Pros and Cons of your DO School

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
So I've only been at school here for, oh about 9 weeks now but I figured it is at least be better than nothing.

Curriculum: I think it is good. This semester we have anatomy (with histology), molecular fundamentals (biochem, cell bio), essentials of patient care, OMM of course, and a medical statistics type class. Anatomy and Molecular take up most of the time. After the block exam we take a group exam. You go over the same test with a group of your peers and discuss the answers. Then you get to see what the correct answers are. This is great because you will know about how well (or bad) you did on the exam. Also you get the chance to challenge questions if a majority of people in your group got the question wrong and think it was a bad question (poorly worded, not taught well, etc).
The only con I see about curriculum which really isn't that big of a deal is that the schedule is different every day. Sometimes we start at 8:30, some days we start at 7:30, sometimes we only have a couple classes on Friday, sometimes we are here all day. You have to always check the schedule to make sure you know what time class is. The consistent thing is the days we have lab but the irregularity is whether your group goes first and whether you are in the lab or the break out rooms first. It can get confusing if you don't check the schedule.
My favorite class right now is anatomy because to me seems the most important to know to be a doctor. Also anatomy carries over into OMM hugely! The anatomy lab is very nice as well.

Location: First off the area is beautiful mountains! But I think the awesome natural beauty comes with the price of it being a rural area. If it were a big city there wouldn't be as many pretty trees around. So yes it's kind of the middle of nowhere. There is a super Wal-Mart, a tiny mall, and every type of fast food restaurant you could want ten minutes away. If you want to go to a regular mall or a sit down restaurant you have to travel to Knoxville (1.5 hours away). This isn't too much of a problem because you don't have time or money to eat out or go shopping all the time.
My biggest con: If you have pets (like I do) it is VERY hard to find a place to rent. I think more apartments and what not are being built.

Cost: Tuition for this year was $31,500. The other costs are here http://www.lmunet.edu/DCOM/finaid/budget.htm
The cost of living in the area is very cheap. I don't pay much at all for rent but I have a horrible landlord (I don't think anyone else really has this problem just me). The gas in this town has been cheaper than the neighboring cities as well. And if you go grocery shopping in KY (ten mins away with the Wal-Mart) they have no food tax.

Faculty: They are helpful and caring. Everyone wants you to do well and almost all have an open door policy. I feel like I could go up to any faculty and have a conversation with them. Of course I have some faculty I like more than others but it's just personal preference.
You have a faculty advisor assigned to you at the beginning of the year and they suggest you meet with them monthly. It's optional but it could be really helpful if you have a problem with anything personal or school related. My advisor gave me some really good study strategies. Of course you can go talk to any faculty if you need to but it is nice having someone assigned specifically for you.

Reputation: New school. We only have two classes of students currently. I think the reputation must be great since the amount of applications is greatly increasing each year. Everyone from the first class seems extremely happy and satisfied with their choice. I don’t see any reason why the reputation won’t continue to get better and better.

Study areas: We have 15 conference rooms that have a huge conference table, ten or so chairs, two large white boards, and a huge LCD TV that you can hook your laptop up to in order to watch lectures or look at study aides. The undergrad library (in a separate building) has a special section for medical students. I haven't been there personally but the pictures of it are really nice with comfy chairs and cute study tables. Also there are tons of tables and chairs outside that you could study at as well as two balcony areas.
My only con is there aren't any quiet individual study areas at the moment. I like to mostly study alone so I'd like to have a little desk/cubicle area to study in. This problem will soon be resolved though because they are building a new study room on the 4th floor that will be for individual study. I'm sure it will be available by the time the next class starts.

Social scene: I'm married so I don't really go to the bars that often. But by the looks of facebook photos it seems that a good majority of the class hangs out at the two bars in Cumberland Gap. Just last weekend they had a Toga Party. Other than those two bars you have to travel to Knoxville for restaurants, clubs, and more bars. I have a group of married friends and after each test we make a trip to Knoxville and go to dinner at a nice restaurant. Another thing is there is a ton of outdoor activities to do around here. I know people that go hiking, camping, bike riding, etc. No matter what type of activity you are looking for I'm sure you can find a group of friends here that like to do what you do.

Other Stuff:

Housing: There are student apartments 5 mins away from the school. I don’t live there because I’m married and have pets but I know a lot of people do live there. They have a pool, volley ball court, basketball court, and a workout room. The price is reasonable because it includes all utilities. I think it’s a great option if you live alone.
Lots of apartments have been built in the area and they fill up as soon as they are built. I am sure more will be coming since there is a demand. The only housing problem is if you own pets. I also know people that have bought houses in the area. Depending on what yours needs are will decide how hard it is to find a place to live.

Dress Code: We have one but it's not that bad. You can wear jeans!!! No t-shirts, no flip-flops, no tank tops/tube tops. So guys can wear jeans, khakis, dress pants with a polo or button up shirt. Girls have it a little easier because we tend to have a lot more options. For anatomy lab you have to wear scrubs and for OMM lab you can wear any shorts and t-shirt (not too short or controversial Ts)

Security: You get an ID swipe card. The building is open during business hours but after 4:30 you have to swipe to get in. Also the labs and conference rooms have to be swiped to get into. We have a security guard after hours. The building is 24 hours except on Friday and Saturday night when it closes from 12am-6am. It's really nice when you want to stay late and study.

Parking: Is not a problem. I think no matter where you park it wouldn't be more than a two minute walk. They added even more spaces to the parking lot and I have never seen it fill up.

Food and Drink: We have a large break area on the second floor. It has two fridges for our use, two microwaves, a coffee maker, ice machine,
toaster, two drinks machines, and two snack machines. We don't have our own cafeteria but you can walk about 5 minutes down the hill to the undergrad cafeteria. I haven't personally been so I'm not sure what the food is like but you can buy a meal plan if that's what you like.
In the lectures halls you can only have drinks in closed containers (coffee mugs, bottles, etc). Everywhere else in the building you can have food and drink. It's really nice to be able to sit in the conference rooms and bring in your dinner or lunch while studying.

Attendance: Attendance is required for all labs. Lecture attendance is not required but it is highly advised that you do attend. They could send around a sign in sheet or have a quiz that you won’t want to miss. Also any small group work is required attendance. So I know some people that would rather study at home so it really is what works best for you.

Technology: We receive a laptop. They are awesome tablet notebooks. During lecture you can take all of your notes on the tablet screen. Drawing on the powerpoints as you go is very helpful feature when teachers point something out during lecture.
All of our lectures are recorded and available to watch online. You can watch the speaker with the powerpoint lecture. This is really nice if you do happen to miss a lecture, you don’t pay attention during lecture, or if you miss something said. The feature I really like about this is I can watch the lectures on double speed.
The entire building has wifi. The conference rooms have large flat screen TVs to hook your laptop up to. The labs have multiple flat screen TVs so you never miss what’s going. There are flat screen TVs everywhere in this building lol.

