LECOM Post-bacc 2014-2015

[inthelibrary]

My undergraduate degree is a B.S. in Applied Psych and I'm doing fine. I had been out of school for a bit before the program and could have benefitted from some better study habits the first semester, namely flashcards (ANKI) and working from the objectives. Basic stuff. I will likely finish with a 3.2.

So no, I don't believe it is too difficult for a non science major assuming you focus on keywords, objectives, and memorizing for the exams right from the start.

Can you comment on the quality of the post bac program? Do you think that by completing it, your first year at LECOM (or any other med school) will be easier? Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[601136]

Can you comment on the quality of the post bac program? Do you think that by completing it, your first year at LECOM (or any other med school) will be easier? Thanks.

Certainly. Successful completion of the PostBac will definitely make your life as an MS1 at LECOM easier. The faculty and last year's students have said the PostBac program is roughly 75% of LECOM's MS1 year. Current first-years remarked that many of the presentations and objectives they get are identical to those they encountered during their PostBac year, so much of the material is a review for them.

Most of the instructors here are good and a few are great. One or two make you wonder how they're employed anywhere, but that happens in any workplace. The PostBac program simply consists of countless PowerPoint presentations - it's your responsibility to actually open the books and learn (or study flashcards and pass the tests).

I can't speak for success at other medical schools, but if you figure we all have to pass the COMLEX then it stands to reason the material across all D.O. schools should be pretty similar. On a related note, I retook the MCAT without studying after my first semester here and raised my score 3 points. Must have learned something.

 

[601136]

Someone asked a while back about presentations, so I'll respond here for posterity.

We recently gave student presentations as part of Pathology. We self-selected into groups of 5-6 and were assigned a genetic disorder. We had about a week to prepare for a 10-minute presentation, and split duties between group members. Students presented their topics and it was very low-key. Some groups were pretty hilarious and others were more informative. We cast ballots for the best presentations and the winners got a few bonus points on top of the points we were all given for participating. It was nothing to be concerned about, and if you are really worried about public speaking just have someone else in your group do it.

 

[TravelingRunner]

omg-wtf-bbq, can you elaborate on any prereqs required for this program? The website was kind of vague.

I feel really dumb for this, but this is the post-bacc certificate, right? Not the M.S.?

 

[UnoMas]

These are the courses required for entrance to the Post-bac program taken from this link http://lecom.edu/entrance-requireme...ureate-Entrance-Requirements/49/2205/619/2435

1. Possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;
2. Applicants are required to submit one letter from a science professor or a science-related employer;
3. Complete 8 semester hours with at least a “C” or better in each class of the following subjects : general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and general physics with labs;
4. Earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 on a four-point scale; and
5. Provide scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). A minimum MCAT score of 23 is recommended. Test results must be within three years of the application year

TLDR: pretty much 'the usual' for MD/DO application with the exception of pretty lax GPA and MCAT requirement



This is for the 1 year post-bac not the Master of Science degree; this is the one you do to get into LECOM the year right after

 

[petyr_baelish]

These are the courses required for entrance to the Post-bac program taken from this link http://lecom.edu/entrance-requireme...ureate-Entrance-Requirements/49/2205/619/2435

1. Possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;
2. Applicants are required to submit one letter from a science professor or a science-related employer;
3. Complete 8 semester hours with at least a “C” or better in each class of the following subjects : general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and general physics with labs;
4. Earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 on a four-point scale; and
5. Provide scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). A minimum MCAT score of 23 is recommended. Test results must be within three years of the application year

TLDR: pretty much 'the usual' for MD/DO application with the exception of pretty lax GPA and MCAT requirement



This is for the 1 year post-bac not the Master of Science degree; this is the one you do to get into LECOM the year right after

It says nothing about linkage on this website. Are there any statistics about linkage? I'm not seeing them, perhaps I'm missing it.

 

[UnoMas]

It says nothing about linkage on this website. Are there any statistics about linkage? I'm not seeing them, perhaps I'm missing it.

I think in the past they used to have an official statement about the linkage on their website (23 MCAT + 3.0 GPA in the program = acceptance) but they took it down a few years ago for some reasons. From what I gathered, the only thing you are guaranteed is an interview with the DO program at LECOM at the beginning of the 2nd semester. This is taken vebatim from the acceptance letter:

"Postbac students who apply to the LECOM DO program will be interviewed early in the 2nd semester of the Postbac program. Postbac students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA in Postbac program and achieve a minimum score of 23 MCAT for acceptance into the DO program"

I think the interview is pretty much a formality but I could be wrong.
@omg-wtf-bbq : Have you ever heard of any instance where a student did well in the program, bombed the interview and got rejected?

According to omg-wtf-bbq, students who had 3.5 from the first semester got accepted right off the bat after their interviews in Jan/February, then the 3.5>x>3.2 group, then the 3.2>x>3.0 group after (my interpretation of what omg-wtf-bbq has been giving us)

The following was taken from an email sent out to current postbac students from the DO admission office (thanks to omg-wtf-bbq, again)

"...based on past history, there will most likely be more open seats at the Seton Hill campus when the Post bac program ends than at the Erie campus. This does NOT mean you will NOT have a seat, but if the Erie campus is full, you may have to wait for a seat open, (it will not be a long wait- and yes, seats will open) whereas the Seton Hill campus, historically, has had open seats in mid-April for immediate placement into the class."

