UVA Career Center

Written by Caroline Centeno, '23

I attended the Georgetown University School Of Medicine (GUSOM) Information Session hosted for UVA students and I’m so glad that I did! With Georgetown being one of the highest ranked medical
schools in terms of application volume, I was intrigued to learn what draws so many students to
apply. We heard about the school’s curriculum, programs, academic tracks, and application
process, so I’ll share some of my takeaways from each.

John Han graduated from UVA with his undergraduate degree in May 2020 and received his master's degree in Philosophy from UVA in May 2021. He is now a first-year medical student at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. He is now sharing advice for things he wish he knew before starting medical school, which is so helpful for students who are either just getting started on their pre-health journey or for those who are about to apply for medical school. Read below for our Q&A with John!

Over the years, medical school tuition has become increasingly expensive, with almost a 600% increase in student loan debt in 30 years. Because of this, financing medical school has become a growing concern for incoming medical school students. While most turn to student loans, there are other methods to help finance your medical school education.

I recently attended an information session for Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM) and it was undoubtedly a beneficial experience. Like many students, I’ve heard a lot more about MD programs than DO, and that’s because of the abundance of resources and information related to MD programs. Today I learned these degrees are very similar in what types of medicine one can practice.

After an interview, you may receive notice from a school informing you that you have been placed on the waitlist. It is appropriate (but not required) to submit a letter of interest to these schools to indicate your continued interest in their program as well as provide a relevant update about yourself.

CASPer

What is the CASPer? 

The CASPer is a test used by some medical schools to help assess an applicant's interpersonal competencies and situational judgment skills. 

As we collectively grieve the loss of D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr., and Devin Chandler - beloved members of our UVA community - coming together to honor and celebrate the lives they lead and the values they stood for, we wanted to address questions we’ve received about grading. Due to the unique nature of applying to Pre-Health Professions schools with pre-requisites, we wanted to provide more tailored advice in response to the recent email from the Provost on ‘Grading Options Available for Fall 2022 Semester’ - as it pertains to those on the Pre-Health track.