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Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Richmond, VA Class Size: 190
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Statistics Tuition Friendliness Mission Statement Situational Judgement Tests Dates & Deadlines Prerequisite Courses Dual Degree Tracks Contact Information Secondary App Questions Interview Questions

Gaining admission to Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine is Moderately Competitive. Applicants typically have an average GPA of 3.88 and an average MCAT score of 513.

Statistics

To summarize, listed below are the most important academic statistics for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine applicants:

Average GPA:
3.88
Average MCAT:
513
Competitiveness:
Moderately Competitive
Note: Competitiveness is assessed based on the school's acceptance rate, average MCAT, and average GPA.

Tuition

Affording medical school can be tough, often requiring students to take on significant loans. Information about the yearly tuition for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine is below.

In-State Tuition:
$38000
Out-of-State Tuition:
$62000

For more information about tuition at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, visit the following link: https://medschool.vcu.edu/media/medschool2018/content-assets/files-and-documents/ms-excel-sheet/2021-2022MDBudget-FINAL.xls

Friendliness

Some schools prefer in-state candidates, while others are more receptive to out-of-state or international applicants. View our school "friendliness" scores for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine below:

IN-STATE

In-State Friendliness:
Friendly

OUT-OF-STATE

Accepts Out-of-State:
Yes
Out-of-State Friendliness:
Friendly

INTERNATIONAL

Accepts Canadian:
Yes
Accepts International:
Yes
International Friendliness:
Very Friendly

Note: Most schools will be labelled "Neutral" for In-State Friendlines because they don't have a strong bias for in-state applicants compared to out-of-state applicants. In other words, we believe these schools view In-State and Out-State applicants more or less equally. Schools labelled as "Out-of-State Friendly / Very Friendly" have a high proportion of their class filled with Out-of-State applicants.

Mission Statement

It is always important to read and understand a medical school's mission statement before applying. Often, you will find out what the medical school stands for, and if you fit in with the general "vibe" of the medical school. However, being honest, most medical schools have the same run-of-the-mill mission statement as everybody else. Anyways, you can be the judge. Below you can find the mission statement for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine:

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Mission Statement:
Our mission is to improve health through exceptional and innovative discovery, training and patient care. With the help of our strategic plan, we will achieve our vision of being known for the accomplishments of our trainees, faculty, staff and alumni in research, education and patient care.

For more information on the mission statement for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, visit the following link: https://medschool.vcu.edu/about/mission/

Situational Judgement Tests

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine does not require the completion of either the CASPer® nor the AAMC PREview™ examinations.

CASPer®:
Yes
AAMC PREview™:
No
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Dates, Deadlines, and Fees

Throughout your application cycle, there are many dates to be cognizant of in order to ensure the successful completion of your application.

Primary Application Deadline:
October 15
Secondary Application Deadline:
Dec 16
Secondary Application Fee:
$80
Note: The primary application deadline refers to when your primary application (i.e., the initial AMCAS/AACOMAS/TMDSAS application) needs to be completed. Please be aware that there are processing times associated with primary applications—for instance, there can be a several week processing time associated with verifying your acadmic transcripts when initially submitting the AMCAS application. Upon receipt of the primary application, most schools will then shortly send you a secondary application with targeted essay questions relevant to the specific school.

The secondary application deadline is the final day for all your application materials to be together, which includes submitting the secondary essays, all letters of recommendation, all test scores, etc. Sometimes, schools may have earlier deadlines for letters of recommendation. However, note that for the vast majority of schools it is best to submit your secondary application as soon as possible: within 2 weeks of receiving the secondary application is a good rule-of-thumb.

