- Joined
- Mar 5, 2015
- Messages
- 9
- Reaction score
- 8
Does anyone know when December break starts? Trying to plan a family wedding but only found spring schedule on their website, not even an old fall schedule.
LECOM Post-bacc 2015-2016
- Thread starter metoo
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
For my class, Fall final exam was on December 12th. Each semester is 15 weeks, just count forward using the 1st day of class if you already knew when the program starts in the Fall
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2011
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 38
Hey UnoMas, thanks for giving us your experience with the program so far. I just had a couple of questions. Do you think the program prepared you well enough to do well your first year as MS1 (do post bacc students generally do better than their peers? I think I have a chance getting in to LECOM with out the post bacc, although not the greatest chance, but if the post bacc helps me perform well my first year in med school it would be a worthwhile investment.
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2011
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 38
I was also gonna ask about my chances with out post bacc but I think a lot of that is subjective.
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
- Messages
- 137
- Reaction score
- 52
hey all i completed my application but i have yet to send out my official mcat score report, any idea who i can email or where i can upload it? ive applied to the d.o program at brandenton so im not sure if they already have my mcat scores because of that. any help would be greatly appreciated!
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2014
- Messages
- 101
- Reaction score
- 29
Hello all!
Has anyone gotten an email saying that the admissions committee is delaying their decision until after they receive an update of your grades from the current spring semester?
I'm a little confused about why they are delaying their decision when I thought my stats were pretty good.... 27 MCAT cgpa 3.32 sgpa 3.25
My only thought is maybe they didn't calculate my sgpa the same way I did? (I'm a BIOLOGICAL engineer so many of my classes are heavily based in biology, enzymes, proteins, polymers, etc. but I'm wondering if they didn't include those classes in their calculations). Thoughts?
Has anyone gotten an email saying that the admissions committee is delaying their decision until after they receive an update of your grades from the current spring semester?
I'm a little confused about why they are delaying their decision when I thought my stats were pretty good.... 27 MCAT cgpa 3.32 sgpa 3.25
My only thought is maybe they didn't calculate my sgpa the same way I did? (I'm a BIOLOGICAL engineer so many of my classes are heavily based in biology, enzymes, proteins, polymers, etc. but I'm wondering if they didn't include those classes in their calculations). Thoughts?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2014
- Messages
- 69
- Reaction score
- 40
Well if you apply directly to the school they don't replace science grades like aacomas. Also maby they have a different definition of science courses and only counted your biology chem org and physics and left out your engineering classes maby it lowered your standing sgpa
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2014
- Messages
- 45
- Reaction score
- 33
Ive been wondering the same thing! and i've kinda heard a variety of answers, some say it's really difficult, others say its doable. My speculation is that since this program is exclusively science classes (as opposed to undergrad, during which you take gen-eds, non-science classes, etc.) it's hard to have a good GPA without the extra boost of easy A classes during undergrad. Getting a B in a tough science course is considered to be a decent grade. but if you get all B's (B=3.0) then you have no room to do any worse than a B or you'll drop below that 3.0.
at any rate, the classes are basically the same degree of difficulty as MS1 courses so I'm sure the program is no walk in the park. still, it's unsettling to hear people say that a 3.0 is hard to manage.
Hey all!
This is going to sound ridiculous but I have been accepted and I'm not sure I believe it? Let me explain...
So I applied to LECOM through AACOMAS and also applied to the post bacc program BUT I never specifically sent the post bacc program my official MCAT score or transcripts. The reason I worry is because my sGPA is a 3.1 but on the LECOM website it says: Complete 8 semester hours with at least a 2.7 grade point average in each of the following: general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and general physics with labs.
My sGPA only including the above listed science prerequisite classes is a 2.5. Am I misunderstanding this? Are they factoring in ALL the science courses I have taken? Such as Biochemistry, Genetics, etc.....or is this a big mistake....
This is going to sound ridiculous but I have been accepted and I'm not sure I believe it? Let me explain...
So I applied to LECOM through AACOMAS and also applied to the post bacc program BUT I never specifically sent the post bacc program my official MCAT score or transcripts. The reason I worry is because my sGPA is a 3.1 but on the LECOM website it says: Complete 8 semester hours with at least a 2.7 grade point average in each of the following: general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and general physics with labs.
