Liberty University (LUCOM) Discussion Thread 2014 - 2015

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A little more information about my interview experience: My first interview was with Dr. Weigner and he asked more questions about my academic history and experience. Seemed like he actually tried to get to know me as a person. I was super nervous for this interview because it was my first medical school interview ever, so I was probably a stuttering mess throughout the 30 minutes. He basically just asked me questions about how I would fit in with their vision and how I saw myself at Liberty. He is the director of the sim-lab and it was great to get more information about that program.

I feel like my second interview with Dr. Liu was anomalous and not the norm as they have 30+ interviewers. Just a roll of the dice as to who to get to interview you. If anyone has had a strange experience or just wants feedback, you should definitely contact the school. They are a new school and feedback is extremely valuable for their growth and development. You have nothing to lose by asking questions to get a better feel for the school. Good luck to everyone who is applying this cycle!
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ckander said:
Yeah I haven't received anything..
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I spoke with Barry last Thursday and he said they were swamped with interviews and apps to look over, but that he planned on having the letter mailed to us Friday last or Monday. So, I would expect to receive something by this Friday.
 
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For those that interviewed, how long did it take for the dean or someone from admissions to contact you in regards to their decision? And also do they straight reject from interview or do they place people on wait lists?
 
lgr91 said:
For those that interviewed, how long did it take for the dean or someone from admissions to contact you in regards to their decision? And also do they straight reject from interview or do they place people on wait lists?
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I was notified about 4 days after I interviewed. Not sure about how they handle wait list/rejections. They said it would take 7-10 days to be notified at the interview however.
 
How long does it take to receive a secondary from LUCOM after AACOMAS verification
 
lgr91 said:
For those that interviewed, how long did it take for the dean or someone from admissions to contact you in regards to their decision? And also do they straight reject from interview or do they place people on wait lists?
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It can vary. I received the acceptance call 10 days after, for instance, but for others it can be sooner depending if they interviewed right before the admissions committee met for the week.
 
Hey, I interviewed there August 25th, but I still haven't heard back yet. Is anyone else waiting, too?
 
ckander said:
Yeah I haven't received anything..
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So I just added my LUCOM email to my Outlook and found an email from James Cook/Luska Suzano with info on how to secure your enrollment on LUCOM. For some reason the email was in my SPAM folder, but it is dated September 10th. I highly suggest login into your LUCOM email account to see if you have such email yourself.

FYI, $500.00 deposit is due Dec 14th and $1500.00 deposit is due 30 days after that.
 
I'm seeing a lot of comments on here about Dr. Liu and, based on your posts, I can see that his beliefs are making several applicants hesitant and uncomfortable. He is an incredibly intelligent professor and does a great job of teaching and explaining microbiology to us. The class expressed concern over the "fill in the blank" nature of his powerpoints and he was willing to take our concerns into account as he prepared future lectures. He cares about our success as medical students and as future physicians. Yes, he interjects his beliefs into lecture in passing. No, religious beliefs are not tested on the exams.Whether or not his beliefs are consistent with mine does not matter because my beliefs and the beliefs of the patients that I will have the privilege of treating in the future will not always be in agreement. Being understanding and compassionate toward all individuals, regardless of religion, race, gender, education, socioeconomic status, personality, etc, is an essential part of being a doctor that will provide the care that each patient deserves and that patients will want to see. It saddens me to see that some of my future colleagues intend to look down on me and consider me and my classmates a "stain" and "disgrace" to the profession just because I chose to attend a school where the faculty (who are all extremely qualified in their fields of expertise, happen to be Christian, and allow said Christian beliefs to guide how they interact with and teach others) provide the most supportive environment in order to facilitate the success of each and every student. I attended graduate school at a different university where one of my professors, who also serves on the admissions committee of their medical school, expressed concern over a medical student failing out. However, his concern was in the university's "mistake" of admitting a student who was "unable to handle the rigor of medical school." At LUCOM, the faculty are all deeply committed to providing the best education in order to produce the best physicians. I cannot even count how many times it has been stated that they admitted 162 students to the inaugural class and intend to graduate 162 students. We have countless resources available to us to ensure academic success AND emotional and mental health as we fight through the most difficult years of our lives. I would feel comfortable approaching any faculty member about any academic or personal concerns. They genuinely care about each student here and that is what was most important to me.

