LECOM Post-bac 2012-2013

[thecgrblue]

2012-2013 post-bac starting to be filled, new thread.

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[graduate2be]

Who is applying / has applied for the 2012-13 program? I just checked my status today and it says that I will be getting a letter in the mail in 30 days. I hope that its one that will give me cause to rejoyce...

 

[thecgrblue]

I was accepted and decided to attend.

 

[graduate2be]

I was accepted and decided to attend.

Congrats! Perhaps I'll see you there; I'm still waiting for my letter in the mail. Is there a matriculation deposit and if so, how much is it?

 

[thecgrblue]

Yep, it is only $50 though. Really nice to hold a spot and not too big of a lose if decide not to attend.

I was blown away when I found out their background checks were $130. It starts.

 

[graduate2be]

Yep, it is only $50 though. Really nice to hold a spot and not too big of a lose if decide not to attend.

I was blown away when I found out their background checks were $130. It starts.

$50 bucks is pretty nice especially when compared to Touro-CA; they request a $500 deposit if you don't do their MCAT prep program along with the MSMHS or a $2,000 fee if you do decide to do the MCAT course. $130 for the background is steep but I have seen steeper. I just finished an EMT program and before we did clinicals, we had to pay $200 for the hospital to do our background checks. I feel like I'm just bleeding money...

I started looking at some of the apartments in and around Erie and at least they are cheap and I figure that utilities should be plenty cheap there as well...

 

[Furballer]

Can Lecom just accept letters of rec from interfolio? The LOR coming from someone just writing about the student going to lecom with my social security number seems silly, why can't they just accept my few and be done with it...

 

[Pisiform]

Can Lecom just accept letters of rec from interfolio? The LOR coming from someone just writing about the student going to lecom with my social security number seems silly, why can't they just accept my few and be done with it...

They do but not electronically. I just sent mine yesterday via interfolio hardcopy.

 

[Furballer]

So it doesn't have to be a tailored to LECOM letter, generic is OK?

 

[Pisiform]

So it doesn't have to be a tailored to LECOM letter, generic is OK?

don't think so. Mine is a general LOR for any university program - healthcare related

 

[Furballer]

Whew, ok, then I'll apply then here soon as well. Do you know what are competitive stats for the program? I have a 3.24 (~3.33 upon graduation) and a 24Q (10P, 8B, 6V) with a huge upward trend, and hope to get in somewhere for a program.

 

[thecgrblue]

Whew, ok, then I'll apply then here soon as well. Do you know what are competitive stats for the program? I have a 3.24 (~3.33 upon graduation) and a 24Q (10P, 8B, 6V) with a huge upward trend, and hope to get in somewhere for a program.

My GPA was a bit lower, but my MCAT was higher. The 6 on the verbal may be a bit of a ?-mark, but don't put much authority in my words.

My LOR was the same as from my regular applications.

 

[nickmarb17]

Just submitted my app guys! Hope to see ya guys there this fall.

 

[graduate2be]

Can Lecom just accept letters of rec from interfolio? The LOR coming from someone just writing about the student going to lecom with my social security number seems silly, why can't they just accept my few and be done with it...

All of my letters were sent via Interfolio. When the letters were sent, I let Jamie Murphy (Admissions Counselor) know that the letters had been transmitted and he ensured that they were placed in my file.

 

[graduate2be]

Whew, ok, then I'll apply then here soon as well. Do you know what are competitive stats for the program? I have a 3.24 (~3.33 upon graduation) and a 24Q (10P, 8B, 6V) with a huge upward trend, and hope to get in somewhere for a program.

