What made you choose LUCOM over WVSOM?
Everything. Once you step foot in LUCOM, it becomes very difficult to imagine going anywhere else. You have to realize that SDN is a great resource, but ultimately people love being talking heads without any merit behind their bashing of LUCOM.
In short, 1) the faculty here are amazing (ironically, the OMM department is run by ex-WVSOM chair and other WV associated OMM gurus --- the 3 main OMM professors literally wrote the textbook we use:
Pocket Manual of OMT) - we have a ton of DOs and MDs with unreal credentials and training / teaching resumes (medical school/residency/teaching positions at Brown, UCLA, UPenn, Penn State, Northwestern, U of Chicago, Mayo, etc). The dedication of our professors is to a level I never expected, and they won’t stop until we are all great physicians. (Ex: chair of integrated physiology-pharmacology was at school all day today and tomorrow to help answer questions and lead reviews for upcoming test on Monday). Our faculty are leaders of their fields and top-rated clinicians.
2) the administration is run by people who not only know how to run a med school, but are dedicated (and active, stay tuned for residency opening announcement in the near future) to creating GME spots for us students. Dr. Peter Bell, our dean, is a leader among men and has decades of nothing but amazing accolades, not to mention very close ties to COCA members.
3) the facilities, quite simply, are second to none. Being attached to LU has ups and downs, the ups being an insane amount of money being thrown our way for state-of-the-art cadaver labs, simulations center, OMM labs and equipment, medical library with full interactive models, lecture halls that make you feel like you’re on a space ship, etc. Additionally, LU undergrad campus has more to offer for recreation than one can imagine: a ski mountain / resort, equestrian center, athletic center with indoor soccer fields, dozens of indoor Bball courts, Olympic sized indoor swimming pool, etc.
4) location. Maybe a bit more personal, as I wanted to stay driving distance to home, but Lynchburg is about as beautiful of a place as you’ll find in Virginia, and it’s central location makes everything relatively close - beaches, mountains, cities, rural farm land - you name it.
5) clinical rotations. This is a biggie, and no doubt people talk out their a** here on SDN about various schools they don’t know about. WVSOM has a lot of things going for them, but when you’re on an interview and current students complain about crappy rotations, moving state to state for 3rd AND 4th year, you listen. LUCOM, meanwhile, has affiliation with every major med school and hospital within a few hundred mile radius. We can do core or elective rotations with the likes of UVA, VCU, Carilion Clinic, etc. Additionally, they have a core site option where you get to stay in Lynchburg for all of 3rd year should you choose. Can’t ask for a better situation, in my opinion.
6) connections. This sorta ties in to #5 but the connections that faculty / admin have across the state are impressive. Every week we have a different residency director from nearby programs come give a talk at lunch. I’ve personally met and have an open line of communication with 2 residency program directors (one at VCU) where I very well could end up auditioning at. The prospect for post-graduation success here is limitless.
7) medical missions / outreach trips. There a TON of outreach / service trips for students to participate in, and they are so rewarding. To be out there among the underserved, listening to their issues reminds you of why you’re going through the insanity in the first place.
8) classmates. The non-cutthroat nature of our school honestly makes me be able to get through it most of the time. Collaboration is key in the professional world, and there isn’t a soul here that wouldn’t tutor you, share notes, upload great sources to google drive, etc. We are all part of the same team here and it makes the stress of it all so much easier. Maybe this isn’t unique to LUCOM, but definitely something I’m super stoked about.
TL;DR - there’s no way for you to know what you’re missing at LUCOM unless you interview here.
