2017-2018 Lincoln Memorial University - Debusk (LMU-DCOM)

[missy_DO_]

What's your MCAT score?

My test date is in April but so far I’ve been scoring 505-ish on TPR practice exams.

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[Feste85]

Congrats on the acceptance! What was your science GPA? I have a 3.5 overall but a 3.3 sGPA. I want to apply to Debusk this upcoming cycle but I don’t know if my stats are good enough.

Have you taken the MCAT? Your GPAs are fine for DCOM.

Edit: Nevermind re MCAT.

 

[Blunt Dissection]

I haven't checked in on this thread in awhile, but as a current 2nd year this is what I can objectively tell you guys without stepping on anyone's toes. Like every school in America, DCOM has both its good parts and its bad parts.

Good parts:
1. There are faculty members here that are 100% true blue good souls. They understand the struggles and stresses of medical school and will give you real advice to the best of their knowledge.
2. Because your class is huge, you WILL get a very wide range of personality and level of motivation. You are guaranteed to get people that are simply happy with the idea that they can call themselves "doctor" at the end of the 4 years and you will get people that take their education very seriously. Not all studious students are gunners and not all slackers are chill.
3. As a first year, you will likely struggle to find a balance between work and play, but there are A LOT of resources that your upperclassmen will pass down that will save your butts.
4. Finally - literally the best thing about DCOM - nonmandatory lectures. As a 1st year, this may just seem like a nice perk, but as a 2nd year, this is why you will be able to do well on the board exams.

Not so good parts:
1. "Dedicated" board prep time is on the lower end. We get about 3-4 weeks, but this is where nonmandatory attendance is golden.
2. Scattered core rotations. They're literally everywhere with a hodgepodge of good and not so good sites.
3. Limited research opportunities - but this isn't just a DCOM problem, it's a DO problem.
4. Limited clinical opportunities during years 1-2. If you come from an undergrad university that has an established MD program with its own student run clinics and such, don't expect that here. We do not have that in any shape or form.

Some words of advice:
1. Administration is everywhere - Facebook, SDN, you name it. If you don't want to draw bad attention to yourself, don't comment or participate when your class starts making jokes about the school on the "secret" page. You can share resources, talk about football or whatever on your secret page, but avoid joining in on school talk like the plague.
2. What clamsauce says about reddit/sdn/usmle-forums is 100% true. You need the knowledge that these forums provide. Do not stop visiting these forums once you start school because your classmates say "SDN stresses me out."
3. If your goal is not primary care OR if you do not know what you want to do for a specialty - take board studying seriously and be aware of the struggles that you are going to face as a DO student. It does not matter that the merger is happening - as a DO student, you will face an uphill battle for every surgical subspecialty or competitive specialty out there. Administration is well aware that there is a LARGE portion of extremely anxious medical students who need to be babied. You will hear throughout 1st year and 2nd year to not worry about the board exams - this is good advice if you ARE one of those anxious students. Anxious students that start to stress about board exams and class material are likely to fail. If you are not a nervous Nancy, then start looking at HOW to prepare for the board exams during the Spring of your 1st year. There is not a single DO curriculum out there that will prepare you to do well on the USMLE. This is why if you look at the DO student thread or if you look at the Reddit pages, you find horror stories of DO students that score 600+ on the COMLEX and fail the USMLE. If your goal is to do well on the USMLE, you need to study and learn the material like an MD student would learn the material.

4. And finally - be very cautious about comparing yourself to your classmates. It is very possible for you to be in the top 1% for class grades and be in the 50th percentile when it comes to practice board exams. Your competition at DCOM will not be your classmates - it's the rest of the medical students in America when you go to take your boards. The goal of medical school is not to teach you medicine. Where you go for medical school will not make you a good doctor - where you go for RESIDENCY determines that. If you are a driven student with the intent of going to a good residency program, there are a solid number of students like clamsauce every year that score in the 250s and 700s on the boards. You will succeed at DCOM just like you would succeed at any other medical school. At times, it may be harder than it needs to be, but well, that's life. Work hard, remember why you're even putting yourself through the hell that is medical school, and you will make it out.