My sGPA only including the above listed science prerequisite classes is a 2.5. Am I misunderstanding this? Are they factoring in ALL the science courses I have taken? Such as Biochemistry, Genetics, etc.....or is this a big mistake....
I say don't sweat the small stuff. Be happy about your acceptance and pay your deposit if you plan to go. It's all gravy!
@mwmwmw80 congratulations! Yeah definitely don't worry about it, you got in and that's all that matters! I'm in a similar boat, I have a 2.85 sGPA, but have since had some grad school experience to help raise my overall GPA. I'm hoping I get the same kind of news that you did!
Congratulations again!
Congratulations again!
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
- Messages
- 137
- Reaction score
- 52
congrats on the acceptance! I agree, don't sweat it and be happy!
i applied to LECOM through AACOMAS as well and was wondering if I needed to send in my official transcripts...on my letter requirements page there's a check on AACOMS and a check on MCAT. Is that how it was for you? I was going to call to see if my official transcript was already applied for the postbac since I know they have it for the DO app. Just sent out my prof letter today, does anyone know how long it take them to review? This is my top choice!
congrats on the acceptance! I agree, don't sweat it and be happy!
i applied to LECOM through AACOMAS as well and was wondering if I needed to send in my official transcripts...on my letter requirements page there's a check on AACOMS and a check on MCAT. Is that how it was for you? I was going to call to see if my official transcript was already applied for the postbac since I know they have it for the DO app. Just sent out my prof letter today, does anyone know how long it take them to review? This is my top choice!
Thank you!!
I didn't sent my official transcripts or MCAT, and it was never requested from me. I had no idea my application was even considered completed until I got the letter in the mail. All i sent in was the application, my resume and a letter of rec. If you have any questions about what has been received, contact Mr. Murphy via e-mail. I e-mailed him about how he had obtained my MCAT/grades information and he said AACOMAS.
Hope that helps
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
- Messages
- 137
- Reaction score
- 52
Thank you!!
I didn't sent my official transcripts or MCAT, and it was never requested from me. I had no idea my application was even considered completed until I got the letter in the mail. All i sent in was the application, my resume and a letter of rec. If you have any questions about what has been received, contact Mr. Murphy via e-mail. I e-mailed him about how he had obtained my MCAT/grades information and he said AACOMAS.
Hope that helps
thank you!! would you be able to post/pm the email address for mr. murphy? would greatly appreciate it!
best of luck at lmu!
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2015
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 51
thank you!! would you be able to post/pm the email address for mr. murphy? would greatly appreciate it!
Hi hpgryffn,
Mr. Jamie Murphy's email is [email protected]
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
Now that the Spring semester has officially ended, I have time to answer any questions that you guys might have about the program again.
As someone has asked above, why would one choose to attend LECOM PB over other programs? For me, the reason was simple, MONEY. Cost of attendance at LECOM is significantly cheaper than other DO school. I strongly suggest everyone to plan out their finances for medical school ahead of time, keep in mind that interest of 6.8-7.1% will be accruing while you are in school. One year PB + 4 year of medical school at LECOM will set you back almost 300k, for other DO schools that figure is close to 400k.
As someone has asked above, why would one choose to attend LECOM PB over other programs? For me, the reason was simple, MONEY. Cost of attendance at LECOM is significantly cheaper than other DO school. I strongly suggest everyone to plan out their finances for medical school ahead of time, keep in mind that interest of 6.8-7.1% will be accruing while you are in school. One year PB + 4 year of medical school at LECOM will set you back almost 300k, for other DO schools that figure is close to 400k.
Besides finances, can you give us some more info about the program? What did you like? What didn't you like?
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
Hmm I don't know where to start. For 30k, this program is a steal if you can get above the 3.0 GPA requirement.
Classwork is only 2-3 hours a day and you have the rest of the day to work out, study, hang out with friends etc. All of the professors root for your success and will go out of their way to help you, given that you put in the work yourself. There are free tutors at your disposal and weekly review session. I would even go so far and say that for some of the classes, B is almost a guarantee, A is very easily obtainable. That being said, these classes are taught at medical school level, so a significant amount of effort from your part will still be required.