Admin: The same rules that any school has. I think by this point you should understand how to behave yourself.

Rumors: I can’t really think of anything to put here.

Extra things: It’s a new building so it is very nice! Everything is kept spotless by our amazing cleaning staff (who by the way are very friendly).
We have an out-patient clinic on the second floor. If you get the school provided insurance you can visit the clinic with no co-pay. This is so nice when you get sick because it is not hard to get an appointment. Also your family can use the clinic. I think that in your second year here you shadow in the clinic for a certain amount of hours per semester. I know that at my last doctor’s appointment I had second years in the room (don’t worry they ask if it’s ok).
If you do fail a test you get assigned a free tutoring group.

Report Card
Curriculum: A
Location: B-
Cost: A
Financial Aid: A+
Faculty: A
Reputation: A
Technology: A+
Study Space/Library: A
Library technology/Resources: A
Rotations: ?
Social: A-
Hospitals: N/A
Post Grad: ?
Cafeteria Food: N/A
Cafeteria Prices: N/A

Overall Grade: A
If you have any questions please send me a PM I’ll be happy to help!

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
So I've only been at school here for, oh about 9 weeks now but I figured it is at least be better than nothing.

Curriculum: I think it is good. This semester we have anatomy (with histology), molecular fundamentals (biochem, cell bio), essentials of patient care, OMM of course, and a medical statistics type class. Anatomy and Molecular take up most of the time. After the block exam we take a group exam. You go over the same test with a group of your peers and discuss the answers. Then you get to see what the correct answers are. This is great because you will know about how well (or bad) you did on the exam. Also you get the chance to challenge questions if a majority of people in your group got the question wrong and think it was a bad question (poorly worded, not taught well, etc).
The only con I see about curriculum which really isn't that big of a deal is that the schedule is different every day. Sometimes we start at 8:30, some days we start at 7:30, sometimes we only have a couple classes on Friday, sometimes we are here all day. You have to always check the schedule to make sure you know what time class is. The consistent thing is the days we have lab but the irregularity is whether your group goes first and whether you are in the lab or the break out rooms first. It can get confusing if you don't check the schedule.
My favorite class right now is anatomy because to me seems the most important to know to be a doctor. Also anatomy carries over into OMM hugely! The anatomy lab is very nice as well.

Location: First off the area is beautiful mountains! But I think the awesome natural beauty comes with the price of it being a rural area. If it were a big city there wouldn't be as many pretty trees around. So yes it's kind of the middle of nowhere. There is a super Wal-Mart, a tiny mall, and every type of fast food restaurant you could want ten minutes away. If you want to go to a regular mall or a sit down restaurant you have to travel to Knoxville (1.5 hours away). This isn't too much of a problem because you don't have time or money to eat out or go shopping all the time.
My biggest con: If you have pets (like I do) it is VERY hard to find a place to rent. I think more apartments and what not are being built.

Cost: Tuition for this year was $31,500. The other costs are here http://www.lmunet.edu/DCOM/finaid/budget.htm
The cost of living in the area is very cheap. I don't pay much at all for rent but I have a horrible landlord (I don't think anyone else really has this problem just me). The gas in this town has been cheaper than the neighboring cities as well. And if you go grocery shopping in KY (ten mins away with the Wal-Mart) they have no food tax.

Faculty: They are helpful and caring. Everyone wants you to do well and almost all have an open door policy. I feel like I could go up to any faculty and have a conversation with them. Of course I have some faculty I like more than others but it's just personal preference.
You have a faculty advisor assigned to you at the beginning of the year and they suggest you meet with them monthly. It's optional but it could be really helpful if you have a problem with anything personal or school related. My advisor gave me some really good study strategies. Of course you can go talk to any faculty if you need to but it is nice having someone assigned specifically for you.

Reputation: New school. We only have two classes of students currently. I think the reputation must be great since the amount of applications is greatly increasing each year. Everyone from the first class seems extremely happy and satisfied with their choice. I don’t see any reason why the reputation won’t continue to get better and better.

Study areas: We have 15 conference rooms that have a huge conference table, ten or so chairs, two large white boards, and a huge LCD TV that you can hook your laptop up to in order to watch lectures or look at study aides. The undergrad library (in a separate building) has a special section for medical students. I haven't been there personally but the pictures of it are really nice with comfy chairs and cute study tables. Also there are tons of tables and chairs outside that you could study at as well as two balcony areas.
My only con is there aren't any quiet individual study areas at the moment. I like to mostly study alone so I'd like to have a little desk/cubicle area to study in. This problem will soon be resolved though because they are building a new study room on the 4th floor that will be for individual study. I'm sure it will be available by the time the next class starts.

Social scene: I'm married so I don't really go to the bars that often. But by the looks of facebook photos it seems that a good majority of the class hangs out at the two bars in Cumberland Gap. Just last weekend they had a Toga Party. Other than those two bars you have to travel to Knoxville for restaurants, clubs, and more bars. I have a group of married friends and after each test we make a trip to Knoxville and go to dinner at a nice restaurant. Another thing is there is a ton of outdoor activities to do around here. I know people that go hiking, camping, bike riding, etc. No matter what type of activity you are looking for I'm sure you can find a group of friends here that like to do what you do.

Other Stuff:

Housing: There are student apartments 5 mins away from the school. I don’t live there because I’m married and have pets but I know a lot of people do live there. They have a pool, volley ball court, basketball court, and a workout room. The price is reasonable because it includes all utilities. I think it’s a great option if you live alone.
Lots of apartments have been built in the area and they fill up as soon as they are built. I am sure more will be coming since there is a demand. The only housing problem is if you own pets. I also know people that have bought houses in the area. Depending on what yours needs are will decide how hard it is to find a place to live.

Dress Code: We have one but it's not that bad. You can wear jeans!!! No t-shirts, no flip-flops, no tank tops/tube tops. So guys can wear jeans, khakis, dress pants with a polo or button up shirt. Girls have it a little easier because we tend to have a lot more options. For anatomy lab you have to wear scrubs and for OMM lab you can wear any shorts and t-shirt (not too short or controversial Ts)

Security: You get an ID swipe card. The building is open during business hours but after 4:30 you have to swipe to get in. Also the labs and conference rooms have to be swiped to get into. We have a security guard after hours. The building is 24 hours except on Friday and Saturday night when it closes from 12am-6am. It's really nice when you want to stay late and study.