"Again, if you finish at a 3.0 or higher, barring you breaking the law, you will have a seat, but there is chance that if you want to stay in Erie, you may have to wait a short time after Post bac classes end for the seat to open. Obviously this is a bit stressful. Also, there could very well be a scenario that Erie will indeed have enough open seats, but I wanted to contact you about all possibilities."

So, >3.0 GPA in the program + 23 MCAT sans any social misconduct and violations = eventual acceptance. However, higher GPA from 1st semester will be accepted earlier and have more choice when it comes to campus (and probably pathways) preferences.

I hope I made sense, writing is SO NOT my thing :/

 

[601136]

omg-wtf-bbq, can you elaborate on any prereqs required for this program? The website was kind of vague.

I feel really dumb for this, but this is the post-bacc certificate, right? Not the M.S.?

UnoMas answered this but I'll elaborate. The M.S. is essentially a continuation of this program. In our class we have pre-pharm, pre-med, and masters students. Additionally, pre-dents are permitted but I don't think we have any. We take most classes together but pre-pharm 2nd semester courses have been different. If you want to earn the M.S., you simply stay on a year longer and do some research with the faculty. If the admissions office said more on this topic, I didn't hear it.

 

[601136]

@omg-wtf-bbq : Have you ever heard of any instance where a student did well in the program, bombed the interview and got rejected?

No. I did hear a story about a student who got drunk and punched a police horse, so there's that.

 

[601136]

Does the dental school have linkage as well?
Thanks

Officially there is no linkage between the PostBac and any of LECOM's professional programs. The impression given by the administration is that successful completion secures your spot regardless of the specialty (pharm, DO, dent). I recommend contacting admissions at the dental school to see what they have to say.

 

[TravelingRunner]

Thanks, omg-wtf-bbq and UnoMas!

 

[UnoMas]

No problem man. Good luck on your application!

 

[turkandjd12]

I was accepted to this program a couple of days ago as well! I was wondering if you could comment on housing. I am kind of ignorant to whether people live on or off campus and how you find housing!

Were you notified that you were were accepted through snail mail? I was informed that I will be notified via official letter in the mail and I just want to make sure that this isn't a guaranteed rejection. Thanks!

 

[UnoMas]

Nah, everyone gets that status once they made a decision on your file. You will learn about the outcome via snail mail.

P.S.: both turkandjd and World's Tallest Doctor are in this thread I should have gotten the screen name Multi-ethnic Siamese Doctor

 

[dmnkcat]

Does anyone have any opinions on LECOM vs PCOM post bacc?

 

[World's Tallest Doctor]

Were you notified that you were were accepted through snail mail? I was informed that I will be notified via official letter in the mail and I just want to make sure that this isn't a guaranteed rejection. Thanks!

I was notified via mail.

 

[desi0chick]

accepted as well as of today. still waiting to hear back from a couple schools though but decided to go ahead and pay my deposit here! i know someone who's done the LECOM post bac program and have heard great things about it, good luck to those still waiting!

 

[watermelons]

accepted as well as of today. still waiting to hear back from a couple schools though but decided to go ahead and pay my deposit here! i know someone who's done the LECOM post bac program and have heard great things about it, good luck to those still waiting!

Congrats!

I just have some questions concerning the application process.
What do we have to mail in after we complete the application? Can we use the same LOR written for us when we applied to med/dental school? And do they need my score report for the DAT (I'm pre-dent) and transcripts of all the schools I attended?

I have tried contacting the admissions office but did not get a response. Thanks in advance!

 

[coolguy5]

For those that got accepted congrats!!! I am waiting to hear back. Do you mind sharing your stats? Thank you.

 

[Flash Forward]

For those that got accepted congrats!!! I am waiting to hear back. Do you mind sharing your stats? Thank you.

PM'ed you

 

[desi0chick]

Congrats!

I just have some questions concerning the application process.
What do we have to mail in after we complete the application? Can we use the same LOR written for us when we applied to med/dental school? And do they need my score report for the DAT (I'm pre-dent) and transcripts of all the schools I attended?

I have tried contacting the admissions office but did not get a response. Thanks in advance!

Yes, you can use the same LORs that you used for medical school! I applied to LECOM Erie's medical school but very later (about 1 month before their deadline) so I had already sent my recs via interfolio. For score reports, they already had mine on file but you can send a screenshot of it via email. So basically if you already applied to their med/dental school, then I'm assuming they already have it on file, if not I would send everything in (including transcripts) asap! I would still call them up/email the director in charge of the program to make sure you're all complete, hope that helps!

 

[watermelons]

Yes, you can use the same LORs that you used for medical school! I applied to LECOM Erie's medical school but very later (about 1 month before their deadline) so I had already sent my recs via interfolio. For score reports, they already had mine on file but you can send a screenshot of it via email. So basically if you already applied to their med/dental school, then I'm assuming they already have it on file, if not I would send everything in (including transcripts) asap! I would still call them up/email the director in charge of the program to make sure you're all complete, hope that helps!

