Lincoln Memorial - DeBusk (LMU-DCOM) Discussion Thread 2014 - 2015

[xBODOMx]

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[DODaze2017]

Is the approved list mainly affiliated with the core rotations based off ones available seen online, or are there a lot more options? Either way that's nice to know. Thanks!

They're everywhere. I think the list stems from previous students who made a contact and the school maintained a relationship with them.

 

[MiaMia14]

They're everywhere. I think the list stems from previous students who made a contact and the school maintained a relationship with them.

Lol "maintained a relationship" may be too strong wording...when they agree to take you as a student they check "yes or no" to agreeing to take more students. Although if they checked no they wouldn't be able to count as a selective (I have heard this may have changed). They then get put on the list and are never contacted by the school again unless a student requests them.

 

[DODaze2017]

Lol "maintained a relationship" may be too strong wording...when they agree to take you as a student they check "yes or no" to agreeing to take more students. Although if they checked no they wouldn't be able to count as a selective (I have heard this may have changed). They then get put on the list and are never contacted by the school again unless a student requests them.

Much better explanation lol

 

[lab0990]

Hi all. I am having a hard time deciding between LMU-DCOM and PCOM-GA.

I hate to be so annoying, but does anyone know LMU's comlex step 1 pass rates / match statistics for the past couple years? What percentage of 4th years entering the match didn't match?

I'm really stressed out and looking for any way to make this decision a little easier. I didn't think deciding between school could be this difficult.

Thanks in advance!

I assume you've already done the list of pros and cons. I think as long as the school has over 95% first time pass rates, it should be just fine. You are qualified and not just one, but TWO schools had faith in you to accept you! That's really awesome.
Which of the two schools can you see yourself being happier? Anything location wise that interests you? Populations you would relate better to in patient encounters because you have more in common with them? What will help you more for your end-game?

Which curriculum is more in tune with how you would like to learn? Do you like that DCOM goes through gross anatomy in one semester? Or would you want it spread out a little more? I have no clue about GA-PCOM beyond the following link schedule of the curriculum.
LMU-DCOM http://www.lmunet.edu/dcom/academics/oms1.shtml
GA-PCOM http://www.pcom.edu/General_Information/Untitled/GADOCourseSequence.html

Bet you five bucks you've already considered 90% of these questions, but it's just where I would start.

 

[lab0990]

Oh, oh, oh. If you like the recorded lectures, how does GA-PCOM do them? Is there a penalty for not attending class? I know some schools will do that.

 

[fingerscrossedpremed]

Hi all. I am having a hard time deciding between LMU-DCOM and PCOM-GA.

I hate to be so annoying, but does anyone know LMU's comlex step 1 pass rates / match statistics for the past couple years? What percentage of 4th years entering the match didn't match?

I'm really stressed out and looking for any way to make this decision a little easier. I didn't think deciding between school could be this difficult.

Thanks in advance!

I had to make the same decision. I liked both schools, but I liked the atmosphere more at DCOM. I was a little tempted by PCOM-GA because of their rotations though. They have a lot of connections with the big medical centers in Atlanta that their students get to do rotations through. But I liked pretty much every other aspect of DCOM better. PCOM does that trimester thing too. I've never been on a trimester schedule and it just sounded odd to me.

 

[dfib slim]

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[Mjolner]

If I knew what I know now, I would have never applied to schools with mandatory attendance.

I can't imagine not going to each and every class. That's just how I am.
That being said, I have heard this warning about mandatory attendance from waaaayyy too many people to ignore it. At this point it feels like running AT the mushroom cloud.

 

[MiaMia14]

I can't imagine not going to each and every class. That's just how I am.
That being said, I have heard this warning about mandatory attendance from waaaayyy too many people to ignore it. At this point it feels like running AT the mushroom cloud.

That was "just how I was" too...until I almost
failed out first semester because I was going to each and every class. How you do things before med school is irrelevant to how you will need to do them in med school. You may end up going to every class, but there is a good chance you will find out that's not the most efficient thing for you even though that's what you've always done.

