Do not go to LECOM

[Canuck99]

---

Members do not see this ad.

boo hoo, cry cry.

so what if someone says LECOM sucks, and so what if they really go there or not. isnt this a free forum where people can say whatever they want. taking that into consideration, people can believe or not believe what they read.

i have not quite figured out yet why certain people are so offended by the fact that someone has said, "do not go to LECOM." big stinking deal.

and just for the record, the dress code alone has kept me from applying to that school. i didnt need to go to the school and see it for myself to figure that out. but hey, that is just my opinion.

 

[ShyRem]

Children! I don't care who started this argument, but I want both of you to go to your rooms until you can behave!



Heavens!

 

[scpod]

Of course I wouldn't say STFU to a little kid, but a premed acting disrespectfully or childishly when a medical student is trying to share their experiences with them, that is another story.

Aren't we still being a little condescending here, and when I say "we" I'm not actually including "me". All the little disrespectful pre-meds could learn a lot from you, I'll agree.

I didn't contradict myself-I said we should listen to the opinions of those who are attending LECOM. I didn't give an opinion about LECOM because I don't attend school there.

I never said anything about you contradicting yourself. I only pointed out where you said people who don't go to LECOM should "STFU" and you didn't follow your own advice.

 

[Ypo.]

Aren't we still being a little condescending here

A little? 😀

Here is what you said.

No, you made it to everyone, but then you failed to take your own advice. I just felt an overwhelming urge to point that out.

Here is my original comment.

If you have not yet attended school at LECOM, perhaps you should STFU since you can't refute any of his claims.
.

I didn't refute his claims regarding LECOM (although you certainly did), and I also did not back them up. In fact I didn't make any claims regarding whether or not to attend LECOM or whether or not it is a good school, or whether or not SteelCity's comments were representative of other students at LECOM. So that statement does not apply to me, and I didn't neglect to follow my own advice (which btw, is a contradiction).
I would also certainly want someone to tell me to STFU if I was acting the way you were. Believe me on that one.

 

[NRAI2001]

This thread is out of control and has become useless, time to unsubscribe. 👎

 

[scpod]

I didn't refute his claims regarding LECOM (although you certainly did), and I also did not back them up.

When did I refute his claims about LECOM? When did I accuse you of backing them up? My point was never that you said anything about LECOM at all. My point was that you didn't take your own advice.

Given: You said, "If you have not yet attended school at LECOM, perhaps you should STFU..."

Fact A: You did not attend LECOM.
Fact B: You have yet to STFU.

Therefore: You did not follow your own advice.

All I wanted for Christmas was for you to follow your own advice.


However, you also said "Its immature to insult people", and continued to:

A) Call someone "a little wise ass"
B) Tell people to "please grow up"
C) Called people a "misbehaving child" and said you sometimes have to tell them to STFU.

I'd say that was contradictory. Yet, when someone called you on it, you denied it. Remember that I have never said that I wasn't an ass and that I wasn't sarcastic. I'll be the first one to agree with that. You, however, preach a good sermon, but don't seem to live up to it. No one is saying that you have said anything bad about LECOM; they just want you to take your own advice.

 

[Sundarban1]

The sad part about this thread is that if this were in the allopathic forum it would have been shut down within seconds, the way it should be when someone bad mouths a school. Here we are 7 pages later, and all you have is what sounds like a bunch of highschool girls going back and forth about who didn't make the cheerleading squad and why. 👎

 

[Tadgie]

The sad part about this thread is that if this were in the allopathic forum it would have been shut down within seconds, the way it should be when someone bad mouths a school. Here we are 7 pages later, and all you have is what sounds like a bunch of highschool girls going back and forth about who didn't make the cheerleading squad and why. 👎

Amen to that. This thread needs to die. What little debate there was about LECOM died out many pages ago.

 

[drjds]

I agree!

There's a difference between someone stating his opinion and someone telling me how I should feel. I really resent the OP for telling me that I am going to be miserable, just because he is. I'm NOT miserable, in fact, I'm quite excited to be going to medical school. I'll report back in three years and let you all know how NOT miserable I am, because I think I tend to make the best of any situation. Sure, every school has its problems. That doesn't give someone the right to tell other people how they should feel when they haven't experienced it yet. Stick to what you know and let other people form their own opinions.

 

[drjds]

😀 YOU ARE TOO FUNNY!

When did I refute his claims about LECOM? When did I accuse you of backing them up? My point was never that you said anything about LECOM at all. My point was that you didn't take your own advice.

Given: You said, "If you have not yet attended school at LECOM, perhaps you should STFU..."

Fact A: You did not attend LECOM.
Fact B: You have yet to STFU.

Therefore: You did not follow your own advice.

All I wanted for Christmas was for you to follow your own advice.


However, you also said "Its immature to insult people", and continued to:

A) Call someone "a little wise ass"
B) Tell people to "please grow up"
C) Called people a "misbehaving child" and said you sometimes have to tell them to STFU.

I'd say that was contradictory. Yet, when someone called you on it, you denied it. Remember that I have never said that I wasn't an ass and that I wasn't sarcastic. I'll be the first one to agree with that. You, however, preach a good sermon, but don't seem to live up to it. No one is saying that you have said anything bad about LECOM; they just want you to take your own advice.

 

[Krazykritter]

I would just like to say that IMO the OP is not doing anything wrong (although the title of the thread could have been made a little more tactfully). I thank God everyday that some current students at Kirksville were honest about the school and life in Kirksville. I now know that I could not have spent 2-4 years of my life in that God-forsaken town.

As premeds, you should take someone's opinion at face value. If you agree w/ it, fine...if not, keep it in the back of your mind should you get the opportunity to interview. That way, if you totally disagree w/ the OP's opinion, you have at least heard all sides the the biggest and most expensive decisions of your life.

My 2 cents...now hopefully this thread will DIE!!!

 

[Steel_City]

The sad part about this thread is that if this were in the allopathic forum it would have been shut down within seconds, the way it should be when someone bad mouths a school. Here we are 7 pages later, and all you have is what sounds like a bunch of highschool girls going back and forth about who didn't make the cheerleading squad and why. 👎

Big news just in.......................................I made the squad!!!