Best of luck to all of you that are starting next year and congratulations on getting accepted to medical school.

 

[abisho15]

My test date is in April but so far I’ve been scoring 505-ish on TPR practice exams.

If you do that well on the MCAT, I'd say it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. I got an interview with a 499.

 

[FEHLBN]

If we interviewed on 2/2, we should hear back today, right?

 

[surgeryDO]

Thanks for the insight! This is excellent!

I haven't checked in on this thread in awhile, but as a current 2nd year this is what I can objectively tell you guys without stepping on anyone's toes. Like every school in America, DCOM has both its good parts and its bad parts.

Good parts:
1. There are faculty members here that are 100% true blue good souls. They understand the struggles and stresses of medical school and will give you real advice to the best of their knowledge.
2. Because your class is huge, you WILL get a very wide range of personality and level of motivation. You are guaranteed to get people that are simply happy with the idea that they can call themselves "doctor" at the end of the 4 years and you will get people that take their education very seriously. Not all studious students are gunners and not all slackers are chill.
3. As a first year, you will likely struggle to find a balance between work and play, but there are A LOT of resources that your upperclassmen will pass down that will save your butts.
4. Finally - literally the best thing about DCOM - nonmandatory lectures. As a 1st year, this may just seem like a nice perk, but as a 2nd year, this is why you will be able to do well on the board exams.

Not so good parts:
1. "Dedicated" board prep time is on the lower end. We get about 3-4 weeks, but this is where nonmandatory attendance is golden.
2. Scattered core rotations. They're literally everywhere with a hodgepodge of good and not so good sites.
3. Limited research opportunities - but this isn't just a DCOM problem, it's a DO problem.
4. Limited clinical opportunities during years 1-2. If you come from an undergrad university that has an established MD program with its own student run clinics and such, don't expect that here. We do not have that in any shape or form.

Some words of advice:
1. Administration is everywhere - Facebook, SDN, you name it. If you don't want to draw bad attention to yourself, don't comment or participate when your class starts making jokes about the school on the "secret" page. You can share resources, talk about football or whatever on your secret page, but avoid joining in on school talk like the plague.
2. What clamsauce says about reddit/sdn/usmle-forums is 100% true. You need the knowledge that these forums provide. Do not stop visiting these forums once you start school because your classmates say "SDN stresses me out."
3. If your goal is not primary care OR if you do not know what you want to do for a specialty - take board studying seriously and be aware of the struggles that you are going to face as a DO student. It does not matter that the merger is happening - as a DO student, you will face an uphill battle for every surgical subspecialty or competitive specialty out there. Administration is well aware that there is a LARGE portion of extremely anxious medical students who need to be babied. You will hear throughout 1st year and 2nd year to not worry about the board exams - this is good advice if you ARE one of those anxious students. Anxious students that start to stress about board exams and class material are likely to fail. If you are not a nervous Nancy, then start looking at HOW to prepare for the board exams during the Spring of your 1st year. There is not a single DO curriculum out there that will prepare you to do well on the USMLE. This is why if you look at the DO student thread or if you look at the Reddit pages, you find horror stories of DO students that score 600+ on the COMLEX and fail the USMLE. If your goal is to do well on the USMLE, you need to study and learn the material like an MD student would learn the material.

4. And finally - be very cautious about comparing yourself to your classmates. It is very possible for you to be in the top 1% for class grades and be in the 50th percentile when it comes to practice board exams. Your competition at DCOM will not be your classmates - it's the rest of the medical students in America when you go to take your boards. The goal of medical school is not to teach you medicine. Where you go for medical school will not make you a good doctor - where you go for RESIDENCY determines that. If you are a driven student with the intent of going to a good residency program, there are a solid number of students like clamsauce every year that score in the 250s and 700s on the boards. You will succeed at DCOM just like you would succeed at any other medical school. At times, it may be harder than it needs to be, but well, that's life. Work hard, remember why you're even putting yourself through the hell that is medical school, and you will make it out.

Best of luck to all of you that are starting next year and congratulations on getting accepted to medical school.

 

[druidboy05]

Not all studious students are gunners and not all slackers are chill.

