Eastern Virginia Medical School Interviews 2022

[DreamItBelieveItBecomeIt]

2 hours ago, vynguyenxx said:

Hi there!

There are lots of great resources at EVMS to help guide you through PA school. Along with being assigned a faculty mentor, PA students also have student mentors from the PA class above. Academic Development is another great resource that helps refine your academic skills through things such as studying tips and tutoring services.

In terms of clubs and activities, you'll find lots of ways that you can be involved in the community. EVMS is an extremely community oriented school, and PA students are required to participate in at least 40 hours of community service prior to graduation. EVMS provides many different volunteer opportunities, including refugee health, working with kids with special needs, nutrition and wellness, and more! Here's a link to all of the community projects that EVMS has to offer: https://www.evms.edu/education/resources/community-engaged_learning/

If you're not interested in any of those, you are also welcome to volunteer in other projects outside of EVMS!

Hope this helps and good luck on your interview in July!

 

Is there any student(s) who are involved with the volunteer EMS from your community-engaged-learn you are aware of?  

[AmandaPeroe]

On 6/9/2022 at 9:19 AM, Breezy624 said:

That is awesome! I especially love that there is a class dedicated to helping students succeed. Do you have any restaurants/places that you recommend? I plan on trying some out when I come to visit for my interview and doing some sightseeing. 

There are so many to pick from but some of my favorites are Perro Blanco (Mexican food), Orapax (Greek food), Cogans pizza, and grilled cheese bistro. Our post-exam hang out spots lately have been Elation Brewery (AND they have great pizza), Hank’s Filling Station, and Mack’s Barge. Every person you ask is going to throw out different places because there are A TON of unique food spots in the area. 

Edited June 25, 2022 by AmandaPeroe

[EmilyDawson]

1 hour ago, DaynaMarie said:

Aw, where in Michigan?  I was born there and spent my childhood and college years there.  Where did you do you undergrad work?  Did you stay in Michigan?

I'm from the metro Detroit area and lived there my whole life until I moved here! I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor  The winters in Norfolk are definitely much better than Michigan!!

[Ebony]

7 hours ago, hondo said:

Hey there! Thank you again for starting this! Are any of you parents ? I have a almost 2 yr old and I’m curious to how you are able to balance both being a full time student and parent. What do you do if your kid is sick ? Daycare is closed but school is not? 
 

I feel like i have a good plan in place but any extra tips are helpful! 

Hey!!! I am a parent of two girls aged 8 and 11 and I will be honest it is a lot ...however ...a good support system is EVERYTHING. The EVMS attendance policy is very strict and unfortunately that means if your kiddo is sick you should try your best not to miss class. Find someone that can be your babysitter when childcare is closed or when your little one is sick. Being late for class is also an absence so the attendance policy is very rigid. They are doing this because professionalism goes along with being on time and they want to continually instill that in us. With that being said, they also understand that life happens. As far as making time for my family, it is a struggle. School has to be first. I get really envious of the other students who are single and only have school to worry about but you will find ways to adjust and find what works best for you. I schedule my family in and make time for them. I try to eat dinner with them the majority of the days and I truly try my best to be as "present" as possible. Right now, I am absorbed by school from 5am until 9pm hahah but I try to take a half day off on the weekends. Now, I am also older. I am 35 so I am not as efficient at studying as some of my amazing classmates but I am figuring out what works for me. 

 

At the end of the day a good support system is what will make you successful in PA school!! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out ! Also, my kids keep me motivated to want to be the best PA possible and I know that I am setting an example for them and that is my driving force !!!

 

Take care,

Ebony

[cameronmeade]

Hey everyone, I figured I'd join the party along with my fellow classmates. My name is Cam and I am also a member of the Mentorship Committee for the PA class of 2024 here at EVMS. I am super excited to have the opportunity to be in this Committee and help guide you guys throughout this process. We were in your shoes literally just months ago, so we understand how excited (and maybe nervous) you all are! Congrats to everyone who has received an interview invitation so far. We can't wait to see you all next month!

[Rauschenbacam]

Anyone familiar with commuting to EVMS >1 hour? If I am accepted, I plan to hopefully commute from Richmond, VA. It’s obviously not ideal, but personally and financially it’s what I’d prefer. I have family that live in the Tidewater area so there’s definitely the option at times to stay with them for a shorter commute (40ish mins) if needed. 

[DreamItBelieveItBecomeIt]

12 hours ago, eetdawson said:

I'm from the metro Detroit area and lived there my whole life until I moved here! I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor  The winters in Norfolk are definitely much better than Michigan!!