The ones that you need to watch out for during the Fall are: Physiology (5 credits), Biochem (3 credits) and Microbiology (2 credits) because they are a bit overly detailed. The other Fall classes: Genetics, Cell Biology and Critical Thinking, the professors will HIGHLIGHT what is going to be on the test, if you failed these classes, it's entirely your own fault. It is your number 1 objective to get a really high Fall GPA for the following reasons:
(1) Your Fall GPA will get you your acceptance early in February and into your preferred pathway, be it DSP, PBL at other campuses. The majority of you will be LDP.
(2) 2nd semester is significantly harder (at least to me) as there are a lot more to memorize since the biggies are Anatomy, Pathology and Pharmacology. Having a high Fall GPA will afford you to take some hits during the Spring and still come out with a 3.0+ cumulative GPA. It's the best feeling in the world coming into the 200 points cumulative final knowing all you need is 20 points to pass all the classes and come back in the Fall as first year medical student.
The Spring semester is a bit more challenging than the Fall semester, at least for me, mostly because there are more details to memorize and partially because I have gotten lazy ever since I found out that I was accepted. Many of you seem to have concerns about the Pharmacology class in the Spring. Well, that class is pretty tough; however, I think most of us did fine this year. If the same professors will be teaching you guys next year and they haven't changed how they run things, you guys should be just fine. I don't know about the previous class but for my class, whoever failed Pharmacology only have themselves to blame. The professor will review the high yield stuff from her lectures at the end of each day, take notes, memorize, voila, instant C/B. Anatomy and Pathology are straightforward, multiple pass through the material will make it stick, memorization is the only way.
All in all, what I like about the program is that (1) it's cheap, much cheaper than other SMP programs (2) medical school at LECOM is cheap, I don't care what people say about DO school prestige lol, they are all the same, go with the one that will save you the most in the long run (3) the program expects very little of you, 2 hours of class-work a day, if you spend 4-6 hours a day to study, there's no way that you wouldn't pass all classes with at least a B. Start the program with 140% of your effort and see how you do after the first few exams and then readjust your studying routine accordingly.
What I didn't like about the program?
Dress code. At first I did not like having to dress up for classes everyday. However, after a few weeks, the routine became second nature to me and it was no longer an issue.
You do see a lot of threads on here bashing LECOM for their policy and ways of handling things. I wouldn't read too much into it as most of it is being overblown out of proportion, and the funny thing is, all the bashers are non-LECOM students. You will get used to the no-food-no-drink policy and consciously take study break to rehydrate and reenergize yourself. If mandatory attendance is not your thing, by all mean, pick PBL or DSP. However, the reality is that PBL and DSP are not suitable for everyone, so go with the one that will help with your learning and not out of convenience.
I do go off tangents a lot so if you have questions, try to be as specific as you can
Classwork is only 2-3 hours a day and you have the rest of the day to work out, study, hang out with friends etc. All of the professors root for your success and will go out of their way to help you, given that you put in the work yourself. There are free tutors at your disposal and weekly review session. I would even go so far and say that for some of the classes, B is almost a guarantee, A is very easily obtainable. That being said, these classes are taught at medical school level, so a significant amount of effort from your part will still be required.
The ones that you need to watch out for during the Fall are: Physiology (5 credits), Biochem (3 credits) and Microbiology (2 credits) because they are a bit overly detailed. The other Fall classes: Genetics, Cell Biology and Critical Thinking, the professors will HIGHLIGHT what is going to be on the test, if you failed these classes, it's entirely your own fault. It is your number 1 objective to get a really high Fall GPA for the following reasons:
(1) Your Fall GPA will get you your acceptance early in February and into your preferred pathway, be it DSP, PBL at other campuses. The majority of you will be LDP.
(2) 2nd semester is significantly harder (at least to me) as there are a lot more to memorize since the biggies are Anatomy, Pathology and Pharmacology. Having a high Fall GPA will afford you to take some hits during the Spring and still come out with a 3.0+ cumulative GPA. It's the best feeling in the world coming into the 200 points cumulative final knowing all you need is 20 points to pass all the classes and come back in the Fall as first year medical student.
