LECOM - Bradenton Discussion thread 2008-2009

[Altruist]

Got a question. Does anyone remember how much they spent of text books? LECOM financial Aid department estimates it at 3700$ but I need a laptop and I assume this is included in the total. So I am trying to get a ballpark figure that I should aim at spending on a laptop so that I will still have enough left over for textbooks in the Fall. THanks.

$1000 of the books/supplies total in the first year budget is meant for a laptop. From there, it's up to you to decide how much you want to spend.

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[digitlnoize]

$1000 of the books/supplies total in the first year budget is meant for a laptop. From there, it's up to you to decide how much you want to spend.

FWIW, I really like my 4 year old HP that I spent $500 on! It even has the dreaded Vista...which, for the record, has given me ZERO problems. I actually really love it compared to XP...way less crashing!

 

[WishingStar]

Anyone have a mac laptop? I really want one but I'm not sure how user friendly it is for med school

 

[iheartsharks]

$1000 of the books/supplies total in the first year budget is meant for a laptop. From there, it's up to you to decide how much you want to spend.

Thanks Altruist that is exactly what I was looking for.

-If you are getting a new laptop the cost difference between a mac and a pc is like 200$ and if you ask me is not worth it the new pc's are huge, heavy, not user friendly.

-New mac's are light strong and have the ability to quickly move from window to window. So if you are reading multiple texts or websites or documents at a time you can put them in up to 16 different Spaces which is like different desktops and by swiping your hand with 2,3 or 4 fingers on the trackpad you can sift through till you find the document you want. It really is amazing.

-The only downside I saw with the new Mac's is for the 1000$ models they only come in 13" but you can get an equivalent 2-3 year old 15" model for about the same if you want to get a used computer.

Just my 2 Cents. I've been using Apple's since they were still called Macintosh, and I tried a Dell once, worked great but I'm just a Apple supporter all the way.

 

[digitlnoize]

Anyone have a mac laptop? I really want one but I'm not sure how user friendly it is for med school

Some people in my class have macs, and I had one about 4 or 5 years ago.

They're fine. Honestly, computing in med school amounts to this:

1. Read powerpoints during anatomy
2. Check email for grades
3. Check facebook to avoid studying
4. Check SDN to avoid more studying
5. Read Up To Date
6. Type Notes
7. Read some e-books until you decide the book is worth buying in "real" form
8. Check email for grades

That's about all. Either a Mac or PC will suit your needs just fine. I have zero problems switching between my many open windows with a single click. I'd also say that my PC is pretty light weight (don't get a monster size screen...mine is 15" and perfect).

I liked my Mac fine though...I just don't know if they're worth the $500 premium. It is far more then $200 difference between the two. Again, I got my HP dv600 for $500 and it blazes. The new mac laptops are over or around $1000. I boot up just as fast (if not faster) than my friends with newer macs, and can do all the same things they can do.

I wouldn't waste your money on an awesome sleek computer, regardless of brand. You need something that can check email and do word processing. Any laptop made in the last 2 decades can do that.

It's not like you have tons of time to play Crysis or something...sigh.

 

[nlax30]

Yea, pretty much any halfway decent laptop will work fine. I'm still using my ~5yr old Dell Laptop with no problems. Not the fastest thing out there, but it's not like I'm editing video or anything.

Last Thanksgiving I picked up an Acer laptop for my wife and it was like $350 and would be absolutely fine for med school.

Whatever you do get I'd think twice before getting a huge 17" desktop replacement laptop. Unless you really are just going to study in one place most of the time it will be a pain to lug around.

 

[WishingStar]

Thanks!

I guess I'll ponder some more...if and when I actually get in to med school that is.

C'mon Lecom-B!!!!!!!

 

[Altruist]

I never used macs until I bought a macbook 2 years ago, and I love it now. My gf comendeered it when her laptop died; otherwise I'd take it with me to school.

I haven't decided yet if it's worth getting another macbook or just a $500 PC laptop. As digitl and nlax have pointed out, anything can run the web and view powerpoint slides, so I haven't quite convinced myself it's worth the price difference. Pretty much all the kinks have been worked out of Vista by now, no need to steer clear of a PC just because of that.

