Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is pleased to launch The M.E.D.S. Experience--- Medical Exposure for Diverse Students. The program targets first, second and third-year Virginia Tech students who are members of groups Underrepresented in Medicine and are planning careers in medicine and research. A primary goal of The MEDS Experience is to expand the students’ network and increase their awareness of opportunities in the health professions, with a specific focus becoming a physician.

The weekend experience will include:

  • Tour of Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (COVID protocols permitting)
  • Overview of the VTCSOM application and admission process, and Early Identification Program
  • Online MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) overview
  • “Stop The Bleed” Training
  • First Aid Course
  • Exposure to clinical experiences

The program is FREE, including all meals, course materials, transportation to and from Roanoke!

When

Friday, March 4 - Sunday, March 6, 2022, at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke.

Target Audience and Eligibility Criteria

  • Students who are Underrepresented in Medicine, defined as:
    • Racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population; at VTCSOM, those groups are African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Americans.
    • Students from limited socio-economic backgrounds, first-generation college graduates and those with challenging experiences based on family, economic and social situations have a more limited opportunity to attend professional schools. 
  • Interested in a career in the health professions
  • Must be in good academic standing
  • Applicants must have no past or pending student conduct violations

How to Apply

Application for the 2022 MEDS Experience. The selection committee reserved the right to interview students to determine program participants. Applications are due by Saturday, February 19, 2022, and acceptance decisions will go out Friday, February 25.

Program Expectations

Students invited to participate in the program must be actively engaged in all facets of The MEDS Experience on Friday, March 4 at 6:00-8:00 PM; Saturday, March 5 at 7:30 AM-8:00 PM; and Sunday, March 6 at 8:00 AM-12:00 noon.

Questions

Contact Ms. Karyna Nevarez at karynad@vt.edu if you have questions.

Statement about accessibility and accommodation

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible event. All virtual events will have automated captions. Recorded events will have edited captions available soon after the event. If you desire live captioning or a sign language interpreter, please contact the organizer two weeks before the event. 

For in-person events, the main VTCSOM building at Riverside 2 is wheelchair accessible from the elevators inside the parking garage. Blind or visually impaired users may need assistance finding the elevators under the building, or using the stairs in front of the building.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to attend an in-person event, please contact the organizer of the event. All reasonable accommodation requests should be made no less than 2 weeks before the event. We will attempt to fulfill requests made after this date but cannot guarantee they will be met.