Current student here, and I absolutely agree and this statement coincides with clamsauce's post about the Masters students - you have the big talkers who were in the Masters program last year and actually have no idea how to study still. But several of the past Masters students, many who I'm friends with in first year, are down to earth, humble, and willing to help you out in any way they can. With a huge class like ours, you will always have those problem students. But fortunately, a bigger class means you won't have to bump into those individuals as often.

Side note, anyone on this thread have any input about the DO/MBA program that DCOM offers? Looking for any/all advice.

 

[FEHLBN]

Has anyone received an acceptance call yet this weekend?

 

[palaceochu]

Primary 11/26
Secondary 12/5
Interview Invite 1/2
Interview 2/2
Acceptance call received 2/11 3:30 PM EST
GPA 3.35, sci 3.15 I think, MCAT 518

 

[FEHLBN]

Primary 11/26
Secondary 12/5
Interview Invite 1/2
Interview 2/2
Acceptance call received 2/11 3:30 PM EST
GPA 3.35, sci 3.15 I think, MCAT 518

Congrats! Wow, amazing MCAT score!

File complete 1/2
Interview invite 1/29
Interview 2/2
Accepted 2/11 by phone call

And to give people hope, I was accepted with a 501 MCAT. Haha Good luck to everyone with upcoming interviews or to those still waiting!

 

[n010011m]

I am a third year so I can chime in on a few things. Did well on USMLE 250+
1. the curriculum is decent. First year is better than second since a few of our clinical faculty are either new, not that great at teaching. But this is made up for by great pathologists and great basic science teachers, and good OMM professors, which have recently improved for the year under us (OMM department now probably has one of the best and most HIGH YIELD teachers out there). I would not sweat it though, the pathologists, at least one of them, is also an FM doc who overlaps her lectures with some of the other faculty and she covers it all very well. Amazing teacher that leaves out very little in regards to what you need for USMLE (every school probably leaves out something). Pharmacology teachers are top rate A+++++ and a couple write comlex questions and one writes for USMLE RX first aid or whatever.
2. OMM is VERY LIGHT, which is great, since I am not a fan of it (went here since I am from very close by) so you have more time to focus on USMLE stuff. Plus we only have OMM lab once per week and they basically make the practicals very easy, yet some people somehow fail them.
3. Our board scores are not that amazing, but I will tell you why. We get a lot of weak students that go to this school, mostly from our masters program, who are not good performers. Many have sub 24 MCAT, some even with 20s, which is setting people up for failure letting them in. They have done studies that show people with sub 25 MCAT usually perform poorly in medical school. Those above 30 usually do well, past that its luck. (I made a 34-35 on the new version of MCAT or so so I can attest there is a light- moderate correlation). Not meant for bragging just to defend why the schools board scores are not as great as some other ones. Poor students are likely to do poorly at whatever school they end up at, even Yale, Harvard, etc (even though they prob wouldn't get in there anyway). But these students tend to blame the school which just throws them more under the bus. (some things could be better but whatever deal with it).
4. Clinical are OK, depends where you end up. I got a pretty decent site so I can't complain, but this seems to be the going trend at DO schools. Honestly your experience is more what you make of it/which specific physician you end up with, than with the site you are at doing rotations.
5. People are pretty nice here, a few folk (again mostly from the masters program) who tend to have big heads, but as stated above, most of them are poor performers, not all, but most. I know I sound like I am generalizing but there is something about those who did their post-bacc here that taints the water. if You go here please send me a message on how you agree with me on this in a year or so.
6. Match list is good, but then again if you want to do a high end specialty like ortho, neurosurg, derm, plastics, don't go to a DO school. It is possible but hard. Every step you take will be half as effective and twice as painful trying to get one of those residencies from a DO school (people do it but why make it harder). If you did not get into an MD school due to poor grades/MCAT you may not be academically inclined to land a high end specialty anyway. Not what people want to hear but the truth can be painful, sorry not sorry. Retake your MCAT and apply MD, to do anything else is heresy.
7. Location I like but those from the city may not. I am from the rural area of the south so those from the city may be able to chime in for better comparison.
8. research- not much opportune unless you start early. Its a DO school, you know what you are getting in regard to research, not much.
9. Specific curriculum set up. You cycle through normal function first year, and abnormal function second year. Essentially biochemistry, immunology, specific anatomy in some cases, and basic bacteriology, virology, parasitology and the only things not hit at least twice. Biochemistry covers most everything you need for USMLE and is well taught, but you will have to review it for boards 1.5 years later. Same goes for immuno which was taught by a kaplan writer who is sadly no longer teaching but she was amazing. You have no reason to not learn what you need. See above. Second year is physio review, path, more pharm, some anatomy, etc. Our patient care class (which could be better its one of the weak spots) runs along with the organ systems so you can tie it all in.
10. Overall it is a decent school, some things could be better, but it is what you make of it. Most instructors are helpful if you need help and want you to succeed. It has its flaws (administration is eh sometimes) but if you work hard and aren't mentally inept you will get what you need out of it.

