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LECOM-Bradenton Discussion Thread 2009-2010
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Awesome! Good job salora 👍
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Agreed. Congrats!
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me me me! :-D. sooooooooo excited!
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We don't 2nd year. I think we did 1st year, but unfortunately, I can't say I'm 100% sure.
"Breaks" in med school aren't quite what they were prior to med school. All it means is that you don't have to go to class, so you have more time to study. Since we're in class so little anyways, it doesn't mean much at all...unless you go on a trip or something. Winter and Summer break still count, but mid-semester breaks (spring/thanksgiving)...those don't count for as much.
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When does the school year start?
It started July 27 last year, thats what it says on the handbook. So if they keep it the same Im guessing ~July 26th...
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I'm not, but there's a large number of students in my class in the HPSP programs...The general consensus seems to be that it's a great thing to do IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SERVING. Don't do it if you just want the money.
I agree with Digitl's assessment. I also know several people in my class that are doing it. The only way it even comes close to balancing out financially is if you were doing FP, peds, or another specialty where you were looking at around $150k/year. Of course, it's not nearly as simple as that so you'd have to do your own research, but definitely don't just assume you'll come out ahead with having them pay for school.
Yeah I know, I wouldnt be doing it just for the money. But its still a huge commitment, and Ive been tossing it around for a while. We'll see what happens...Im still debating it. Thanks for your responses devlyyn and digitl!!!
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Don't wait too long if you are thinking about doing it. I was told by the Air Force recruiter that they make their decisions for HPSP on 2/16 I believe. I was going to do it, but was disqualified by an undiagnosed medical condition....Oh well for me!
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That would be my best guess. They haven't sent us anything official yet, but starting on July 26th and going until December 17th would be 21 weeks, just like our first semester was.
And regarding HPSP, definitely think it through and see if you can talk to people who've done it; but as Ditchdoc says, once you make the decision, get your paperwork in fast. There's a bunch of stuff you have to do before they give you a final approval, and you may be left scrambling for financial aid if you get denied at the last minute. Chances of that are slim, but one of my classmates went through it.
Also, from what I hear, Air Force fills up the fastest, and they've started putting a bunch of (IMHO bs) restrictions on who they'll take. I assume they had more apps than they had spaces last year.
This is all secondhand info from HPSP classmates of mine, so take it for what it's worth.
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FWIW, our medical insurance ROCKS! 100% coverage of pretty much everything under the sun. No exclusions due to pre-existing conditions. Just have to pay your (low) copays. Low deductible per year...It rocks.
So I got alternate-listed after my interview and 2 weeks later got accepted! I was so confused when I got the envelope because I had just come back from a trip, doing my latest round of interviews, one of which was LECOM-Erie. I thought it was from Erie at first and thought "that was fast." Then I kept seeing "Fl" on the address and was all "huh?" LOL That's what happens when your timezones get shifted and you have to spend the night at the airport.
Okay, I have a couple questions about LECOM-B:
1.) I know it's a PBL curriculum and I shouldn't fret about it too much, but on one of my other interviews people were talking about biochem and how difficult it was and how it's so differently represented on the USMLE compared to the COMLEX. Anyways, most schools w/the standard lecture approach study biochem right away in the first semester through the second year. Do you guys jump right in with it as well and do you think you are being adequately prepared for it on both the COMLEX and USMLE? I know, I know, 100% pass rate, but still, would you guys say you're being adequately prepared in that area?
2.) I don't think this was made all too clear on my interview day, but LECOM-E has research opportunities. Does LECOM-B have any?
Okay, I have a couple questions about LECOM-B:
1.) I know it's a PBL curriculum and I shouldn't fret about it too much, but on one of my other interviews people were talking about biochem and how difficult it was and how it's so differently represented on the USMLE compared to the COMLEX. Anyways, most schools w/the standard lecture approach study biochem right away in the first semester through the second year. Do you guys jump right in with it as well and do you think you are being adequately prepared for it on both the COMLEX and USMLE? I know, I know, 100% pass rate, but still, would you guys say you're being adequately prepared in that area?