For those who are considering macs, it's probably worth waiting until June after WWDC (a Mac conference) if you're going to buy. There may be some updates to the macbook line announced there; they haven't really changed since October. Besides, Apple has offered a deal where you get a free ipod with a new mac the past 2 summers. No guarantee they'll do it again this year, but if so it'll start in June. You also might want to check out the "refurbished" section of the apple store. If you're willing to buy an open-box (but re-certified) macbook, you can save $2-300.

 

[vargant]

I hate to list an aid on this forum; however, I am on the waitlist at the Yacht Club for a 2 bedroom apartment and a 3 bedroom apartment. I received a phone call today from the Yacht Club that there is no availability for a 2 bedroom apartment for July (when I am planning to move down). My roommate and I are both males, and are planning to keep the apartment clean. If anyone is interested for a 3 bedroom apartment at the Yacht Club, please send me a message.

 

[Masayume]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, but not really because I've been reading your posts since day 1. I was just wondering if any one knows if a significant amount of people were pulled off the wait list. I feel like this year is diff than other years because it seems they're letting people know less about what's going on with the wait list. Also, from reading in older, diff forums, people seemed to find out sooner. Is it still considered early in the game or am I doomed?

 

[digitlnoize]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, but not really because I've been reading your posts since day 1. I was just wondering if any one knows if a significant amount of people were pulled off the wait list. I feel like this year is diff than other years because it seems they're letting people know less about what's going on with the wait list. Also, from reading in older, diff forums, people seemed to find out sooner. Is it still considered early in the game or am I doomed?

I wouldn't give up hope yet. Every year, med school admissions are getting more and more competitive. On top of that, LECOM-B is also getting even MORE competitive as word gets out about how awesome it is...

Regardless, alot can happen between now and the start of school.

Good luck! Back to studying OMM for me!

 

[WMD 172]

digitlnoize,

Have you ever seen anyone just use the ebook versions of the textbooks for pbl?

I was going to get all the proper textbooks, and just leave that in the car/ home for studying, and just put all the books (with the nearest edition i can find) in my laptop in ebook form, to avoid a suitcase scenario.

Would this work?

Also, is there any news on a book list for next year?

Thanks! and GL to the waitlisted!

 

[digitlnoize]

digitlnoize,

Have you ever seen anyone just use the ebook versions of the textbooks for pbl?

I was going to get all the proper textbooks, and just leave that in the car/ home for studying, and just put all the books (with the nearest edition i can find) in my laptop in ebook form, to avoid a suitcase scenario.

Would this work?

Also, is there any news on a book list for next year?

Thanks! and GL to the waitlisted!

It doesn't work very well, honestly. For one, most facilitators prefer you to bring the real books. Two, you can find stuff in the real books MUCH MUCH faster (usually) than in the ebooks.

For example, let's say we're learning about the thyroid and our PBL patient has a normal TRH and a low TSH. The facilitator might ask what the significance of this finding is, and then we have to look up how TRH affects TSH secretion. So, open phys. Flip to thyroid chapter. Found it! TRH increases TSH secretion. But that isn't working in our patient. Facilitator (or group member, preferably) asks, "What's the mechanism behind the secretion?" More page flipping. Ah, here it is...

This process is difficult in ebooks. The pages flip slower, you can't fit them all on one page...you can't really see multiple pages at once. You can't circle or highlight stuff (without a tablet, which I've had...and that's problematic at best).

I still like to bring my computer though. It's handy for looking up things on UpToDate, which is also sometimes frowned upon, but sometimes it's the best place to find a hard to answer questions that our books either don't discuss or disagree on.

Some ebooks are easier to find stuff in. I like Robbins Path and Moore's Anatomy in particular.

If I've learned one thing this year it's this:

There are no shortcuts in medical school.

You'll have to drag around tons of books. You'll have to read the books instead of your BRS review books. You'll have to read Chapter 34 in Biochem instead of the notes that your friend made. You'll have to go to OMM lab, practice and home, and memorize the steps of your CE physical exams. All while reading an absurd amount of words per day and trying to remember all of them.