PS I apologize if my vocabulary and writing style make it seem like I belong to a cult or am an employee of LUCOM. I didn't realize that speaking like the intelligent and educated individual that I am is so highly frowned upon. MAH B, YO.
 
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Just one more thought: I attended a Catholic undergraduate institution that firmly believes that abortion is unacceptable in every situation, birth control should never be used because it goes against the will of God, that I needed to confess my sins to a priest and say a certain number of pre-worded prayers as penance for those sins, etc etc. Not every student agreed with those beliefs, but that didn't stop them from attending the university that they believed was the right fit for them in terms of educational opportunities, resources, environment, and student life. If LUCOM isn't the right fit for you, that's perfectly fine. I completely respect your opinions and I hope you find a school that you can call home. If you think LUCOM is where you would like to be, then I sincerely hope you receive an acceptance so we can welcome you to this family- and it truly is a family. Faculty and students alike all jumped on the opportunities to help one student whose car wouldn't start 10 minutes before class and another student who was in a car accident and had to go to the hospital- and that was just today! We have an exam on Monday and we are all stressed about studying, but we realize that being a community and supporting each other- as students at LUCOM and with all of our colleagues as physicians- is what is most important.

As scientists, I encourage everyone to do their research before jumping to conclusions. As future colleagues, I encourage everyone to support each other. As future physicians, to whom countless lives will be trusted, I encourage everyone to be compassionate toward each individual's personal beliefs and background. And as human beings, I encourage everyone to be respectful.

I really do apologize for this rant. I'll climb off my silly little soap box now. Best of luck to you all!
 
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^^thats my classmate!! :) lol

We have so many amazing, caring students and faculty/staff here at LUCOM. Come here if you choose community vs being another face in the crowd - to be loved, cared and prayed for.
 
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Hey guys sorry to do this.. but this is one of my top schools.

Part of the admissions requirements is Biochem w/ lab, OR Cell and Molecular with lab. I took Biochem w/o lab, in addition to cell and molecular one semester, and cell and molecular lab the next semester. I sent in my secondary 8/28.

When looking at my app status it says under prerequisite courses "BCHEM1". I'm afraid that they may have overlooked my Cell and Molec classes and think that I have not met the requirements. They say that they will get back in 10 business days.... should I be patient, or should I contact them?

Thank you for your advice
 
Scrumptious said:
Hey guys sorry to do this.. but this is one of my top schools.

Part of the admissions requirements is Biochem w/ lab, OR Cell and Molecular with lab. I took Biochem w/o lab, in addition to cell and molecular one semester, and cell and molecular lab the next semester. I sent in my secondary 8/28.

When looking at my app status it says under prerequisite courses "BCHEM1". I'm afraid that they may have overlooked my Cell and Molec classes and think that I have not met the requirements. They say that they will get back in 10 business days.... should I be patient, or should I contact them?

Thank you for your advice
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On your AACOMAS app, there is a page that shows all of the pre-reqs. Does it show that the 4 unit Biochem requirement was satisfied? It may not list it there if your biochem was 3 units (w/o lab). If that is where they look to enter pre-reqs that could be why. It also shows up as Biochemistry, so maybe AACOMAS isn't aware that Cell Bio also satisfies this requirement?

One of my pre-reqs was listed as being missing as well. I just sent an e-mail about it a few minutes ago. I had the problem with one of my LORs not being listed. I sent an e-mail and I received a reply an hour after sending saying they had received it and they updated it to show it had been received. I would just e-mail them. They have been very good at communicating , compared to other schools.
 
jsx1 said:
On your AACOMAS app, there is a page that shows all of the pre-reqs. Does it show that the 4 unit Biochem requirement was satisfied? It may not list it there if your biochem was 3 units (w/o lab). If that is where they look to enter pre-reqs that could be why. It also shows up as Biochemistry, so maybe AACOMAS isn't aware that Cell Bio also satisfies this requirement?

One of my pre-reqs was listed as being missing as well. I just sent an e-mail about it a few minutes ago. I had the problem with one of my LORs not being listed. I sent an e-mail and I received a reply an hour after sending saying they had received it and they updated it to show it had been received. I would just e-mail them. They have been very good at communicating , compared to other schools.
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Thank you. Yeah under Biochem it only lists biochem so I will email them. Really appreciate your help!
 