Below are some other helpful dates:

Interview Cycle Start:
August
Interview Cycle End:
March
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Prerequisite Courses

Most schools have a list of prerequisite courses that you need to have completed before matriculating. View information provided for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine below:

Interpreting Semester Hours
Typically,
3 Semester Hours = A single semester-long course = 1 or 2 quarters
4 Semester Hours = A single semester-long course + associated lab unit
6 Semester Hours = Two semester-long courses = 3 quarters
8 Semester Hours = Two semester-long courses + two associated lab units

PHYSICS

Semester Hours:
8
Lab?
Required

CHEMISTRY

GenChem = General Chemistry

OChem = Organic Chemistry

Biochem = Biochemistry

GenChem Semester Hours:
8
GenChem Lab?
Required
OChem Semester Hours:
8
OChem Lab?
Required
Biochem Semester Hours:
4
Biochem Lab?
Not Required

BIOLOGY

GenBio = General Biology

HL Bio = Higher Level Biology

GenBio Semester Hours:
8
GenBio Lab?
Required
HL Bio Semester Hours:
HL Bio Lab?
Not Required

May be satisfied by general biology, zoology or botany. At least 4 creidts in higher level biology required for non-science majors, heavily recommended for science majors.

HUMANITIES & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Semester Hours:

Psychology and Sociology highly recommended.

ENGLISH/WRITING

Semester Hours:
6

Intensive writing courses count towards requirement.

MATHEMATICS/STATISTICS

Mathematics Semester Hours:
3
Statistics Semester Hours:
3

Six credits of any combination of stats or math.

OTHER REQUIRED COURSES

OTHER RECOMMENDED COURSES

Cell biology, anatomy, embryology, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, immunology or neuroscience all highly recommended.

SOURCE: https://medschool.vcu.edu/admissions/md/future-applicants/

Special Programs

Many schools have dual-degree programs for motivated applicants. View the ones offered at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine below:

MD+PhD (MSTP - Medical Scientist Training Program):
Yes
MD+MPH (Public Health):
Yes
MD+MBA (Business, Healthcare Administration):
MD+JD (Law):
MD+MA (Master of Arts):
MD+MS (Master of Science):

Contact Information

View contact information (phone and email) available to contact Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine below:

CONTACT #1

Title:
E-mail:
somume@vcu.edu
Phone:

CONTACT #2

Title:
E-mail:
Phone:

Secondary Application Essay Prompts

Below are the past secondary (supplemental) application essay prompts for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

You are approached by a neighbor whom you are friendly with and who knows you are headed to medical school. The neighbor wants your opinion on whether she should have her healthy 3-year-old child vaccinated against COVID. The neighbor is well-researched and thoughtful, bringing up data that suggests limited long-term benefits of vaccination, while pointing to concerning, documented side effects. How would you respond to this dilemma? (Comments are limited to 2,000 characters. Research on the topic is encouraged)
How do you define “grit”, and how have you demonstrated this in the past? (2,000 character limit)
Please briefly explain any lapses in your undergraduate education that are not explained in your application. (2,000 character limit)
Please briefly explain any low GPAs or poor grades. (2,000 character limit)
If not addressed in your application, what are you currently doing now?

Interview Questions

Below are common interview questions that you might encounter on your important day for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

Describe a situation where you had to work with someone you disliked and how you handled it.
Describe a time when you had difficulty working with a teammate or group.
What made you choose this medical school?
How would you react if someone in a group wasn't pulling their weight?
Tell us about your extracurricular activities timeline.
Why did you choose your undergraduate college?
What type of medicine are you interested in?
What are your thoughts on healthcare reform?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What hobbies do you have?
Describe your research or hospital experience.
Discuss a time when you made a big mistake and what you learned from it.
What changes do you think need to be made in healthcare?
Talk about a time when you helped someone during a crisis.
Why do you want to pursue a career in medicine?
Hypothetically, if you couldn't be a doctor, what career would you choose?
What is the biggest problem with the US healthcare system?
Why do you want to be a doctor?
What area of medicine are you interested in?
What was your favorite and least favorite class?
How would you handle cultural differences with patients?
Discuss a time when you faced a challenge and how you overcame it.
What is your teaching experience?
What do you think about the current healthcare system in America?
Describe your research experience.
Describe a special patient interaction incident.
How would you handle a patient who refuses treatment?
Talk about a time when you resolved group conflict.
How did you handle a challenging situation in your life and what did you learn from it?
How would you handle a cancer patient who wants to refuse treatment?
How do you define leadership?
Describe a situation where you interacted with a different culture.
Can you tell us about a difficult situation you had to work through?
Describe your career goals as a physician.
What was the last fictional book you read?
When did you become interested in medicine?