Talk to Dr. Moore, he seems to know all about what makes a competitive applicant in the post bac as well as the medical school:

Dr. James K. Moore
Director of Recruitment
LECOM
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
1858 West Grandview Boulevard
Erie, PA 16509-1025
814-860-5160
814-504-6427
[email protected]

I spoke with him last year about post bac and the medical school and he said for post bac, a competitive GPA would be ~3.2 and 25 MCAT. Of course, they take students that have lower and higher numbers than that. This is the text of an e-mail that he sent to me last year:

"Hi Daryl,

Thanks for your reply. In answer to your question, it will probably be most helpful to give you the averages of the latest incoming class and you can gauge your attractiveness as a candidate from there. The average GPA / MCAT score of our latest incoming class was 3.4-5 / 27 respectively (for the post bac program, the averages were 3.0-2 / 25). Keep in mind these are averages, and that there were many students above and below these numbers who were accepted. Because we are an Osteopathic School, we tend to give more weight to things like extracurricular activities, volunteering, shadowing, etc. Your age will not be a factor. All the information in your application will be taken into account when it is reviewed for a possible interview invitation.

I hope this has helped; let me know if you have further questions.

Best,
Dr. Moore"

Based on everything that Dr. Moore has shared with me, I think that you have as good of a shot as anyone to get into the post bac.

 

[wmudoc]

Does anyone know when the program starts? I applied, but I don't take the mcat until 4-28, so they said they can't review my app until my mcat scores come in

 

[thecgrblue]

Does anyone know when the program starts? I applied, but I don't take the mcat until 4-28, so they said they can't review my app until my mcat scores come in

Sept 5th.

 

[p0o9i8u7]

Hey everyone,

I got accepted to the program and most likely will be attending. I'm visiting the campus on the 13th to take a look before I give a definite yes.

for anyone else applying, I got in with a 2.9 gpa and 29 MCAT

 

[Pisiform]

Hey guys, do u know how long after your application is complete your status changes from 'under review' to 'decision has been made'?

 

[thecgrblue]

Hey guys, do u know how long after your application is complete your status changes from 'under review' to 'decision has been made'?

I'd say mine was ~1 month.

 

[graduate2be]

Hey everyone,

I got accepted to the program and most likely will be attending. I'm visiting the campus on the 13th to take a look before I give a definite yes.

for anyone else applying, I got in with a 2.9 gpa and 29 MCAT

Congrats! I just got my acceptance letter today. My stats were 3.0 BPCM, 3.45 overall and 25 S MCAT. My graduate GPA is 3.49 (all pharmacology & toxicology courses). Look forward to seeing all of you in the fall.

 

[p0o9i8u7]

Congrats! I just got my acceptance letter today. My stats were 3.0 BPCM, 3.45 overall and 25 S MCAT. My graduate GPA is 3.49 (all pharmacology & toxicology courses). Look forward to seeing all of you in the fall.

Congrats on the acceptance!

To you and anyone else who got accepted, I'm visiting the campus before I make my final decision on the 13th. If anyone has any questions they'd like answered about LECOM, the program, or Erie, PA just let me know and I'll find out for you guys when I visit

 

[khart90]

Congrats! I just got my acceptance letter today. My stats were 3.0 BPCM, 3.45 overall and 25 S MCAT. My graduate GPA is 3.49 (all pharmacology & toxicology courses). Look forward to seeing all of you in the fall.

Congrats! I was accepted to the program, and finally decided I am going to accept and send in the deposit.

For anyone wondering about "typical" stats for acceptance here are mine:
sGPA 3.0, cGPA 3.25, MCAT 22R

Congrats to all who have been accepted, I can't wait to meet everyone in the fall!

 

[MedWife87]

My husband is a first year at lecom erie and I remember how nerve racking it was to move a family to a completely new place. If any of y'all are moving with a family and have questions about housing, financial assistance, or just want someone to introduce you around, let me know. We have an amazing group of "lecom widows" here to support each other in this journey. Send me an email at [email protected] if you need anything

 

[thecgrblue]

My husband is a first year at lecom erie and I remember how nerve racking it was to move a family to a completely new place. If any of y'all are moving with a family and have questions about housing, financial assistance, or just want someone to introduce you around, let me know. We have an amazing group of "lecom widows" here to support each other in this journey. Send me an email at [email protected] if you need anything

My wife is stoked to hear about that...you'll be seeing an email shortly.