 

[anutka21]

When did I refute his claims about LECOM? When did I accuse you of backing them up? My point was never that you said anything about LECOM at all. My point was that you didn't take your own advice.

Given: You said, "If you have not yet attended school at LECOM, perhaps you should STFU..."

Fact A: You did not attend LECOM.
Fact B: You have yet to STFU.

Therefore: You did not follow your own advice.

All I wanted for Christmas was for you to follow your own advice.


However, you also said "Its immature to insult people", and continued to:

A) Call someone "a little wise ass"
B) Tell people to "please grow up"
C) Called people a "misbehaving child" and said you sometimes have to tell them to STFU.

I'd say that was contradictory. Yet, when someone called you on it, you denied it. Remember that I have never said that I wasn't an ass and that I wasn't sarcastic. I'll be the first one to agree with that. You, however, preach a good sermon, but don't seem to live up to it. No one is saying that you have said anything bad about LECOM; they just want you to take your own advice.

😍

 

[Nightfox]

I go to lecom right now. One time in the library someone had a bottle of aquafina. Security came up, escorted her out, and I never saw her again.

 

[Nightfox]

Oh yeah, I also have not seen half of the school. All of the doors are locked all of the time...I think they have a secret chocolate factory.

 

[Canuck99]

Oh yeah, I also have not seen half of the school. All of the doors are locked all of the time...I think they have a secret chocolate factory.

you are so clever.

 

[Lindyhopper]

Although the thread has become so sort of cat fight, I value first hand feedback about any school.
One important not fully answered issue is the average passing rate on the boards.

 

[Nightfox]

you are so clever.

lol, its an inside joke

thanks though

 

[Ypo.]

When did I refute his claims about LECOM? When did I accuse you of backing them up? My point was never that you said anything about LECOM at all. My point was that you didn't take your own advice.

Given: You said, "If you have not yet attended school at LECOM, perhaps you should STFU..."



Therefore: You did not follow your own advice.

All I wanted for Christmas was for you to follow your own advice.

Awww... 🙁 The funny thing is that the only thing I wanted for my birthday was for you to not take my words out of context and to learn something from this experience. Its the "..." in my original statement that you are leaving out. But I understand that you have to manipulate my words or else your argument wouldn't hold up.

I think its unfortunate that instead of being interested to hear as many views as possible about the school you have decided to attend, instead you get offended to hear an insider story and decide to insult him. If I were you I would be interested to hear as many views about the school as I could before I actually started to attend there. This kind of information is valuable and even if you don't believe it, it would behoove you to keep it in the back of your mind, because you don't know what LECOM is like yet.

Before I started this year at my medical school, I was told some detrimental things about my school- such as the microbiology department is unorganized, and that a certain faculty person has been known to make life hell for you if you get on their bad side. I kept that information in the back of my mind and some of it came in handy this school year. If I had ridiculed the students who gave me this information, I would have shot myself in the foot twice-once for not considering their experiences, and twice because they wouldn't have been likely to advise me again in the future. The point is that not everyone will give you their opinion about their school or residency program sweetly presented in a way that is palatable to you. You need to be able to not take it personally.

Its your decision if you want to stick your head in the sand and insult anyone who says something about your school that you don't like. But it would better serve you take it with a grain of salt, keep it in the back of your mind, and use it for your own purposes when the time arrives. That is good advice, and you will hear it again and again in medical school.

I hope that you have a great experience at LECOM, and I really hope that in a few years you will come back and post your experiences of the school on SDN (perhaps you could entitle it "Go to LECOM!"). That would be a much more effective way to represent your school than the way you have chosen to in this thread. Getting defensive and abrasive towards a fellow LECOMer for posting his experiences seems to only lend weight to the rumors that LECOM might really be an unpleasant environment.

 

[scpod]

I think its unfortunate that instead of being interested to hear as many views as possible about the school you have decided to attend...If I were you I would be interested to hear as many views about the school as I could before I actually started to attend there...Its your decision if you want to stick your head in the sand and insult anyone who says something about your school that you don't like...I hope that you have a great experience at LECOM...That would be a much more effective way to represent your school than the way you have chosen to in this thread.

Dude I'm not going to LECOM-Erie. Where'd you get that idea?

I agree that you should listen to as many views as possible. However, as a future doctor, it is in your best interest to listen to evidence, and not the rantings and ravings of a disgruntled student. You must realize that the things you hear on SDN cannot be counted on as good sources, especially when the author obviously has an agenda. The OP had an agenda. You may choose to disagree, but his posts were not simple fatherly advice for future LECOM students as he would have us believe. Had he approached it in that manor, it is more likely that many more people would have listened and it would not have taken up seven pages already.

I'll admit that I approached my interview at LECOM-Bradenton with a little trepidation, mainly because of what I heard on SDN about the school in Erie. However, I met the students, faculty, and staff on that visit and all of my fears were eliminated. Things may crop up later that I don't like, but the fact is that I am solely responsible for my education-- the school is not. They are a tool that I will use to facilitate my studies, but in the end, I'll be the one taking the boards-- they won't. Of course, I'm not naive enough to think that the same experience would automatically be available in Erie. I'd have to go there myself before making any judement. But, I could never rely on the postings of someone with an obvious agenda. If, and only if, I was considering Erie would I even give a second glance to the OP's comments, but it would only be a short glance due to the way he posted.

I feel bad that his experience was worse than he expected, but he needs to forget about blaming the school and begin taking charge of his own future. That's what we all need to do.

 

[Ypo.]

Dude I'm not going to LECOM-Erie. Where'd you get that idea?
.

I never said you were going to LECOM-"Erie". I saw your post on deciding to attend school in LECOM Bradenton because the weather is nice in Florida. LECOM-Bradenton is a new extended branch of the main campus in Erie, if I'm not mistaken. I'm assuming at least some aspect of the administration will fall over into the Bradenton campus.

I agree that you should listen to as many views as possible..

Well, thats a relief.

I'll admit that I approached my interview at LECOM-Bradenton with a little trepidation, mainly because of what I heard on SDN about the school in Erie. However, I met the students, faculty, and staff on that visit and all of my fears were eliminated. .