Parking: Is not a problem. I think no matter where you park it wouldn't be more than a two minute walk. They added even more spaces to the parking lot and I have never seen it fill up.

Food and Drink: We have a large break area on the second floor. It has two fridges for our use, two microwaves, a coffee maker, ice machine,
toaster, two drinks machines, and two snack machines. We don't have our own cafeteria but you can walk about 5 minutes down the hill to the undergrad cafeteria. I haven't personally been so I'm not sure what the food is like but you can buy a meal plan if that's what you like.
In the lectures halls you can only have drinks in closed containers (coffee mugs, bottles, etc). Everywhere else in the building you can have food and drink. It's really nice to be able to sit in the conference rooms and bring in your dinner or lunch while studying.

Attendance: Attendance is required for all labs. Lecture attendance is not required but it is highly advised that you do attend. They could send around a sign in sheet or have a quiz that you won’t want to miss. Also any small group work is required attendance. So I know some people that would rather study at home so it really is what works best for you.

Technology: We receive a laptop. They are awesome tablet notebooks. During lecture you can take all of your notes on the tablet screen. Drawing on the powerpoints as you go is very helpful feature when teachers point something out during lecture.
All of our lectures are recorded and available to watch online. You can watch the speaker with the powerpoint lecture. This is really nice if you do happen to miss a lecture, you don’t pay attention during lecture, or if you miss something said. The feature I really like about this is I can watch the lectures on double speed.
The entire building has wifi. The conference rooms have large flat screen TVs to hook your laptop up to. The labs have multiple flat screen TVs so you never miss what’s going. There are flat screen TVs everywhere in this building lol.

Admin: The same rules that any school has. I think by this point you should understand how to behave yourself.

Rumors: I can’t really think of anything to put here.

Extra things: It’s a new building so it is very nice! Everything is kept spotless by our amazing cleaning staff (who by the way are very friendly).
We have an out-patient clinic on the second floor. If you get the school provided insurance you can visit the clinic with no co-pay. This is so nice when you get sick because it is not hard to get an appointment. Also your family can use the clinic. I think that in your second year here you shadow in the clinic for a certain amount of hours per semester. I know that at my last doctor’s appointment I had second years in the room (don’t worry they ask if it’s ok).
If you do fail a test you get assigned a free tutoring group.

Report Card
Curriculum: A
Location: B-
Cost: A
Financial Aid: A+
Faculty: A
Reputation: A
Technology: A+
Study Space/Library: A
Library technology/Resources: A
Rotations: ?
Social: A-
Hospitals: N/A
Post Grad: ?
Cafeteria Food: N/A
Cafeteria Prices: N/A

Overall Grade: A
If you have any questions please send me a PM I’ll be happy to help!

I cannot believe you didn't give our school an A++ haha alright fellow DCOMer let me see if i can fill in some of the gaps. Location is infact an A, i will tell you why because there are fewer distractions and its a huge plus to succeed in any medical school. Esp 2nd year, and around board study time no place better than where we are located will help you focus. Also consider the fact that most students at DCOM live so close to the school that they can easily be in and out of school, have more time to study although we do have one of the busiest schedules. Infact i checked with my other DO friends and i have realized that DCOM is genuinely trying to make us pro's. Best example..i know so much about EKG's its really not funny after so much reinforcement. If you come to DCOM you better be ready for a heavy work load and rate that aspect in your mind with watever grade but its not a walk in the park. For those who want a lot of help for boards, 2nd years have received a free kaplan board package and we have faculty who taught before at kaplan. An imp grade is the fact that DCOM has tons of potential..by the way the school looks and is functioning a lot of big things are in store. Rotation sites, graduating students match lists and research opportunities are bound to improve. I believe DCOM is considering building a research building in the very near future. Any more questions shoot em my way...
 
Report Card
For PCSOM.

I'm not going to explain each one but here are the bare bones:
Curriculum: A
Location: c+
Cost: A+
Financial Aid: A+
Faculty: A
Reputation: B+
Technology: B+
Study Space/Library: A
Library technology/Resources: A+
Rotations: A+
Social: B
Hospitals: A
Post Grad: A
Cafeteria Food: N/A
Cafeteria Prices: N/A
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I cannot believe you didn't give our school an A++ haha alright fellow DCOMer let me see if i can fill in some of the gaps. Location is infact an A, i will tell you why because there are fewer distractions and its a huge plus to succeed in any medical school. Esp 2nd year, and around board study time no place better than where we are located will help you focus. Also consider the fact that most students at DCOM live so close to the school that they can easily be in and out of school, have more time to study although we do have one of the busiest schedules. Infact i checked with my other DO friends and i have realized that DCOM is genuinely trying to make us pro's. Best example..i know so much about EKG's its really not funny after so much reinforcement. If you come to DCOM you better be ready for a heavy work load and rate that aspect in your mind with watever grade but its not a walk in the park. For those who want a lot of help for boards, 2nd years have received a free kaplan board package and we have faculty who taught before at kaplan. An imp grade is the fact that DCOM has tons of potential..by the way the school looks and is functioning a lot of big things are in store. Rotation sites, graduating students match lists and research opportunities are bound to improve. I believe DCOM is considering building a research building in the very near future. Any more questions shoot em my way...

Well you may think the location is in fact an A but I do not. A place to rent is harder to find. A place for my husband to work in impossible to find. The fact that I have to drive an hour and a half to get to a target, a real mall, or a normal sit down restaurant is annoying. I'm sorry but I don't have to live in the middle of no where in order to make myself study.

That being said I love DCOM but of course every school is going to have its pros and cons.
 
Everyone has different needs/wants/expectations.....especially for location. It seem like it would be impossible for everyone to agree on this.
 
I'm a current second year here at Western:

There are hit and misses for every institution.

Hits: The curriculum is well thought out, schedule is of the interest of the students, our input is valuable to the ever evolving schedule that seems to change slightly yearly. So the admin really listens to our concerns. Friendly students and staff. I feel that they are trying to make this process as less painful as possible, especially our Essentials in Medicine professor, Dr. Mackintosh. SP encounters are great. Our best system so far has been renal, which I'm taking currently because we have Dr. Zaden who is an excellent instructor. Location is not bad. Close to mountains, hour away from beautiful beaches. Close to LA. Dozens of student clubs to take part of. Opportunities to work with low-income patients. Payed for board prep. OMM instructors are helpful. Lectures recorded. Few required attendances (only OMM really)

Misses: Majority of the instructors are mediocre. I go to almost every class and I feel that there's not nearly enough clinical integration. There's alot of self studying that's encouraged but I'm not sure if anymore than any other school. There's not much activism at Western. In terms of politics I would say students seem apathetic. Everyones in their own world and there's not much school pride. No cafeteria. No gym. Limited space to study. Neighborhood is not the safest but they're trying to up security (It's improving). Percentage grading scale on transcript. Limited surrounding culture, but improving (there's some new clubs, Fox theatre to open, pool hall, new restaurants).