II just now! :) I have yet to pick a date though! Good luck to everyone
 
Hey!

Do you absolutely need an MD letter of recommendation to apply? I have already submitted my secondary and I am about to submit my LOR's through interfolio. I have a DO letter, 2 science faculty letters from graduate school (upper-500 level science courses) as well as one from my undergraduate degree (400 level science course).

Thank you!!!

dresden62 said:
The school will interview you without your LORs and without having finished your last college semester (or post bacc) however, you won't know whether you are accepted or not until your LORs are submitted.

To all of you who got an ii, congrats!!!! This school is amazing and soon you'll realize why. My advice to all who are getting ii is to know your file in and out. Most of the interview questions come from your file. If you lied or BS in your personal statement, please make sure you don't make an ass of yourself. The first two questions are why medicine and why DO. The rest is all about you.

You will meet with two professors: a clinician and an academic one. You won't know which will interview you first until that morning. Make sure you keep your answer concise an use the 30 minutes to your advantage; take control of the interview as your answers will dictate the direction of the interview.

Make sure you also look into your interviewers. LUCOM has a profile for each professor. Get to know their bio. Speak to them about your expectations and how that professor will fit into your decision of going to LUCOM.

As Dean Martin will tell you in the interview, it is your fault if you go home without asking all of your questions.

If you want to impress the faculty, you will have more than enough time to do it during the lunch hour. Please do not seem too eager or desperate. During the lunch hour, this kid was obviously annoying the faculty member who politely excuse himself and left. Be sincere and people will notice.

Good luck to all of you and remember to feel good about getting an ii. Last year only ~500 students got an ii and about ~200 got the acceptance call from the Dean. Oh yeah, the Dean himself calls you to to let you know you have been accepted. I hope this is the same for you guys.

if anyone has a Q, shoot me a message. I'm more than glad to help!
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How do you know who is interviewing you beforehand? None of my emails have stated any names of faculty that will be interviewing me. Anyone?
 
Fedxup said:
How do you know who is interviewing you beforehand? None of my emails have stated any names of faculty that will be interviewing me. Anyone?
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id email barry? mine came with ppl names...
 
Fedxup said:
Ok, thanks! It is good to know. I don't want to bother admissions unnecessarily.
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I second that. They need to have their time free so they can call and give me my acceptance :)

Or........maybe......a....denial :(
 
Fedxup said:
How do you know who is interviewing you beforehand? None of my emails have stated any names of faculty that will be interviewing me. Anyone?
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In my particular case I never received such email. When I arrived at the COM they had a print out of it for me. I would email Barry a week before if you hadn't received it, he's super helpful with stuff like that!
 
osteopathicdoc1234 said:
Hey!

Do you absolutely need an MD letter of recommendation to apply? I have already submitted my secondary and I am about to submit my LOR's through interfolio. I have a DO letter, 2 science faculty letters from graduate school (upper-500 level science courses) as well as one from my undergraduate degree (400 level science course).

Thank you!!!
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I believe LUCOM requires a DO letter, while MD is optional. I had both so I sent the two of them, but the DO one should be enough in your case. Confirm with Barry if you still have questions on this requirement.
 
LA1004 said:
In my particular case I never received such email. When I arrived at the COM they had a print out of it for me. I would email Barry a week before if you hadn't received it, he's super helpful with stuff like that!
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Yes he is! Very prompt to emails. Thanks. I hear about interviewers asking physio questions and stuff like that. High pressure situation I'd probably forget everthing haha
 
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Anyone hear back from 9/8 interview? About how long does it take to hear back, the wait is killing me.
 
osteopathicdoc1234 said:
Hey!

Do you absolutely need an MD letter of recommendation to apply? I have already submitted my secondary and I am about to submit my LOR's through interfolio. I have a DO letter, 2 science faculty letters from graduate school (upper-500 level science courses) as well as one from my undergraduate degree (400 level science course).

Thank you!!!
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Honestly the system change from last year. If the school requires an LOR from an MD, you should try to get one. Please remember that ADCOMS do look at this letters. Make an impression on the doc you are shadowing and I'm sure you'll impress the adcoms at LUCOM.
 
