a few questions about L.E.C.O.M.'s early acceptance program (D.O.)

[smokiest quasar]

Hi all,
I have found a few threads about this program but I had few more concerns I would love to have addressed.
1st: Their general requirements listed below seem to be suspiciously easy to achieve. What would make a successful applicant in your opinion?
-26 ACT
-1170 SAT (math and verbal)
-high school GPA 3.5+
2nd: Seems unlikely, but this isn't a binding decision, correct?
3rd: Does anyone know if you apply to a specific campus or to the program in general?
4th: Any other thoughts or advice would be very appreciated, thanks in advance to any who respond.
P.S. Here is the URL to L.E.C.O.M.'s early acceptance page: http://lecom.edu/admissions/entrance-requirements/early-acceptance-programs/

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[Para-dox]

Not a LECOM student, but I applied to combined degree programs when I was in high school

1. The numbers you quoted seem to be minimum requirements. The LECOM website states "More detailed information on the programs available at an institution and the criteria needed for acceptance can be found on its website." So your best bet is to look at the websites of undergrad schools that you are interested in.

1a. A successful combined degree program, in my opinion, needs to have a strong academic trend (as seen through HS GPA and SAT/ACT), a good personality, an understanding of what it means to be a physician, and a commitment to become a physician. You should be completely sure of becoming a physician. Your resume should include shadowing.

2. Many programs (I hesitate to say all since I do not know about every single program) are non-binding. However, if accepted into the program, you will hold a conditional acceptance that is dependent on meeting the criteria for the program (ie. grades, MCAT). There will likely be a condition that you cannot apply to other medical schools while holding a seat at LECOM (ie. applying to other schools results in losing your seat at LECOM).

3. Not sure on the specifics of this program, but I would assume that you can rank your order of preference.

4.
-Make sure you understand what it means to be a physician and that you're sure you want to be a physician if you choose to apply to any combined degree programs. You should explore many careers (both healthcare and non-healthcare).
-Choose an undergrad you would attend even without the combined degree. You're still going to be there for 3-4 years. I know people who started in BS/MD programs and discovered late in the game that they wanted to pursue other careers. They were left in a position where they attended an undergrad they otherwise wouldn't have chosen, but they were able to adapt into their new career.
-Once decided on becoming a physician, analyze all combined degree programs carefully. Each has different requirements and differences in the curriculum. Decide which are best suited for you.
-I've been told that students capable of being accepted into combined degree programs in high school are capable of being accepted to medical school the traditional route. Having survived both application processes (accepted to medical school via the traditional route and the combined degree program route), I believe it. Keep this in mind. 3-4 years of undergrad can change a person.
-I'm not sure if I would recommend the combined degree route in general. My recommendation would be to be the best student possible, attend the best undergrad school with best education/opportunities, and then decide on medical schools.

 

[VagabondKing]

I'm a current traditional LECOM medical student - those requirements are the absolute bare minimum and it's likely that the actual individuals accepted will have considerably higher stats than those. If you are truly interested I would contact one of the schools and ask them - http://lecom.edu/contact-us/

With that being said, I wholeheartedly concur with the above poster and would not commit myself to a combined degree program just yet at this point in your career. Every high-schooler/freshman starts out with the whole "I want to become a physician" mindset but you wind up with about 10% out of that initial batch applying anywhere and even fewer being accepted. I would take the next few years to be the best student you can be, get a high GPA, shadow, volunteer, rock the MCAT and THEN if your heart is still in it to apply to medical school and hopefully earn an acceptance.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Please don't do this. At least give yourself a chance at MD. People will attack me for saying this, but the truth is getting into some specialties is much more difficult as a DO and I see no reason why on earth you wouldn't even try MD just to have the connected BS program. If you want to go DO later, then you just need medium grades/MCAT and it's fine

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Please don't do this. At least give yourself a chance at MD. People will attack me for saying this, but the truth is getting into some specialties is much more difficult as a DO and I see no reason why on earth you wouldn't even try MD just to have the connected BS program. If you want to go DO later, then you just need medium grades/MCAT and it's fine

Agree the the first part. While LECOM is a great school, I would strongly recommend not committing to it this early. I interviewed at LECOM, some other DO, and MD schools (not for BS/MD though) and LECOM has a very distinct "flavor". They openly tell prospective students their program is not for everybody, and its 100% accurate. I wouldn't make any commitment there as a highschooler since you've yet to develop a good grasp on the kind of student you are and what your learning style is. Also it's very hard to have a concept of allopathic vs osteopathic medicine as a high school student, so don't choose one this early.

Disagree that medium grades and MCAT are fine for DO. Osteo schools are actually quite competitive despite having numbers lower than allo. 3.4/27 (I believe average DO numbers, but could be off a bit) is still not an easy feat with research, shadowing, volunteering, and other ECs mixed in.

 

[vac4716]

I am currently enrolled in the LECOM EAP and it is not as bad as it sounds to get in.

1. Those are the minimum requirements for the LECOM EAP. The better that you fair in each of those scores, the higher your chances will be at getting in. I have heard of students that did not meet all of those requirements and still got in because of their high college GPAs (Yes, you can apply until you begin your junior year of college. ).

2. This is not a binding decision at all, but you cannot apply to other schools while you are enrolled in the LECOM program.

3. You do not apply to a specific campus, that is a decision that you can make later on in your college career. You let LECOM know what campus you are attending when you send in your application at the end of Junior year. Yes, you still need to apply, but if you are in the program you are guaranteed to have a spot saved. They just need a formal application,

4. I would apply to this without hesitation. It doesn't hurt to apply and if you find out later on that you don't want to go this route, then you don't have to. This is a very flexible program and I don't see any reason to not try for it. It's always good to have some security in your pocket. By the time you are choosing a specialty, the whole MD vs DO preference will be miniscule. Many MD program kids have told me the same thing and also say that they wish they would have gone DO. I think you should at least apply because there aren't any drawbacks to the program.