Thats good.

Things may crop up later that I don't like, but the fact is that I am solely responsible for my education-- the school is not. They are a tool that I will use to facilitate my studies, but in the end, I'll be the one taking the boards-- they won't..

What are you paying them for then? If this is a lie you need to tell yourself to attend school there, I recommend you reconsider your decision. While I agree with you that you are ultimately responsible for your decision to attend the school, and that you will be the one taking the boards and doing the work, but don't be foolish in thinking that the school plays no responsibility in your education. A good school plays a huge role in your learning, from writing their class tests in the board format style, to providing tutors and supplemental learning tools, to advising you on how to choose a specialty, to organizing your clinical rotations in years 3 and 4, to helping you with the match (yes, they should help you with the match!)

But, I could never rely on the postings of someone with an obvious agenda. .

Like it or not, everyone you talk to about the school will have an agenda. Do you think that the administration and your interviewers had no agenda? Talking to other students is your best bet to get honest information about the school from a students perspective.

I feel bad that his experience was worse than he expected, but he needs to forget about blaming the school and begin taking charge of his own future. That's what we all need to do.

I agree that we all need to take responsibility for our own actions, but I don't see where any of SteelCity's posts suggest that he isn't. He is still in school, and is currently doing his rotations, correct? I think there is a certain expectation we should have of our schools. I'm not saying that all of his complaints were valid, but he did have a list of concerns and some of them still seem to be unresolved.

I think that a medical school has the responsibility to help you prepare for the boards, and arrange your 3 and 4th year rotations, to counsel you on how to choose residencies, to prepare you for the match, and to make sure that you learn adequate clinical skills for your residency. If they are NOT doing this for you, (and I'm not saying that LECOM isn't), you have a real complaint. The reason why we don't all just stay at home and study out of books first and second year, take the 1st boards, then call doctors offices in our areas and arrange to apprentice them during our third and fourth years, then take the 2nd boards and apply for the match ourselves is because that is our schools job to help us! They are supposed to ensure our quality of education and guide us along this process so that we become competent doctors!

 

[scpod]

Like it or not, everyone you talk to about the school will have an agenda. Do you think that the administration and your interviewers had no agenda?

Yes, but they won't deny that they have an agenda. The OP claimed in his first post that he had none. Let me remind you of a few other things he said that "rubbed me the wrong way":

...you will have a miserable four years of medical school.
...we all feel the same way about our school.
Any school that makes you send over $1000.00 to hold your spot isn't worth your time.
Trust me, you will HATE this place.
I have no agenda here
LECOM Blows! Just accept this fact.
...the head of anatomy is an old pervert.
He only harasses the pretty girls though so if you don't get any love, you're probably not very attractive...
This will be my last post on this thread. (It wasn’t)
LECOM won't ever support you.
...you're an MS I and you really don't know ****.
LECOM grads despise the school so much they won't be eager to help you out.
You will never meet a LECOM grad who is proud to be from LECOM. WE ALL FEEL THE SAME WAY
Trust me here. I have no agenda.

If the OP was truly trying to be helpful, the things he said would have been different.

 

[dr.kicia]

Children! I don't care who started this argument, but I want both of you to go to your rooms until you can behave!



Heavens!

LOL i agree

 

[EastCoaster78]

I dont have anything personal against LECOM, but I have noticed that whenever I see any students bashing their school, its always LECOM. If you do a search there have been many students and interviewees who have spoken out against this school. I dont know if its really as bad as this person portrays it. But it makes me wonder...

I have never seen any I hate PCOM or I hate UMDNJ threads. Its always LECOM that gets the bad rap.

 

[anutka21]

I have never seen any I hate PCOM or I hate UMDNJ threads. .

you can ask OP to start one for you, i dont think he cares which school to bash 🙂

 

[Steel_City]

Actually, I interviewed and several people at PCOM. I really admire this school and would have ended up here had it been in another city...just didn't really want to live in Philly. My college roommate goes to PCOM and loves it. He has always been thrilled with his education and has nothing but wonderful things to say about the school. We often compare our experiences regarding different aspects of our experiences. He's actually a fourth year and scored very highly on both sets of boards. They put together a program at PCOM called board-busters that he claims really helped him in his preparation. Maybe someone who goes there can comment on this program. PCOM also has one of the authors of "Foundations" which is one of the keystone Osteopathic texts. During his residency application process, PCOM contacted him many times regarding important deadlines and advice for an out-of-NRMP pre-match, which he ended up doing. This kid could have done anything but he wanted to do family medicine...he'll make a phenomenal PCP. I was most impressed with the gym when I interviewed there a few years back. I remember seeing some of the Sixers driving by after their work-out. PCOM has been around for a long time and has a solid foundation and reputation among the osteopathic community.

By the way, I have decided that my initial strong words were very inappropriate and I am sorry if I offended anyone. I sincerely appologize for giving such a negative impression of LECOM. I certainly have nothing personal against any of the faculty and I am only sharing one experience with you. Again, I appologize for my harsh tone initially. I am truly thinking in the best interest of you as a premed, and future medical student. Wherever you end up, go into med school with vigor and commit yourself completely. You will succeed wherever you go.

 

[ArcherM2]

I remember feeling VERY apprhensive about attending LECOM after reading multiple similar posts on here. As soon as I stepped through the doors the apprhension left. I have been nothing but happy at LECOM. As an MS1 I feel the academics are surperb, minus a few less than enthusiastic professors. I feel the anatomy department is stellar as well as the faculty that run our CORE classes. Everyone in the class helps one another. We are constantly sending each other study sheets and review materials. There is little competition between students. LECOM makes it very public their policies and practices. If you feel, even for a second, that this is going to effect your medical education, maybe LECOM isn't the place for you.

I was told by multiple physicians that you will get out of medical school what you put in. I feel that this is true regardless of the institution you attend. I (and the majority of my classmates) bust our rears and do well because of it. I have friends at Jefferson, UMDNJ, PCOM and NYCOM and can hold conversations with them over any of the subjects we have covered thus far.

