *sigh* I never lived in Blacksburg, but I grew up just down the road in another part of Appalachia. In high school, Virginia Tech was the other school everyone wanted to attend (after UT that is).
Also, I applied for a number of research jobs in the Vet School at VaTech in hopes that I could move there. VaTech is building up a great Biotech/Bioinformatics program. I still check out job opportunities at VaTech. Sadly, I ended up somewhere other than Blacksburg.
Congrats to those of y'all who will make Blacksburg home (if only temporarily). Below is a brief pronunciation guide for local places. Iffen y'all don't want to come acrost as furen, you mighten wanna take a look see.
Botetourt County - Bought-ah-Tot
Wytheville - withVille (said so quickly it almost sounds like wiffle)
Appalachian - Ap-uh-laT-chun (and by God if you're moving to Appalachia, you better damn well learn how to say it correctly)
bye-n-bye
Rachel
Just to keep anyone that is interested up to speed:
1. I have completed the AACOMAS primary application. I also emailed a copy to the admissions office at EVVCOM.
2. The secondary was received by EVVCOM today.
3. My letters of recommendation should be in the hands of the adcom by Monday morning.
4. I spoke with Ken Hincker who stated that they would take a look at my application as soon as the LORs start arriving.
Whew! That is the fastest that I’ve ever put together an application in my life. I know that it’s a long shot - I mean, who’s ever heard of anyone getting in on a thrown-together application? On the other hand, you never know what Fate has planned for you.
Mary B - thanks so VERY much for your time last night. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and I’m sure that you’re going to make a big impact on your class. You are a class act.
BTW, if you’re reading this and you happen to be a member that lurks, you might want to try getting more involved in the group! I’ve been a part of this group since it was a listserv back in the day (when Mary and Dave were APPLYING to med school). It’s been a long time (I was but a freshman in college) but what has never changed is the wonderful support, professional attitude, and strong sense of community. Thanks everyone!
Pete, thank you! Like I said, I enjoy people’s stories (and us OPMs are full of 'em!)
Things seem to move fast at EVVCOM when it comes to applications. Get bold —> call Ken Hincker back next week and hopefully get an interview time! 
It would be terrific to have more non-trads/oldsters in the class.
Hope all goes well…you’ll do great. 
Mary,
I sent you an email and a PM.
| QUOTE (ParamedicRN @ Feb 14 2003, 12:04 AM) |
| Mary, I sent you an email and a PM. |
Hi...didn't get the e-mail, but the PM came through all right. Please use the PM function here on OPMs if you want to "talk". Looking forward to meeting you and all our classmates!
Mary Said: "Things seem to move fast at EVVCOM when it comes to applications. Get bold —> call Ken Hincker"
Well, Mary, I did it!! I called Ken just a few moments ago and he asked when I wanted to come out for an interview!!!
Wow. I feel like a champ! Things do indeed move fast, and I feel like I’m in the passenger seat of a porsche outrunning the law… I’ll let everyone know when my interview date is as soon as a I figure out a good date.
OPM rocks!!
Pete in Houston
Pete,
Best of luck on your interview. Yes, please let us know when it is. And just think, when you get accepted, you can beccome part of the Virginia/West Virginia ladies OPM-now-med students and doctors club. . . . even though you’re a guy!
| QUOTE (Rothgar @ Feb 20 2003, 02:36 PM) |
| Mary Said: "Things seem to move fast at EVVCOM when it comes to applications. Get bold ---> call Ken Hincker" Well, Mary, I did it!! I called Ken just a few moments ago and he asked when I wanted to come out for an interview!!! Wow. I feel like a champ! Things do indeed move fast, and I feel like I'm in the passenger seat of a porsche outrunning the law.... I'll let everyone know when my interview date is as soon as a I figure out a good date.OPM rocks!! Pete in Houston |
Oh yeah!!
Pete, that's great...ya gotta let us know how your interview goes!
What Linda said!: we women of the Virginia and West Virginia med schools do not discrimate against the OPM men of said schools...IOWs, you're welcome to join us for study-buddies and coffee.
Like I said, the interviews were not stressy...EVVCOM has a very friendly crew of people in the admissions office.
Take care!
Hi everyone:
I just wanted to drop ya'll a line - I'm leaving tomorrow for my Monday interview @ EVVCOM. I'm really excited and I can't wait. I'm actually more excited about this one than the one for UT-Houston.
Anyway, thanks to Mary and everyone else for your advice, comments, and help. I'll keep ya'll informed.
Pete
bump for forums back online
Hi everyone:
I just thought that I’d drop a quick note to let everyone know how my VCOM interview day went…
First off, let me second Mary’s high, high praise of this school! This is a school that has its stuff together. Everyone from the deans down through the admin staff is excited and motivated to make their school the best around. They openly state that they plan to be the very best oseto school in the nation, bar none.
The weather in Blacksburg wasn’t exactly ideal to start the day off with: some snow flurries ( 
) and high winds. Nonetheless, I arrived about 8:45 and met with a fellow SDNr who was also interviewing that day. We had a fairly informal powerpoint presentation from the associate dean for academic affairs, and then we were taken in for the first of three interviews (which were back to back to back).
I think that the interviews went really well. It seemed as if the school was focused on getting to know what kind of physician you’ll be, and they weren’t nearly as focused on the numbers (at least not in the interview). My interviewers asked lots of hypothetical questions, plus a couple of outliers. As well, we were all asked the standard “Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician” question.
Lunch at a really nice restaurant, then the tour of Blacksburg, back for some wrap up presentations, and done at 3:30. Very nicely organized.
I tell you, if the three gentlemen that were interviewing with me are any indication of the quality that this school is going to be made of, then I want to be a part of it! Everyone had lots of “snap” and came from a broad range of backgrounds. This was wonderful to see; I did not get the impression that the first class is going to be made up of gunners. Add in the fact that folks like Mary will be attending, and I felt like I had come home…
Folks, believe it: this school is going to have an outstanding reputation in just a couple of years!
So now I wait and see…
Anyone know just how fast I will find out, yea or nay?
Hope all goes well and you get in. Good luck Rothgar
| QUOTE (Rothgar @ Mar 5 2003, 12:25 AM) |
| Add in the fact that folks like Mary will be attending, and I felt like I had come home..... Folks, believe it: this school is going to have an outstanding reputation in just a couple of years! So now I wait and see......... Anyone know just how fast I will find out, yea or nay? |
Pete, hi! Thanks!
Glad that your interview went well...you'll probably hear from them by Friday of this week or Monday of next week. At least that's what they told our group. (So get your $1000 ready!)
I think that between the administration that's in place, the faculty and staff, and the students they're accepting, that we're going to make a great school together. The opportunity/potential for that is tremendous.
Hope to see you in class! Let us know when you hear...and take care.
Hi Mary:
Hold on! I haven’t been accepted yet! 
When we left on Monday they told us that we would hear back in two weeks. They emphasized that…Two weeks. Sigh…Did they tell you guys that, too?
Trying not to think about there being just over a week until I hear…
Pete