The Spring semester is a bit more challenging than the Fall semester, at least for me, mostly because there are more details to memorize and partially because I have gotten lazy ever since I found out that I was accepted. Many of you seem to have concerns about the Pharmacology class in the Spring. Well, that class is pretty tough; however, I think most of us did fine this year. If the same professors will be teaching you guys next year and they haven't changed how they run things, you guys should be just fine. I don't know about the previous class but for my class, whoever failed Pharmacology only have themselves to blame. The professor will review the high yield stuff from her lectures at the end of each day, take notes, memorize, voila, instant C/B. Anatomy and Pathology are straightforward, multiple pass through the material will make it stick, memorization is the only way.
All in all, what I like about the program is that (1) it's cheap, much cheaper than other SMP programs (2) medical school at LECOM is cheap, I don't care what people say about DO school prestige lol, they are all the same, go with the one that will save you the most in the long run (3) the program expects very little of you, 2 hours of class-work a day, if you spend 4-6 hours a day to study, there's no way that you wouldn't pass all classes with at least a B. Start the program with 140% of your effort and see how you do after the first few exams and then readjust your studying routine accordingly.
What I didn't like about the program?
Dress code. At first I did not like having to dress up for classes everyday. However, after a few weeks, the routine became second nature to me and it was no longer an issue.
You do see a lot of threads on here bashing LECOM for their policy and ways of handling things. I wouldn't read too much into it as most of it is being overblown out of proportion, and the funny thing is, all the bashers are non-LECOM students. You will get used to the no-food-no-drink policy and consciously take study break to rehydrate and reenergize yourself. If mandatory attendance is not your thing, by all mean, pick PBL or DSP. However, the reality is that PBL and DSP are not suitable for everyone, so go with the one that will help with your learning and not out of convenience.
I do go off tangents a lot so if you have questions, try to be as specific as you can
Last edited:
Former postbacc also chiming in! I was in the same shoes as alot of you guys were last year and got alot of helpful info from former students on here so it's probably time I give back . With the year over with, I agree w/ everything UnoMas said above. I also found the spring semester to be much harder then the fall just in terms of the subjects that were taught (path, immuno, virology, anatomy etc...). I highly recommend to maximize that 1st semester gpa just so you can afford to have that wiggle room 2nd semester.
In terms of getting that 3.0 in the program, its definitely doable as long you put in the work. The PB courses at LECOM are pretty much taught at the med school level and due to the length of time between exams (usually one every couple of weeks), the amount of material can easily build up if you don't manage your study time effectively.
All in all though, I would recommend this program to those who need it. The rent in Erie is dirt cheap and as long as you do well, this program will get you to your end goal of medical school
. With the year over with, I agree w/ everything UnoMas said above. I also found the spring semester to be much harder then the fall just in terms of the subjects that were taught (path, immuno, virology, anatomy etc...). I highly recommend to maximize that 1st semester gpa just so you can afford to have that wiggle room 2nd semester.In terms of getting that 3.0 in the program, its definitely doable as long you put in the work. The PB courses at LECOM are pretty much taught at the med school level and due to the length of time between exams (usually one every couple of weeks), the amount of material can easily build up if you don't manage your study time effectively.
All in all though, I would recommend this program to those who need it. The rent in Erie is dirt cheap and as long as you do well, this program will get you to your end goal of medical school
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
- Messages
- 137
- Reaction score
- 52
thanks so much! Emailed Mr. Murphy today so waiting on a response, hopefully it's soon! I know that they have my science letter, AACOMS app, and official MCAT so I'm guessing they'll have my official transcripts as well. I know someone mentioned they mark applications 'under review' before all materials are in, which happened to me but now that all my materials (should) be in does anyone know whether I'll get an update that my file is complete? Also does anyone know how often they review apps?
I have a deposit due on 4/30 for Midwestern's MA program so I'm in a bit of a pickle now.
*nervously awaiting a decision*
For me, I had to consistently check the portal website to see if all my items were in. I didn't get an email when my file was complete nor did I get one saying a decision has been made.