The academic faculty here has been nothing but helpful. The one anatomy professor mentioned in previous posts is one of the most helpful and intelligent professors at the school and teaches anatomy excellently. Our faculty challenges us frequently and I am grateful for this.

I have had several encounters with REAL, LIVE, MSIII/MSIV from LECOM and have not heard one single negative thing about the application process or their clinical education.

Steel City, you matched into Anesthesiology -- Congrats. Remember that you wouldn't have matched anywhere if you hadn't gone to LECOM. Our school has matched several students into strong academic residency programs, as you can attest to. So the proof is in the pudding.


Anyone with any real concerns about LECOM can feel free to PM me and I'll try to clear up any misconceptions that have been conveyed here.

 

[H5N1]

This will be my only post on the matter and I'm not answering anybody's insults.

You can take this with a grain of salt, I don’t care. I am not a SDN regular, but came across this & just felt the need post for the first time. I’m currently an MSII at the Erie campus. I’m not a complete hater, nor am I overwhelmingly enthused about what goes on here. That’s not to say every other school out there doesn’t have worse faults, or that what I perceive as completely ridiculous is someone else’s idea of normalcy.

Fact: The security team really does monitor everything you do. Ex. I know of 2 particular incidents where people were caught with water bottles in the study rooms (there are cameras in there) & they were written up. A few days later, they had to stand in front of the dean & pretty much apologize to her while she gave them a scolding.

Opinion: I understand the rules, but that’s bordering on lunacy. I sit in lecture hall all day, & sometimes I’m sick & have an itchy throat or I’m just plain thirsty. I could get up from my seat as a professor is talking, make my way out of my row bothering people as I go in order to go outside & get a drink, or I can calmly take a water bottle out of my bag, take a sip, & put it back. You know it’s bad when the profs/guest lecturers make comments about not telling on them that they brought a water bottle into the classroom. And, to have to be scolded by the dean like a naughty child is just ludicrous.

As MSII’s its board studying time, its that time of year to buckle down & do some serious studying. We all know it….or we thought we did…..

Fact: This was really more about the tone of her voice than what she actually said. A particular dean came to speak in front of our class regarding boards. During this time she repeatedly warned us that we should all be studying & that she wanted us to have a 95% board pass rate like Oklahoma or somewhere out in the mid west…& I quote “what do they have that we don’t? Farms & cows!”. As if that even made any sense. Also, we were warned that at any time, they could revoke our right to take the boards whenever they wanted. If they felt that we weren’t ready, they would tell us when we could take it.

Opinion: The context of her speech really wasn’t bad. She like most admin everywhere just wants everyone to pass the boards for the students as well as boosting their STATS. However, if she thought that scare tactics & talking to us like kindergarteners was the appropriate approach, she is sorely mistaken. I’m not saying that there weren’t people in the audience who needed a wake up call, but I was offended. I didn’t decide to go to medical school in order to piss away a small fortune in order to NOT pass my licensing exam. I’m an A/B student & so are many of my friends, if not A students. We all felt like we were scolded and made to feel stupid. That’s not the positive reinforcement I’m looking for. I’m not looking for a pat on the back, but just a little respect. I’m a grown adult & prefer to be addressed that way. Better yet, don’t bring in a Kaplan specialist to talk to us about studying & test taking strategies then pretty much tell us to do 6 out of the 10 things he warned us NOT to do as we prepare for boards.

Lastly…..

Fact: Attendance is mandatory! According to them they can also use this as a judge to whether or not you can take your boards…or so they’ve warned.

Opinion: I’m pretty sure this is an empty threat. However, it bothers me. Again, I guess a rule’s a rule…however, there are just some professors who suck at teaching. That’s just a fact & it happens anywhere. Personally I’d much rather use that time to go up to the library & study boards/class for that hour than sit in lecture hall & stare at my computer or possibly fall asleep. Instead I sit there for 6 hours absorbing only a few hours of that info & then am required, according to the dean, to go home read over the days lectures, read over the next days lectures & also study for boards (that’s seriously what we were told we should be doing). That would great if there were only about 10 more hours in the day. Plus they don’t just trust you to sign in for attendance. All last year they let us sit where we wanted to, but now they make us sit in our alphabetical order seating assignments so that different profs/admin can come in with a seating chart & mark if you were at class or not. And, based on attendance, they say they can revoke our right to take the boards? Come on; we all know plenty of people who never go to class and ace any exam you put in front of them. It just seems like they need to control every aspect of your student life.

Look, I’m not saying it’s the worst nor is it the best. I don’t regret coming here as my goals are to be a good doctor & I’m on the path to succeeding. I chose to come here & have accepted that. I love the people I’ve met & believe that thru all the bull**** I believe I am getting a good education. I’m pretty much just venting my frustrations. And no, I’ve never been “burned” by them. But for those of you who wanted another opinion, here it is….

Steel City you hang in there. I hope your troubles with the clinical ed. & matching don’t happen to me, but if it does que sera sera! ☺

 

[Dr Trek 1]

This will be my only post on the matter and I'm not answering anybody's insults.

You can take this with a grain of salt, I don’t care. I am not a SDN regular, but came across this & just felt the need post for the first time. I’m currently an MSII at the Erie campus. I’m not a complete hater, nor am I overwhelmingly enthused about what goes on here. That’s not to say every other school out there doesn’t have worse faults, or that what I perceive as completely ridiculous is someone else’s idea of normalcy.

Fact: The security team really does monitor everything you do. Ex. I know of 2 particular incidents where people were caught with water bottles in the study rooms (there are cameras in there) & they were written up. A few days later, they had to stand in front of the dean & pretty much apologize to her while she gave them a scolding.

Opinion: I understand the rules, but that’s bordering on lunacy. I sit in lecture hall all day, & sometimes I’m sick & have an itchy throat or I’m just plain thirsty. I could get up from my seat as a professor is talking, make my way out of my row bothering people as I go in order to go outside & get a drink, or I can calmly take a water bottle out of my bag, take a sip, & put it back. You know it’s bad when the profs/guest lecturers make comments about not telling on them that they brought a water bottle into the classroom. And, to have to be scolded by the dean like a naughty child is just ludicrous.