I don't 'grade' schools, but if asked if I would choose Western again. I would say 'yeh probably'
 
Well you may think the location is in fact an A but I do not. A place to rent is harder to find. A place for my husband to work in impossible to find. The fact that I have to drive an hour and a half to get to a target, a real mall, or a normal sit down restaurant is annoying. I'm sorry but I don't have to live in the middle of no where in order to make myself study.

That being said I love DCOM but of course every school is going to have its pros and cons.

I understand your frustration been there but i have realized my priorities down the road. I am by no way means suggesting that your husband, your shopping needs, a place to chill are unimportant but its imp to keep things in perspective. Commuting long distances while in medical school is often a bad idea it doesnt matter which med school you are talking about and you should def try to move to the student apt's if you can't find a desirable place around the school area. This place isn't populated like a big city, so you have to take what is available in terms of social needs again i strongly recommend living in the student apt's. In regards to your spouse..well med school is a sacrifice for both you guys, idk watelse to say just keep your head above water its only 2 years!
 
GA-PCOM

Pros:
-DO schools in the south is a great idea. Time to expand the science to the parts of the country that were long off-limits places by the great MD-DO cold war.
-I'm from the south so I can be a DO student without having to move far from the southeast.

Cons:
-no one created any new residency slots in this area. Brilliant. And now the MD schools are increasing class size. Awesome. So now what? We all are sticking our peckers in the same sized pot, except guess what? More peckers.
- So I was excited to be close to home, now I'll probably end up with a residency spot in Alaska. I'll be like that Paul Walker sled dog movie, except with a stethoscope.
...Oh, and also ugly.

yes, I'm quoting myself, because I got another con to add. Well, a continuation of one really:
Since there are little to no DO residency programs nearby, if you apply to DO programs, which I have, get ready to travel for interview season!

Closest place is 13 hours away - so here's my recent options
1) fly = about 400 bucks w cheap hotel (informal dinner one night plus interview day, so need hotel). And knowing this is going to be the price or more for all interviews and WHERE IS THIS MONEY SUPPOSED TO COME FROM??!?
2) Drive - which means mucho dinero for gas (but less than flight sure - but not a lot) PLUS a 13 hr drive is a days worth - returning will be a day as well. Add that to the 2 days of program events and you are now asking your clerkship which you are IN THE MIDDLE OF AND NOT ALLOWED EXCUSED TIME TO INTERVIEW to have off 4 DAYS! JUST FOR ONE INTERVIEW!

I know, I can already hear the "why not schedule some of your interviews around same time so can knock out a few in same trip?"
Nice. Tell that to the programs offering me interviews. Already tried that, and found to be not very negotiable.

This con blows very hard about my school being located where it is. Do I see more DO programs being formed closer to alleviate this problem? yes. If you are interested in FM only.
 
Another con of GA-PCOM is that it is full of SEC football fans who know little about college football outside of the SEC. In fact, I'm not even convinced that they even know anything about the SEC, other than "SEC RULES!!!! WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT????"

And on top of that, these SEC people don't just pick one school, for instance, the one they actually went to. They cheer for the whole SEC, which is highly ******ed. What if you asked me what my favorite NFL team was, and I told you I cheered for the NFC East?

The SEC is a traditionally strong conference, which has a total of three good teams, and many, many bad ones this year.

But it makes for some fun discussions. At least as long as my school is #1.
 
The SEC is a traditionally strong conference, which has a total of three good teams, and many, many bad ones this year.

But it makes for some fun discussions. At least as long as my school is #1.

That was a good game last weekend... looked strong. Actually, last weekend had a lot of good football, college and pro.

Stupid football getting in the way of studying. Not just that but now that the Rays are in the playoffs there's another few hours gone, oh well.
 
The SEC is a traditionally strong conference, which has a total of three good teams, and many, many bad ones this year.

But it makes for some fun discussions. At least as long as my school is #1.

5 teams in the Top 25 equates to many, many bad teams this year eh? It's ok to hate on a conference but atleast be realistic here!

That said, Texas has a good shot at a BCS game even if they take a loss. Tough schedule ahead, best of luck.
 
Wow, still no review of TUCOM-NV? I've been waiting for months!!! Speak up Nevada TUCOMers!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
The SEC is a traditionally strong conference, which has a total of three good teams, and many, many bad ones this year.

But it makes for some fun discussions. At least as long as my school is #1.

The funny thing about this is that Vanderbilt is actually one of those three good teams
 
NSU is disappointing.

Mcrib your diction is superceded only by your eloquence, descriptive prowess, and attention to detail...

As a 2nd yr NSUCOM student I can say that as with any school there are pros and cons. I am too busy (and lazy) today to follow the previous template but will give you a quick pros/cons list. Obviously, I have yet to get to rotations but will talk about what I do know. I recall all too well how nerve-racking it is to make the decision to apply/matriculate when there are so many choices. Overall, I must say that everyone should really take the time to visit the school and get a feel for the environment/classes/etc. because MHO may not follow another's perceptions. Ok, here goes:

PROS:thumbup:
-modern, clean facilities/campus
-completely wireless, hi tech classrooms
-plenty of study space (3 libraries, multiple buildings with atria/table space)
-dress-code enforced for first few wks then scrub bottoms + tshirt + sandals
-anatomy dept: ~20 cadavers, optional summer anatomy fellowship
-MOST if not all lectures recorded w/ppts online for your viewing pleasure 24/7 365 @ 1.5Xspeed
-Integrated systems-based curriculum (2nd yr)
-Notes service (2nd yr)
-Kaplan USMLE/COMLEX review provided (think around 3/400 bucks part tuition)
-profs approachable/available (for most part)
-South FL = sun, beach, miami/S.beach, keys, not bad place to call home for few yrs
-3rd yr core rotation sites lottery (like a match), stay w/in hospital system you match to for your cores (12 sites/systems avail)
-cohesive/overall pretty chill student body (compared to other schools I've been to)
-interaction w/ other progs: PA, OD, PT, OT, AA, DMD, PharmD, RN/BSN, etc.
-AWESOME new gym/recplex (see nsu.edu)
-Good choices for core rotation sites (Broward Health, Mt. Sinai Miami, Memorial Health, Dade/Jackson Mem., Bethesda, etc. etc.)
-~60ish affiliated residency spots (doesn't necessarily mean NSU students get them but still nice to know)
-Harvey simulator (heart/lung sounds, etc.), good/well-developed SP/Clinical practicum program