Thank you!

 

[hchang9]

Hey guys. Current MS2 student here at LECOM moving for rotations. I'm putting my house up for rent. It's pretty close to LECOM (10min drive) and even closer to St Vincent (2-3min drive or 15 minute walk) if you choose to do your rotations there. Grocery store is about 3 minutes drive and a convenience store is about a 3minute walk. Otis 12 (the best wings place in Erie) is about a 1 minute walk from my place.

The rent is $1200+utilities. 1664 sqft 3 bedrooms/1bath. Huge back yard. Lots of storage space in the basement with washer and dryer. Cherry oak hardwood floors. Driveway for 2 cars and street parking. Here's a link to the details and pictures of the house.
http://www.trulia.com/property/3146573398-2640-Hazel-St-Erie-PA-16508#photo-1

Message me if anyone's interested. Thanks!

 

[turkandjd12]

Does anyone know when orientation for this program begins? I saw class starts the 3rd of September!
Thanks!

 

[World's Tallest Doctor]

Is anyone going to retake the MCAT before the start of the program? I have a 25 going in, but have any of you heard if having a higher MCAT for the interview in the spring brings more competition to the plate? Or are they primarily concerned with your performance in the program?

 

[Flash Forward]

Is anyone going to retake the MCAT before the start of the program? I have a 25 going in, but have any of you heard if having a higher MCAT for the interview in the spring brings more competition to the plate? Or are they primarily concerned with your performance in the program?

I also have a 25. I am just going to focus on performing well in this program and getting atleast a 3.0.

 

[Flash Forward]

Does anyone know when orientation for this program begins? I saw class starts the 3rd of September!
Thanks!

The orientation is on Sept-3, 2014.

 

[deuceof2]

Is anyone going to retake the MCAT before the start of the program? I have a 25 going in, but have any of you heard if having a higher MCAT for the interview in the spring brings more competition to the plate? Or are they primarily concerned with your performance in the program?

They are primarily concerned with your performance in the program as long as you have a 23 MCAT.

 

[Xclusiv]

*Post-Bacc Housing*

Hello future LECOMers! A former post-baccer here and current OMS2.

I will be leaving for rotations this summer and am offering my room at my 2-bedroom unit at Landmark Square Apartments to anyone interested. You will have one roommate (2nd year male Pharm student) and only be 8 mins from the campus.

Rent is about $342.50/mo + utilities. Parking is included. I will also be willing to leave my room furnished (queen sized bed, desk, etc) for a reasonable fee. If you are interested and want more details please PM me.

Good luck!

 

[namenamename576]

Hi guys,
I just finished the post back program, and my advice to you is DO NOT GO HERE. If I had it to do again, I would go to a program that grants you a masters degree, not a certificate in nothing. I am not in med school, I have 50,000 dollars of debt from this program, and I do not have anything to show for it. I was told that about 35/85 people who took the final got >3.0. This does not include about 30 who failed prior to the final. (This statistic was not given to me by lecom, but I did hear it from several different sources.)
To preface this, I had a 3.4 undergraduate GPA from a competitive university and a 28 MCAT. I decided to do the program because I have been out of school several years and figured this would make me a better medial student.
We HAD to interview in January (after other nonpost baccs were already accepted). At this time, alternative pathways were full or almost full. After our federal aid was NONREFUNDABLE, lecom started playing games with waitlist letters. I was told there were nowhere near enough seats, and they would send conditional acceptances after general applicants turned down their seats. GPAs below a 3.2 did not get conditional acceptance letters until the end of the semester. To me, this seems like they intended for everyone to get 2.8s the following semester. Easy way to weed out a decent amount of people. We had a ridiculously large fourth exam and a new pharm professor. It is my belief that this is how they addressed their lack of space. By this point, my money was nonrefundable and I had already invested almost a year in LECOM.
The average in pharm on both exam 3 and 4 was close to an F. Being that this was the majority of the points in the class, this was pretty much impossible to recover from. I got As on exams after that, but still got a c in pharm. We didn't get averages for the last exam and the final, but I would assume that they weren't A's, meaning a lot of the class is still doing worse than my C.
We were sent several emails from their federal student aid lady to get us to fill out a survey saying we were going to medical school next year. I understand that this is mandatory for the school to submit so that they can get federal loans for students. I refused to fill this out until I was actually accepted (which should be how it goes to begin with). But a lot of other people filled it out when she asked, replying ‘I am intending to go’ or something like that. So the statistics collected from that survey are probably not accurate.
I worked WAY HARDER second semester than 1st semester, and did not get a 3.0. I studied for hours every day. 2 points in EITHER class would have given me a 3.0 (2 points out of ~250). On the final, the anatomy professor marked the answers correct on about 12 questions. He dropped all of them. Questions that were wrong ended up being worth a lot more (because it was out of less points) and the final overall was worth much less (VERY important to people who needed to bring their grades up).
Overall, this program was the worst mistake of my professional career. I am now 50,000 dollars in debt and have nothing to show for it. In addition, my GPA is low in this program, which is going to look horrible on every application. I cant even apply to school without this, because we had to put it on AACOMAS before we knew we were doing horrible. I need to go get a masters degree now to fix the damage this program has done to my resume (something I could have done to begin with for much less money, in a town other than erie). When I asked LECOM for help with what to do next, they pretty much told me this was the end of the line and offered no help as to where I should go from here. Of the people who I asked for help, only one responded. He told me that I should retake some undergraduate classes to increase my undergraduate GPA or get a masters degree. I could have done either of these without LECOM.

