LECOM-Bradenton Discussion Thread 2009-2010

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MSUSpartan642 said:
Well I just got complete today so hopefully my interview invite is coming soon too :cool:
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mine was a surprisingly quick turnaround, within a week so hopefully you'll hear something soon!
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So, I just find out TODAY after calling LECOM-B that AACOMAS never updated their website with my MCAT scores from the AAMC that I had sent back in JULY! And so I call AACOMAS and what? They close at 3:00pm EST? SERIOUSLY? I'm so angry I can't even stand it. All the DO schools I've applied to have been waiting on my MCAT score, a score they should have received months ago, all because AACOMAS didn't update my application. Rar. I hope this doesn't hurt my chances. So much for getting all of my applications in early. It's like I never even sent them. And I still have to wait until next week to get it updated because now they're closed for the weekend.
 
Very impressed by Bradenton's program after my interview today...the PBL session I sat-in really exceeded what I had in mind.

I am excited to hear back from the admissions office within the next week or two.
 
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Glad you had a positive experience! Did you sit in on first or second years for PBL?
 
I interviewed at LECOM-B on 9/18 as well. I love the location (near Sarasota). I just don't know about their rules. The school came across as kind of stuffy, but it seemed very good. They're doing something right...they had the highest average COMLEX I scores this year. PBL is great. It's a good fit for me.

I got into UMDNJ, so it will be hard to pass that up. I just really like warm weather. That's the only advantage of LECOM-B for me.
 
devlyyn said:
Glad you had a positive experience! Did you sit in on first or second years for PBL?
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The admissions office had us sit-in with second years. Maybe it was the group I was in, but everyone there really knew what he or she is talking about.

How are groups assigned?
 
I interviewed on 9/18 as well. I loved PBL, but this interview didnt go as well as my others. It wasnt me, as I was myself as always. One of the interviewers was purposely pushing my buttons and trying to steer me away from every answer I gave. Whatever, i just said what I thought was right regardless. No one else I talked to had this issue though. Strange. Maybe it was me!!

Anyway, if I do get accepted here, I will most likely have to think about LECOM-B vs. Nova. It seems LECOM-B should allow you to borrow more money to cover cost of living, even if only emergency and you wont use it, as Nova does.
 
You'd be surprised how much you can learn in the PBL setting. First years only have it once a week during anatomy, but I already feel like I've learned a lot. It puts us at a huge advantage moving into our clinical years as well. Plus with a 100% COMLEX pass rate and very good residency placements it is obviously working. But everyone who interviewed here already knows that. You get your PBL assignments at the beginning of every semester. During anatomy, your PBL group is also your lab group. You get to know each other pretty well. I believe they change facilitators every 10 weeks and you change groups every semester. As the facilitators get to know the group members they try to separate the groups to have the best and most effective diversity they can.

Great weather. Comparatively low tuition. Good board scores. It was a no brainer for me, but definitely not for someone who isn't extremely self motivated.
 
Not really sure what details you got on loans but you will be able to take out loans for cost of living type stuff as well. Every school puts out a budget that includes things like tuition, books, transportation, living, etc... Basically the cost of attendance which determines how much loans you can take out. It may vary a little among different schools because of tuition and local cost of living differences.
 
droogdoc said:
I interviewed on 9/18 as well. I loved PBL, but this interview didnt go as well as my others. It wasnt me, as I was myself as always. One of the interviewers was purposely pushing my buttons and trying to steer me away from every answer I gave. Whatever, i just said what I thought was right regardless. No one else I talked to had this issue though. Strange. Maybe it was me!!
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Nah, it probably wasn't you. I had a similar experience in that I just thought the interview was a little odd. Dr. Kruger (the assistant dean) has said that they don't purposely have a confrontational interview system here... but I don't think that memo has made it to all the interviewers.

Looking back on mine, I felt like one of my interviewers kept nailing me to the wall, picking apart the weaknesses of each of my answers. I was pretty surprised when I was accepted. Guess who my advisor is? The "tough" interviewer I had. Guess he wasn't as big a critic as I'd thought. So you never know.

droogdoc said:
Anyway, if I do get accepted here, I will most likely have to think about LECOM-B vs. Nova. It seems LECOM-B should allow you to borrow more money to cover cost of living, even if only emergency and you wont use it, as Nova does.
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It depends on how much you need, of course, but I know some out-of-state folks who took out $59k in loans, the max allowed. Their financial aid excess check for the first semester was ~$12,000. They'll get another check in January for ~$11-$12k. You can live pretty comfortably on that (for a student), even in Bradenton, FL; but it depends on what lifestyle you're used to.

I wish you luck and hope you have the problem of having to decide amongst all your acceptances. You should find out from LECOM next week. If you have any questions, let us know--there's a pretty solid crew of LECOM-B students on here who can help you out.
 