2.) I don't think this was made all too clear on my interview day, but LECOM-E has research opportunities. Does LECOM-B have any?
Linka:
For every PBL exam you'll have something like 4-6 chapters of assigned reading to do. These readings are chosen to cover topics that you absolutely must know, but would be difficult to necessarily cover in an individual case. For one of our exams we had 3 introductory biochem chapters. We also had many, many more on the test that we chose just going through the cases. At least in my group, it seemed like we wanted to pick biochem for every case. I really like the textbook we use. I don't think you'll have any problem covering as much biochem as you want.
As for research, I don't really know much about it. I would imagine you can do research if you want, but it'll be up to you to set everything up. Not being connected to an undergraduate university or hospital, your opportunities for research just won't be comparable to some other schools. That goes for any school that isn't directly connected to a big research center.
For every PBL exam you'll have something like 4-6 chapters of assigned reading to do. These readings are chosen to cover topics that you absolutely must know, but would be difficult to necessarily cover in an individual case. For one of our exams we had 3 introductory biochem chapters. We also had many, many more on the test that we chose just going through the cases. At least in my group, it seemed like we wanted to pick biochem for every case. I really like the textbook we use. I don't think you'll have any problem covering as much biochem as you want.
As for research, I don't really know much about it. I would imagine you can do research if you want, but it'll be up to you to set everything up. Not being connected to an undergraduate university or hospital, your opportunities for research just won't be comparable to some other schools. That goes for any school that isn't directly connected to a big research center.
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For what it's worth, every day I walk into school I pass by a research poster board someone did showing LECOM-B's performance against that of other DO schools. According to that, we do well above average in biochem on COMLEX. I can't tell you much about USMLE. We seem to have people who do very well on USMLE every year, but I don't have numbers on that.
I got a PM a while ago from another person admitted to LECOM-B who works at a neuroscience lab up in Tampa wondering if students might want to go up there to do research. I'm sure there are opportunities, just not much (if anything) at the school itself.
Slightly off-topic, but there are a lot of good threads on SDN regarding whether research in med school is worth it. My impression is that it's hard to get a paper published from research done on the side in med school, and if the time you spend on it causes you to neglect learning the basic sciences, you're probably hurting yourself.
Whatever you decide, I wouldn't commit to anything extra until you get into the swing of things in med school. It's hard to know what you can handle until you're doing it.
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I have my interview 1/19, anyone know what % of people who are interviewed get accepted? Any tips? I am nervous!
Thanks, everyone, for your help!
They told us 50% get accepted post-interview. As for tips: they're going to ask you about PBL and why you think this program is right for you, so be prepared for that question. There are also lots of previously-asked questions in the Interview Feedback section of this site. You might have an open-file interview, you might not, but you should prepare just in case: know your file, if you struggled at times with your coursework, that's okay, but be prepared to talk about it and what you've done since to fix your problems/improve your application. They might try a good cop/bad cop routine with you (that's what I got), don't get nervous or discouraged if one of the interviewers stonewalls you, it's just a tactic, it's not their personal opinion of you or your application. They want to see how you perform under stressful conditions. Um, what else...be enthusiastic, prepare questions to ask them about the school so it comes across that you're interested in it. That's the best advice I can give you - good luck!
They told us 50% get accepted post-interview. As for tips: they're going to ask you about PBL and why you think this program is right for you, so be prepared for that question. There are also lots of previously-asked questions in the Interview Feedback section of this site. You might have an open-file interview, you might not, but you should prepare just in case: know your file, if you struggled at times with your coursework, that's okay, but be prepared to talk about it and what you've done since to fix your problems/improve your application. They might try a good cop/bad cop routine with you (that's what I got), don't get nervous or discouraged if one of the interviewers stonewalls you, it's just a tactic, it's not their personal opinion of you or your application. They want to see how you perform under stressful conditions. Um, what else...be enthusiastic, prepare questions to ask them about the school so it comes across that you're interested in it. That's the best advice I can give you - good luck!
