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2018-2019 Cycle


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Guest thatgirlonabike
On 9/5/2018 at 1:45 PM, SDPA19 said:

Just got accepted this morning from the 9/1 interview! Anyone else?

Good luck to everyone who is waiting to hear back!

Congrats!  What did you think of the facilities and the town?  This is the only program I applied to that isn't associated with a med school but I'm really drawn to their ideas about mindfulness and emphasis on psych. 

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On 9/6/2018 at 1:50 PM, thatgirlonabike said:

Congrats!  What did you think of the facilities and the town?  This is the only program I applied to that isn't associated with a med school but I'm really drawn to their ideas about mindfulness and emphasis on psych. 

Thank you! It is a beautiful campus. The Health and Sciences Campus is about 20 mins from the main campus in Marion, VA. It is in a renovated hospital and everything is updated and welcoming. The free clinic and gross anatomy lab are located on campus in a separate building. There is also a nice gym and multiple apartment complexes walking distance to campus. The town in small, but charming. There aren't many distractions, but that's a good thing. 

I hope that helps! Good luck!! 

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On ‎11‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 4:01 PM, VAEMPA said:

Hey Ya'll,

I was wondering what peoples opinion was if it is too late for me to apply to this program?

 

Thanks.

As long as their CASPA is still open it isn't too late to apply! I think they do interviews through January. Go for it!!

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On ‎11‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 2:06 PM, bellis said:

I'm an applicant for this cycle but also wanted to mention that this school is in my (tiny) hometown where I was born and raised, so if anyone has any questions, feel free to post away or message me! I'm happy to help anyone who will be new to the area. 

Where is the best place to live? I am having a hard time finding apartment or rental home information online.

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6 hours ago, SDPA19 said:

Where is the best place to live? I am having a hard time finding apartment or rental home information online.

Marion is a small town, which I'm sure any of you who have visited will know (population of about 6,000). As you also know, this is a pretty medically underserved area of Virginia and I would say a large portion of the population is hovering around the poverty line, both above and below. People don't really move in and out frequently - they will be born there, live there, and die there - so there isn't a huge market for rentals. And keep in mind that apartment rentals here aren't going to have bigger city amenities like a community pool, fitness room, etc. You get your apartment, and a parking space. That's about it. 

In the past year or two, they developed some great apartments downtown with E&H grad students specifically in mind. I'm actually surprised that E&H went ahead The only downside is there aren't very units - I think 12 or 15? But definitely a nice apartment complex. They're called Francis Apartments and the number to inquire about renting is (276) 780-3561. If you have trouble getting ahold of someone, let me know and I can put you in direct contact with the owner. 

There is a large set of apartments as you crest the hill to go to the campus - I cannot for the life of me remember the name right now, and a Google search failed me. You can probably see the school from your apartment, and it's only about 0.3 miles, but it's not great to walk because it's a busy intersection with no sidewalks and no pedestrian walkways. Those are decent apartments that a lot of people live in when they come back to Marion after college or after they first move out of their parents' house. I'd say the mix leans more towards 30's and up, and many people there are long time residents. They're older apartments, but there is very little in this town that is new, so take it for what it's worth. There's another set called Country Club Crossing that I know a few people who have lived there, but I personally haven't seen what the inside looks like. I'd stay away from the complexes on the west side of town - - those are rough. 

Oh! EDITED TO ADD: A great place to look/inquire might be the Facebook group "Smyth County Yard Sale"  - https://www.facebook.com/groups/478851678841090/?ref=group_browse_new That's pretty much the hub for all things renting/buying/selling. Probably your best bet if you don't have luck with Francis Apartments. 

Real Estate is expensive (and again, few people seem to ever leave), so the rental market is very slow. A lot of the realtors aren't up on Zillow, and no one there is using Pad Mapper, Airbnb, or even Craigslist. They're just old fashioned. People have for rent signs in their yards, but even those don't go up very often. I'd call some of the Real Estate agents and see if they've got anything. 

Sorry if that was more vague than helpful - I'll make a couple calls tonight and see if I can get some more info for you. 

Edited by bellis
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Guest thatgirlonabike

I've not interviewed yet but I've been checking out the real estate scene everywhere I've been invited.  Real Estate is SUPER cheap around Marion (like under 100K).  You might do just as well buying a house and renting the extra rooms to grad students.  If I get in here I may look into that. 

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On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 3:49 PM, bellis said:

Marion is a small town, which I'm sure any of you who have visited will know (population of about 6,000). As you also know, this is a pretty medically underserved area of Virginia and I would say a large portion of the population is hovering around the poverty line, both above and below. People don't really move in and out frequently - they will be born there, live there, and die there - so there isn't a huge market for rentals. And keep in mind that apartment rentals here aren't going to have bigger city amenities like a community pool, fitness room, etc. You get your apartment, and a parking space. That's about it. 

In the past year or two, they developed some great apartments downtown with E&H grad students specifically in mind. I'm actually surprised that E&H went ahead The only downside is there aren't very units - I think 12 or 15? But definitely a nice apartment complex. They're called Francis Apartments and the number to inquire about renting is (276) 780-3561. If you have trouble getting ahold of someone, let me know and I can put you in direct contact with the owner. 

There is a large set of apartments as you crest the hill to go to the campus - I cannot for the life of me remember the name right now, and a Google search failed me. You can probably see the school from your apartment, and it's only about 0.3 miles, but it's not great to walk because it's a busy intersection with no sidewalks and no pedestrian walkways. Those are decent apartments that a lot of people live in when they come back to Marion after college or after they first move out of their parents' house. I'd say the mix leans more towards 30's and up, and many people there are long time residents. They're older apartments, but there is very little in this town that is new, so take it for what it's worth. There's another set called Country Club Crossing that I know a few people who have lived there, but I personally haven't seen what the inside looks like. I'd stay away from the complexes on the west side of town - - those are rough. 

Oh! EDITED TO ADD: A great place to look/inquire might be the Facebook group "Smyth County Yard Sale"  - https://www.facebook.com/groups/478851678841090/?ref=group_browse_new That's pretty much the hub for all things renting/buying/selling. Probably your best bet if you don't have luck with Francis Apartments. 

Real Estate is expensive (and again, few people seem to ever leave), so the rental market is very slow. A lot of the realtors aren't up on Zillow, and no one there is using Pad Mapper, Airbnb, or even Craigslist. They're just old fashioned. People have for rent signs in their yards, but even those don't go up very often. I'd call some of the Real Estate agents and see if they've got anything. 

Sorry if that was more vague than helpful - I'll make a couple calls tonight and see if I can get some more info for you. 

THANK YOU!!!!! This is extremely helpful!!!! I'll look into Francis Apartments and join the facebook group.

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