As MSII’s its board studying time, its that time of year to buckle down & do some serious studying. We all know it….or we thought we did…..

Fact: This was really more about the tone of her voice than what she actually said. A particular dean came to speak in front of our class regarding boards. During this time she repeatedly warned us that we should all be studying & that she wanted us to have a 95% board pass rate like Oklahoma or somewhere out in the mid west…& I quote “what do they have that we don’t? Farms & cows!”. As if that even made any sense. Also, we were warned that at any time, they could revoke our right to take the boards whenever they wanted. If they felt that we weren’t ready, they would tell us when we could take it.

Opinion: The context of her speech really wasn’t bad. She like most admin everywhere just wants everyone to pass the boards for the students as well as boosting their STATS. However, if she thought that scare tactics & talking to us like kindergarteners was the appropriate approach, she is sorely mistaken. I’m not saying that there weren’t people in the audience who needed a wake up call, but I was offended. I didn’t decide to go to medical school in order to piss away a small fortune in order to NOT pass my licensing exam. I’m an A/B student & so are many of my friends, if not A students. We all felt like we were scolded and made to feel stupid. That’s not the positive reinforcement I’m looking for. I’m not looking for a pat on the back, but just a little respect. I’m a grown adult & prefer to be addressed that way. Better yet, don’t bring in a Kaplan specialist to talk to us about studying & test taking strategies then pretty much tell us to do 6 out of the 10 things he warned us NOT to do as we prepare for boards.

Lastly…..

Fact: Attendance is mandatory! According to them they can also use this as a judge to whether or not you can take your boards…or so they’ve warned.

Opinion: I’m pretty sure this is an empty threat. However, it bothers me. Again, I guess a rule’s a rule…however, there are just some professors who suck at teaching. That’s just a fact & it happens anywhere. Personally I’d much rather use that time to go up to the library & study boards/class for that hour than sit in lecture hall & stare at my computer or possibly fall asleep. Instead I sit there for 6 hours absorbing only a few hours of that info & then am required, according to the dean, to go home read over the days lectures, read over the next days lectures & also study for boards (that’s seriously what we were told we should be doing). That would great if there were only about 10 more hours in the day. Plus they don’t just trust you to sign in for attendance. All last year they let us sit where we wanted to, but now they make us sit in our alphabetical order seating assignments so that different profs/admin can come in with a seating chart & mark if you were at class or not. And, based on attendance, they say they can revoke our right to take the boards? Come on; we all know plenty of people who never go to class and ace any exam you put in front of them. It just seems like they need to control every aspect of your student life.

Look, I’m not saying it’s the worst nor is it the best. I don’t regret coming here as my goals are to be a good doctor & I’m on the path to succeeding. I chose to come here & have accepted that. I love the people I’ve met & believe that thru all the bull**** I believe I am getting a good education. I’m pretty much just venting my frustrations. And no, I’ve never been “burned” by them. But for those of you who wanted another opinion, here it is….

Steel City you hang in there. I hope your troubles with the clinical ed. & matching don’t happen to me, but if it does que sera sera! ☺

Thanks for the post! Another reason to do ISP, much less time you are required to sit in a classroom when you could be studying.

 

[FutureDocDO]

Serious question. I have this cough every year (starting late fall into early winter) where I constantly cough unless I have a cough drop in my mouth at all times. Is that considered food and could I get into trouble for popping one in? Thank.

 

[Spankete87]

Serious question. I have this cough every year (starting late fall into early winter) where I constantly cough unless I have a cough drop in my mouth at all times. Is that considered food and could I get into trouble for popping one in? Thank.

All I have to say is tessalon perles. They numb the stretch receptors in your lungs that cause you to cough without the food aspect! And they generally work for about 3-4 hours at a time. One of my good guy friends gets that same cough just about every winter and that's what he does! Of course cough drops help for the first 15-20 min while the perles start working.

And come on, they've got to realize that people will be sick and since we can't miss class, we've gotta have the ability to make sure that everyone around us can actually hear the information that's being presented. 😉

 

[jjsmalls]

Did you get that feeling too? It felt so big-brotherish. There was ALWAYS someone from the admissions office with us... during the tour, lunch, and I don't think we were ever left alone in the meeting room either. And that whole entire the dean wants you to get 8 hours of sleep and so the building closes early crap. I'm all for sleep, but at our ages and the level of course work we're doing shouldn't we be the best judge of how we want to structure our education? It just seems like a lazy excuse for not wanting to keep the facility open.

I am an MS-I at LECOM.

It is big brotherish. Its a multi-million dollar campus, and they have to protect their assets. Also, ALL schools are required to submit an annual crime statistics report, and LECOM takes pride in a zero-crime campus. As far as being with admissions people during your interview, that is just common manners. Would you expect to go into a stranger's house, and have them leave you walk around alone for the day? You are a guest of the school, and they are trying to "make your acquaintance."

Also, the building doesn't close to give students 8 hours of sleep...that was a pipedream explanation concocted on this beast. The real reason, from the President of the school, Dr. John (i attended a Q & A lunch with him a few weeks ago), is cost. Comparing LECOM with all other private PROFESSIONAL schools of our size, our library remains open among the longest. Most students compare the 11 pm close time to their undergrad institutions, many of which have 24-hour libraries, but many of which also have 30,000+ students on campus. You have to look at logistics. To pay a librarian, a security guard, and keep electric on all night for maybe 20 students doesn't make sense. Even during our busiest testing periods, there may be 50 people in the library. It's not like your undergrad library, where there may be a few thousand people using the facilities. I for one am glad they don't pass along this additional expense in tuition for a few extra hours in the library.

There are many valuable posts on here, but there are MANY MANY posts that people make up and believe in their own heads. Take them all in stride.

PM me with any particular questions. I'll try to help you out! 😀

 

[jjsmalls]

All I have to say is tessalon perles. They numb the stretch receptors in your lungs that cause you to cough without the food aspect! And they generally work for about 3-4 hours at a time. One of my good guy friends gets that same cough just about every winter and that's what he does! Of course cough drops help for the first 15-20 min while the perles start working.