 

[FutureDoc2]

Hey All!

I am too applying to the program, but my application will not be complete until June, due to my taking the May 24th mcat. I hope I still have a chance, because this really looks like a good program!

 

[FutureDoc2]

Congrats! I was accepted to the program, and finally decided I am going to accept and send in the deposit.

For anyone wondering about "typical" stats for acceptance here are mine:
sGPA 3.0, cGPA 3.25, MCAT 22R

Congrats to all who have been accepted, I can't wait to meet everyone in the fall!

You actually give me hope! My undergrad gpa a 2.9, sgpa 2.7, with a grad gpa of a 3.9 (MPH degree). Think I have a shot?!

 

[superdoctorman]

Congrats! I was accepted to the program, and finally decided I am going to accept and send in the deposit.

For anyone wondering about "typical" stats for acceptance here are mine:
sGPA 3.0, cGPA 3.25, MCAT 22R

Congrats to all who have been accepted, I can't wait to meet everyone in the fall!

Hi I was accepted into lecom as well and noticed that on the acceptance letter they stated the minimum mcat to be accepted as a DO was 23. Just curious if you are going to retake before/during the post bac.

 

[p0o9i8u7]

You actually give me hope! My undergrad gpa a 2.9, sgpa 2.7, with a grad gpa of a 3.9 (MPH degree). Think I have a shot?!

I think you have a good shot. My cGPA was a 2.92 science was probably lower than that with an MCAT of 29.

 

[Furballer]

How likely is it to be accepted to LECOM-B assuming great performance at LECOM-E?

 

[FutureDoc2]

I think you have a good shot. My cGPA was a 2.92 science was probably lower than that with an MCAT of 29.

Thanks for the words of hope! lol Now I can settle my nerves just a tad, wont be fine until I get the acceptance. I do have a question for you and for all who have been accepted thus far. I am currently writing the essay and was wondering which approach did you all take? Did you take the time to explain your mistakes-reason for grades or mcat- or did you just talk about future goals?! So far I only spoke about future goals and how this program will be beneficial, but didnt know if I should speak about my gpa :\

 

[nickmarb17]

I spoke about how I learned from my shortcomings (mainly GPA due to many work hours) and how in the future I will not go down that same path.

 

[Pisiform]

I was completed on 20th march ... my status is still 'under review'. Getting a bit paranoid lol

 

[nickmarb17]

I had emailed Jamie a few days ago because I need to know an answer relatively soon so I can file for graduation. He said he has been out promoting lecom on a road trip and that the next batch should be decided the week of April 9th when he gets back Guessing we'll be in that batch.... Hopefully.

 

[IrishCogs]

Hey everyone,

Congrats to those who have been accepted. I'm applying within the next week. I was wondering where I can find more information about linkage to their medical school? I saw some conversations on SDN about LECOM having a great linkage with their post-bacc and DO school but having trouble finding any real information! Thanks guys!

 

[p0o9i8u7]

Thanks for the words of hope! lol Now I can settle my nerves just a tad, wont be fine until I get the acceptance. I do have a question for you and for all who have been accepted thus far. I am currently writing the essay and was wondering which approach did you all take? Did you take the time to explain your mistakes-reason for grades or mcat- or did you just talk about future goals?! So far I only spoke about future goals and how this program will be beneficial, but didnt know if I should speak about my gpa :\

I talked about my mistakes during my undergrad years and my future goals. If you talk about your gpa, you'll want to talk about what you've done to make yourself better. I talked about why my gpa was low and how despite it, I pushed on and bettered myself. I also mentioned briefly why I wanted to go to LECOM.

 

[p0o9i8u7]

Hey everyone,

Congrats to those who have been accepted. I'm applying within the next week. I was wondering where I can find more information about linkage to their medical school? I saw some conversations on SDN about LECOM having a great linkage with their post-bacc and DO school but having trouble finding any real information! Thanks guys!