It's alot of work, and there aren't very many successful shortcuts, short of failing miserably.

All that being said...this is a great place to do that work.

 

[ohio23]

Digitl,

Is anatomy lecture attendence required the first 10 weeks? If not, do you think it is more valuable to attend or study independently?

Thanks for the always great advice. I hope this time next year I'll feel as generous helping first years as you do.

 

[digitlnoize]

Digitl,

Is anatomy lecture attendence required the first 10 weeks? If not, do you think it is more valuable to attend or study independently?

Thanks for the always great advice. I hope this time next year I'll feel as generous helping first years as you do.

Attendance is required for pretty much ALL lectures. Anatomy, OMM, and CE. They pass around a sign in sheet occasionally to check, but lots of people still skip OMM and CE lectures from time to time. I wouldn't recommend it though, you can get in some serious trouble if they catch you...

I found the anatomy lectures very helpful. All of our anatomy faculty are awesome and I thought the lecturers were far better than most of my undergrad lecturers. Also, the tests come from a combination of lecture and the book, so you really need to go. They like to give little hints here and there as well, so you do get some sort of reward for going.

Lab attendance is also required. I found this time less useful. I usually came back after hours to look at cadavers when people weren't around. It can get a little crowded during lab with 80 students and 4 bodies...sometimes it's not a problem though. It just depends.

I'm glad I've been helping. I'm probably going to be more scarce next year as boards get closer, but it only takes a second to type this stuff and it's a good study break. I also don't know if you guys know this, but if you subscribe to an SDN thread, you can have it send you an email notification every time there's a reply...makes it easier to know when I need to respond to something or not...

Anyways. Good luck guys...We're pretty much done for the year, so I'll try and pop in and ask Heather what's up with the admission process...Stay tuned...maybe tomorrow afternoon?

 

[awwadcj]

Hey everybody,

Does anyone know of books from last year and the year before that I'd be safe buying? I have a couple of people with old books and I'd like to buy from them. I know some stuff will change, but are there any books I can be sure it's safe to buy? Thanks. I can't wait to get down to Florida!

 

[digitlnoize]

Hey everybody,

Does anyone know of books from last year and the year before that I'd be safe buying? I have a couple of people with old books and I'd like to buy from them. I know some stuff will change, but are there any books I can be sure it's safe to buy? Thanks. I can't wait to get down to Florida!

Embryo, Biochem, Moore's Anatomy, Rohen's Anatomy Atlas, Robbin's Path (NOT Rubin's), Robbin's Path Review Question Book, Mosby's Clinical Exam, Mosby's Lab Values book, Guyton Phys, Guyton Mini Phys, Guyton Phys Review Question Book.

All those at least should be fine. The old editions are usually fine. The only problem you run into is when you and your PBL group members don't have the same editions.

We ran into this problem this year with the Marks Biochem book. A new edition had JUST come out when we started school, so some of us (like me) got the old one, and others got the new one. In PBL, 2 of my group members have the new one and their page numbers are different. So, if they find something during PBL and try to tell us about it, the best we can do is say, "it's in chapter 45...somewhere in the middle..."

Minor issue, but buying new editions doesn't protect you from it either...it's really not that big a deal.

Someone post the book list and I'll respond to it in a day or so with my recommendations of what to get and not get...

 

[awwadcj]

Embryo, Biochem, Moore's Anatomy, Rohen's Anatomy Atlas, Robbin's Path (NOT Rubin's), Robbin's Path Review Question Book, Mosby's Clinical Exam, Mosby's Lab Values book, Guyton Phys, Guyton Mini Phys, Guyton Phys Review Question Book.

All those at least should be fine. The old editions are usually fine. The only problem you run into is when you and your PBL group members don't have the same editions.

We ran into this problem this year with the Marks Biochem book. A new edition had JUST come out when we started school, so some of us (like me) got the old one, and others got the new one. In PBL, 2 of my group members have the new one and their page numbers are different. So, if they find something during PBL and try to tell us about it, the best we can do is say, "it's in chapter 45...somewhere in the middle..."