And come on, they've got to realize that people will be sick and since we can't miss class, we've gotta have the ability to make sure that everyone around us can actually hear the information that's being presented. 😉

Cough drops, gum, quiet candy (without mess), it's all good. You just can't drag your Wendy's #4 value meal into lecture, and no water bottles. This one is a contentious point, but in a given row of lecture seats, there is about $50,000 worth of laptop computers. Be a big boy and walk twenty steps to the water fountain outside the lecture hall. 😉

 

[jjsmalls]

If that happened to me, I'd probably bitch about it, so it's not so surprising that steel city would overhear some rumbling. It's not atrociously horrible, but good employers should comp you for days like that without cutting into vacation or pto. My office was closed for three days because of a freak snow storm we had (we get like three inches of snow a year, normally, so yeah, we can't deal), and I received full pay for those days without having to use any of my leave. My employer just paid everybody.

You know, I agree with Steel City that a school's administration should be friendly to their students. I've always gotten the impression that LECOM was not like that, hence my refusal to complete their secondary. Medical school is going to suck enough without having to deal with political b&ll****.

That'll show em. REFUSE to complete their secondary. Stick it to the man! Haha. Wonder if they will ever find a replacement?

 

[Steel_City]

That'll show em. REFUSE to complete their secondary. Stick it to the man! Haha. Wonder if they will ever find a replacement?

Uhhhh....no, she's just making a good move and keeping here $1000+ secondary fee. I say save your money. Unless things eventually change for the better, there will eventually be no replacements.

 

[Steel_City]

I am an MS-I at LECOM.

It is big brotherish. Its a multi-million dollar campus, and they have to protect their assets. Also, ALL schools are required to submit an annual crime statistics report, and LECOM takes pride in a zero-crime campus. As far as being with admissions people during your interview, that is just common manners. Would you expect to go into a stranger's house, and have them leave you walk around alone for the day? You are a guest of the school, and they are trying to "make your acquaintance."

Also, the building doesn't close to give students 8 hours of sleep...that was a pipedream explanation concocted on this beast. The real reason, from the President of the school, Dr. John (i attended a Q & A lunch with him a few weeks ago), is cost. Comparing LECOM with all other private PROFESSIONAL schools of our size, our library remains open among the longest. Most students compare the 11 pm close time to their undergrad institutions, many of which have 24-hour libraries, but many of which also have 30,000+ students on campus. You have to look at logistics. To pay a librarian, a security guard, and keep electric on all night for maybe 20 students doesn't make sense. Even during our busiest testing periods, there may be 50 people in the library. It's not like your undergrad library, where there may be a few thousand people using the facilities. I for one am glad they don't pass along this additional expense in tuition for a few extra hours in the library.

There are many valuable posts on here, but there are MANY MANY posts that people make up and believe in their own heads. Take them all in stride.

PM me with any particular questions. I'll try to help you out! 😀

Wonder how much the school security system costs? I was going to abandon this thread but I just couldn't help myself to respond to this message. Just wondering if you've ever ventured up to the fourth floor? The bathrooms suddenly chance to marble and you immediately see a display of bronze statues of the school owners shaking the hand of Hipocrates. Yep, you heard me correctly, they spent tons of money to get statues of themselves created. But they can't afford to keep the library open huh?????

Do you really buy this explaination man? If you do, I truely question your rationale and judgement.

 

[Steel_City]

Cough drops, gum, quiet candy (without mess), it's all good. You just can't drag your Wendy's #4 value meal into lecture, and no water bottles. This one is a contentious point, but in a given row of lecture seats, there is about $50,000 worth of laptop computers. Be a big boy and walk twenty steps to the water fountain outside the lecture hall. 😉

"It's all good" essentially means....DON"T GET CAUGHT!

 

[kimdd]

Listen, I'll leave you with ten reasons (in no particular order) I despise LECOM. Take it or leave it. My roommate is an MS IV from LECOM and he had not received ANY direction from them in the match. NONE. I have no agenda here...notice that the one chick is starting to notice as an MS III that LECOM clinical ed is not giving her any direction...just wait. This will only get worse for her. Anyways...here they are. It is a quite daunting task to think of all the reasons why LECOM is such a crappy place to study medicine.

1. There are camaras everywhere in the school and they watch you while you study in the breakout rooms. If you have a drink of water in there or a pack of gum, the security will yell at you.

2. You DO NOT get to review your exams in the core curriculum(biochem...pharm...etc.) and throughout systems. How can you learn if you can't even review your exams? In rare circumstances, they will allow you to review an exam such as anatomy but after that forget it.

3. The clinical ed. Dr. Agostini is disliked by students and is in charge of all your rotations. You just won't like him. There is nothing to like about the man. So what you say? Well, he also rubs the physicians who take us on the wrong way and institutions are starting to cancel LECOM rotations because of this.

4. The school monitors your email. If you say something negative about them you will be called into Dr. Ferretti's office for scolding. This is bull****.

5. They won't open the workout area during the day to prevent students from skipping class to work out.

6. If you try to transfer, they will ruin your life. I had a friend who wanted out as an MS II. He hated it and wanted to go to PCOM. The dean called him in and just screamed at him saying his career was over. Trust me...they don't **** around there.

7. Once your two years are up...you're history. LECOM does nothing to help you out. Although you pay full tuition as a third-year, they do nothing to advise you or follow up with your education.

8. Faculty turn-over is outrageous. People come and then they go. The most recent was a great clinical ed. lady named Cinda Roberts. Just found out she was quitting two weeks ago. She was a highlight of the school.

9. LECOM grads despise the school so much they won't be eager to help you out. You would think the converse would happen but it doesn't.

10. During your most imprortant year, your fourth year, LECOM doesn NOTHING to help you prepare for the match. This is very imprortant and they could just care less.

One more...LECOM created this new Bradenton branch campus for more cash. It's a money-making machine. They send people to Florida to learn from PBL so they can save cash on professors and then these people come back for boards. Hospitals are not pleased about this and hate this fact. This will ultimately be bad for osteopathic medicine in general.

