School Profile: University of Virginia School of Medicine
Happy Tuesday! Today, we are ecstatic to interview an UMD alum and former student ambassador: Brian Florenzo. Brian graduated with a dual degree in Spanish and Biological Sciences: Physiology/Neurobiology. He is currently in his second year of his MD at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Brian is here to share insight on his specific program as well as general advice for applicants!
At UVA, Brian is currently involved in dermatology and pediatric neurology research and works as a Spanish interpreter and Scribe at a local free clinic. He also works with a program, Sin Barreras, that provides social services for the Hispanic community including food security, housing, and legal and immigration resources. Through these experiences, Brian continues to pursue his interests in foreign language, history, and culture and how these intersect with the delivery of medicine.
“The communities and identities patients come from have a huge impact on how they perceive medical care and how medical care is delivered to them.”
Brian believes that UVA does an amazing job at helping individuals find their niche and providing them with the resources to get connected with different advocacy organizations.
About UVA SOM
Brian loves how close Charlottesville is to Columbia, MD (only three hours away by car) which is great for seeing his family and friends. Students also get access to the same resources as UVA undergraduates– including the gym, football/basketball games, wellness resources, ect.
In terms of curriculum, UVA is pass/fail during the pre-clerkship years and letter grades during clerkship rotations. The MD program also has a foundations of clinical medicine component where students meet one time a week for a four-hour class to learn how to conduct physical exams and how to interview standardized patients. Embedded in the curriculum, UVA also offers a service learning course where students are matched with a community partner of their choice to serve during their preclinical years.
Brian appreciates the structure of his medical school, as students have a year and half after core clerkship rotations solely for career exploration. This time allows students the opportunity to formulate a well-developed portfolio including research and other co-curricular activities for residency applications.
As a whole, Brian thinks the culture of UVA and Charlottesville is very welcoming and friendly. He even mentions how much easier it is to get a meaningful research opportunity as a med student compared to his time as an undergrad, as faculty really want to foster your growth as a practicing physician. UVA even matches students with an advisor in the specialty field that the student is interested in which can be especially helpful for matching into competitive specialties like dermatology, interventional radiology, and plastic surgery.
Advice for Applicants
When asked about any advice he would give to those interested in the program, Brian believes that UVA puts an emphasis on patient stories and looking at the patient as a holistic individual. He says it’s important that students talk about not just their personal achievements in their application but also how they are able to acknowledge the different identities and backgrounds that make a patient who they are rather than seeing patients as a set of numbers and vitals.
He also says that applicants should get their primary applications submitted within 5-7 days of the Common Application opening, and that students should try to pre-write their secondaries during May to June. School-specific prompts can be found on Student Doctor Network and other online forums, and the questions often don’t change that much year-to-year.
One very important tip that Brian gives is to ask current medical students part of the program during the meet-and-greet portion of interview day any questions that should be asked to the interviewer. Often, current medical students are able to think of the most insightful and program-specific questions which can help you stand out to your interviewer! Most of all, Brian stresses how amazing UMD’s HPAO office is and that their resources go above and beyond when compared to other institutions. He claims he has yet to meet another medical student with such robust advising and support from their undergraduate’s pre-health office. In other words, schedule your appointment with your advisor now!
That’s all for today folks! I hope readers were able to gain insight on some of the amazing things the University of Virginia School of Medicine has to offer its students. Use the comments section below to tell us your thoughts on the piece. See you next Tuesday!
With care,
Gus
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Editor: Grace Suh