Giving up my 10/24 interview. Hope it goes to one of you very deserving folks! Good luck!!
 
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Dean Martin called me and I missed it. He left a message saying to call him back. I called and no one answered. Ahhhhhhhhh!
 
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superdoc2.0 said:
Dean Martin called me and I missed it. He left a message saying to call him back. I called and no one answered. Ahhhhhhhhh!
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The Dean called? I would venture you are accepted! He usually only calls those who will be offered a seat.
 
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Interviewed here 9/8, received a call from Dr. Martin today with my acceptance! So very excited, this was my third interview overall (2 at osteopathic programs, 1 at an allopathic program) and the LUCOM interview was far and away my favorite. I came away truly impressed by Dr. Martin, the faculty, and the staff. I interviewed with Dr. Morrison and Dr. Troy, both of whom were amazing. Relaxed interview environment and the dialogue was definitely aimed at how I fit into LUCOM's mission and vision. I couldn't help but feel like there is something special going on there, can't really describe it but everyone involved with the program just gave me a different feeling than the other schools to which I have been. Very positive, very encouraging, seem to genuinely care not only about LUCOM and the advancement of the school but more so about the lives of each of us and the lives we will one day impact as physicians.

To all of those who may be feeling apprehensive about applying or interviewing at LUCOM, I can only say I had an amazing time. The faculty members seem to be very well-established, the facilities are amazing, but most of all the people inside that building truly care for others. Dr. Kribbs and Dr. Patterson ate lunch with us and were very casual and open to answering our questions. Dr. Martin is incredible, I had heard about him from the VCOM students who rotate with us at our clinic and they had nothing but great things to say about him, now I know why. I loved that he addressed us all for over an hour and shared not only information about LUCOM, but about his vision for students as future physicians. We all want to achieve this goal so we can better the lives of others, and I came away from my interview day there with a feeling that LUCOM will absolutely prepare me to do just that. Best of luck to everyone!
 
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bcing1322 said:
Interviewed here 9/8, received a call from Dr. Martin today with my acceptance! So very excited, this was my third interview overall (2 at osteopathic programs, 1 at an allopathic program) and the LUCOM interview was far and away my favorite. I came away truly impressed by Dr. Martin, the faculty, and the staff. I interviewed with Dr. Morrison and Dr. Troy, both of whom were amazing. Relaxed interview environment and the dialogue was definitely aimed at how I fit into LUCOM's mission and vision. I couldn't help but feel like there is something special going on there, can't really describe it but everyone involved with the program just gave me a different feeling than the other schools to which I have been. Very positive, very encouraging, seem to genuinely care not only about LUCOM and the advancement of the school but more so about the lives of each of us and the lives we will one day impact as physicians.

To all of those who may be feeling apprehensive about applying or interviewing at LUCOM, I can only say I had an amazing time. The faculty members seem to be very well-established, the facilities are amazing, but most of all the people inside that building truly care for others. Dr. Kribbs and Dr. Patterson ate lunch with us and were very casual and open to answering our questions. Dr. Martin is incredible, I had heard about him from the VCOM students who rotate with us at our clinic and they had nothing but great things to say about him, now I know why. I loved that he addressed us all for over an hour and shared not only information about LUCOM, but about his vision for students as future physicians. We all want to achieve this goal so we can better the lives of others, and I came away from my interview day there with a feeling that LUCOM will absolutely prepare me to do just that. Best of luck to everyone!
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I interviewed with Dr. Kribs, he's very knowledgeable and asked some great ethical questions during my interview. Can't wait for school to start next year, it's still 9 months away!!!
 
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Just got the acceptance call today! I interviewed on 9/8
 
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Got the acceptance call today as well! I interviewed on 9/15. Liberty was incredibly impressive and I am so honored to have the opportunity to be a part of this awesome school and their passionate mission.
 