So, there you go. If anyone disagrees or knows otherwise about these things, please let me know. You will ultimately have to live with your decision on where you do your medical schooling. LECOM will be a black spot on your resume forever.

Peace out. Good luck with med school guys. Don't be pissed at me for being honest. Other LECOMers don't want the school to go under so they will tell you otherwise. Personally, I don't care.

What about Lecom paying clinical rotation hospitals absolutely nothing, which is totally unheard of . Many hospitals have broken off ties with lecom for this-one is michigan to me exact. Lecom expects hospitals and doctors to take our students for nothing. You go to hospitals and get nothing, NO FOOD. Penny pinching by our cheap president at it's best. Because of this as well, the affiliation hospitals , lets say are not exactly top notch facilities. Money an issue there, of course. The school will do nothing and I repeat NOTHING for you and there will be minimal guidance if any on how to deal with the match and interviews. We are all adults at this point but in speaking with allopathic friends on interviews, some of the things I tell them about LECOM blows their mind. NO Advisor, and if he is one he is a PHD who knows nada. No help, you are on your own. And if you attempt to call them and ask them for help, they tell you they sent out some bogus booklett which gives you minimal ,if any instruction and of course scold you like you are 2 years old. It;s all about money. And have you heard of their main affliliate, Millcreek Community? The worst hospital in the face of the earth. Not certified, the mortality rate is attrocious, the hospital has 25-30 pt's tops at it's highest census. A hospital with 30 patients? What type of variation in cases do you expect to see there? True, Agostini, is a pompous ass. He rubs other hospitals the other ways and loves to blame and yell at students for everything meanwhile of course giving no guidance. Also the Ferretti clan wanted statues built of themselves to be put in the main lobby. The statues were very diety like with the president holding his hand over a child as if he were jesus.
If no other schools invite you then go to LECOM, otherwise fuggedaboutit. This school is crap. And by the way they will not get one single dime from me. Unbelievable how you can hate a school that much. And please for those people that say they really like the school, either your an insider, on some powerful mind altering drugs, or have no idea what a real medical school is. Please get a clue, and Don't worry Doctor John isn't reading your messages on this forum with his right , I mean left eye. Peace

 

[Dr Trek 1]

I am not really trying to stick up for LECOM, as I am not necessarily going to go there. But many people seem to be complaining about how LECOM doesn't provide any guidance in the rotations/residency match program.

I find this kind of funny because, for instance, at the college I went to they had an entire office devoted to helping people find internships and apply to med school. I never went once. Every internship I got was because of me and my own research. All the office ever did for me was write my committee letter for med. school, which was probably pretty average. I navigated the application proces/MCAT process on my own and from SDN input.

I expect my rotation/residency match process will be similar. It doesn't really matter to me if LECOM offers to hold my hand because either way I would refuse. I am just very independent in that way (that's why I chose the ISP curriculum at LECOM). There are countless other resources to consult other than your med school.

In short, that's why I think LECOM is good for someone with the learning/personality style that I have. Those looking for more guidance may wish to go to a school other than LECOM. However, I am not even sure that LECOM definately provides no guidance. Just what I hear from these posts.

 

[scpod]

I am not really trying to stick up for LECOM...In short, that's why I think LECOM is good for someone with the learning/personality style that I have. Those looking for more guidance may wish to go to a school other than LECOM.

I've said quite a few times (and been criticized for my opinion) that you are responsible for your own medical education. Your school is only a tool that you can choose to use to help you on your way to becoming a doctor, but they will not, and should not, hold your hand. No school is ideal for everyone. I just read a thread where several people "ripped" PCOM-GA for one reason or another. The common thread between the schools seems to be the misconception that "older and more established" institutions will simply give you a schedule of places and times that you need to report for rotations in the third and fourth years and where to pick up your "free meal, housing, and 'get out of jail' card". Life just isn't that easy...is it?

 

[Steel_City]

I am not really trying to stick up for LECOM, as I am not necessarily going to go there. But many people seem to be complaining about how LECOM doesn't provide any guidance in the rotations/residency match program.

I find this kind of funny because, for instance, at the college I went to they had an entire office devoted to helping people find internships and apply to med school. I never went once. Every internship I got was because of me and my own research. All the office ever did for me was write my committee letter for med. school, which was probably pretty average. I navigated the application proces/MCAT process on my own and from SDN input.

I expect my rotation/residency match process will be similar. It doesn't really matter to me if LECOM offers to hold my hand because either way I would refuse. I am just very independent in that way (that's why I chose the ISP curriculum at LECOM). There are countless other resources to consult other than your med school.

In short, that's why I think LECOM is good for someone with the learning/personality style that I have. Those looking for more guidance may wish to go to a school other than LECOM. However, I am not even sure that LECOM definately provides no guidance. Just what I hear from these posts.

Applying to residency is much different that applying to med schools. Take for example someone who wants to do anesthesiology. If they decide to participate in the NRMP osteopathic match for internship, they will eliminate themselves from catagorical allopathic residency spots and will be automatically removed from the match. It's important to know this because once you make this mistake, it's a binding contract and it's in stone. Most osteopathic students will make the jump to MD programs for many many reasons and in most situations, it's wise to do so. The best osteopathic hospitals just can't give you the same exposure that allo programs can. Also, there is practically no research done in the osteopathic community, except for stupid OMM projects. So, although you will find a way to discover the correct path on your own, it sure helps to have some guidence from your insitution.

Since, my original post, I've decided to take a much more conservative approach to dissuading those interested to pursue there medical schooling at LECOM. However, be an informed individual before you make your decision. There have been enough posters confirming these alligations to show you that I'm not, after all, full of $hit.

One funny story; during my MS I year at LECOM I got locked into the weight room at night and couldn't leave the room. I had forgotten papers on the treadmill after swiping my badge and went back for them. Because they must know where you are at ALL times at LECOM, the card reader thought I had left and wouldn't open the door. Therefore, I had to spend 20 minutes banging on the door until security finally heard me.