Minor issue, but buying new editions doesn't protect you from it either...it's really not that big a deal.

Someone post the book list and I'll respond to it in a day or so with my recommendations of what to get and not get...

Thanks for your help.

I emailed today to ask, and found out that we actually don't get the book list until sometime in July.

 

[Kateb4]

Thanks for your help.

I emailed today to ask, and found out that we actually don't get the book list until sometime in July.

Hey, we got an email today that the new booklists are out. Let me see if I can download it from the server.

 

[Kateb4]

Hey, we got an email today that the new booklists are out. Let me see if I can download it from the server.

Ok, here it is (as always, subject to change)

 

[Kateb4]

...and before anyone runs out and buys any/all of these, check on the SGA site after this weekend because I bet a bunch of the 3rd years will be selling some of these books. Also, there are several that you may not necessarilly need (at least not right away) and others that are better in electronic form, like the steadmans dictionary.

 

[Kateb4]

With regards to the laptops... get one of the new netbooks! They're small and can do everything that we need here. Carrying around a big bulky things gets to be a pain, and you need all the room you have in your bag for books.








Hehe... sorry for all of the posts. Now that we're pretty much done I'm just catching up on some internet!

 

[MSmentor018]

Thanks for your help.

I emailed today to ask, and found out that we actually don't get the book list until sometime in July.

the costs add up and before you know it, you've traded in your loan check for an impressive bookshelf! it happens to all of us. the text books may change/updated right before school starts, it did in my class with guyton, ekg, micro, immuno, mosby clin exam, and neurology. and the next class with robbins/rubins. I can only assume the school hasn't changed their questions with the new books so the old info should be good. but the layout could be different so you should wait. ie: 11th ed guyton is colored, 10th ed isn't. they gave us a netters free for joining SOMA (free also) so don't buy that. rhoen is a timeless classic you can get now. grays anatomy flashcards are great. 1st aid is always worth getting and sticking with. skip steadmans/dorlands. clinical micro made ridiculously simple is a must. goljan path is very good. there's a couple of lab book floating around but mosby manual of lab and diag tests is the most popular.

for now go to books a million or some bookstore and check out their review books, Q+A books, see what you like/works for you. every review book has relatively the same info, just presented differently. those won't interfere with your PBL group/tests. find them on line and get them. then worry about the required texts as time gets closer. there's even a joke we had in PBL that you could go through med school with just wikipedia!

 

[digitlnoize]

Definitely don't worry about the dictionaries. I use www.stedmans.com or just good ole google.

You'll rarely read the nutrition book, at least until 2nd semester and the nutrition mini course. No one really picks PBL topics from it very often.

I wouldn't bother with Harrison's or Cecil's. UpToDate is more accurate and far more portable (not to mention free with your acceptance).

Integrative Medicine is interesting, but big and expensive and I haven't looked at it except for a few pages during the nutrition mini course.

At the beginning you'll definitely need: Anatomy + Atlas, Histo, Embryo, Phys, Path, Clinical Exam, Mosby's Lab Value book.

 

[MSmentor018]

the nutrition book

I've heard of this legend but I've never even seen it!

 

[Altruist]

Thanks for the list, Kateb4.

Bored at work, so did some shopping just at the big online stores, Barnes and Noble (only worth it if you're a member) and Amazon. Btw, easiest way to search is just copy/paste the ISBN into the search bar at either site.

Here's a ballpark estimate of what we're looking at:

Total cost of every book (at cover price) on the list (even when you're supposed to pick 1 book out of 2 or 3): 2517.90

Total cost, choosing cheapest book (at cover price) when given the option: 2054.30

Total cost, choosing cheapest new book from Amazon: 1821.04

Total cost, choosing used when possible: 1251.12

Digitl's starting essentials (Anatomy + [Rohen] Atlas, Histo, Embryo, Phys, Path, Clinical Exam, Mosby's Lab Value book): $489 (Used/new) to $636 (New)

Your mileage may vary. Anyone know if one Embryo book is better than the other?

