Yes, especially during anatomy, you get a lot of free time. However, it probably will not feel like it until it is over and you start the real hell that is core sciences. Unfortunately, I don't speak from a lot of experience in that regard becuase I am a PBL student and don't share the core-schedule with my LDP friends. But I do know how things are for them now, and its definitely a lot more classtime than it was in anatomy (at least from a scheduled-lecture standpoint). Anatomy had things far more spread out because different groups were doing different things all day outside of lecture. For instance, we might have anatomy lectures from 8-10, and then embryology from 10-11, and then another anatomy lecture from 11-12. But many times (especially in the afternoons) you would be split up by groups such that groups A and D would be in a "small group" session for anatomy (basically a lecture supplement...I felt it was busywork) for an hour while group C is in prosection. Group B may have nothing to do until after C is through in the anatomy lab and they can begin more dissection throughout the remainder of the afternoon (at which point, the other 3 groups might be totally done for the day).
So you see that the 1st semester has a highly variable range of scheduling possibilities, and rarely will two weeks (or even two days) be completely alike. Once you start core however, things (for LDP) will be far more 8 to 5-ish. Its funny, but as intense and grueling as you'll find anatomy to be while you're doing it (and its really not THAT bad, I swear)...you'll long for its freedoms and varieties once its over and you get into straight lecturing 8 hours a day. At least, that's the impression I get from my LDP friends. But its not all bad. Occasionally they get out early. And there are clinical things to do too, so its not like its all sitting in a damn swivelly chair in a shirt and tie everyday. And I'm certain that you'll find out soon enough (despite the "mandatory attendance policy" in place) that you'll each discover which classes you can blow off (on occasion) and which ones you cannot.
You'll get through it. Everyone else does. I hope my ranting doesn't frighten anyone either! I am just giving you a glimpse of a typical day in the life of LECOM. Like everything else you can do in the world, some days are clearly better than others. If you can have more good than bad, you've succeeded. Its the same way in med-school.
Good luck to all...