 

[namenamename576]

Honestly, if your statistics are not great, GET A MASTERS. Atleast then you will have something to show for it at the end. There are a lot of masters you can get in ~1yr and the classes are all the same. If not then take a year off, volunteer, and apply next year. I learned a lot in this program, and some people were accepted to school, and if i do end up going I think it will help me get higher grades my first year. But if you are one of the many that aren't accepted, your kind of screwed in terms of what to do next. And my resume is now scarred from this program. Several people in my class just got jobs at chipotle, yoga studios, and substitute teaching. If you have questions I am more than willing to answer them and if you think this program is for you then great do it, but I wish someone had given me this advice last year before I invested so much in this.

 

[turkandjd12]

you can get a masters if you stay for a second year so what you are saying isn't exactly true. Still, I am very sorry to hear this happened to you.

This post is quite troubling if the numbers you are saying are correct. When I called admissions they were singing a very different tune.

 

[namenamename576]

I can stay another year at LECOM and get a masters, this is true. But I can also go to almost any other school in the country and get a masters in 1 year, even though I would be starting from the beginning. You have to apply to LECOMs masters from post bacc, you are not automatically accepted from post bacc. And Even if I get a 4.0 next year at LECOMs masters, This will be averaged with my bad GPA. So my masters GPA will still not be very high. I worked ridiculously hard this semester, I don't want you to think I slacked off and partied. I was unable to achieve a 3.0. Again, those statistics were not given to me directly from LECOM, but they did send an acceptance email to the post baccs who made it, and I was told from people who did achieve a 3.0 that only about half of our class was on the acceptance list. I can also tell you that I know about 15 people FOR SURE who do not have 3.0s, and are going no where next year.

There are a lot of people who succeeded with the post back, and I did learn a lot in the program. But it is more of a gamble whether or not you will get a 3.0 than I originally thought. If you are dead set on this program, make sure you apply to way more than just LECOM, and fill out secondaries for all of them. And if you do not finish first semester with close to a 4.0, you might want to consider other plans before you waste money on second semester. Again, if I can get a school to look past my GPA in the post back, im sure I will be a more successful student due to what I learned this year. But I also could have taken these same classes at a school closer to my home, for cheaper, potentially online, and received real credentials from it.

 

[601136]

Again, those statistics were not given to me directly from LECOM, but they did send an acceptance email to the post baccs who made it, and I was told from people who did achieve a 3.0 that only about half of our class was on the acceptance list. I can also tell you that I know about 15 people FOR SURE who do not have 3.0s, and are going no where next year.

Emails sent just prior to the spring final exam were sent to 118 students. The post-acceptance email namenamename576 is referring to had 63 recipients.

 

[601136]

We HAD to interview in January (after other nonpost baccs were already accepted). At this time, alternative pathways were full or almost full. After our federal aid was NONREFUNDABLE, lecom started playing games with waitlist letters. I was told there were NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH SEATS, and they would send conditional acceptances after general applicants turned down their seats. GPAs below a 3.2 did not get conditional acceptance letters until the end of the semester.

I was concerned about this too, and wondered if the administration would enact any last-ditch effort to essentially save half of the Post-Bacc class. Apparently they did not. Likewise, the entire premise behind who got conditional acceptance letters and when they got them was nonsense; setting arbitrary GPA thresholds above 3.0 only served to stress people out.

Although I made the cut, I completely understand namenamename576's perspective. For LECOM's part, I received my acceptance letter to the Directed Study Pathway promptly after final grades were calculated. I have no clue how Admissions assigns pathways but the program's most basic principle holds true: get a 3.0, get into LECOM.

 

[namenamename576]

I was concerned about this too, and wondered if the administration would enact any last-ditch effort to essentially save half of the Post-Bacc class. Apparently they did not. Likewise, the entire premise behind who got conditional acceptance letters and when they got them was nonsense; setting arbitrary GPA thresholds above 3.0 only served to stress people out.

Although I made the cut, I completely understand namenamename576's perspective. For LECOM's part, I received my acceptance letter to the Directed Studies Pathway promptly after final grades were calculated. I have no clue how Admissions assigns pathways but the program's most basic principle holds true: get a 3.0, get into LECOM.

did anyone in the class get PBL?

 

[601136]

did anyone in the class get PBL?

I'm almost certain I had a conversation with someone who stated they and a friend got into PBL, so I would like to say yes but I really don't remember. I do know a few people ended up in LDP despite that not being their first choice.

 

[namenamename576]

I'm almost certain I had a conversation with someone who stated they and a friend got into PBL, so I would like to say yes but I really don't remember. I do know a few people ended up in LDP despite that not being their first choice.