This is what I got from someone at admissions:

For those that are accepted into the Post Bac program, you must apply through AACOMAS by Dec 1, 2012.

Once we receive your AACOMAS we will evaluate your file, those that have failed a Fall course are ineligible to be interviewed. We will interview everyone else who has turned in their AACOMAS regardless of GPA.

I think that LECOM takes a high number of post-bac students into their med school. I can't find the stats list they used to have on their website, but if I remember correctly, I think about 70% ish don't quote me were accepted to one of the LECOM branches

 

[thecgrblue]

Hey everyone,

Congrats to those who have been accepted. I'm applying within the next week. I was wondering where I can find more information about linkage to their medical school? I saw some conversations on SDN about LECOM having a great linkage with their post-bacc and DO school but having trouble finding any real information! Thanks guys!

This was an email I got from a post-bac student that I met through a mutual friend:

The LECOM post-bacc program is one of the best kept secrets when it comes to those who have been rejected from medical school (I was one last year) It's the only program in the country that GUARANTEES entry the following year into their medical school as long as you maintain a 3.0 GPA and have the minimum MCAT. Think about it, If students meet these requirements they are an official medical student. They don't have to worry about other aspects of their resume such as volunteer hours, shadowing, etc. It's truly a put-up or shut-up year.

However, maintaining the 3.0 is easier said than done because the program is just as arduous and in depth as medical school, not to mention it's block grading ( A, B C... no +/-) Truthfully, LECOM Post-Bacc is probably one of the toughest in the country but it's also one of the cheapest. Many post-bacc programs from other schools cost just as much as medical school tuition (28K+) but the LECOM program tuition cost (as of last year) was only 6,000 a semester (12k total!). This low price allows possible students to sample a medical school atmosphere at a relatively cheap cost and decide whether becoming a physician is really what they want to do; and if not, their not crushed under significant debt.


Post- Bacc was a blessing in disguise for me because it gave me a year to mature as both a student and person which prepared me for this year and I have my highest GPA ever in my entire life. Not to mention I made a lot of very close friends that transitioned with me into medical school. I would heavily suggest this program to those who want to become a doctor but have something weighing their resume down against the field. But remember, this is either your get our of jail free card (become med student quick) or the final nail in your coffin because it's impossible to explain to other schools why you couldn't pass in a medical school trial run. Best of luck!

I checked out a LOT of programs and this ended up being my first choice due to price (one of the CHEAPEST out there) and the 'guarantee'.

 

[CloakedRadiance]

This was an email I got from a post-bac student that I met through a mutual friend:



I checked out a LOT of programs and this ended up being my first choice due to price (one of the CHEAPEST out there) and the 'guarantee'.

Is this truly a guarantee if you maintain the GPA/MCAT? I got in, meet the MCAT req, but have a pretty low undergrad sci GPA so I'm wondering if that will play a role if I meet the reqs?

 

[thecgrblue]

Is this truly a guarantee if you maintain the GPA/MCAT? I got in, meet the MCAT req, but have a pretty low undergrad sci GPA so I'm wondering if that will play a role if I meet the reqs?

From what I've gathered, yes. If your GPA is too low they aren't going to take you into the program so that shouldn't be an issue once you're in.

The acceptance letter states you must have a 23 MCAT and 3.0 GPA in their program as well as a successful interview. I think they don't make it a guarantee in order to reserve their right to not take you if you turn out to be a total crap of a human being (even if you perform in class).

Make sense?

 

[pancakesyrup]

From what I've gathered, yes. If your GPA is too low they aren't going to take you into the program so that shouldn't be an issue once you're in.

The acceptance letter states you must have a 23 MCAT and 3.0 GPA in their program as well as a successful interview. I think they don't make it a guarantee in order to reserve their right to not take you if you turn out to be a total crap of a human being (even if you perform in class).