Hmm I don't know where to start. For 30k, this program is a steal if you can get above the 3.0 GPA requirement.
Classwork is only 2-3 hours a day and you have the rest of the day to work out, study, hang out with friends etc. All of the professors root for your success and will go out of their way to help you, given that you put in the work yourself. There are free tutors at your disposal and weekly review session. I would even go so far and say that for some of the classes, B is almost a guarantee, A is very easily obtainable. That being said, these classes are taught at medical school level, so a significant amount of effort from your part will still be required.
The ones that you need to watch out for during the Fall are: Physiology (5 credits), Biochem (3 credits) and Microbiology (2 credits) because they are a bit overly detailed. The other Fall classes: Genetics, Cell Biology and Critical Thinking, the professors will HIGHLIGHT what is going to be on the test, if you failed these classes, it's entirely your own fault. It is your number 1 objective to get a really high Fall GPA for the following reasons:
(1) Your Fall GPA will get you your acceptance early in February and into your preferred pathway, be it DSP, PBL at other campuses. The majority of you will be LDP.
(2) 2nd semester is significantly harder (at least to me) as there are a lot more to memorize since the biggies are Anatomy, Pathology and Pharmacology. Having a high Fall GPA will afford you to take some hits during the Spring and still come out with a 3.0+ cumulative GPA. It's the best feeling in the world coming into the 200 points cumulative final knowing all you need is 20 points to pass all the classes and come back in the Fall as first year medical student.
The Spring semester is a bit more challenging than the Fall semester, at least for me, mostly because there are more details to memorize and partially because I have gotten lazy ever since I found out that I was accepted. Many of you seem to have concerns about the Pharmacology class in the Spring. Well, that class is pretty tough; however, I think most of us did fine this year. If the same professors will be teaching you guys next year and they haven't changed how they run things, you guys should be just fine. I don't know about the previous class but for my class, whoever failed Pharmacology only have themselves to blame. The professor will review the high yield stuff from her lectures at the end of each day, take notes, memorize, voila, instant C/B. Anatomy and Pathology are straightforward, multiple pass through the material will make it stick, memorization is the only way.
All in all, what I like about the program is that (1) it's cheap, much cheaper than other SMP programs (2) medical school at LECOM is cheap, I don't care what people say about DO school prestige lol, they are all the same, go with the one that will save you the most in the long run (3) the program expects very little of you, 2 hours of class-work a day, if you spend 4-6 hours a day to study, there's no way that you wouldn't pass all classes with at least a B. Start the program with 140% of your effort and see how you do after the first few exams and then readjust your studying routine accordingly.
What I didn't like about the program?
Dress code. At first I did not like having to dress up for classes everyday. However, after a few weeks, the routine became second nature to me and it was no longer an issue.
You do see a lot of threads on here bashing LECOM for their policy and ways of handling things. I wouldn't read too much into it as most of it is being overblown out of proportion, and the funny thing is, all the bashers are non-LECOM students. You will get used to the no-food-no-drink policy and consciously take study break to rehydrate and reenergize yourself. If mandatory attendance is not your thing, by all mean, pick PBL or DSP. However, the reality is that PBL and DSP are not suitable for everyone, so go with the one that will help with your learning and not out of convenience.
I do go off tangents a lot so if you have questions, try to be as specific as you can
How is the dress code? Like professional?
Hmm I don't know where to start. For 30k, this program is a steal if you can get above the 3.0 GPA requirement.
Classwork is only 2-3 hours a day and you have the rest of the day to work out, study, hang out with friends etc. All of the professors root for your success and will go out of their way to help you, given that you put in the work yourself. There are free tutors at your disposal and weekly review session. I would even go so far and say that for some of the classes, B is almost a guarantee, A is very easily obtainable. That being said, these classes are taught at medical school level, so a significant amount of effort from your part will still be required.
The ones that you need to watch out for during the Fall are: Physiology (5 credits), Biochem (3 credits) and Microbiology (2 credits) because they are a bit overly detailed. The other Fall classes: Genetics, Cell Biology and Critical Thinking, the professors will HIGHLIGHT what is going to be on the test, if you failed these classes, it's entirely your own fault. It is your number 1 objective to get a really high Fall GPA for the following reasons:
(1) Your Fall GPA will get you your acceptance early in February and into your preferred pathway, be it DSP, PBL at other campuses. The majority of you will be LDP.