 

[digitlnoize]

Thanks for the list, Kateb4.

Bored at work, so did some shopping just at the big online stores, Barnes and Noble (only worth it if you're a member) and Amazon. Btw, easiest way to search is just copy/paste the ISBN into the search bar at either site.

Here's a ballpark estimate of what we're looking at:

Total cost of every book (at cover price) on the list (even when you're supposed to pick 1 book out of 2 or 3): 2517.90

Total cost, choosing cheapest book (at cover price) when given the option: 2054.30

Total cost, choosing cheapest new book from Amazon: 1821.04

Total cost, choosing used when possible: 1251.12

Digitl's starting essentials (Anatomy + [Rohen] Atlas, Histo, Embryo, Phys, Path, Clinical Exam, Mosby's Lab Value book): $489 (Used/new) to $636 (New)

Your mileage may vary. Anyone know if one Embryo book is better than the other?

Alright, let me go through this:

Dictionary: I recommend www.stedmans.com. First, it is slightly cheaper, and second, it doesn't require a fleet of trucks to haul it around. And they can't yell at you because it's technically Stedman's...

Anatomy: Get Moore's. The sooner the better. You don't really have to start studying it, but I'd try to read a little and get familiar with the format of the book.

Anatomy Atlas: Rohen's Color Atlas of Anatomy. Hands down. Trust me.

Biochemistry: Need this one first semester, but not too early. I'd go ahead and get one. Used is fine, unless you like things shiny.

Behavioral Science: You won't really need this until 1st semester of 2nd year, when we take the mini course. I've picked 1 or 2 issues from it (but many groups have not), and the library has a copy, just in case you do need to read a chapter or two.

Clinical Exam: 12 Lead ECG is a great book. Get it. Also get the Mosby's book. You'll need it.

Embryo: I personally prefer Langman's, but I've been using Moore all year. They're both embryo, which I loathe, so...yeah. Moore's is much better if you register it on Student Consult and read it online there, because they hyperlink all the pictures from the text. In the book, the figures referred to in the text can be quite a few pages from the text that references them. Kind of a pain. Langman's just seems clearer to me. You will need one of the 2 during 1st semester though, so get it now.

Genetics: Rarely picked. Could get by with library copy probably...but genetics is tested on boards, so...I got it...FWIW...haven't read it a whole lot yet. Maybe 2 chapters or so (out of 12-ish)...

General PBL: Skip Integrative Medicine unless you're interested and have money and time to burn. It's HUGE, expensive, and contains a ton of stuff that's not on boards. Interesting stuff about all kinds of vitamins and herbal remedies and research on them and their effects, interactions with medicines, etc. Probably the best resource for learning about "alternative therapies"...if you care.

Histology: Get it. Need it for anatomy. In case you didn't know, Histo = microanatomy, which is, of course, part of...anatomy.

Immunology: Didn't really touch it until 2nd semester, but that doesn't mean you won't. Used much?

Internal Medicine: For gods sake, don't get these. Ebooks of them are readily available, and again, don't require a fleet of trucks to haul it around in. They're expensive, and UpToDate is a much better, more accurate (and "up to date") clinical resource than either of these bohemoths. I don't have them and no one has ever cared. You also don't pick learning issues from them so, you're not tested on them directly either.

Micro: I can't really recommend one of these. I have the Nath book (he teaches here, you might have him for PBL) but we haven't really used it much yet. The problem is that it's done in "cases" but the chapters (cases) are REALLY long. It's an interesting twist that books that are written in a PBL style, are not much use for PBL. You want books with chapters and information and data...not cases and cases about diseases. You've got that already from PBL itself...I'm probably getting the Engleberg book. Supposedly you'll need both...

Neuroanatomy: Great book. Blumenfeld. Get it. It'll help to glance at some sections during anatomy (head and neck, autonomics, etc) to make some things clearer. It has great pictures of that stuff.

Neuro Atlas: Skip it. Not a fan of the pictures.