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Thanks for the quick response! Do you have a link to where I can find the interview feedback section?
No problem! http://more.studentdoctor.net/schoollist.php?type=1 I suggest you bookmark that; it'll help you on all your interviews!
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Thank you so much! I didn't even know something like that existed 🙂
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Biochem: You do a lot of biochem 1st year. My recommendation is to get really solid on it both before med school and during 1st year. My class seems to have mostly avoided the subject second year (it's certainly one of my weakest subjects) and now I have to spend some time reviewing it in 1st Aid and Rapid Review Biochem. I think what we do is adequate though. If anything, I fault my undergrad for not giving me a very strong foundation in both Biochem and Micro (my two weakest subjects). No fault of LECOM. Many of the things tested in these areas are rather basic...
Research: There is some research going on at LECOM. You have the opportunity to participate in it after 1st year, and you can do research electives during years 3 and 4 as well. It's not a "focus" though. Honestly, research doesn't matter that much. Go look at the MD Match Statistics for this past year and notice how in pretty much every field, you have students who matched successfully (mean # of research projects ~2) and students who failed to match (mean # of research projects also ~2). As you can see, it really doesn't seem to matter, when you look at the match statistics. There is also a program director survery out there, where PD's rank what's important to them. Research falls pretty far down the list. Not at the bottom, mind you, but pretty far down there. I think it's probably more important if you want to do residency at a VERY research heavy institution (Yale, Harvard, etc). Me, I just want to be a fraking doctor, and hate doing research. Give me a clinical month over a research month ANY day.
Research: There is some research going on at LECOM. You have the opportunity to participate in it after 1st year, and you can do research electives during years 3 and 4 as well. It's not a "focus" though. Honestly, research doesn't matter that much. Go look at the MD Match Statistics for this past year and notice how in pretty much every field, you have students who matched successfully (mean # of research projects ~2) and students who failed to match (mean # of research projects also ~2). As you can see, it really doesn't seem to matter, when you look at the match statistics. There is also a program director survery out there, where PD's rank what's important to them. Research falls pretty far down the list. Not at the bottom, mind you, but pretty far down there. I think it's probably more important if you want to do residency at a VERY research heavy institution (Yale, Harvard, etc). Me, I just want to be a fraking doctor, and hate doing research. Give me a clinical month over a research month ANY day.
I was debating whether I should review biochem before school. People have been telling me to just enjoy my time off before classes start, but I've been trying to read/review from my undergrad biochem textbook (Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry). I heard med school biochem is different though: not so much pathway-based and Lehninger focuses very heavily on the mechanistic/chemistry side of biochem.
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Don't bother with Lehninger's. Use Mark's (our textbook) + Rapid Review.
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With PBL you kind of jump right into everything it seems like. There really are no strictly 1st year or 2nd year topics, so something like biochem will be touched on throughout those 2 years.
I don't think there's really all that much difference in how you would need to prep for the USMLE as compared to COMLEX. I've heard the same about Biochem possibly being a larger part of USMLE so I made sure to review that subject really well on my own.
I don't think it's really the pass rate that's impressive, but as far as I know we had the highest COMLEX average this past year among DO schools. And I think maybe 30-40 of us took USMLE step 1 as well and did very well even compared to MD schools.
If you put in the time and effort you WILL be prepared. Heck, we are reading the actual textbooks that are pretty much the standard for medical knowledge and not just bullet point lectures, it may be a rough 2 years but I don't see a much better way to be prepared.
There is "some" on campus, I never got involved during the first 2 years but I know a few people were involved in some more clinical research. USF is just less than an hour away and I know a couple folks have become involved that way, and then you can always do a research month during 3rd/4th years. Definitely nothing big or super organized on campus, but if it's something you really want to do then you can make it happen.