EckXXX said:
How are groups assigned?
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From what my advisor has told me, PBL groups are assigned so that there's a good mix of students, from the top to the bottom of the class. So there aren't groups of 8 geniuses and groups of 8 people who are struggling. It's more like, you'll have 2 or 3 people from the top of the class, 2 or 3 from the middle, and a couple from the bottom tier in each group.

Doing it this way is good for everybody because it makes sure groups move at more-or-less the same speed, and nobody gets left behind.

I don't know exactly how they choose groups for the first semester, but they seem to try to guess how people are going to do and split them up that way. (My group has a pretty wide spread of performance in anatomy, so that's why I think they do it this way.) From 2nd semester on, it'll depend on your grades.
 
Hey peoples,

I'm interviewing at LECOM on 9/28. Anybody else gonna be there? Message me! It'd be great to go over some interview stuff with another applicant!
 
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Just a heads up for those people who are interviewing at this school.

This was my third interview, and I felt like it was the most probing and serious out of the three. My interviewers did not grill me as much as other people seemed to be. But that may be because my interviewers were less confrontational than others (i.e. I got lucky), and I think my responses were pretty well thought out ahead of time. I tried to make sure there weren't any gaps for the interviewers to focus on. Read the interview feedback here on SDN. Many of the questions were asked from there.

As always, don't stress out and don't get flustered if they grill you. Good luck.
 
I just called the office and I am accepted for class of 2014!!!!!!SO HAPPY...interviewed 9/18
 
hi guys,

Do you get interview invites thru email or snail mail?
'cause mine says they've sent me a letter. is it a rejection letter?? :(
 
quynhhuong said:
hi guys,

Do you get interview invites thru email or snail mail?
'cause mine says they've sent me a letter. is it a rejection letter?? :(
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The admissions office called my cell with an interview offer...
 
I just got a call this afternoon (to my cell) inviting me for an interview! They offered 9/28 but that is so soon. I chose 10/30.

Super quick turnaround, I submitted 9/17.

Any other advice for interviewees besides what is already posted here and on the interview feedback?
 
Congrats to those accepted today :)

I called this am and was told my app will be "re-reviewed in one week". I feel neutral about this. Anybody have expereince with a re-review so soon? I sent two additional LOR's today... I figure anything extra at this point should help... right?

Just a bit of background on myself.. I'm a non-trad, nurse practitioner with great work expereince, excellent undergrad and graduate grades, good volunteer experience. I believe my low MCAT score is affecting my ability to get an interview. I didn't do as well as I would have liked and I blame it on being 7 months pregnant at the time, but obviously the admissions committe doesn't know that :)
 
golfin87 said:
I just called the office and I am accepted for class of 2014!!!!!!SO HAPPY...interviewed 9/18
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That's awesome. I am going to wait for their snail-mail response since I do not have any pending deposit deadlines.

For some reason I thought the committee was meeting tomorrow. Hopefully, the letters will go out before the end of the week.

Congrats, again!
 
Congrats to those who already were accepted! It is a great feeling to keep that from looming over your head, especially this early in the cycle. Good luck scraping up the $1500 :). It's worth it though.

For those who haven't interviewed yet, or haven't heard back yet, prepare for your interview but don't worry if you feel like you did less than stellar. I left feeling pretty iffy about my performance but I still got in. Try to enjoy the experience while you are there and take in as much as possible.

Sophie-- I know someone in our class is a NP, I think its great to have the clinical background. Certainly don't think it hurts your app.
 
THanks....yeah i would have waited but I wanted to cancel my AZCOM interview for Friday if I got accepted here. I absolutely loved the school too. PBL was great and I can really see myself doing well with the curriculum. Also i liked the professional feel to the school. And I get the feeling that PBL prepares students for clinicals better than just lecture-discussion. Good luck to everyone!
 
Did the same here. I cancelled all my interviews after I got accepted. It's great how fast they get back to you. My state MD schools take months and months just to tell you you're waitlisted...
 
did anybody who interviewed on monday call?
 
golfin87 said:
I just called the office and I am accepted for class of 2014!!!!!!SO HAPPY...interviewed 9/18
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Hey, I interviewed that day too, and on the portal it says..."The Admissions Committee has made a decision on your application. You will receive an official letter in the mail within 30 days." Wonder if that's good or bad??
 
labgirl said:
Hey, I interviewed that day too, and on the portal it says..."The Admissions Committee has made a decision on your application. You will receive an official letter in the mail within 30 days." Wonder if that's good or bad??
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I have the same message. It's neither good or bad. They don't call anyone, so everyone gets the same message whether you got in or not.
 
devlyyn said:
Did the same here. I cancelled all my interviews after I got accepted. It's great how fast they get back to you. My state MD schools take months and months just to tell you you're waitlisted...
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Haha, yeah, they're so nice with that! (MD Schools :p)
 
AHHHH!!!!! Just got an interview invite!!! October 30th! Anyone else going then??
 
By the way, I submitted 9/11 and they just got my MCAT scores today, so turnaround is really quick as long as they have everything.
 
