Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine Admission
Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine Undergraduate Program
Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine Application

The Facts

Virginia Commonwealth University is a rather large, public institution located in the town of Richmond, Virginia, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 24,000 students. The university's School of Medicine, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 700 graduate medical students. The average age of enrollment is around 23, and it is fairly rare for any of the students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its terrific research facilities and programs, as well as for its emphasis on public health. Aside from the basic MD degree, the school offers joint degrees in the MD/MPH, and the MD/PhD in various areas of the biomedical sciences.

Admission to Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Medicine is extremely competitive among the many students who apply; last year, over 3,470 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 400 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 184 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had average MCAT scores of about 9.9 in Biology, 9.6 in Physics, and 9.3 in Verbal, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.5. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and are able to take advantage of the school's early application program if they so choose.

The university's School of Medicine has about 982 faculty members, all of whom come from relatively diverse medical and academic backgrounds. The school also boasts a very manageable student to faculty ratio of about 1:1, and the small classes allow for plenty of discussion and interaction between students and their professors.

Graduates of the School of Medicine often go on to be accepted to some of the most prestigious and competitive residency programs in the nation, and most frequently specialize in the areas of primary care, pediatrics, and neurology.

Clinical Programs

Students are required to complete extensive clinical programs, including 12 weeks of general medicine, 8 weeks of surgery, 6 weeks of psychiatry, 6 weeks of ob/gyn, 8 weeks of pediatrics, 4 weeks of family practice, as well as 4 weeks of neurology. Students complete their clinical clerkships at various affiliated facilities including the McGuire Veterans Hospital, as well as various branches of MCV Hospitals.

What's Good

"The faculty here obviously loves what they do, and are very dedicated to this school and to their students."

"Students are extremely supportive of one another, and people really have each other's backs."

"The research opportunities here are unparelled, and you get a lot of hands-on action."

What's Bad

"For out of state students, tuition is quite high."

"I would like to see a bit more attentiveness to the needs of individual students on the part of the administration."

"You can't really expect to have a very significant social life while you're here."

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