(2) 2nd semester is significantly harder (at least to me) as there are a lot more to memorize since the biggies are Anatomy, Pathology and Pharmacology. Having a high Fall GPA will afford you to take some hits during the Spring and still come out with a 3.0+ cumulative GPA. It's the best feeling in the world coming into the 200 points cumulative final knowing all you need is 20 points to pass all the classes and come back in the Fall as first year medical student.
The Spring semester is a bit more challenging than the Fall semester, at least for me, mostly because there are more details to memorize and partially because I have gotten lazy ever since I found out that I was accepted. Many of you seem to have concerns about the Pharmacology class in the Spring. Well, that class is pretty tough; however, I think most of us did fine this year. If the same professors will be teaching you guys next year and they haven't changed how they run things, you guys should be just fine. I don't know about the previous class but for my class, whoever failed Pharmacology only have themselves to blame. The professor will review the high yield stuff from her lectures at the end of each day, take notes, memorize, voila, instant C/B. Anatomy and Pathology are straightforward, multiple pass through the material will make it stick, memorization is the only way.
All in all, what I like about the program is that (1) it's cheap, much cheaper than other SMP programs (2) medical school at LECOM is cheap, I don't care what people say about DO school prestige lol, they are all the same, go with the one that will save you the most in the long run (3) the program expects very little of you, 2 hours of class-work a day, if you spend 4-6 hours a day to study, there's no way that you wouldn't pass all classes with at least a B. Start the program with 140% of your effort and see how you do after the first few exams and then readjust your studying routine accordingly.
What I didn't like about the program?
Dress code. At first I did not like having to dress up for classes everyday. However, after a few weeks, the routine became second nature to me and it was no longer an issue.
You do see a lot of threads on here bashing LECOM for their policy and ways of handling things. I wouldn't read too much into it as most of it is being overblown out of proportion, and the funny thing is, all the bashers are non-LECOM students. You will get used to the no-food-no-drink policy and consciously take study break to rehydrate and reenergize yourself. If mandatory attendance is not your thing, by all mean, pick PBL or DSP. However, the reality is that PBL and DSP are not suitable for everyone, so go with the one that will help with your learning and not out of convenience.
I do go off tangents a lot so if you have questions, try to be as specific as you can
I will be taking the MCAT in June. Do you think it'll be too late to be considered for the 2015-2016 post bac?
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2014
- Messages
- 24
- Reaction score
- 12
Men must wear dress trousers, shoes, dress shirt and necktie. Women are required to wear appropriate dresses of reasonable length or slacks with appropriate blouses.
June is probably a bit late, but it's so cheap to apply (and no interview) I think you might as well send off the app. I know of someone in this most recent class that got accepted to the post-bacc the week prior to classes starting.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
If you are a guy, get some non-iron/wrinkle free shirts and a few pairs of khakis + 3, 4 ties. This is what I did and for the 8 months I was in the program, I only had to pick up the iron once and that was because I wanted to look extra sharp for the interview. If you are a lady, good news for you, the dress code is super lax for the ladies, as long as you wear something presentable, you are good to go, no pantsuits necessary.
I know of people who got accepted into the program the last week of August last year, so you will be fine. Good luck on the MCAT! Get it out of the way so you can focus 100% on doing well in the program.
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
- Messages
- 137
- Reaction score
- 52
So this is what my portal looks like now for letter requirements:
is this what yours looked like when it was complete? just a bit worried since transcript and resume doesnt show up on here. sorry for all the nagging! just really want to make sure all my materials are in since this is my top choice haha
This is what mine looks like:
I sent my transcript directly since I didn't do AACOMAS. My resume did not appear on the list nor did I get a confirmation when I sent it to Jamie, but he was probably busy at the time since I sent it during the Christmas holidays. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you should be fine in terms of your transcript since you did AACOMAS. They will most likely take it from there.
On a side note, don't worry about the address form. That appeared after I sent my matriculation fee accepting my spot. Hopefully yours will look like that soon haha.