I am from the Metro as well.  I am a Spartan.  I moved to Texas in '09 and I do not miss the winters!  So glad to hear the winters are better in Norfolk!

[JenTorraco]

Hey guys, my name is Jen. I am a current PA student at EVMS, c/o 2024. Congratulations on your journey to becoming a PA! I'm part of the Mentorship Committee, so I am here to help answer some questions and encourage you on your path.

A little about me:

I'm originally from Albuquerque, NM, but have lived in Chesapeake for 10 years. I worked for the City of Norfolk for almost 10 years so I know the area very well if you guys have questions about the community. I look forward to meeting you guys in July! 

- Jen

[JenTorraco]

16 hours ago, DaynaMarie said:

Is there any student(s) who are involved with the volunteer EMS from your community-engaged-learn you are aware of?  

Hey, Yes I'm part of the EMS group. We volunteer in VB. It's very flexible and you only need to do 40 hours over 2.5 years.

- Jen

[AmandaPeroe]

12 hours ago, Rauschenbacam said:

Anyone familiar with commuting to EVMS >1 hour? If I am accepted, I plan to hopefully commute from Richmond, VA. It’s obviously not ideal, but personally and financially it’s what I’d prefer. I have family that live in the Tidewater area so there’s definitely the option at times to stay with them for a shorter commute (40ish mins) if needed. 

Hey there, 

In our 2024 class, the farthest commuter is from Williamsburg. I'd be happy to connect you with her so that you can hear her experience. Overall, I would say that extensive commutes are definitely an added challenge to students. We frequently have exams that require us to report to campus at 7:45AM and traffic is always a variable that you are up against when commuting. Timeliness and attendance are two important aspects of professionalism that our program emphasizes. 

Send me a personal message, and I can connect you with Sarah!

[DreamItBelieveItBecomeIt]

1 hour ago, JenTorraco said:

Hey, Yes I'm part of the EMS group. We volunteer in VB. It's very flexible and you only need to do 40 hours over 2.5 years.

- Jen

Hi Jen!  How did you become involved?  I have my NREMT-LP and I would love to be part of such an opportunity.

[LaurenTemple]

Good afternoon, everyone!

My name is Lauren Temple, and I am the Community Outreach Chair for the Class of 2024. I am working in conjunction with Katie and the Mentorship Committee to make sure you all feel welcomed into the EVMS family

First, congratulations on being selected for the interview! What an amazing feat!

I have the honor of organizing an event the night between the two interview dates (the evening of July 14th) for our class to introduce ourselves and answer any questions you may have about Norfolk, EVMS, or our experience as PA students. So be on the look out for more information coming in the future.

I am from the Hampton Roads area, and I have lived in Norfolk for about 7 years now. I love it here! I am also a wife and mother to a 16 month baby girl (she is the cutest, you have to meet her)! I am also willing to answer any questions you may have.

Congratulations again, and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you!

Best,

Lauren Temple

[joanne101095]

On 6/9/2022 at 12:27 PM, Breezy624 said:

Hi Joanne! Looking forward to meeting you as well. I am from NY and so I wanted to know how the move was for you? Was it easy to find an apartment in the area and what resources did you utilize?

Hi there! The move wasn’t too bad since I had a few months to get settled before school started. I ended up signing my lease in October/November and flew out here to set everything (furniture and other essentials) up before school started. I also ended up shipping my car and renting my furniture (CORT rental has a great student deal if you don’t plan on staying in the area afterwards or don’t want to deal with the hassle of moving everything in/out yourself.)

As for the area, there are a lot of nice apartments in Ghent, which is super close to campus. For reference, my apartment is only about 5 minutes away. People from the class of 2023 gave their housing recommendations and I looked into that. If you have any other questions, I’m all ears!

[joanne101095]

On 6/9/2022 at 1:13 PM, hondo said:

If i get in, I’ll be moving from Washington state!! 

Always love to see people on here from the west coast! Good luck!!

[JenTorraco]

9 hours ago, DaynaMarie said:

Hi Jen!  How did you become involved?  I have my NREMT-LP and I would love to be part of such an opportunity.

You have to apply for a group during your first week. In order to do the EMS group, you need to be an EMT or Paramedic. I was a Firefighter/Paramedic for almost 10 years in Norfolk. I believe we have 8 people in our PA-EMS group and they range from EMT-B to EMT-P's!

[JenTorraco]

On 6/9/2022 at 11:02 PM, Rauschenbacam said:

Anyone familiar with commuting to EVMS >1 hour? If I am accepted, I plan to hopefully commute from Richmond, VA. It’s obviously not ideal, but personally and financially it’s what I’d prefer. I have family that live in the Tidewater area so there’s definitely the option at times to stay with them for a shorter commute (40ish mins) if needed. 