Make sense?

I'm considering applying next year if I don't get into a DO school, but the problem is that there will be a huge gap between my AACOMAS sGPA and sGPA without grade replacement........possibly a difference between 3.4 and 2.8. In case you're curious, my MCAT is 28.

Do the postbac adcoms calculate GPAs using grade replacement, for someone who had just been rejected from the DO school?

 

[IrishCogs]

thecgrblu, thanks for the responses, it really helped me out!

 

[thecgrblue]

thecgrblu, thanks for the responses, it really helped me out!

Prego! In complete seriousness, I would've never heard of/applied for LECOM's program if it weren't for SDN. I actually don't even think I knew what a post-bac was without this site.

Just passing on the knowledge to the next.

 

[khart90]

You actually give me hope! My undergrad gpa a 2.9, sgpa 2.7, with a grad gpa of a 3.9 (MPH degree). Think I have a shot?!

I think I read somewhere, or someone told me that you need to have a 2.7 gpa to apply, but I can't remember where I got that information from so perhaps don't put too much stock in it.... But if that was true then yeah I think you have a good shot, especially since your most recent gpa (MPH) has shown so much improvement from undergrad. Have you taken the MCATs yet?

 

[khart90]

Hi I was accepted into lecom as well and noticed that on the acceptance letter they stated the minimum mcat to be accepted as a DO was 23. Just curious if you are going to retake before/during the post bac.

I am planning on taking it this summer, I have a pretty easy semester right now so I'm hoping to get a lot of studying in for it and take it before classes start for the post-bacc program. I have heard from other people that were in the post-bacc program that it is a really good idea to get the MCATs done with before classes start, so that you can spend your time studying and maintaining the 3.0 necessary.

 

[thecgrblue]

I think I read somewhere, or someone told me that you need to have a 2.7 gpa to apply, but I can't remember where I got that information from so perhaps don't put too much stock in it.... But if that was true then yeah I think you have a good shot, especially since your most recent gpa (MPH) has shown so much improvement from undergrad. Have you taken the MCATs yet?

I don't recall any published minimum GPA to apply.

 

[nickmarb17]

I just looked and it says, "grade point average must be greater than 2.7" for anyone interested

 

[FutureDoc2]

I think I read somewhere, or someone told me that you need to have a 2.7 gpa to apply, but I can't remember where I got that information from so perhaps don't put too much stock in it.... But if that was true then yeah I think you have a good shot, especially since your most recent gpa (MPH) has shown so much improvement from undergrad. Have you taken the MCATs yet?

Is the 2.7 for science or overall? My overall from undergrad was a 2.9, but my science was a 2.7. However, my MPH gpa is a 3.9, so Im hoping the admissions committee will really take this into consideration. I have taken the MCAT previously, however I totally bombed it! But I am now enrolled in a TPR class and taking the MCAT may 24th. What do you all think should be a good target score for the program? Granted I would love anything above a 30, but what do you think would be good either way-specifically to get in the LECOMs post bacc with my above gpa?!

 

[FutureDoc2]

Thanks everyone for the advice and support! I really appreciate all the help and look forward to *hopefully meeting you all in September

 

[nickmarb17]

Is the 2.7 for science or overall? My overall from undergrad was a 2.9, but my science was a 2.7. However, my MPH gpa is a 3.9, so Im hoping the admissions committee will really take this into consideration. I have taken the MCAT previously, however I totally bombed it! But I am now enrolled in a TPR class and taking the MCAT may 24th. What do you all think should be a good target score for the program? Granted I would love anything above a 30, but what do you think would be good either way-specifically to get in the LECOMs post bacc with my above gpa?!

I saw somewhere in these posts where the average acceptance into the program was a gpa 3.0-3.2 overall and I believe a 25 mcat. I'd say shoot for maybe a few points above that target to show that you know the science material required for medical school. Your grad gpa should also help.