CONS:thumbdown:
-expensive: OoS tuition ~35k/yr, apt ~800-1300/mo (depend on # peeps)
-biochemistry dept, except couple profs (1st yr)
-dress code (scrubs or business casual) **only really enforced first few wks
-attendance policy (swipe before each hr 1st yr, each block 2nd yr), lose 2% off final grade if miss >30%
-administration not so involved (approachable tho)
-library/study space hrs (NO 24hr floors,etc.) **HPD building is open 24hr tho
-2 out of 3 mos required rural rotations NOT selectives (ie. assigned) *4th yr
-small health professions library (for # programs here)
-Campus in DAVIE, FL...not downtown Ft. Lauderdale (~15 min)
-very little in terms of research (if you're into that kinda thing)
-hurricanes (hurricane parties can be fun though)


There may be things I am forgetting but little tired right now so I'm going to sign off and anyone who wants to pick my brain further can drop a line. Best of luck to all who are applying, and CONGRATULATIONS to any of you whole already have a spot somewhere. Its only UPHILL from here!!! :sleep:
 
Faculty: Very good faculty, for the most part. OMM, phys, biochem, anatomy faculty are very good. However, the best anatomy guy I have ever known is leaving to head the department at the new school in the northwest. He headed the anatomy department in Kirksville, the best neuroanatomy teacher you will ever come across. I have never had a better teacher/professor in every course I have ever taken.

Who was this? What school did he go to? RVU? PNWU?
 
I would love it if a first year could give us their honest impressions about RVU so far....
 
can someone do azcom pls??
 
premed85... AZCOM on Page 5, about 5 posts down, post #207. Someone should benefit from all the reading I just did. J/k thank you MS's for all your help. Anyone feeling nice and helpful at RVU or Touro-NV now?
 
Another con of GA-PCOM is that it is full of SEC football fans who know little about college football outside of the SEC. In fact, I'm not even convinced that they even know anything about the SEC, other than "SEC RULES!!!! WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT????"

And on top of that, these SEC people don't just pick one school, for instance, the one they actually went to. They cheer for the whole SEC, which is highly ******ed. What if you asked me what my favorite NFL team was, and I told you I cheered for the NFC East?

The SEC is a traditionally strong conference, which has a total of three good teams, and many, many bad ones this year.

But it makes for some fun discussions. At least as long as my school is #1.

SEC RULES!!!!!!!!!!!! Bottom line.
 
premed85... AZCOM on Page 5, about 5 posts down, post #207. Someone should benefit from all the reading I just did. J/k thank you MS's for all your help. Anyone feeling nice and helpful at RVU or Touro-NV now?

thanks!! :)
 
I disagree with the above poster regarding NSUCOM.
I just got done with 2nd year, and i'm very unsatisfied with my experience especially this second year. I cannot comment about clinicals yet, but i've heard great things about them.

This does NOT apply to the OPP course, which is great! Dr Boesler and the OMT faculty do teach you very well and are very enthusiastic and care about the students. Also the pharmacology dpt and a few Path profs are good.

I thought first year courses were decent for the most part. I thought second year SUCKED big time and did not try to integrate what we learned in first year......here it goes

First off, i think NSU needs a better teaching methodology for second year courses. We get lecturers/doctors coming in and giving lectures about many topics that are NOT relevant for Step 1 of the boards. Things like eye surgery, hip surgery, post op rehab, etc. Also, the courses do NOT follow a book (except for OBGYN perhaps). Instead we get crappy illegible handouts from the doc who comes and gives a lecture, sometimes we can't even understand what they say. Students created "note service" which is a program in which one student takes notes in every class and then distributes them to the rest of the suscribers. I think it's a shame that you have to pay 300 bucks for this service because if you miss a class there is no textbook to follow. Some (in fact, many) lecturers are so vague that you just don't learn anything and waste your time, time that could be used preparing for the boards. Many don't even have handouts to provide. Many think that you are at their level and start talking to you as if you were a specialist.

Although i managed to get A's in most of my systems courses, I feel like many lectures were a waste of my time, esp. the ones by the clinicians. I could have learned so much more staying home during this past year and reading the Kaplan books .In fact, if i were to do it over again, that's what i would have probably done. I feel like the school could have done a much better job preparing us for Step 1.
I have friends who graduated from schools in the caribbean and across the US and they rocked the boards because the school did a great job in preparing them. I believe that board prep should not be about learning new material but about reviewing things that you were thought or were supposed to be taught. I believe that a school should assign a textbook for each subject which is board relevant and from which lectures are based on.

I will not even get into our clinical course (the 2nd year one). Basically we didn't get thought anything, we just went in and got tested in different patient simulation experiences. But they plan to change this for next year in order to incorporate better/more teaching

This is just my opinion and feel free to disagree with me. I just think they could have done much better.

This is the kind of info that I wanted to hear, before deciding to go to NSU.
 
That post was there since May.
 
This is the kind of info that I wanted to hear, before deciding to go to NSU.

You are going to find negative reviews about EVERY medical school from Harvard and Wash U to the Caribbean. It is the nature of the beast.
 
You are going to find negative reviews about EVERY medical school from Harvard and Wash U to the Caribbean. It is the nature of the beast.

You'd be surprised with how many people will be willing to be indentured servants at a brand name school than at a low-tier one. It's all about the bottom line.....with a Harvard degree a lot doors will be open for you.

It's easier to put up with malignancy if you know the end is gonna pay off. I think that's why a lot of posters here are voicing their concerns. For some, after putting up with 4 years of scut and bad administration, the pay off is still uncertain in terms of matching at their choice residency, clinical rotations etc.

Every school have a positives and negatives. Some can afford to, others cannot and in fact, should not.
 
I haven't seen LECOM on this thread. Any takers?:thumbup:
 
I haven't seen LECOM on this thread. Any takers?:thumbup:

Are you looking for Erie or Bradenton? If you're looking for Bradenton you could try here, here, and here. If you're looking for Erie, I have no idea.

Good luck.
 
My old roommate's brother went to LECOM in Eerie and hated it. I think it mostly had to do with the dress code and the weather.

Sorry, that's all I got.
 
My old roommate's brother went to LECOM in Eerie and hated it. I think it mostly had to do with the dress code and the weather.

Sorry, that's all I got.


When people make comments like that it makes me think of this.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THt6zThZEiM[/YOUTUBE]

Sorry, that's all I got.
 