Nutrition: You'll need this for 2nd semester mini course. Not really before. It actually does have some good info on certain disease states (diabetes, anorexia, etc). Meh. I don't actually own it, FWIW. I just borrow it from friends on the off chance I need it. Or the library.

OMM: There's a great OMM review book (by Saverese) that I find much more helpful than either of these. Tests are 95% from the lecture slides anyways or he tells you the couple things you need to know from the book and you can go look them up in the...library.

Pathology: Robbin's. Thank God. Get it. Also get "Robbin's Review of Pathology" question book. There's also Basic Robbin's (aka Teenage Robbin's) and Pocket/Mini Robbins. Mini is helpful for quick, portable study.

Physiology: Guyton. Get it. Red. Awesome. Also get the Guyton Review Question Book. Many of our test questions come straight from the question book.

Pharmacology: Good book. Also get the Review book and the Lange Question book by Katzung. You'll read the review book mostly...

That should be it. Hope it helps! In other news, I'm done with 1st year!!! Now to sleep for days!!!

 

[digitlnoize]

Waitlist Update:

I talked to Heather. She said that this year has been VERY VERY competitive. Apparently everyone wants to go here! The waitlist is not moving alot right now...

I don't want to give you guys false hope, but hang in there...every year is different and it's always possible that this year is just running later than last...

Sorry it's not better news gang! Good luck!

Edit: Heather advised: APPLY EARLY. It really helps!

 

[Tappy]

For the waitlisters out there - I withdrew late last week. I loved LECOM-B but some other factors swayed my decision. Good luck to everyone! Hope you get in!

 

[MSmentor018]

I forgot to say, if you buy the "bangladesh" version of guyton/robbins and teenage robbins, they're $20-30 cheaper. I think I bought mine on abebooks.com (spring 2006)and took 3 weeks to arrive. wrapped in a brown paper bag with twine. seriously! it's the exact same thing except it's a softcover and the guyton cover is gold. the paper is a little thinner but otherwise i had no problems

 

[lemonslices]

For the waitlisters out there - I withdrew late last week. I loved LECOM-B but some other factors swayed my decision. Good luck to everyone! Hope you get in!

Just wondering how late last week? Was it before or after May 14? Sorry for the questions, its just im still on the waitlist hoping I will be able to get in!

 

[Tappy]

Just wondering how late last week? Was it before or after May 14? Sorry for the questions, its just im still on the waitlist hoping I will be able to get in!

It was on May 14th. Good luck!

 

[lemonslices]

.........

 

[Kateb4]

I forgot to say, if you buy the "bangladesh" version of guyton/robbins and teenage robbins, they're $20-30 cheaper. I think I bought mine on abebooks.com (spring 2006)and took 3 weeks to arrive. wrapped in a brown paper bag with twine. seriously! it's the exact same thing except it's a softcover and the guyton cover is gold. the paper is a little thinner but otherwise i had no problems

You can get a softcover "international" version for a bunch of the books, I have phys and it is exactly the same. Check ebay for those!

 

[DocHas]

Incidentally, our public transportation system here is called: MCAT. I just always think it's funny to see busses driving around with MCAT all over them.

That's much better than Sarasota's public transport: SCAT.

 

[nlax30]

Just wanted to say congrats to those that have gotten in and good luck to those waiting to hear something!!!

As of today I am officially done with Step 1 (USMLE and COMLEX) so I'll have a little more time to hop on here.

Good luck all!

 

[Pink Candy]

Just wanted to say congrats to those that have gotten in and good luck to those waiting to hear something!!!

As of today I am officially done with Step 1 (USMLE and COMLEX) so I'll have a little more time to hop on here.

Good luck all!

CONGRATS NLAX30!!! how did you prepare for both the USMLE and COMLEX?? How do you think you did? When will you know your score? Why did you choose to take both tests? I know I will be in your position at some point, and would love to hear (well, technically read) your advice!!!

Enjoy your "off" time and try to get some neurons back!!!!

 

[nlax30]

CONGRATS NLAX30!!! how did you prepare for both the USMLE and COMLEX??