Hmm I don't know where to start. For 30k, this program is a steal if you can get above the 3.0 GPA requirement.
Classwork is only 2-3 hours a day and you have the rest of the day to work out, study, hang out with friends etc. All of the professors root for your success and will go out of their way to help you, given that you put in the work yourself. There are free tutors at your disposal and weekly review session. I would even go so far and say that for some of the classes, B is almost a guarantee, A is very easily obtainable. That being said, these classes are taught at medical school level, so a significant amount of effort from your part will still be required.
The ones that you need to watch out for during the Fall are: Physiology (5 credits), Biochem (3 credits) and Microbiology (2 credits) because they are a bit overly detailed. The other Fall classes: Genetics, Cell Biology and Critical Thinking, the professors will HIGHLIGHT what is going to be on the test, if you failed these classes, it's entirely your own fault. It is your number 1 objective to get a really high Fall GPA for the following reasons:
(1) Your Fall GPA will get you your acceptance early in February and into your preferred pathway, be it DSP, PBL at other campuses. The majority of you will be LDP.
(2) 2nd semester is significantly harder (at least to me) as there are a lot more to memorize since the biggies are Anatomy, Pathology and Pharmacology. Having a high Fall GPA will afford you to take some hits during the Spring and still come out with a 3.0+ cumulative GPA. It's the best feeling in the world coming into the 200 points cumulative final knowing all you need is 20 points to pass all the classes and come back in the Fall as first year medical student.
The Spring semester is a bit more challenging than the Fall semester, at least for me, mostly because there are more details to memorize and partially because I have gotten lazy ever since I found out that I was accepted. Many of you seem to have concerns about the Pharmacology class in the Spring. Well, that class is pretty tough; however, I think most of us did fine this year. If the same professors will be teaching you guys next year and they haven't changed how they run things, you guys should be just fine. I don't know about the previous class but for my class, whoever failed Pharmacology only have themselves to blame. The professor will review the high yield stuff from her lectures at the end of each day, take notes, memorize, voila, instant C/B. Anatomy and Pathology are straightforward, multiple pass through the material will make it stick, memorization is the only way.
All in all, what I like about the program is that (1) it's cheap, much cheaper than other SMP programs (2) medical school at LECOM is cheap, I don't care what people say about DO school prestige lol, they are all the same, go with the one that will save you the most in the long run (3) the program expects very little of you, 2 hours of class-work a day, if you spend 4-6 hours a day to study, there's no way that you wouldn't pass all classes with at least a B. Start the program with 140% of your effort and see how you do after the first few exams and then readjust your studying routine accordingly.
What I didn't like about the program?
Dress code. At first I did not like having to dress up for classes everyday. However, after a few weeks, the routine became second nature to me and it was no longer an issue.
You do see a lot of threads on here bashing LECOM for their policy and ways of handling things. I wouldn't read too much into it as most of it is being overblown out of proportion, and the funny thing is, all the bashers are non-LECOM students. You will get used to the no-food-no-drink policy and consciously take study break to rehydrate and reenergize yourself. If mandatory attendance is not your thing, by all mean, pick PBL or DSP. However, the reality is that PBL and DSP are not suitable for everyone, so go with the one that will help with your learning and not out of convenience.
I do go off tangents a lot so if you have questions, try to be as specific as you can
Thank you once again for such a detailed explanation on the post bac. Is there a cap on the amount of post bac students getting into a medical school given they met the minimum requirements? Were there students who didn't get in this year?
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2014
- Messages
- 24
- Reaction score
- 12
I know you weren't quoting me, but I can probably provide some insight as I just finished the program as well.
There is no cap on the number of post-bacc students getting into the medical school. They always emphasize that there is no formal guarantee of admission, however, Jamie told our class that in all the years that he has been doing this there has only been one student who got the 3.0, wanted to matriculate at LECOM, and was rejected. Apparently it was due to them blowing off the interview. So if you do end up coming here it really is all on you. Mind the rules (dress code, etc), study hard, and don't blow off the interview and you'll be looking at an acceptance after 8 short months.