I received an email on November 3rd stating my file would be re-reviewed within 60 days (my file was missing a document that was received the following morning) and that I would be contacted regarding an interview at that time. I have not received any further information and was told when calling admissions two weeks ago that my file was still under review. Has this happened to anyone else? Should I contact that school again?
Also, if I choose not to attend my interview at LECOM-Erie will this affect my chances of being interviewed at LECOM-B? I have other acceptance offers at this time, but LECOM-B is my first choice for a number of reasons. Although I love curriculm, I do not think that Erie, PA is the best choice for my husband and daughter so have decided it is foolish to send extra money on the trip only to waste the interviewers' time.
Any ideas here?
Thanks!!!
Also, if I choose not to attend my interview at LECOM-Erie will this affect my chances of being interviewed at LECOM-B? I have other acceptance offers at this time, but LECOM-B is my first choice for a number of reasons. Although I love curriculm, I do not think that Erie, PA is the best choice for my husband and daughter so have decided it is foolish to send extra money on the trip only to waste the interviewers' time.
Any ideas here?
Thanks!!!
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1. Probably still under review, but I guess it never hurts to call and ask. Maybe try (nicely) to explain your concern.
2. Turning down an Erie interview shouldn't affect your chances here. As far as I know, the processes are separate. We're mostly our own school down here, with some admin oversight from Erie, but they seem pretty hands-off to me.
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DitchDoc73, KG216, dudechiefboss, digitlnoize, Emerald84, devlyyn, & PoohBear88..: Thanks guys!! 😀 Did I mention how excited I am?! Very. Excited.
Now to begin the mad dash-o' scrambling for $1500 in 3.5 weeks. I knew having 3 jobs would come in handy eventually...
Now to begin the mad dash-o' scrambling for $1500 in 3.5 weeks. I knew having 3 jobs would come in handy eventually...
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It was 2 weeks for me. I sumbitted on Nov 19th & they called me on Dec 2nd (or there abouts). Can't think of anything to add to what others have already said...
I totally agree with what others have said (i.e. weigh it carefully AND only if you sincerely want to serve, get the [insane amount of] paperwork rolling ASAP, etc). I started the whole thing back in November and was fast-tracked b/c of my background, only to be told halfway through the process that having asthma was an instant disqualifier. Argh. (They are supposed to screen for that sort of thing earlier-on, but the recruiter with whom I spoke [repeatedly] forgot to mention that part...) Ah well - it wasn't in the cards for me. Good luck to you!
What is the title or ISBN #? I found a bunch on Amazon and don't know which one I should get. Surprisingly, they're pretty cheap for textbooks.
Btw, sorry I'm late, but congratulations, Salora and everyone else who got in recently!
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Oh, also! Not sure whether you're aware, sarah9, but just in case you're too late this year (2/16 decision-date, yikes), you *can* apply for next year. A friend of mine at PCOM did it starting his 2nd year; it's not all-4-years-or-nothing. While it can be for any number of years, though, bear in mind that the minimum number of service-repayment years is 3 (so even if Uncle Sam only pays for 2 years of school, say, you'd still owe 3 years of service). Hope that helps!
Also also, congrats to all those getting interviews!! It's a great feeling, no? 🙂
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This one: http://www.amazon.com/Marks-Basic-M...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263845049&sr=1-1
Disclaimer: this was our text (2012, and I think 2013, too). Although it hasn't changed in years, it's possible they could change it on you, so don't kill me if you need another book!
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Can any current student give insight on the pathology book that you use? I am taking a cancer pathology course this year and they recommend getting Robbins and Cotran (7th Edition)...just wondering if that was the path book that you guys chose to use, if so I won't feel bad about getting the newer edition.😀 Thanks!
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Yes, that was our required text for c/o 2013 as well. Most of us like it. The Rapid Review biochem book Digitl mentioned has a green cover and Goljan is one of the authors.