 

[Stlblues17]

I understand 'everyone is different' applies here... But how is adjusting to that learning curve? How do you decide what is important and what isn't, in general? (I know 'everything' is important, but what to prioritize l suppose).

...How you do things before med school is irrelevant to how you will need to do them in med school. You may end up going to every class, but there is a good chance you will find out that's not the most efficient thing for you even though that's what you've always done.

 

[MiaMia14]

You can tell from how the professors present it usually. First year is kinda a crapshoot because it's not as clinical but second year there are a lot of "buzzwords" you can pick up on. Every class is going to be different though. You will figure it out I promise.

You can also buy review books like first aid and see what they have in there and compare to what you are studying. Those review books only have the big things (and you fill in the details when you are studying) so at least you can make sure you aren't completely disregarding big concepts but I never really had a problem deciphering that.

 

[MiaMia14]

Oh, I also had some really kick ass classmates that made study guides and outlines and I probably would have failed out without them....

 

[DODaze2017]

I understand 'everyone is different' applies here... But how is adjusting to that learning curve? How do you decide what is important and what isn't, in general? (I know 'everything' is important, but what to prioritize l suppose).

My advice is to hit the ground running when you start. Go full force until that first exam. See how you did, and then re evaluate your choices. Cut back where you can and add more time and efforts where you need it. I've seen too many people end up in a hole starting out because they waited until right before the exam to buckle down. As said before, first year (especially first semester), is tough. But you'll quickly figure out what works for you.

 

[JSensei]

I understand 'everyone is different' applies here... But how is adjusting to that learning curve? How do you decide what is important and what isn't, in general? (I know 'everything' is important, but what to prioritize l suppose).

I haven't been to THIS school yet, but this isn't exactly my first rodeo. As MiaMia said, from my experience in pharmacy and my medical masters degree, you just kind of have to see how they present the information. In general, you will get a feel for what THEY think is important. And buzzwords are definitely a clue. I'm sure the buzzwords will be different, but I know in pharmacy, anytime a drug caused a really unique side effect or had a black box warning, it was automatically higher yield. When in doubt, I would ask the people that were a class ahead of me. "So what's Dr ______ like on an exam?" They could usually tell me if that professor tended to prefer minor details, bigger picture, or liked to test from the book vs lecture.

Other than that, most of the game is figuring out how you study. Whenever I give tours for my current program, my advice is always the same. You get 24 hours a day. You can spend them doing whatever you want. I recommend that you are as efficient with your time as you possibly can be. Is spending an hour a night watching Netflix a waste? Maybe. Maybe not. Is studying for 3 hours better then 2? Perhaps. What about 4 better than 3? Depends. Do you burn out? Are you still being effective as you hit hour 3? 4? 6?

If you get the most bang for your buck, you'll probably do a lot better.

 

[fingerscrossedpremed]

That was "just how I was" too...until I almost
failed out first semester because I was going to each and every class. How you do things before med school is irrelevant to how you will need to do them in med school. You may end up going to every class, but there is a good chance you will find out that's not the most efficient thing for you even though that's what you've always done.

So, if you don't go to every lecture, do you watch every lecture?

 

[MiaMia14]

Yepp.

 

[lab0990]

Hm... Would 1st, 2nd, whatever years care to share what DIDN'T work for them?

 

[DODaze2017]

Hm... Would 1st, 2nd, whatever years care to share what DIDN'T work for them?

Everyone is different obviously. I'm not a book learner. I bought all the books and then didn't use them. I also had to go to class and went about 90% of the time or more.

It really is individualized and you just have to jump in and see what works for you. And it changes. What worked for me in pharm is not how I studied for any other class. I barely studied for Peds but I knew classmates who spent the majority of their time on that. You have to learn to recognize your strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Hayden19]

I understand 'everyone is different' applies here... But how is adjusting to that learning curve? How do you decide what is important and what isn't, in general? (I know 'everything' is important, but what to prioritize l suppose).