I know someone with a 4.0 who did not get PBL originally. I do not know if they changed this later in the semester. It doesn't matter, because I will not be a student at LECOM at all, but I kind of looked at as unfair, being that we were disadvantaged by being a post bacc.


I was told when i applied to this program that the majority of the class got 3.0s. If i knew it was only about 50%, I would not have done this program. I think the odds were better than 50% for me if I had applied to LECOMS MS1 class directly rather than through post bacc.

 

[601136]

I know someone with a 4.0 who did not get PBL originally. I do not know if they changed this later in the semester. It doesn't matter, because I will not be a student at LECOM at all, but I kind of looked at as unfair, being that we were disadvantaged by being a post bacc.

I was told when i applied to this program that the majority of the class got 3.0s. If i knew it was only about 50%, I would not have done this program. I think the odds were better than 50% for me if I had applied to LECOMS MS1 class directly rather than through post bacc.

Like I said, I have no idea how they assign students to alternative programs. It's probably equal parts grades, timing, and chance. I agree that being in the Post-Bacc program can put you at a disadvantage, especially if the other schools you apply to place you on hold while taking fall courses. I further agree that the completion statistics from the school are probably skewed. I remember hearing the success rate for past years was somewhere around 95% - a far cry from what apparently happened to the 2013-2014 class.

 

[deuceof2]

I just finished the postbac program this year and I loved it. With hard work, I easily made the 3.0 cutoff. I spent countless hours at the library in order to do it (Class was 2-6 pm, then I will stay at the library after class until it close at 11 pm; then will do a small mini review the next morning). It is possible to succeed in the program. You MUST treat this program like you are in medical school though, not in undergraduate. The program uses the same professors and most of the same power points that they use with the medical students. For an example, I had a tutoring session with an MS2 and he basically told me that I am all set for Cardio Physio when we go over it in medical school. Even though you may feel extra confident from the program and have an impressive GPA from undergrad, I suggest to apply to other schools while in the program. My advisor warned me that situations may happen where you work hard and life events may catch up to you, leaving you with less than a 3.0. Also, multiple individuals in this class ended up getting accepted to other schools during the first semester and beginning of second semester (over 10 individuals I believe).

As for the alternative pathways, multiple students were able to get into Directed Study Pathway (but you probably have to get a impressive GPA to enter in it.) In order to get PBL, you will probably have to opt to go Bradenton or Seton Hill. The PBL class is really small at Erie and is usually full by the time we submit our pathway preferences.

I will tell anyone that this program was probably one of the best decisions that I made in my life. I LEARNED how to study and manage my time (I will admit that I partied A LOT during undergrad and it greatly affected my GPA). I feel so much more confident to start the medical school in the fall and really appreciate this extra year. I ended up following my advisor's advice and applied to my dream osteopathic school, surprisingly I got accepted so I ended up declining my acceptance at LECOM. However, I would have been just as satisfied going to LECOM as the school I am about to attend during the fall.

 

[601136]

As for the alternative pathways, multiple students were able to get into Directed Study Pathway (but you probably have to get a impressive GPA to enter in it.) In order to get PBL, you will probably have to opt to go Bradenton or Seton Hill. The PBL class is really small at Erie and is usually full by the time we submit our pathway preferences.

I secured a spot in DSP with a 3.1 so I'm inclined to believe the decision isn't GPA-heavy. Also, for all PBL hopefuls, Admissions stated there are typically plenty of spots available at Seton Hill so getting this pathway shouldn't be a problem if you're willing to relocate.

 

[deuceof2]

I secured a spot in DSP with a 3.1 so I'm inclined to believe the decision isn't GPA-heavy. Also, for all PBL hopefuls, Admissions stated there are typically plenty of spots available at Seton Hill so getting this pathway shouldn't be a problem if you're willing to relocate.

Wow, nice. Everybody else I know who secured a spot in DSP received a 3.7 or above.

 

[GlowInTheDark]