Thanks! Good to be done. As far as preparing..... there are almost TOO MANY sources that can be used, so at some point you kind of learn what works for you and stick with a few review books you're comfortable with.

First Aid is pretty much a must have (and given to you by the school your 2nd year) and basically during this last semester I followed along in First Aid what I was studying for PBL and added notes and extra things to First Aid as I went along. It's very good, but not enough for boards. I have a TON of extra notes, charts, facts written in throughout and that's really when it becomes more useful.

I also had access to some Kaplan videos and would watch them throughout the semester, they basically cover everything and for the most part are very good.

Other things like random review books, Rapid Review Path (Goljan's book) and BRS Physio were a couple others I used this semester. Micro made Ridiculously is also a very good resource and a lot of us here read it either just for boards and/or during our micro block.

The school also provides you with access to Kaplan's Qbank during your last semester, and there are thousands of practice questions you can go through for practice.

With the exception of OMM I really don't there needs to be a huge difference in how you approach those tests. I took USMLE first and made sure I was comfortable with biochem and genetics. I saved OMM for the day between and to be honest, if you pay attention and do well in OMM during your first two years then you won't have any issues with it on the test. I reviewed a few items I needed a refresher on, but by your last semester you are already covering a lot of the same stuff in OMM multiple times so it sticks fairly well.

How do you think you did? When will you know your score?

Eh, who knows. I was basically expecting the worst and didn't run out screaming so I'll take that as a decent sign. Hopefully we'll know in 4-6wks.

Why did you choose to take both tests?

Chances are I would've be fine not taking USMLE. I'm really not gunning for some elite neurosurg residency at a famous academic center. I'm not 100% of what I want to go into yet, and location is VERY important to me as my wife has already started her career in this area so, ideally, we'd like to stay here.... and I just wanted to make sure that I was as competitive as I could be. For the MD programs around here I haven't anything about them "requiring" the USMLE, but I just don't know what's going to happen over the next couple of years and I just didn't want to regret NOT taking it.

I don't know, probably more of me trying to be extra prepared and not wanting to regret not taking it. That and there was no way I was going to take it a later time during 3rd year and have to study for it all over again.

 

[Calinyfl]

I just got pulled off the waitlist and accepted to LECOM Bradenton today! I'm so excited to come down there! Where is the best place to look for new roommates?

 

[Krisss17]

I just got pulled off the waitlist and accepted to LECOM Bradenton today! I'm so excited to come down there! Where is the best place to look for new roommates?

Congratulations, Calinyfl. I hope to be you in two years! What kind of stats do you have? When did you apply? Have you been on the waiting list for a while?

 

[digitlnoize]

I just got pulled off the waitlist and accepted to LECOM Bradenton today! I'm so excited to come down there! Where is the best place to look for new roommates?

http://www.lecomsgabradenton.com/

You can also check the Class of 2013 Facebook Group and sarasota.craigslist.org.

 

[WishingStar]

FYI, the waitlist is moving! Someone I know got in today!

 

[JRod72]

I just got pulled off the waitlist and accepted to LECOM Bradenton today! I'm so excited to come down there! Where is the best place to look for new roommates?

Did they keep in contact with you after the interview or was this the first contact you have received from LECOM-B since the interview?

Sorry for such a strange question. However, I am trying to discover a trend.

 

[Crashingtide]

hey I have a question for current LECOM-B students...

Let me preface this by saying I'm a hard worker and plan on kicking that up a thousand notches for med school as I have a huge passion for medicine, particularly osteopathic medicine. Failure is not an option!

Now, this is purely out of curiosity, but I have heard that LECOM-B doesn't like to give students many chances in regards to poor performance. To clarify, if a student fails a few classes or a year, they are out. This sounds ridiculous considering med schools put huge investments into their students and have more to gain by working with the student and helping them become successful (of course, this aid usually only goes so far), but what would you say is LECOM-B's policy with poor performing students? What programs do they offer and that you recommend every student takes advantage of to be successful?

Also, I signed up for the Big Sib program -- what does the program entail and how useful did you find it?

