I guess some more first-year responses wouldn't hurt.
LECOM-Bradenton
Pros:There are many things that I could say about this school that are just outstanding. First of all, the faculty are awesome. They are always willing to "answer" a question and help out when you are stuck or lost, provided you have put forth some effort into finding out the answer on your own. They are readily available both during lecture time as well as during office hours times. They respond to e-mails at a rapid pace and, should information be provided to one student that might be pertinent, they waste no time in forwarding the email out to the class just for clarification. Secondly, the facility is beautiful. The PBL Rooms are almost always open, even during normal school hours, and are available for small to medium sized groups to go in and use to their hearts content. Each room has one large and one small white board with 4 different colored markers. The rooms are nearly sound proof, and it's almost impossible to hear anything that is going on in any room around you. Next, the security is amazing. I cannot tell you how many times I've left my books, computer, and Zune lying out in a PBL room or the Cafeteria while I leave and go off campus for 1 to 2 hours and eat and run errands. There have been no thefts in the school's history (to my knowledge), and cameras litter the building so that you could find the culprit easily if one were to happen upon your belongings. Lastly, the area is brand new and growing. There are 2 Publix's (Grocery stores) within 1 mile of the school, and tons of affordable living spaces all around. The traffic is never unbearable, although the lights can become unfortunate from time to time.
This paragraph is dedicated to PBL. Problem-Based Learning rocks and rocks. I cannot get into all of the logistics of how PBL works, but basically it forces you to learn what works. Even after two PBL classes you will start to hear people say "I was a bit uneasy about PBL at first, but now I see how it works.. and I like it." Everyone who puts in the appropriate study time and effort will go into their PBL sessions and understand a good portion of the material discussed that day. Whenever information arises that you don't understand, the group is always there to provide you with an explanation or a book and page number for you to have so that you can read up on it later. It may seem overwhelming, but it isn't. I wish I could explain this more, but I am a bit pressed for time. If you'd like an explanation, please PM me.
Cons:The cons, for me, are few and far between, but are important in assessing the true value of the school. First of all, the Cafeteria is a bit small for the number of people on campus. On any given day there could be upwards of 500+ people looking for a place to get food and sit for lunch (two Medical school classes and two Pharmacy school classes). It can be a bit burdensome when people try and sit with one another and relax after a "fun" day of lectures. This extends into the parking lot. If you do not get to school early (before 730AM), expect to have a parking spot none to close to the entrance of the building. This can be burdensome to some, especially with the number of books you will be luging from your car to school and back again every day. The last bad point I have is the scheduling of classes and lectures. Sometimes they seem to be inappropriately placed or unneeded altogether. The most disappointing schedule we have thus far is the fact that we have to attend PBL once a week during our 10-week Anatomy course. It's disappointing that we cannot devote more time to PBL, and I find myself devoting very little time and energy to my PBL readings because of the black hole that is Anatomy/Histology. When it ends, however, I am sure I will feel a lot better about the situation.
Misconceptions:
The big "problems" non-students have about this school is the dress-code, mandatory attendance, and the food rule. First of all, the dress code is not bad at all. Girls can wear just about anything and call it business attire, and guys are required to look nice with a shirt and tie. You can roll up your sleeves any time during the day, and, on top of that, the dress code only applies until 5:00 PM. After that you can run home and change, or take off your tie and unbutton your top two buttons. It's really not that bad at all. Sometimes it can get a bit obnoxious in the morning, but it's so miniscule in the scheme of life during medical school that complaining about dressing up and looking nice is a waste of time. Also, on days of OMM, you are allowed to walk around the building in your OMM attire all day, which is a T-shirt and your OMM shorts/sweatpants. This occurs EVERY THURSDAY (for first-years). The mandatory attendance policy is also not as bad as you might think. There aren't a lot of lectures in the first place (although during Anatomy there are), so mandating that you come to school for 2 or 3 hours a day for lectures, and another 2 or 3 hours for labs really is not a problem. There are always quiet places to study and places to relax during your off-time. Also, if you're pulling out $40k+ of loans per year, you might as well get some of your money's worth in attending a few lectures here and there. The last problem that I heard is the fact that you cannot eat or drink anywhere but in the Student Loung (aka, Cafeteria). This SOUNDS annoying, but it really is actually very nice. Countless times I will be studying in an empty PBL room and need a coffee or a bottle of water and head downstairs to drink it with my friends. When I get there, I am "forced" to take a mental break, relax, and give my brain a chance to reset before I continue studying some more. If I wish, I could take a textbook with me into the lounge and read while I drink. Either way, it is not an inconvenience at all.
I wish I had more solid points to give, but I am a bit pressed for time. Our second Anatomy exam is Monday and we have more information than my brain wishes to process at this time.
Hope this helped!