Hi guys,
I just finished the post back program, and my advice to you is DO NOT GO HERE. If I had it to do again, I would go to a program that grants you a masters degree, not a certificate in nothing. I am not in med school, I have 50,000 dollars of debt from this program, and I do not have anything to show for it. I was told that about 35/85 people who took the final got >3.0. This does not include about 30 who failed prior to the final. (This statistic was not given to me by lecom, but I did hear it from several different sources.)
To preface this, I had a 3.4 undergraduate GPA from a competitive university and a 28 MCAT. I decided to do the program because I have been out of school several years and figured this would make me a better medial student.
We HAD to interview in January (after other nonpost baccs were already accepted). At this time, alternative pathways were full or almost full. After our federal aid was NONREFUNDABLE, lecom started playing games with waitlist letters. I was told there were nowhere near enough seats, and they would send conditional acceptances after general applicants turned down their seats. GPAs below a 3.2 did not get conditional acceptance letters until the end of the semester. To me, this seems like they intended for everyone to get 2.8s the following semester. Easy way to weed out a decent amount of people. We had a ridiculously large fourth exam and a new pharm professor. It is my belief that this is how they addressed their lack of space. By this point, my money was nonrefundable and I had already invested almost a year in LECOM.
The average in pharm on both exam 3 and 4 was close to an F. Being that this was the majority of the points in the class, this was pretty much impossible to recover from. I got As on exams after that, but still got a c in pharm. We didn't get averages for the last exam and the final, but I would assume that they weren't A's, meaning a lot of the class is still doing worse than my C.
We were sent several emails from their federal student aid lady to get us to fill out a survey saying we were going to medical school next year. I understand that this is mandatory for the school to submit so that they can get federal loans for students. I refused to fill this out until I was actually accepted (which should be how it goes to begin with). But a lot of other people filled it out when she asked, replying ‘I am intending to go’ or something like that. So the statistics collected from that survey are probably not accurate.
I worked WAY HARDER second semester than 1st semester, and did not get a 3.0. I studied for hours every day. 2 points in EITHER class would have given me a 3.0 (2 points out of ~250). On the final, the anatomy professor marked the answers correct on about 12 questions. He dropped all of them. Questions that were wrong ended up being worth a lot more (because it was out of less points) and the final overall was worth much less (VERY important to people who needed to bring their grades up).
Overall, this program was the worst mistake of my professional career. I am now 50,000 dollars in debt and have nothing to show for it. In addition, my GPA is low in this program, which is going to look horrible on every application. I cant even apply to school without this, because we had to put it on AACOMAS before we knew we were doing horrible. I need to go get a masters degree now to fix the damage this program has done to my resume (something I could have done to begin with for much less money, in a town other than erie). When I asked LECOM for help with what to do next, they pretty much told me this was the end of the line and offered no help as to where I should go from here. Of the people who I asked for help, only one responded. He told me that I should retake some undergraduate classes to increase my undergraduate GPA or get a masters degree. I could have done either of these without LECOM.

I'm going to link this post specifically, but my statements aren't going to all be in direct response to what you've said.

What EVERYONE who is applying and considering this program MUST understand is that this program is DO OR DIE. We told this exact statement to the post-bacc class at the start of the year. We clearly said, "You're here for a reason. Something in your history has prevented you from being accepted to med school and you are here to essentially say, 'You guys were wrong, I am ready for med school, and this is why."

Did you guys think we were BSing you?

From previous post-bacc students it was very clear that a majority of people did not get it. Partying and acting like you were already a med student was pervasive.

If you come to this program, you haven't accomplished ANYTHING. You better show up to Erie with a chip on your shoulder and something to prove.

I will not deny or defend the administrative issues. But you all need to realize, they're present in post-bacc, they're present in med school, residency, and real-life. It is unfortunate that you didn't find the pharmacology professor to be quality. I've had him in multiple courses and his a top-notch instructor (and this is evidenced by the med students voting him as a teacher of the year.)

$50k in debt from the program is a lie. Tuition is around $15k and the max you can borrow is around $30k in federal aid. If you are in $50k in debt, that is due to your own financial irresponsiblity.

What do you do after this? Well, first off, everyone considering this program needs to have had that answer BEFORE YOU EVER STARTED. I repeat, this program wasn't a guarantee and it is the end of the road. If you can't handle med school-lite, ADCOMs will see this as a HUGE, GIGANTIC, ENORMOUS red flag.

You do have options though. Stay another year at LECOM and you'll end up with a MS and have another chance at getting into the med school.

I sincerely feel bad for your situation. It's frustrating, I get it, and I totally understand it. SDN posts are often cathartic. I am glad I came to this post-bacc. It was the most inexpensive with the best linkage. Most importantly, it gave me a pathway to achieve my ultimate goal.

TL;DR? Be responsible. Don't take this program lightly. Have a plan in case you don't get in. And don't make excuses, make solutions.

 

[GlowInTheDark]

I just finished the postbac program this year and I loved it. With hard work, I easily made the 3.0 cutoff. I spent countless hours at the library in order to do it (Class was 2-6 pm, then I will stay at the library after class until it close at 11 pm; then will do a small mini review the next morning). It is possible to succeed in the program. You MUST treat this program like you are in medical school though, not in undergraduate. The program uses the same professors and most of the same power points that they use with the medical students. For an example, I had a tutoring session with an MS2 and he basically told me that I am all set for Cardio Physio when we go over it in medical school. Even though you may feel extra confident from the program and have an impressive GPA from undergrad, I suggest to apply to other schools while in the program. My advisor warned me that situations may happen where you work hard and life events may catch up to you, leaving you with less than a 3.0. Also, multiple individuals in this class ended up getting accepted to other schools during the first semester and beginning of second semester (over 10 individuals I believe).

As for the alternative pathways, multiple students were able to get into Directed Study Pathway (but you probably have to get a impressive GPA to enter in it.) In order to get PBL, you will probably have to opt to go Bradenton or Seton Hill. The PBL class is really small at Erie and is usually full by the time we submit our pathway preferences.

I will tell anyone that this program was probably one of the best decisions that I made in my life. I LEARNED how to study and manage my time (I will admit that I partied A LOT during undergrad and it greatly affected my GPA). I feel so much more confident to start the medical school in the fall and really appreciate this extra year. I ended up following my advisor's advice and applied to my dream osteopathic school, surprisingly I got accepted so I ended up declining my acceptance at LECOM. However, I would have been just as satisfied going to LECOM as the school I am about to attend during the fall.