You'd be surprised with how many people will be willing to be indentured servants at a brand name school than at a low-tier one. It's all about the bottom line.....with a Harvard degree a lot doors will be open for you.

It's easier to put up with malignancy if you know the end is gonna pay off. I think that's why a lot of posters here are voicing their concerns. For some, after putting up with 4 years of scut and bad administration, the pay off is still uncertain in terms of matching at their choice residency, clinical rotations etc.

Every school have a positives and negatives. Some can afford to, others cannot and in fact, should not.

I wouldn't be surprised. I see it every day. I was just saying the same thing you said. Every school has positives and negatives. ;)

I suspect that the person that got into BMS (Best medical school), State U, and Offshore would succeed wherever they end up. In fact, there was even research from a long time ago showing that with a moderate level of intelligence the person that chose not to go to college ends up making as much as the person that did go to college. Its just that much of it gets skewed because the people that tend to NOT go to college aren't the brightest ones. If all else is held equal, people tend to make their opportunities. I was offered a very nice job over 2 M.I.T. grads, a Carnegie Mellon Grad, a Cal Tech and a Harvard. I went to a state u and didn't even have the greatest of grades. You can network wherever you are. :p
 
I can't believe no one has posted this yet, for shame! I'm graduating in 5 months, so this is the best one you'll probably get, and the most honest. It's gonna be long, so prepare to read. You guys need to know what's shakin' on Lake Erie. Some things may have changed, but I'll do my best to be as accurate as possible, and if anyone has things to add/correct, please do.


Curriculum
The format of the curriculum is as follows:
There are 3 main pathways to choose from, all have objectives for material you should focus on:
1. LDP (Lecture-based)= mandatory attendance M-F at scheduled lecture time. Lectures are 50 min, with 10 min breaks inbetween. Pretty standard. Yes, you must attend although you can catch admin off guard and miss a few days here and there. You will learn how to fly under the radar vs. when it is absolutely necessary to attend a lecture. Roughly, 130 spots available. More specifics about curriculum here: http://my.lecom.edu/lecom/application/LDP.asp

2. PBL (problem-based)= Studying on your own during the day, with 3x week meetings held in the evening with your preceptor and group of 8 students for a few hours to review "cases" (House M.D.-style). Basically, learning centered around medical cases. About 60 spots available. More specifics here: http://my.lecom.edu/lecom/application/PBL.asp

3. ISP (independent study)= You are given modules of information to study independently outside of the classroom, meeting once a month with your preceptor for reviewing info, questions, etc. Tested based on modules with hundreds of objectives guiding you on what to focus your studies on. More details: http://my.lecom.edu/lecom/application/ISP.asp

** Primary Care Scholar Pathway= from what I know.... 4 years of med school completed in 3 years, focused around a primary care route.... ONLY. Here's what you wanna know: http://www.my.lecom.edu/lecom/pcsp/pscp-flyer2.jpg

During the first 12 weeks of school, all pathways are in lecture hall together for Anatomy, Embryo, and Histo. Anatomy is prosection, meaning that the bodies are dissected ahead of time and ready to poke at when you need to. Good in that you don't have to spend a million hours in a stinky lab hunting for the long thoracic nerve, and you won't screw it up. You know you're looking at what you need to look at. OMT lectures--50 min held once a week are also combined of all 3 pathways, as well as OMT lab which is 1.5 hours once a week, both of which are scheduled on the same day (it was Wed. for my class).

You will get your schedule of lecture for the entire semester (5 months) so you can plan well ahead of time for anything you have going on in your life.

All exams are multiple choice board-style, sans anatomy practicals.
Lectures are powerpoint and available for download on the net.

*BONUS* LECOM has subscriptions to online databases and electronic journals (i.e. UpToDate) that are available to you for free with your email login. This comes in handy when you're not at the hospital and need to do work at home or look stuff up. You won't appreciate this until 3rd year.

1st year in a nutshell: Starts off with anatomy+histo+ embryo. After this you have your first round of "Core" subjects= physio, pharm, path, micro/Immuno. Basic science stuff. 1 month winter vacation. Return after the first of the year for second round of Core subjects (same as previous). When these are finished, you will begin Systems based cirriculum and finish out the semester with Derm and Neuro. During your first year, you will also be exposed to standardized patients and clinical scenarios. LECOM has its own medical plaza and days on campus that are dedicated to building your H&P skills, exam skills, documentation skills, etc. Basically, they prepare you well not to look and sound like an idiot when you start rotations- and they start early.
OMT* = during first year you will do a lot of feeling and groping for the first week or two. By christmas time, you will be doing thoracic HVLA very well. Counterstrain and soft tissue techniques will be covered all year round. You have a partner to practice on in a large OMT lab that is only used for OMT. Practicals are also done with a parter, graded by faculty which I believe is now once a week. When I was there it was once a month-ish but covered more material. You get the point. 2nd years will volunteer to review and teach any techniques before your practicals, set up via UAAO.

2nd year in a nutshell: Strictly Systems-based education. First semester starts off with cardio, usually ends with something like Renal. Before Winter break (another month of freedom) they give you a mock board to see your starting position before really doing any board review. It's usually a Kaplan based exam, but I know they have changed it up as to what they purchase for students to take. After you return in jan. from vacation, you will finish out the rest of the body Systems (Rhem, Ortho, GI, GU, etc) Ortho involves casting lab which is pretty fun. March is scheduled to start official board review lectures. My year, they had Kaplan with books and Q bank paid for by the school. Last year they had Princeton Review, I think to see if it made a difference score-wise. This year, I'm not sure what they plan on doing (something to ask on interview). From March on, you do stuff like Psych, ethics, Coding, Core Competencies, tons of board review, Guest board-prep speakers, many mock board exams with performance review feedback. You get ACLS certified, paid for by LECOM before starting rotations.
You will also be exposed to more standardized patient scenarios and brush-up on your exam techniques to prepare you for the real world.
OMT* Pretty much reviewing what you learned 1st year, with cranial and different ways to treat the same things you learned 1st year. After winter break, no more OMT, cause you have to study for boards.

I'll talk about 3rd and 4th year in the "Clinicals" section. These are the years that really matter, as you will find out 4 years from now.

Location:
If you like big urban cities, Erie is not the place for you. If you like ridiculously affordable living, maritime activities, fun nightlife, commercial suburbs within a small city on the lake, then you will do just fine. There are a few colleges downtown (Gannon, Mercyhurst, Penn St.-Behrend, etc.). Traffic is usually benign and the school is easily accessible to restraunts, shopping, gas stations, beach... pretty much everywhere.
1.5 hours from Cleveland, OH
1.5 hours from Pittsburgh, PA
1.5 hours from Buffalo, NY

It snows like a mother here. You will learn the definition of "Lake Effect Snow". If you freak out over snow, then you will hate it in the winter. Buy a good ice scraper. Perfect for motivating you to study though. The LECOM parking lot is the best plowed placed when it snows.