BUT... while I remember how exciting it is to get accepted, brushing up on biochem should be way, way down the list of priorities as an MS-0. Seriously. They'll send you the book list in June.
For Path, my class has Robbins 8th ed (2009, blue cover) as a required text, for what that's worth. No guarantees, but I don't think they're going to switch that anytime soon.
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Ok you guys are starting to make me really nervous (though thanks for the congrats, Linka!). My bio course was biochem-heavy and notoriously difficult (there were semi-confirmed rumors that the prof writes for the MCAT & the course is commonly described as "a little league game without a slaughter rule")... but I've never taken biochem explicitly. Should I be following that Amazon link as well/prepping for this..??
...And here I thought I was being all proactive with my, um, liberated copy of Rosetta Stone Español...
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Ahhh, thank you for living up to your handle, Altruist. Was so busy composing my freakout that I didn't update to see your post. ::whew::
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Sorry, I didn't mean to freak anyone out! I certainly did NOT mean that you have to learn the whole biochem book before coming to school. No need. I didn't know hardly ANY biochem before coming to school, but in retrospect, I wish I had known a bit more than I did.
So, if you feel you have a weak undergrad-level background in an area...AND you feel like you want to be a Gunner and get a little ahead of the curve...AND you have some free time AFTER you've enjoyed your last few months of freedom...then, go ahead and look at some biochem pictures before class starts...
I should also add that I'm old, and I didn't really want or require a "last month of freedom before med school." I'd had about 10 years too many of those prior to med school starting, so from my perspective it's good to get down to business...not that I did that really...sigh...
Anyways, if you're looking to be a masochist then listen to some Goljan, try and draw some biochem pictures, etc. But, don't worry about it too much...anything you do in prior to med school will be about 1% of what you'll be able to cover after a few months of it...
So, no one freak out, but if you want some medical leisure reading (and I did) brush up on your weak subjects. If you don't know a lot of medical conditions, watch House, or Discovery Health. If you suck at biochem glance through the book in your spare time. If you've never had anatomy, try the anatomy coloring book for fun. Or, do nothing...it's no biggie.
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Glad that helped out. Yes, some of your classmates will have had biochem. But guess what? Everybody has the same chapters to work out of. People who work hard get to the same point, no matter where they started from.
For what it's worth, I was not a science major and I have done pretty well (at least for the first semester). I definitely noticed a gap in grades in the beginning between those who had anatomy/histology before and those who hadn't. Once we got into PBL though it seemed that the grades leveled off. I never had a single biochem class and I got mostly As in the biochem sections on our exams. I just have to work harder at it than some, but its certainly doable. Everybody told me to just enjoy my summer, and I'm glad I did. The only thing I would have done differently is to read the introduction chapter of the anatomy and histology book. Several times if possible. I definitely had a bit of a panic in the beginning because I didn't know ANYTHING and you are going full-steam ahead in the first week. But don't buy any books until you get the official list. I know we had some book changes (anatomy being one of them) from the 2nd years. Also, save up as much money as you can. Loans are no fun.
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Hmm. I guess I'm just weird then. I also didn't have much of a medical background coming in, and I've worked my butt off, but I still feel like I struggle with Biochem and Micro...I really think that if I'd given myself a better foundation prior to med school, I'd be better in these areas...but that's just me.
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Robbins and Cotran (7th) is what my class used (2011) first year, then they switched us to Rubins but I think a lot of people complained and I never switched. I think they're back to Robbins now. It's definitely an intimidating book but it's pretty much the standard and it's just an incredible resource, definitely one I'll be holding onto.
It's not a huge deal to have a different edition from the "official" list, only slightly inconvenient because when you submit testing topics, they are based on the chapters/page numbers of the official book edition on the list. If you have an older/different edition the pages and/or chapters may not be exactly the same and so you just will have to make sure that the same material is covered. We had a bunch of people who had the previous version of the physio book and they didn't have any problems. And the library has copies of the required texts so you can always compare the chapters in those with your book.
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