Anyone considering this program should read this post. This person 'gets it'.

 

[601136]

What EVERYONE who is applying and considering this program MUST understand is that this program is DO OR DIE.

Good point. I initially saw this program as a collection of science courses designed to help build my application to medical school, while it's really more akin to a 5th year of medical school (albeit an introductory one) added to the front end.

 

[BillNyeThatGuy]

I like a few others before me on this forum will try to give you the most accurate information about this program that I can. Let me begin by say that I am currently finishing up my first year at LECOM in the medical program. I too was a former LECOM post-bacc student (2012-2013). I can confidently say that this program was by far the best $21,000 that I have ever spent (please note, under no circumstances should/nor will this program cost you $50,000). It gave me an opportunity to chase my chosen career when I didn't really have any other options, and it truly did provide me with the skills needed to be successful in LECOMs medical program.

I can honestly say that before LECOM I was not a model student. Like many, in undergrad I spent more time fraternizing than studying and was never really one who took academics seriously. I managed to do well by simply studying the night before exams, and B's were totally acceptable. I will tell you now that if you share this mentality it will be difficult for you to make it through the program, but it is entirely possible. I found myself below the 3.0 mark (2.93) at the end of first semester and had nearly failed a class, as I was still working out the kinks from undergrad (it may take some time to adjust to the level of the new curriculum). At the start of the start of the next semester I began to sacrifice my weekends, I stopped going home to visit friends and family (expect holidays), I stopped going out on week nights and weekends (some succeeded and still did this), but most importantly I started treating my medical education like a professional. Like there was nothing else more important. It is challenging, but everyone that enters the post-bacc is more than capable of getting into the medical program. It just kinda comes down to what you're willing to sacrifice to get there.

Below I will try to outline the program as best I can by major topics. I'll also try to stay up on posts incase y'all have any questions.

Entrance Requirements:
I still remember my first day at LECOM, the dean told us that we were all in the post-bacc for a reason, and it was not because we were worthy of medical school. We were told that we'd all made mistakes in our academic careers to have ended up in that room and that this was our chance to make up for them. We were then made clear on the criteria that needed to be achieved for acceptance. We were told that you need a 23 MCAT, above a 3.0 cumulative GPA w/o any failures, and that you will need to interview in the middle of the spring semester. We were also informed that the interview would be nothing more than a formality as your year in post-bacc would serve as an "interview" in itself (like seriously, a friend of mine answered the question "What hobbies do you have outside of medical studies?" with only the word "Chicken" and got in without a problem). They assured us that these were the criteria, and that they were set in stone. They also told us that rumors are started every year that the criteria will be modified, but they won't be. I would specifically ask these criteria at the beginning of your program before entering as they may change as the program grows and evolves.

In our year specifically, I know of a few students that fell below the 3.0 mark while still passing all of their classes. They were allowed onto the wait list by simply emailing the admissions department and a few were accepted in late summer and in the first week of the program.

Cost:
~$20,000. Again, this might very with your year, but it won't be much more I'm sure. You can take the grad plus loan, but I managed to live comfortably off of my standard loan. This of course may be a little different if you have a family. Again, everyones situation will differ slightly.

Academics:
Don't let yourself be fooled by the fact that you aren't yet a med student. The curriculum is intensely difficult. I can tell you from first hand experience that LECOMs post-bacc was the most challenging year of academia I have had yet. This, compiled with the added stress of not knowing where you will be in the next year makes this program very challenging for most people. Fortunately I achieved at least the minimum on the MCAT before beginning the program so I did not have the added stress of preparing for that exam. I'd recommend that anyone considering the post try to take the MCAT before they begin, or before the beginning of second semester at the latest. You don't want to be juggling the MCAT and post-bacc classes if you don't have to be. Many of those that didn't make it were trying to do just that.

Acceptance Rate
I'm not 100% sure on our years numbers if you include those that decided to leave LECOM. In terms of those that are currently at our school still, approximately 45-50 of the 86 made it. I don't have any information on the pathways that these students got into, but I know of at least 6 that managed DSP, and 3 or 4 others that went to Bradenton and Seton Hill.

Faculty:
LECOMs professors are some of the most personable and intelligent you will find, that being said, there are always some that are more difficult than others (as in any school you may apply to). In reference to the "new pharm teacher" that was talked about above. He is incredibly intelligent and his lectures are GOLDEN. He does ask very difficult questions at times but pharmacology is not the easiest of subjects for most people so it is justifiable. The departments are still growing and the pharm department is no exception. One department I would like to briefly mention is the anatomy department. This is by far the strongest department at LECOM and many of our teachers write for, review, and sit on the board for the COMLEX. Keep this in mind when applying.

Having Trouble?
I quickly found that I was better at some subjects than other, and those that attend likely will too. In those subjects I struggled with (Pharm & Micro), help was made available rapidly and tutors were offered very soon after being requested. Forming small study groups can also help. LECOM puts in place a couple of systems to help its students through, accessible advisors, welcoming teachers, and even tutoring from former post-baccs, but it the students responsibility to ask for that help.