That's a tough call. It's all personal preference I guess. I would highly recommend against having to commune more than 45 min / day. I commute about 30 min ever day which is manageable. There are a lot of time constraints in school, and adding 4 hours a day of driving can be stressful. Some exams are at 8am and long days. Additionally, the state is currently doing construction on the tunnel to Hampton and are adding another tunnel, causing a lot of traffic delays right now. It's a big project that might go for another few years. But do what's best for your family, but I would see about living with the family in the Tidewater area for sure!

Best of luck in your interview in July!!

- Jen

Edited June 11, 2022 by JenTorraco

[ttorres]

Hi there, 

I am a first time applicant and beyond excited to meet you all next month as we crush these interviews! It is my understanding that we will have two individual interviews and participate in a group interview. What does a group interview entail? Also, does this mean we will not have MMIs? Thank you for any insight and advice you may have!! 

[pastudent517]

On 6/10/2022 at 2:18 PM, joanne101095 said:

Hi there! The move wasn’t too bad since I had a few months to get settled before school started. I ended up signing my lease in October/November and flew out here to set everything (furniture and other essentials) up before school started. I also ended up shipping my car and renting my furniture (CORT rental has a great student deal if you don’t plan on staying in the area afterwards or don’t want to deal with the hassle of moving everything in/out yourself.)

As for the area, there are a lot of nice apartments in Ghent, which is super close to campus. For reference, my apartment is only about 5 minutes away. People from the class of 2023 gave their housing recommendations and I looked into that. If you have any other questions, I’m all ears!

Awesome, thank you so much!

[DreamItBelieveItBecomeIt]

Is there a community clinic students have an opportunity to engage in patient care prior to the clinical year?

[CardsPA2B]

I'll be driving to ev on the 13th from long Island ny if anyone wants to carpool, I'll be coming back Friday the 15th.

[katiegaskin]

On 6/15/2022 at 12:05 AM, DaynaMarie said:

Is there a community clinic students have an opportunity to engage in patient care prior to the clinical year?

Hi! During the first semester, students will choose their CEL (Community Engaged Learning) assignment. One of the options is the HOPES clinic, which is a free clinic run by EVMS students (MD and PA). This is my CEL and I am one of the Shift Managers! It's a lot fun and a great learning environment. However, PA students cannot be a Clinician until after didactic year. HOPES has many opportunities for students besides Shift Manager and Clinicians. You'll learn a lot more about this CEL and all of the other volunteer opportunities during orientation week.

Hope this helps!

[EmilyDawson]

On 6/13/2022 at 12:10 PM, ttorres said:

Hi there, 

I am a first time applicant and beyond excited to meet you all next month as we crush these interviews! It is my understanding that we will have two individual interviews and participate in a group interview. What does a group interview entail? Also, does this mean we will not have MMIs? Thank you for any insight and advice you may have!! 

Good morning! 

Last year our interviews were online due to COVID and we did not have a group interview component. 

For interviews, the best piece of advice any of us can offer is to be yourself, as cliche as that sounds. You've already proven yourself on paper, now EVMS wants to get to know who you are as a person! Be able to talk about yourself and your past clinical experiences in a positive light and remember to have fun!

[will1999]

Hi everyone!! I’m so beyond excited that I received my interview invite this morning. I am local to the Norfolk/vb area if anyone would be interested in meeting up and doing mock interviews Can’t wait for this amazing opportunity!

[Chondo]

On 6/10/2022 at 9:58 AM, LaurenTemple said:

 

I have the honor of organizing an event the night between the two interview dates (the evening of July 14th) for our class to introduce ourselves and answer any questions you may have about Norfolk, EVMS, or our experience as PA students. So be on the look out for more information coming in the future.

 

Oh man!! I would love to attend this but my flight doesn’t get until late on the 14th!

[selyyy]

On 6/9/2022 at 8:42 AM, joanne101095 said:

Hi everyone! My name is Joanne and I am also on the class of 2024 mentorship committee.  I made the move from Los Angeles, CA to Norfolk for this program and, despite being a west coast girl at heart, I am so glad that I chose EVMS. If anyone has any questions about coming from out-of-state or any questions about the area or program in general, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Also, huge congratulations to those of you who received an interview! You are absolutely killing it!!! Looking forward to meeting you all in July. 

Hi Joanne, 

My name is Selenia and I'm also from LA!  Super excited but nervous about my flight being cancelled... Did you have an in person interview? Also, would love to know how you adjusted to Virginia?

Thank you so much for sharing! Can't wait to mingle in July