Final exam grades just came out a few days ago so I'm not sure how many made the cutoff and how many didn't. Not entirely sure we'll ever know the statistics. There are always some students who outright fail, those who just fall shy of the 3.0 (some of these will do the masters program and reapply the following year), and others still who get accepted elsewhere (not many of these).
Feel free to ask whatever. I'll keep an eye on this thread.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2015
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 21
Do many people apply elsewhere? Did you have many post bacc peers that didn't want to do LECOM's DO program?
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2014
- Messages
- 24
- Reaction score
- 12
Most people I know did not apply elsewhere, and they were all planning on staying at LECOM. Applying elsewhere, at least from my perspective, was not very common.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
What WBA-179402 said. If 100% of the class satisfied the requirements, they would take everyone. There is no competition among the PB students. People who fail to complete the 3.0 GPA requirement will not get into the DO program.
These are the minority, I would say 4 or 5 out of 100 (just guesstimate), and the ones that I know picked the other place over LECOM did it because of geographical tie i.e. closer to their homes. The point he was trying to make is success in the LECOM PB program will get you in at other places as well but the vast majority will stay at LECOM.
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2015
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 51
Thank you WBA-179402 and UnoMas for giving us more insight on the program!
My status changed to "decision has been made" so I'm a nervous wreck waiting for the letter to arrive!
My status changed to "decision has been made" so I'm a nervous wreck waiting for the letter to arrive!
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2015
- Messages
- 21
- Reaction score
- 5
The classes are the same or similar, but I think the format and pace of the classes are different!
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
Similar curriculum but none of the classes are taken with medical students so the PBs will have to retake those classes again. I don't think the PB courses cover as much or are as intensive as the MS1's ones. I don't really see it as a cons though, everything you learn during the first 2 years will be testable on the boards. The more exposure you have to the material, the longer it sticks I hope.
so your saying 95 out of 100 students from the postbac get into the DO program? I highly doubt that. others who posted about the program had a low percentage of students getting into DO program.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
No, that wasn't what I meant. At the end of the Spring semester, there was 100 students in the program, final grades were released a few days ago, I don't know how many satisfied the 3.0 GPA requirement. I think we started with 115-120 in September but I could be wrong.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2014
- Messages
- 24
- Reaction score
- 12
I was curious, so I pulled up my seating chart from the first day, and there were 131. As UnoMas stated there are only ~100 now. 5% of that 100 had a failing grade in at least one class (based on final grade statistics). This brings the number down to 95 possible matriculants. Of these 95 there are a few who choose not to go to LECOM (acceptance elsewhere or whatever). Further, out of this remaining 95 there are those who did not outright fail anything, but still failed to meet the 3.0 requirement. So I'm totally guessing on these final two figures, but probably another ~15?? Total guess there. That would make the number more like 80/131 = 61% of the class.
Hopefully that wasn't confusing.
Edit: I guess it's worth mentioning that the number includes a few dental post-baccs.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
- Messages
- 137
- Reaction score
- 52
question for current post bacs or anyone that can answer: how late do acceptances for the post bac program get sent out? I know the deadline for all materials is in august (or september?) so do they still give out acceptances in the summer or very few?
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2015
- Messages
- 101
- Reaction score
- 8
..
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
Acceptances are given out up until the week before the beginning of the program. The number of these late acceptances is different from year to year I would think.
If 61% of students get into the DO program. Those are not good odds. This program seems high risk. I wish the odds were more like 80%.
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2015
- Messages
- 10
- Reaction score
- 5
This program was exactly what I needed to get into medical school. I would be more than willing to answer any questions.
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2015
- Messages
- 101
- Reaction score
- 8
what were your stats in order to get into the post bacc program..? Also when did you apply.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
- Messages
- 539
- Reaction score
- 1,417
Yup, it is high risk high reward, which is the very essence of SMP. Find me a decent SMP program with 80% placement rate. The PB classes are hard and the medical school classes are even harder. If you couldn't handle 2 hours of classwork a day, you won't be able to handle 6-8 hours which is the norm for the first 2 years. Do this program to prove that you can handle med school.
3.0 is a lot more obtainable than the requirements for other SMP out there, which often times require you to get 3.5+ in the med school classes.