to succeed if accepted- search out good subreddits on how to study, DONT take advice from random classmates on the Facebook page (a few people in my class gave out great advice but we also had a few who used to tell us how they are gonna do 40000 board questions and tried to tell us how to study for boards and failed both COMLEX/USMLE). You will likely have these tools in your class to. Again, mostly from the masters program but a few were not. It just comes with the med school, tends to pull in a few toxic and uneducated personalities who probably should not be physicians.
Dont post on the Facebook page unless you are selling stuff asking questions, nobody gives a ship about your opinion and people will report you. For those who don't post, you can usually tell who to dodge in your class by what they post on the page (complainers, how to USMLE'ers, people who start arguments, etc). Reddit tends to have the best information, mimic those who make 270+ on USMLE boards and stick it out and you should at least pass it.

Any way good look applying

Your classmates are taking bets on who you are, brah

 

[M1ready]

Hey! To anyone who has already interviewed, can you please let me know how the day went, whether its a one on one interview or MMI etc & any other interesting things about interview day plz!

 

[Magus5454]

II today, will likely be declining, Feb 23rd March 2nd, March 16th dates.

3.17c/3.29s/515 before anyone asks

 

[FutureMed10]

Hey! To anyone who has already interviewed, can you please let me know how the day went, whether its a one on one interview or MMI etc & any other interesting things about interview day plz!

It's a 2 on 1 interview with faculty, closed file, and there is a student interview before meeting with faculty. This was one of the most relaxing interviews I have went to. They just want to know if you can relate to people and they mostly want to get a feel of who you are as a person! Hope all goes well! If you have any other concerns let me know.

 

[FEHLBN]

Is there a class Facebook page yet?

 

[surgeryDO]

Is there a class Facebook page yet?

Yes. Search LMU-DCOM class of 2022 or here's the link: Log into Facebook | Facebook

 

[M1ready]

It's a 2 on 1 interview with faculty, closed file, and there is a student interview before meeting with faculty. This was one of the most relaxing interviews I have went to. They just want to know if you can relate to people and they mostly want to get a feel of who you are as a person! Hope all goes well! If you have any other concerns let me know.

Thanks so much!!

 

[IOWAhawkeyes373]

II 2/15!

 

[TrackIsLife95]

Is it safe to say that they notify you if you got accepted on Sunday’s?

 

[Blunt Dissection]

Is it safe to say that they notify you if you got accepted on Sunday’s?

I got my call on a Sunday 2 years ago, so yes, you can get calls on Sunday .

 

[M1ready]

How long do they give you to pay the super expensive deposit to secure your seat?

 

[FEHLBN]

How long do they give you to pay the super expensive deposit to secure your seat?

They give you two weeks from the official acceptance email.

 

[M1ready]

They give you two weeks from the official acceptance email.

jeeze that is so quick. So if you dont pay it within that time period you basically give up your spot? Or you can pay it after if they still have spots?

 

[FEHLBN]

jeeze that is so quick. So if you dont pay it within that time period you basically give up your spot? Or you can pay it after if they still have spots?

No, you would be forfeiting your spot. The deposit is $1,250 so it's a lot cheaper than some other schools.

 

[TrackIsLife95]

Anybody from 2/9 interview date hear anything or get a call yet?