Wegman's is the greatest grocery store ever. You have to experience it to understand. This is conveniently located close to LECOM.

Cost:
Tuition In state: $25,150; Out of state: $26,250. One of the least expensive DO schools.

Faculty:
Strong Anatomy faculty
Physio faculty sucks
Strong Pharm faculty
Some faculty are Kaplan instructors, nice for boards.
Systems-based faculty were REALLY great, always teaching board-relevant info, knew their stuff, focused on important things, brought in equipment so that we could familiarize ourselves, i.e. not see an NG tube or how to place one until we started clinicals.
Be on their good side (as with any institution) and know when to pick your battles. There is an open-door policy and they are always available to talk or answer questions if you need something. If you need help academically, they encourage you to come to them and not wait last minute. They know thier stuff, but as with any place some of the personalities suck. Overall, I think this is pretty standard.


Reputation:
Far better than you think. My class's avg Step 1 score was a 520 (above national average of 500). 3 people got over a 700, one of which set the national record for highest COMLEX Step 1 score. At least 11 scored in the 600's. Take that to the bank for what it's worth to you. My class had a 94% pass rate for step 1 (not too shabby). LECOM's match lists are in my opinion, superior to other schools, and have scattered across the nation in competitive residency programs in all aspects of medicine consistently every year. I would even go so far to say they are as better than the other school in PA (I'm not being mean, remember this is subjective). Again, just my thoughts, but you guys can hunt for match lists and compare youselves and form your own opinion.

Outside of academia, LECOM has the reputation of being strict. I would agree they are more strict than other schools, and they won't put up with your b.s. if you try to give it to them. On the contrary, they will bail you out if you get in some minor trouble. This is good or bad, depending on how much of a douche you are. People gasp about the dress code and no beverages in lecture, but I personally feel (and I can speak for my entire class) there are other things to really give a crap about. No one in my class cared. No one there now is losing sleep over it either. It's petty.

Clinical Rotations:
This is what you should really care about.

You will be placed in rotation groups based on your personal preference of:
1) Vacation month
2) Geographic locale

Each group will have a different vacay month and begin different rotations. For example, one group will start off in FP, another IM, etc.

3rd year: Pretty basic. Core rotations include 3 months of IM, 1 month Peds, 2 months Surg, 1 month OB/Gyn, 1 month FP.
1 core selective= this means you can pick any core rotation and do it anywhere your little heart desires. 1 month vacation.
2 electives: in anything you want, anywhere on god's green earth
FP can be done at any board-certified DO in the country.

4th year: 16 weeks electives, 1 month PCS (primary care selective, in one of the core subjects... although you can opt to do something like ICU), 1 month surgical selective subspecialty, 1 month Rural/Underserved, 1 month Medical selective (in any med subspecialty, or Sub-I), 2 months Emergency medicine, 2 months Ambulatory, 1 month vacation.
Unlike 3rd year, selectives have to be done at affiliates. Electives can be done anywhere.

You don't get blocks of time off for interviews, you just take them as you need them. You do rotate until May, this kinda sucks because some of your other friends at other schools get done in like march. At least you don't have to bring your brain back from vacation when you start intern year though, and you don't feel like you got dumber. I'm sure I'll appreciate this my first day of internship when they hand me a pager and say, "See you in the morning". Get the drift?

AFFILIATES: States include= MI, OH, PA, NY, NJ, IN (now you know what I was saying about geographical preference... if you are from any of these locations you can be closer to home if you want, or if you don't want to stay in Erie).

You can find a list on the website, but it's never up to date. The ones that catch everyone's eyes are UPMC and UH/Case. Can't rival that. Hate to say it, but LOR from 2 top 20 med schools have come in handy during my application for residency. World-class teaching and we are right up there with the Pitt and Case students. Also, we share NEOUCOM hospitals in the akron/canton area which has great academic teaching. The more east or west I have traveled during my clinical years, I have definitely noticed a difference, and my classmates and I have stood out on away rotations.

Housing:
Abundant and EXTREMELY affordable. They are currently builing a large apartment community directly across the street from the LECOM building. Even renting/buying a house is very affordable. The area around the school is a nice community. I had a brand new 2BR apt. right next to the school, with a balcony overlooking the lake and paid $600/mo. CHEAP. Definitely a place where you don't NEED to have a roomate if you truly don't want one. Plenty of apts within walking and driving distance to LECOM.

Study areas:
LECOM has a fairly large library with private desk/table areas to comfortable coffee tables with surrounding chairs. Computers are available if needed, but you can bring your laptop and have access to wireless internet. There are separate rooms inside the library to study as well, if you want to have group study sessions. Also, there are separate "study rooms" downstairs near the lecture halls if you want to go there. The cafeteria always has ppl studying in it, and has internet access (both plug in and wireless). If you need to get away from school, there are saturations of coffee shops (starbucks, tim hortons both with internet) to pound your brain, Wegmans (yes, the grocery store) has a huge study area with free wireless internet, as well as Panera. Borders and Barnes & Noble are also other options. There's a lot of places to study if you don't want to stay home or stay at school.

Social Scene:
As mentioned before, not an urban setting so if you're looking for big clubs that stay open until 6 am NYC-style you will be disappointed. Tons of bars though... bars on the lake, college bars, dancing bars, piano bars, sports bars. Plymouth has 25 cents drafts monday night. I'm pretty much the Rand McNally of happy hour so if you really want to know details you can PM me.

Lots of gyms/fitness centers that are affordable. However, now that LECOM has spent $50 million dollars on a brand-spanking new Wellness Center you can work out there for free and thank me for it later since my tuition paid for it.

FOOD: the usual fast food stuff. Awesome local restraunts from mom-and-pop Italian to Sushi. I can't believe Im saying this, but the best sushi I've ever eaten was at Aoyoyama in Erie, PA. Crazy. Steel City subs are the biggest sandwiches I've ever seen. There are upscale places along the bayfront if your looking for that type of sit down.

Large mix of people in erie: Families with kids, singles, couples, college kids.

Erie has a minor league baseball team with $1 drafts on tuesday. This is a bonus. There is a minor league hockey team as well.
Definitely Steeler Country, with some mix of Eagles fans and Bills fans. There might be 2 Browns fans. I think I was one of them when I lived there.

The mall is average, nothing special. No tax on clothing in PA...shop away!

