During our last general body meeting a representative of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Dr. Prusakowski, talked about the school's medical program.
VTC is a four-year allopathic medical school with a strong base in research and inquiry. The school is in Roanoke, VA in the southwestern part of the state. It is in a mountainous area, providing students a variety of outdoor activities.
They have a class size of 49 students. Relationship-building and collaborative work are a major part of school culture. Classes use a problem-based approach. Mentorship is also prioritized by staff members, and there are programs and resources to guide students through medical school. There is a pass/fail grading system, to encourage student collaboration. Additionally, research is required for all students who attend.
Year one consists of four eight-week blocks with breaks for studying, research, and then winter break. Interactions with patients begin as early as the second week during the first year. Fourth year is rotations in clinical care, clerkships, electives, etc.
The Carilion clinic system consists of over 730 physicians in over 80 specialties. They have a 1.7 million patient population, and are very diverse.
When applying, talk about your passions. In terms of experience, VTC is looking for medical volunteering, community volunteering, research, leadership, and teamwork.
A MCAT 504 minimum is needed for the secondary application. For the secondary application, you should assume that admissions has already looked at the primary application. Enrich your record and include new perspectives and further details. Submit materials on time. CASPer test is also required for those who qualify for the secondary application.
Interviews are two-fold: a traditional interview with a member of admissions and structured scenario questions with community members. About 4.5 to 6.5% of applicants are being interviewed this year. Prior to the interview, make sure you know a few important things: information about the school, "why medicine", and "why this school"? Be confident and make sure to show why you are unique.
Applications are looked at holistically: even if you have a low MCAT score, you can still get admission if you show enough commitment to medicine.
Tuition is the same for in-state versus out-of-state students.
More information here: https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/
For any specific questions, please contact: vtcadmission@vtc.edu