The hardest part about the first semester of medical school is learning how to learn EFFICIENTLY the volume of material we get thrown at us. I'll give you an example - our first test last year covered just the first 6 lectures of anatomy. We had about 10 days to learn the material and in that time I (and the majority of my classmates) studied obsessively. Come test day I was well prepared for the test but the way I got there was incredibly inefficient. I had spent 10 days learning 6 hours worth of lecture material -- now it's not uncommon for us to learn 6 lectures of a material in a single day. The true test is the first block exam where a lot more is thrown at you. It's really a trial and error process figuring out what works for you. For me it meant not going to class and watching all lectures online multiple times at X2 speed and then reviewing everything with one or two people a few days before the exam. Some people study in groups and some people always study alone. Other people have stopped watching/attending lectures at all and just study the PowerPoints / handouts (for the record I don't recommend that -- at least right away) and yet others go to class every day. One of the cool things about medical school is that it's a big group of very intelligent and driven people all learning the same material but often completely differently. You just have to find where on the spectrum you fit. Hope that helps, let me know if you guys have any more questions!

 

[Amygdalarian]

Does anyone know if DCOM allows you to defer acceptance for a year? If I wanted to take a year off, would I be able to keep my acceptance for the following year?

 

[DODaze2017]

Does anyone know if DCOM allows you to defer acceptance for a year? If I wanted to take a year off, would I be able to keep my acceptance for the following year?

I know it's happened, but Im not sure of the circumstances.

 

[osteopathicdoc1234]

This was probably already explained in previous posts so I apologize before hand but for those that have already completed certified background check....how did you guys go about "Submiting a positive antibody(IgG) titer (lab report required)" ? I thought we just needed a list of our immunizations that were up to date?

 

[DODaze2017]

This was probably already explained in previous posts so I apologize before hand but for those that have already completed certified background check....how did you guys go about "Submiting a positive antibody(IgG) titer (lab report required)" ? I thought we just needed a list of our immunizations that were up to date?

You have to go get blood work done to prove the immunization "took." If one didn't, you have to retake that. A lot of people have to redo the Hep B shots.


*Edited because I can't spell.

 

[Stlblues17]

You have to go to you doctor and get those titers drawn, and see it they 'take' as @DODaze2017 mentioned. I myself was lucky to not be immune to mumps so I got an MMR and now I have to get another mumps titer drawn.

This was probably already explained in previous posts so I apologize before hand but for those that have already completed certified background check....how did you guys go about "Submiting a positive antibody(IgG) titer (lab report required)" ? I thought we just needed a list of our immunizations that were up to date?

 

[samac]

I'm currently going back through the Hep B series.

 

[sharpshooter123]

Hey guys I am new to this thread and it is my first time applying to American schools. Can someone please help me with a few questions.
1. When do applications for next year admissions start?
2. Have there been any canadians at DCOM?
3. Should I apply with a 3.3 GPA, 25 MCAT (9P, 6V, 10B), good ECs. Are those stats competitive for DCOM as a canadian applicant?

 

[Jbirdski]

1) recommend submitting as early as possible. You can submit as early as June 1st I believe?

2) yes, Canadians have been accepted, though I haven't actually met one, just seen it on this thread.

3) yes, it is possible to get accepted with those stats.

 

[sharpshooter123]

Thank you! Also I have not taken english yet, do I have to have english done by the time I apply?

 

[diesel2101]

Thank you! Also I have not taken english yet, do I have to have english done by the time I apply?

Before you apply, probably not. Before you matriculate, yes.

 

[fingerscrossedpremed]

1) recommend submitting as early as possible. You can submit as early as June 1st I believe?

2) yes, Canadians have been accepted, though I haven't actually met one, just seen it on this thread.

3) yes, it is possible to get accepted with those stats.

Hey guys I am new to this thread and it is my first time applying to American schools. Can someone please help me with a few questions.
1. When do applications for next year admissions start?
2. Have there been any canadians at DCOM?
3. Should I apply with a 3.3 GPA, 25 MCAT (9P, 6V, 10B), good ECs. Are those stats competitive for DCOM as a canadian applicant?