There is a casino, Presque-Isle Downs, less than 10 min from LECOM. Mostly slots, no tables although I heard there is something in the works to change that.

There is theater life downtown, and the Erie PhilHarmonic symphony is pretty good.

Golf courses are average and fairly inexpensive, although you can always find a country club if you want to be ritzy.

Summer time is nice cause you can go to the beach on Presque-Isle, jet ski, tan, whatever you can find to do in a large body of water. Presque-Isle is a 13 mile peninsula with a bike trail and walking trail that covers the entire perimeter of the Isle. There are always people on it.

Erie is located near 2 main ski resorts: Peek'NPeak (30min), and Holiday Valley (NY, 1hour). If you really want to travel south to Seven Springs (SE of Pittsburgh, prob 2.5 h) you can do that too, or mosey on over to Ohio and find some there (Brandywine).

There is local wine-testing festival usually in the Fall.

Local Hospitals:
MillCreek Hospital is LECOM's main, community hospital (200 beds) located a whopping 2 minutes from campus. You will go there for the first 2 years for random clinical activities and some didactic-type sessions. People staying in the Erie area for rotations have the option to rotate here. Residencies: IM, FP, ENT, Optho, Ortho, Psych, Podiatry (for podiatry applicants, obviously). Fellowship: GI and OMM.

St. Vincent: med. size hospital (400 combined beds between facilities), more a referral center. You can rotate here for clinicals as well. Have some residency programs: FP, EM. Fellowships: Sports med, colorectal surg.

Hamot: the Big Momma of Erie (343 beds), US News & World report top 50 hospitals, blah blah blah. LECOM affiliated residencies: EM, Neuro, Ortho. Fellowship: Hand. Rotate during clinical years here as well.

The VA. I don't think anyone goes there.

Board Prep:
Board scores speak for themselves as listed above. The only thing I would inquire about is what they plan to use this year. As far as I know, they still had the "Pathologist to the Stars" infamous Dr. Barone come and lecture the world of path to everyone (he's awesome).

3rd year: LECOM purchases NBME Shelf exams to prepare you for Step 2. You take these as you complete your required core rotations, and you must get a certain percentage to pass the shelf-and the rotation.

For Step 2PE: at the end of your 3rd year, they bring everyone back to Erie and organize a mock-PE. Having taken the PE and passed on 1st attempt, I can say without a hesitation or doubt that it is EXACTLY how LECOM prepares you. EXACTLY. I never studied once for it. Nice thing to know since the PE exam costs $1000.

Specialty:
They say Primary Care. The past few years, the match lists have been pretty equal between specialties and primary care, with last being slightly giving specialties the edge. I'll be posting our Match results this year.


Grades:

Curriculum: A-
Location: geo=B urban life=C
Cost: A++
Financial Aid: A
Faculty: B
Reputation: A-
Technology: B+
Study Space/Library: A
Library technology/Resources: A-
Rotations: A+
Social: A-
Hospitals: A+
Post Grad: A


Overall Grade:
I'd say a A-/A
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Thanx GoBuckeyes, i was waiting for someone to post that! very informative!
 
That was an awesome review GoBuckeyes. Thanks for taking the time to do that. I really appreciate it, and I know others do as well. I just got an interview invite from LECOM today, and I'm even more excited now.

Thanks again
 
Thanks GoBuckeyes. Darnit now I'm starting to like LECOM-E as much as I love LECOM-B. What's a sista to do!!!:scared: Good thing I don't apply until next cycle. :idea:
 
Thanks GoBuckeyes. Darnit now I'm starting to like LECOM-E as much as I love LECOM-B. What's a sista to do!!!:scared: Good thing I don't apply until next cycle. :idea:

Both are great schools. If are lucky enough to be accepted to both schools, here's some criteria you could use to narrow down your choices:


  1. Do you feel that PBL is right for you?
  2. Do you feel that ISP is right for you?
  3. Do you feel that LDP is right for you?
  4. Do you like the snow?
  5. Do you like the heat?
  6. Do you have family near the school?
  7. Do you want to get away from your family?
  8. Do you have family of your own that you would have to relocate?
Just some.

Good luck!
 
Both are great schools. If are lucky enough to be accepted to both schools, here's some criteria you could use to narrow down your choices:


  1. Do you feel that PBL is right for you?
  2. Do you feel that ISP is right for you?
  3. Do you feel that LDP is right for you?
  4. Do you like the snow?
  5. Do you like the heat?
  6. Do you have family near the school?
  7. Do you want to get away from your family?
  8. Do you have family of your own that you would have to relocate?
Just some.

Good luck!

PBL all the way darling!!!!!!!!!:D I like both heat and snow..I'm so verstile that it will probably kill me if I get into both.
 
I cannot believe you didn't give our school an A++ haha alright fellow DCOMer let me see if i can fill in some of the gaps. Location is infact an A, i will tell you why because there are fewer distractions and its a huge plus to succeed in any medical school. Esp 2nd year, and around board study time no place better than where we are located will help you focus. Also consider the fact that most students at DCOM live so close to the school that they can easily be in and out of school, have more time to study although we do have one of the busiest schedules. Infact i checked with my other DO friends and i have realized that DCOM is genuinely trying to make us pro's. Best example..i know so much about EKG's its really not funny after so much reinforcement. If you come to DCOM you better be ready for a heavy work load and rate that aspect in your mind with watever grade but its not a walk in the park. For those who want a lot of help for boards, 2nd years have received a free kaplan board package and we have faculty who taught before at kaplan. An imp grade is the fact that DCOM has tons of potential..by the way the school looks and is functioning a lot of big things are in store. Rotation sites, graduating students match lists and research opportunities are bound to improve. I believe DCOM is considering building a research building in the very near future. Any more questions shoot em my way...

whoa whoa whoa, we have another phillies fan at dcom? awesome, that makes three that i know of, me, dr. zajac and lambo
 
Anyone mind reviewing TUCOM-CA? First years, second years, or rotating students...it would be much appreciated!!!
 
During the first 12 weeks of school, all pathways are in lecture hall together for Anatomy, Embryo, and Histo. Anatomy is prosection, meaning that the bodies are dissected ahead of time and ready to poke at when you need to. Good in that you don't have to spend a million hours in a stinky lab hunting for the long thoracic nerve, and you won't screw it up. You know you're looking at what you need to look at.

I'm guessing they have changed this as this year we definitely had to dissect our bodies. The only time you didn't dissect was if you were in the 3rd lab period for the day and the 1st 2 lab periods already dissected both sides of the body for you.

There were a few bodies that were prossected, but most of us had to dissect. I wish they were prosected, cutting bodies gets old after about 1 week.
 
Top