Thanks again and I really look forward to joining the LECOM-B community come August!

 

[digitlnoize]

hey I have a question for current LECOM-B students...

Let me preface this by saying I'm a hard worker and plan on kicking that up a thousand notches for med school as I have a huge passion for medicine, particularly osteopathic medicine. Failure is not an option!

Now, this is purely out of curiosity, but I have heard that LECOM-B doesn't like to give students many chances in regards to poor performance. To clarify, if a student fails a few classes or a year, they are out. This sounds ridiculous considering med schools put huge investments into their students and have more to gain by working with the student and helping them become successful (of course, this aid usually only goes so far), but what would you say is LECOM-B's policy with poor performing students? What programs do they offer and that you recommend every student takes advantage of to be successful?

Also, I signed up for the Big Sib program -- what does the program entail and how useful did you find it?

Thanks again and I really look forward to joining the LECOM-B community come August!

I think they give you enough chances. If you fail both anatomy AND pbl first semseter, you are likely out. But just one of the two I think they let you remediate over the summer. Also, I've heard that if you want to come back and repeat the year, they're very receptive to that. I honestly wouldn't be too worried about it. Most people that work really hard do just fine. I do know that we have a number of repeaters in my class and they're doing fairly well.

I'd also like to say that the staff is very receptive about helping students who are struggling. They'll give you pointers and try and steer you in the right direction if you're sucking.

I found the Big Sib program helpful. Then again, my big sib was nlax, so...yeah.

There's not much to it really. We share contact info, have lunch together one day at the beginning of the year...basically share any pointers we have...

 

[Crashingtide]

I think they give you enough chances. If you fail both anatomy AND pbl first semseter, you are likely out. But just one of the two I think they let you remediate over the summer. Also, I've heard that if you want to come back and repeat the year, they're very receptive to that. I honestly wouldn't be too worried about it. Most people that work really hard do just fine. I do know that we have a number of repeaters in my class and they're doing fairly well.

I'd also like to say that the staff is very receptive about helping students who are struggling. They'll give you pointers and try and steer you in the right direction if you're sucking.

I found the Big Sib program helpful. Then again, my big sib was nlax, so...yeah.

There's not much to it really. We share contact info, have lunch together one day at the beginning of the year...basically share any pointers we have...

Thanks for the quick reply! What about specific programs or services they offer that you think we should take advantage of? i.e. tutoring services, etc etc. Thanks again!

 

[vargant]

What is everyone doing for financial aid? Or, what do most medical students do for financial aid? Do they receive their Stafford and Fed Grad PLUS loan via the government, or through a private lender? What's the benefit for choosing a private lender? It appears to be that the interest rate is set by the government; therefore, why choose one lender over the other?

 

[digitlnoize]

Thanks for the quick reply! What about specific programs or services they offer that you think we should take advantage of? i.e. tutoring services, etc etc. Thanks again!

I think that last year some students offered some tutoring, but I was definitely too busy to even look into it last year. The problem isn't that the material is hard. I mean, the hip bone's connected to the leg bone, right?

The problem is the volume. People can give you pointers about how to memorize more efficiently (flashcards, take notes, don't take notes just read, highlight, don't highlight, etc) but no one can do the work for you. Sitting down with someone to have them explain all the muscles of the forearm to you only helps so much if you haven't memorized them and all their origins/insertions/innervations/blood supply.

 

[digitlnoize]

What is everyone doing for financial aid? Or, what do most medical students do for financial aid? Do they receive their Stafford and Fed Grad PLUS loan via the government, or through a private lender? What's the benefit for choosing a private lender? It appears to be that the interest rate is set by the government; therefore, why choose one lender over the other?

Stay tuned for an email from financial aid. Most of us get loans that are a combination of Stafford and Grad Plus loans which have rates set by the gov't but the loans are actually issued from private lenders. It's all pretty simple really once you get the info from financial aid.

Make sure you've done your FAFSA, like, yesterday.

 

[Crashingtide]

I found Discover to be the best lender, they offered 0 origination fees, which is nice