 

[hopefulmedgal1]

Tough decision but withdrew my acceptance from here today. Hope the spot goes to one of you great SDNers!

 

[spiffysteve]

Could any first year students comment on what textbooks were used this year and how much of the courses were taught through books vs. classroom lectures (in terms of exams)?

Hello! 2nd year student here.

All classes have "suggested" textbooks with assigned reading, but most readings are not necessary or tested. The only required texts for 1st year are the anatomy dissector and atlas. The Bates textbook for our clinical skills class (EPC) is very helpful, and I would recommend that as well. I haven't bought a single book and it hasn't hurt me at all.

EPC is also the only class I can remember that has tested anything that is in the book and not mentioned in lectures. I'd say 99.9% of test questions are from the lectures.

 

[YaasQueen]

To OMS1/OMS2 students, how would you suggest I prepare for my first year before I start at DCOM? Honestly, I'm not trying to be some gunner try-hard, but my I definitely did not perform a well as I would have hoped for in my undergraduate college and want to make sure I don't immediately fall behind.

 

[FEHLBN]

Has anyone had trouble paying the deposit online? It won't let me make a payment because it says I have no balance due. Planning on calling the school on Monday, but I was just wondering if anyone had a similar problem and could message me. Thanks!

 

[FEHLBN]

To OMS1/OMS2 students, how would you suggest I prepare for my first year before I start at DCOM? Honestly, I'm not trying to be some gunner try-hard, but my I definitely did not perform a well as I would have hoped for in my undergraduate college and want to make sure I don't immediately fall behind.

I'm not an OMS1, but I'm definitely in the same boat as you. My plan is to review some anatomy, genetics, and biochem. If you look at last years first year schedule posted on LMU's website, these are all topics covered during the first semester. And before anyone jumps me lol, I mean lightly review. I'm still doing plenty of relaxing too. I just don't want to be totally overwhelmed when we start.

 

[Blunt Dissection]

To OMS1/OMS2 students, how would you suggest I prepare for my first year before I start at DCOM? Honestly, I'm not trying to be some gunner try-hard, but my I definitely did not perform a well as I would have hoped for in my undergraduate college and want to make sure I don't immediately fall behind.

You'll hear everything from "enjoy the rest of your break so you don't burnout" to "you won't even know what or how to study" - In general, it is true. The studying skills you had during undergrad, while likely efficient to get you through even a rigorous undergraduate curriculum, will likely change completely as you progress through medical school. I spent a lot of time prior to starting medical school researching different methods on how to learn efficiently once I started, and even then I found myself adapting as I went through the first year in order to keep up. Adaptation is the key to survival and success in medical school - do not get stubbornly stuck in your ways. I would take the time to before medical school to familiarize yourself with how to use programs like Anki and exploring the resources out there such as Osmosis, Boards & Beyond, or Physeo to see what you like for when you will need it. You do not need to buy these things now and likely not until your 2nd semester of first year, but simply get familiar with them and see if it is something you can see yourself learning from. Like spiffysteve said, 99.9% of the material on the in class exams will come from the powerpoint slides.

If you know yourself well and you know that you're not the type of person to burnout easily, then the only subject I would even consider looking at before you start is anatomy. People will tell you over and over that anatomy is "not high yield" - that's absolute bullcrap. Anatomy is not "high yield" on the board exams as you are not directly asked what are the insertions and origins, what innervates this, what muscle is this etc - but it is a foundation of medicine. If you know your anatomy and can recreate a 3-D image of the human body in your head, you can understand things like why pancreatic pain radiates to the back or why gonorrhea infections can present as right sided shoulder pain. Anatomy is hands down the topic that 1st year medical students struggle with the most and it is because students boil it down to rogue memorization. While there is definitely a component of memorization involved such as the names of muscles, there are huge concepts that if understood, make it so you never have to actually memorize something like "what does this muscle do." In the long run, a solid understanding of anatomy will pay off.

TL;DR - Research your available resources. Learn anatomy if you want something to study. Go to Anatomy boot camp if you have the funds for it.

 

[bogle8]

Hello! 2nd year student here.