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I just realized that in the message I left for Dr. Martin yesterday, I called him Dean Martin (for you younger generation types Dean Martin was a Hollywood superstar). So now I know why he goes by Dr. Martin ;)
 
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I just got a call back from Mr. Cook with an ACCEPTANCE!!! Woop Woop!!! I am very honored to be accepted. But I am kind of surprised I didn't think my interview went that well. But then again I went in to the interview with only 13 hours of sleep over three nights, so maybe I just hallucinated the bad stuff ;)

My Stats are 3.66 cGPA, 3.69 sGPA, 31 MCAT (10/11/10). I also have a pretty impressive C.V. and a very interesting story, which I am thinking helped me overcome my poor interview. I interviewed on 9/8/14.
 
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superdoc2.0 said:
I just got a call back from Mr. Cook with an ACCEPTANCE!!! Woop Woop!!! I am very honored to be accepted. But I am kind of surprised I didn't think my interview went that well. But then again I went in to the interview with only 13 hours of sleep over three nights, so maybe I just hallucinated the bad stuff ;)

My Stats are 3.66 cGPA, 3.69 sGPA, 31 MCAT (10/11/10). I also have a pretty impressive C.V. and a very interesting story. I interviewed on 9/8/14.
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Told ya! Congratulations!!
 
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EH123 said:
3.) My micro prof is not inappropriately bringing it up. Instead of saying "this evolved" he says "this was created".
.
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How does he teach antibiotic resistance? Is God constantly creating new pathogens to defeat the drug?* What am I missing?

*If yes, does God love the bugs more than he loves us?

This is a serious question.
 
puppylatte said:
How does he teach antibiotic resistance? Is God constantly creating new pathogens to defeat the drug?* What am I missing?

*If yes, does God love the bugs more than he loves us?

This is a serious question.
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In my personal view, it is a non issue. Can God create a mechanism by which the bacterium can adapt/evolve to resist a drug?

In fact, isn't our own immune system a more complex form of what happens to a bacterium?

Now, some current student could chime in o Dr. Liu's view on this. But I suspect this discussion might rest on your definition of evolution vs his. Essentially, a semantics (and not scientific nor religious) issue.
 
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D.O.O.M said:
In my personal view, it is a non issue. Can God create a mechanism by which the bacterium can adapt/evolve to resist a drug?

In fact, isn't our own immune system a more complex form of what happens to a bacterium?

Now, some current student could chime in o Dr. Liu's view on this. But I suspect this discussion might rest on your definition of evolution vs his. Essentially, a semantics (and not scientific nor religious) issue.
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As of right now, medical science can advance if people think the origin of evolution originates with a God or some other mysterious mechanism like the Big Bang. But it sounds like Dr. Liu in particular thinks evolution is a loaded term. That's what really concerns me. It is certainly a loaded term in creationist vs atheist debates, but in a medical school where antibiotic resistance is a real issue in modern medicine, it's kind of unacceptable IMO.

Edit: more specific
 
puppylatte said:
Science can advance if people think the origin of evolution originates with a God or some other mysterious mechanism like the Big Bang. But it sounds like Dr. Liu in particular thinks evolution is a loaded term. That's what really concerns me. It is certainly a loaded term in creationist vs atheist debates, but in a medical school where antibiotic resistance is a real issue in modern medicine, it's kind of unacceptable IMO.
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Neh, not a big deal to me. To my knowledge he is teaching the science, but chooses to not use "evolution" in that context. Maybe in his mind 'evolution' means the bacteria would develop into complex multicellular beings, which may explain his avoidance of using the word in the context of antibiotic resistance.

Many scientists are religious and made great advances in the scientific community. Read up on the people responsible for the human genome project, for instance.

Edit: my last point illustrates what you said in your first paragraph.
 
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puppylatte said:
How does he teach antibiotic resistance? Is God constantly creating new pathogens to defeat the drug?* What am I missing?

*If yes, does God love the bugs more than he loves us?

This is a serious question.
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Of course God loves the bugs more, why else would He give them endospores.

But on a serious note, God did create death in the context of mortality. Read Genesis and you will see that God made a decision to introduce death, pain, and suffering to Adam and Eve's existence (i.e. earth) because of their decision to sin. I encourage you to read the passage, but my understanding is that God decided that because mankind had become "fallen" (i.e. sinful, wicked) he designed a system on earth that would constantly remind mankind of his/her need for God. If God had allowed Adam and Eve to remain immortal it would have allowed suffering to perpetuate eternally as "fallen" mankind would continually live in wickedness towards each other.
 
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