To elaborate on Jbirski's opinion, I agree that it is possible, but not probable. It sounds like the average MCAT score is gonna be 26-27ish for this years class and the average GPA closer to 3.5-3.6. I know Canadians can have a harder time getting into most American medical schools too. You could definitely get in with that MCAT score or that GPA, but I'm not sure you'll have great odds with that combination. A 25 and 3.7, or a 29 and 3.3 would have much higher odds of acceptance. Anyways, you could get in with those stats, I just don't think its super likely. It sounds like you're still taking classes. I'd try to get your GPA up if possible.

 

[sharpshooter123]

Okay thank you both!

 

[csfitz92]

Not that it really matters for us yet, but does anyone else have a horrible time with Pathway? Constantly freezes up for me, otherwise very sluggish, have a hard time getting to the email page, etc.

 

[xBODOMx]

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[Blunt Dissection]

Could I ask if anyone applied to both Western COMP and DCOM? If so, which program did you enjoy more and why?

 

[adon93]

Anyone knows when Waitlist movement begins?

 

[csfitz92]

Anyone knows when Waitlist movement begins?

I'd try looking at previous years' threads. But I've heard that some students still get pulled off it up to July.

 

[DODaze2017]

Anyone knows when Waitlist movement begins?

Not sure when it technically begins. I'd say in the next few weeks. And they do pull people off even into orientation week.

 

[lab0990]

If you're waitlisted, get on getting all of your titers, vaccinations, etc. done. Every school I interviewed at mentioned some students didn't matriculate because they never finished the paperwork. It is ridiculous for anyone to have gone through the whole process only to stumble at the finish line.

 

[Amygdalarian]

Where do we find the information about the vaccines and other shots we need before matriculating?

 

[xBODOMx]

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[xBODOMx]

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[Amygdalarian]

If you're accepted, you get a code for CertifiedBackground and it gives you a list. Usually comes a few days / week after they get your deposit.

Is that by email? I was accepted last summer and put down a deposit, but I haven't moved on the background check or anything else because I'm still waiting on a few schools. I did want to go ahead and take care of my Immunizations before leaving my current job/health insurance.

 

[DODaze2017]

If you're waitlisted, get on getting all of your titers, vaccinations, etc. done. Every school I interviewed at mentioned some students didn't matriculate because they never finished the paperwork. It is ridiculous for anyone to have gone through the whole process only to stumble at the finish line.

I don't think DCOM prevents students from starting because paperwork like tigers aren't in. They're are a lot of people who had to continue finishing boosters into the semester and we had multiple emails reminding people because quite a few had incomplete files. With that being said, obviously don't neglect it once accepted and end up on someone's bad side

 

[GypsyHummus]

How long was everyone's secondary essays? I am looking at last year's form and it just says two short essays, no word count or limit.

 

[xBODOMx]

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[fingerscrossedpremed]

The bootcamp program sounds interesting. Anyone care to chime in? I'm kind of strapped for cash and also curious how housing would work as well. Is it worth it?

I talked to a current first year, and he said it was very helpful. You essentially learn a big chunk of what we'll learn in anatomy. Thus, it makes the transition into medical school easier because you know a lot of the anatomy already and can focus on biochemistry and histology and the other tough classes. I think they can provide housing for the bootcamp too. Anyways, it seems like an awesome option. Unless you're afraid of getting burned out or can't spare the $950, I see very few negatives about it.

 

[DODaze2017]

The bootcamp program sounds interesting. Anyone care to chime in? I'm kind of strapped for cash and also curious how housing would work as well. Is it worth it?

I will also add that you can do quite well without it. If you cannot afford it, don't feel like you're for sure going to be behind or anything. Most people don't do it. It really is just up to each person.

 

[Stlblues17]

How long was everyone's secondary essays? I am looking at last year's form and it just says two short essays, no word count or limit.

My essays were 2-3 paragraphs each I believe. I tried to be as concise as possible, while answering the given prompt. Don't think you have to write a whole new PS, just answer the questions, be thorough but to the point.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

So did the laptop get put back in the tuition? Because it is 46k now, when I am pretty sure it was 44k at interview day..