Summary:
All in all this program was money well spent. Every story you hear is gonna be a little different of course, so try to weight the good and the bad if you are seriously considering coming here. As an MS1, I've had a year now to really look back on how well LECOMs post-bacc has prepared me for the medical program, and I'd gladly recommend it to anyone who asked. Just remember this program is not easy, and it is not a free ride into medical school. You will have to work very hard and sacrifice a lot for it but the grades needed are completely obtainable.

I hope this helps some of you looking into this program and if you have any questions at all, please feel free to message me or post below and I'll try to get back to you.

BillNyeThatGuy, MS1

 

[IspitHotFire27]

Hey guys,

Just want to give my quick opinion of this program.
Myself: My undergrad major was in physiology (definitely helped for first semester) and chose to do the post-bacc because I had been out of school for over three years. I have a 1 year old son and my girlfriend is an MS-1 student at LECOM. I was able to find time to go to the gym almost everyday and occasionally go out with classmates (after exams).
Studying: I would generally study for a few hours at night and here-and-there on the weekend, but then would put in quite a bit of time 4-5 days prior to the exam. I also made sure to pay attention in class, sometimes easier said than done. I ended first semester with a high gpa (3.93) and got the pathway I wanted (DSP). Your undergrad major can play a big role in your study habits. Being a physio major, I had already encountered a lot of the material covered during first semester and it made life easier.
Pathways: Your pathway will largely be determined by your first semester gpa, which also happens to be the easier semester IMO. No one was able to get PBL in Erie, but plenty of people got it at Bradenton and Seton Hill. A lot of people hear that students who get LDP (lecture) sit in class for 8 hours everyday, but that's simply not true.
Classes: I would suggest waiting to purchase your textbooks. I honestly only used my anatomy and pathology textbooks d/t the professors testing strictly from their powerpoints. The classes that seemed to give people the most trouble were micro (lots of memorization), physio (lots of material) and pharm (new professor, board style questions). I found second semester to be more challenging because several of the exams had 4 weeks of material on them.
Overall: I enjoyed the program and believe it to be a good prep for the first year of med school. I've spoken with several MS-3 and MS-4 students and they said their classmates who completed the post bacc had a "leg up" and were often at the top of the class. If your dream/goal is to become a doctor, it doesn't matter too much where you go. Unfortunately the administration at LECOM is far from the best, and the same can be said about the city of Erie too. But I think the good outweighs the bad and I would recommend the post-bacc program.

 

[IspitHotFire27]

Also, I can say that around 50-60 out of the 110 students finished the program with a 3.0 or above. If it wasn't for our exam 4 this second semester, I think that number would be closer to 75-80. Good luck to all of you!

 

[DoodleDoofus]

1. I just finished 2013-2014 post bacc and it was the best thing that I have ever done.
2. I partied my way to a 3.0/28 MCAT in undergrad and had zero study skills.
3. LECOM knows that the Post-Bacc students CAN become very successful, but they are just opening the door, they will not walk through for you.
4. I agree that too many people in our class did not "get it" or heed the warnings of the previous classes, but not a majority like some have said. I think the FB group made the problem seem worse than it was (is that response bias? God I hate statistics).
5. I went 2.87 (C in Micro) 1st semester and 3.8 (B in Pharm) 2nd semester in the program, not just because of greater drive due to disappointing results 1st semester, but also because I had 4 months of study habits to learn from. Adjustments in your approach and attitude towards studying are mandatory if you are someone like me, and those take time.
6. Yes the administration will ALWAYS be vague about the admissions process.
7. Yes at times it will feel like the Pharm and Micro professors have been told to trim down the numbers in the class.
8. Although the last semester was the most stressful few months of my life I felt like I knew the situation of our class and the only thing I could do about it was study hard. All the professors were very helpful and kind to me on a personal level, but lecom as a whole is a business. They know they have a fluctuating number of "X" chairs in the full program available and they want to fill them with good candidates. The post bacc is obviously a win-win for them to do this. They will make money off you no matter what if you attend Post Bacc (yay for them) and if you prove to them that you reaaaaally want it, you will probably give them an above average Medical Student in yourself (yay for both of you).
9. My advice is to go into the year with no pre-conceived notions that you deserve to be a medical student or that you have "made it". The very definition of the Post Bacc kids are that we are the ones who were not good enough, the ones with stained resumes who just need a chance to prove ourselves. Producing that proof is not easy, but if you do you will know the success is real and something you can build on.
10. My potential future as a Doctor would not exist without LECOM Post-Bacc, and for that I always be grateful.

 

[deuceof2]

Also, I can say that around 50-60 out of the 110 students finished the program with a 3.0 or above. If it wasn't for our exam 4 this second semester, I think that number would be closer to 75-80. Good luck to all of you!

How did you know it was around 50-60 students? If it was based on that email sent after the program with approximately 60 email addresses, then your number is wrong. I saw email addresses that included people I know for sure did not finish the program on there. I don't know why the professor selected those email address.