 

[Dr Trek 1]

Applying to residency is much different that applying to med schools. Take for example someone who wants to do anesthesiology. If they decide to participate in the NRMP osteopathic match for internship, they will eliminate themselves from catagorical allopathic residency spots and will be automatically removed from the match. It's important to know this because once you make this mistake, it's a binding contract and it's in stone. Most osteopathic students will make the jump to MD programs for many many reasons and in most situations, it's wise to do so. The best osteopathic hospitals just can't give you the same exposure that allo programs can. Also, there is practically no research done in the osteopathic community, except for stupid OMM projects. So, although you will find a way to discover the correct path on your own, it sure helps to have some guidence from your insitution.

Since, my original post, I've decided to take a much more conservative approach to dissuading those interested to pursue there medical schooling at LECOM. However, be an informed individual before you make your decision. There have been enough posters confirming these alligations to show you that I'm not, after all, full of $hit.

As I said before, I think SDN is a much more valuable resource than any med school could be in this process. For instance, I doubt any DO school would say you will get better experience in a MD residency. So, thank you for telling us:-D

One funny story; during my MS I year at LECOM I got locked into the weight room at night and couldn't leave the room. I had forgotten papers on the treadmill after swiping my badge and went back for them. Because they must know where you are at ALL times at LECOM, the card reader thought I had left and wouldn't open the door. Therefore, I had to spend 20 minutes banging on the door until security finally heard me.

What?? You mean they didn't automatically execute you for being in the room after you had swiped out??

On a more serious note, I'm surprised it took them a full 20 minutes to realize that someone was in there and couldn't get out when you claim they have such a tight security system that they know what is happening at all times...

 

[bobo]

I expect my rotation/residency match process will be similar. It doesn't really matter to me if LECOM offers to hold my hand because either way I would refuse. I am just very independent in that way (that's why I chose the ISP curriculum at LECOM). There are countless other resources to consult other than your med school.

This is unfortunately an extremely naive outlook. Nobody really wants/needs to have their "hand held". However, it is very, very frustrating when you receive absolutely NO guidance from your very own med school for residency selection, esp. when you are paying obscene amounts of money for tuition. Others I have talked to feel the same way. Sadly, this was the case at PCOM and probably at a lot of other osteopathic medical schools. This is not the case at allopathic medical schools. I received the most guidance from a program chair at an allopathic program where I did an away rotation, and I am now pgy-2 at that same program. He told me where I stood in relation to other applicants and some good programs to look at and where I would be competitive and where I wouldn't be. Helped tremendously. Take what you can get.

later,

bobo, DO
pgy-2

 

[DOtobe]

Please get a clue, and Don't worry Doctor John isn't reading your messages on this forum with his right , I mean left eye.

Just wanted to say I thought this was pretty funny. I hated looking Dr. John in the face (I think it happened about 3 times total in all my years of med school) because I didn't know what eye to look at.

 

[jjsmalls]

One funny story; during my MS I year at LECOM I got locked into the weight room at night and couldn't leave the room. I had forgotten papers on the treadmill after swiping my badge and went back for them. Because they must know where you are at ALL times at LECOM, the card reader thought I had left and wouldn't open the door. Therefore, I had to spend 20 minutes banging on the door until security finally heard me.

Funny part to this story is that the doors have an automatic "firesafe" unlock mechanism...you just have to hold the handle down for 10 seconds and they will release. Twenty wasted minutes that you could have been on here complaining about something. Damn.

 

[Dr Trek 1]

Funny part to this story is that the doors have an automatic "firesafe" unlock mechanism...you just have to hold the handle down for 10 seconds and they will release. Twenty wasted minutes that you could have been on here complaining about something. Damn.

 

[Ypo.]

Funny part to this story is that the doors have an automatic "firesafe" unlock mechanism...you just have to hold the handle down for 10 seconds and they will release. Twenty wasted minutes that you could have been on here complaining about something. Damn.

Yikes! What if the doors malfunctioned and someone died during a fire because they were panicking and didn't hold it down for 10 seconds? I know I would be throwing myself through a window, and not just standing there holding a handle down. Thats totally counterintuitive.

 

[Ypo.]

I've said quite a few times (and been criticized for my opinion) that you are responsible for your own medical education. Your school is only a tool that you can choose to use to help you on your way to becoming a doctor, but they will not, and should not, hold your hand. No school is ideal for everyone. I just read a thread where several people "ripped" PCOM-GA for one reason or another. The common thread between the schools seems to be the misconception that "older and more established" institutions will simply give you a schedule of places and times that you need to report for rotations in the third and fourth years and where to pick up your "free meal, housing, and 'get out of jail' card". Life just isn't that easy...is it?

I consider myself an independant person-I don't go to class, and I like to do things 'on my own'. But that doesn't mean I don't utilize help from my school. I look around me and most of the people who get far in life have a supportive family and a supportive school environment. Granted, there are the few who made it pretty much by themselves. But we all need counseling, advice, and a path to follow.

When you get to your third and fourth years-you will be asking others for help and advice, whether it is your school, mentors, or fellow students. Don't think you will be doing it 'all on your own'. Your school should help you with this. That is not 'hand-holding'; its simply part of their job.

 

[Ypo.]

double post

 

[TPBC]

Yikes! What if the doors malfunctioned and someone died during a fire because they were panicking and didn't hold it down for 10 seconds? I know I would be throwing myself through a window, and not just standing there holding a handle down. Thats totally counterintuitive.

I'd be ironic if you died in a fire at LECOM because the doors wouldn't open and NO ONE HAD ANY BOTTLES OF WATER TO THROW ON YOUR BURNING BODY!!

I interviewed at LECOM but went to a more people friendly school. I could not handle the restrictions of no drinks or snacks (like junior high) but also the austere anemic look of the building. It is so ridiculous that they prohibit even bottles of water. At all teaching hospitals they have noon lectures once per week where everyone brings a brown bag lunch and listens to the presentations. I mean jeez, med students are adults, they aren't going to ruin the building. The prohibition of drinks plus the dress code... Makes one think someone has severve OCD. I also was amazed to hear the lack of more help in setting up clinical rotations. I agree with the above poster to only go to LECOM if it's your only acceptance. Maybe some administrators from the school will see these posts and make a change to at least benefit the future students.