All classes have "suggested" textbooks with assigned reading, but most readings are not necessary or tested. The only required texts for 1st year are the anatomy dissector and atlas. The Bates textbook for our clinical skills class (EPC) is very helpful, and I would recommend that as well. I haven't bought a single book and it hasn't hurt me at all.

EPC is also the only class I can remember that has tested anything that is in the book and not mentioned in lectures. I'd say 99.9% of test questions are from the lectures.

lol

 

[buithanhhang]

Has anyone had trouble paying the deposit online? It won't let me make a payment because it says I have no balance due. Planning on calling the school on Monday, but I was just wondering if anyone had a similar problem and could message me. Thanks!

 

[Sk8ternovi]

Congrats on the acceptance! What was your science GPA? I have a 3.5 overall but a 3.3 sGPA. I want to apply to Debusk this upcoming cycle but I don’t know if my stats are good enough.

So sorry I'm just responding. I had a 3.14 for science GPA.

 

[M1ready]

Anyone interviewing Friday?

 

[Balo]

Anyone interviewing Friday?

Me as well (I'm assuming by your asking that you're also interviewing on Friday)!

 

[M1ready]

Me as well (I'm assuming by your asking that you're also interviewing on Friday)!

Yes I am! Pretty excited, first interview of the cycle. Where are you coming from if u dont mind me asking?

 

[Balo]

I'm OOS, but I feel like the interview went well. The post-interview acceptance rate is supposedly great (~80%), so most of us who interviewed will likely get in!

 

[M1ready]

I'm OOS, but I feel like the interview went well. The post-interview acceptance rate is supposedly great (~80%), so most of us who interviewed will likely get in!

Im hoping so! I feel like my interview went well also!

 

[ironicbond93]

Did anyone here interview on 2/23? I interviewed that Friday and got the call that I was accepted Friday the 2nd, but still haven't received any official email. Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[FEHLBN]

Did anyone here interview on 2/23? I interviewed that Friday and got the call that I was accepted Friday the 2nd, but still haven't received any official email. Anyone else in the same boat?

I would call them. I didn't interview the 23rd, but I received a phone call on a Sunday and the official email on Monday. Your deposit is due two weeks after you receive the email, so I would just call and double check that they didn't forget to send it to you.

 

[ironicbond93]

I would call them. I didn't interview the 23rd, but I received a phone call on a Sunday and the official email on Monday. Your deposit is due two weeks after you receive the email, so I would just call and double check that they didn't forget to send it to you.

Okay I will do that, thank you!

 

[M1ready]

Accepted! Interviewed March 2nd!

 

[Balo]

Accepted! Interviewed March 2nd!

Same! I got a call too, but it got cut off.

 

[M1ready]

Same! I got a call too, but it got cut off.

Lol I was in the shower so I got the voicemail. Congrats to you!

 

[Zk120]

Accepted! Interviewed March 2nd!

Hello any idea how the deposit payment works? Is it online or wire transfer?

I have gotten the call and not the email.

 

[M1ready]

Hello any idea how the deposit payment works? Is it online or wire transfer?

I have gotten the call and not the email.

It will all be stated in the email that is sent out Monday.

 

[IOWAhawkeyes373]

Could someone who has already interviewed share an outline of what the interview day is like?

 

[ironicbond93]

Could someone who has already interviewed share an outline of what the interview day is like?

You all will sit in a room with the other interviewees and they will probably go around the room and have you introduce yourselves. You'll be given pamphlets that has what time you'll be interviewed, and 30 minutes before your actual interview, a few first year students will ask you all some ice breaking questions to try and get you all loosened up. After your interview they will talk about what all goes on during the first two years and then the last two years. They also have someone talk about financial aid stuff, and then they have lunch and the tour.

 

[Mally1995]

Hi I have a question, I just submitted my primary 2/9 got an email 3/13 saying my file was complete with everything. My mcat score is 502, gpa 3.57, sgpa 3.37, good amount of volunteer hours, leadership (served as an RA and lab TA), research and presentations and just a little bit amount of DO shadowing hours (about 40 over the span of two months and continuing). Is there a good chance I can receive an interview with my stats or am I too late given that my application was complete only days before the deadline? Any feedback would be appreacted!