Interview invite 09/23, interview date 11/6
 
I'm interviewing on Nov. 6th!!! YAY
 
I'll be scheduling my interview tomorrow, first thing. Sounds like a great choice of schools so I'm excited. Good luck to everyone!
 
..
 
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nlax30 said:
Just to throw in a little encouragement, we just got word that our 2011 class had 100% pass rate on comlex step 1.
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They told us about this when I interviewed. They're definitely doing something right.
 
DocHomer said:
They told us about this when I interviewed. They're definitely doing something right.
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FYI.. the students on my day told us that they don't let you take the test unless you score a certain level on a practice test that's even harder... so, ultimately, the 100% pass is not a true reflection of jack.

:eek:
 
nys311637 said:
FYI.. the students on my day told us that they don't let you take the test unless you score a certain level on a practice test that's even harder... so, ultimately, the 100% pass is not a true reflection of jack.

:eek:
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I heard this too. LECOM-Erie claims that THEY dont do this, though. Who knows. I think both Midwestern schools do this as well, from older posts. I mean, I guess it is good for practice. But if the test is harder and it is just used as one big practice test to "screen" who is "ready" is that really helping the students prepare for the COMLEX, or is it for the image of the school???

But, admittedly, judging from what I saw with PBL, I think those students are well prepared regardless.
 
nys311637 said:
FYI.. the students on my day told us that they don't let you take the test unless you score a certain level on a practice test that's even harder... so, ultimately, the 100% pass is not a true reflection of jack.

:eek:
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All schools require that you pass exams before you can take your boards. Evidently LECOM-B's curriculum and exams do a little better job of preparing students for boards.

Not every school can say they had a 100% first time pass rate last year. So ultimately, 100% pass rate is a sign LECOM-B is preparing students to succeed on Step 1.
 
nys311637 said:
FYI.. the students on my day told us that they don't let you take the test unless you score a certain level on a practice test that's even harder... so, ultimately, the 100% pass is not a true reflection of jack.

:eek:
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Well, there's a little more to it then that. But the way to look at it is that every student in my class passed and the avg was a nice bit above the national avg. During 2nd year there are multiple diagnostic exams that help you judge where you currently stand as the year progresses, not really sure I would call them outright harder. They may have said harder because for the most part you aren't going to be studying for these diagnostic tests specifically as they are just to point out any weak areas.

So to say that this 100% doesn't mean jack is a little ridiculous. This is a test that you want to pass and do very well on the FIRST time you take it, you do NOT want to fail it.
 
Mochajonz said:
All schools require that you pass exams before you can take your boards. Evidently LECOM-B's curriculum and exams do a little better job of preparing students for boards.

Not every school can say they had a 100% first time pass rate last year. So ultimately, 100% pass rate is a sign LECOM-B is preparing students to succeed on Step 1.
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Not quite the same thing. It is a screening tool to see who can sit on the Comlex, not just another exam. I think it can be a good thing or a bad thing. It is also a sign that Lecom-B does not let you test unless they say you are ready. Which I think is a contrast to the schools education strategy.

It is always good to see how prepared you are, but I also think students should be treated like adults and allowed to decide if they are ready for a test.

Don't read too much into this post, I know PBL works, and FWIW, I think it is an awesome way to learn. I just think the pass rate of the students on this screening test would be more reflective of an actual first time pass rate. It kind of ruins the spirit of the statistic.

Once again, I don't think having the students take the test is a bad thing, or even that requiring a passing score to sit for the Comlex is a bad thing. Personally I just don't care for it, and believe it makes the 100% pass rate incomparable to schools which do not have the test.
 
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nys311637 said:
FYI.. the students on my day told us that they don't let you take the test unless you score a certain level on a practice test that's even harder... so, ultimately, the 100% pass is not a true reflection of jack.

:eek:
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Hmmm...that's interesting. I never heard about this being done in the States. I know it's common at many Caribbean schools though.
 
I wouldn't get too hung up on statistics like pass rates. It usually quickly turns into a my school is better than your school thing. The truth is that any medical school you go to in the states will prepare you to be a physician if you work hard enough. Much of choosing a school is finding the one that fits your learning style / needs better. At LECOM B, they use a PBL system which is new to MOST people. In this case, statistics can be helpful b/c the last thing you want is to feel like you've signed up for some sort of experiement only to find out you're screwed after 4 years. Every school will require you to take exams to move forward and every school does that differently. All the pass rate really is meant to say is that PBL is different and some people may not like it, but for those who do, don't worry because it actually does work.
 
devlyyn said:
I wouldn't get too hung up on statistics like pass rates. It usually quickly turns into a my school is better than your school thing. The truth is that any medical school you go to in the states will prepare you to be a physician if you work hard enough. Much of choosing a school is finding the one that fits your learning style / needs better. At LECOM B, they use a PBL system which is new to MOST people. In this case, statistics can be helpful b/c the last thing you want is to feel like you've signed up for some sort of experiement only to find out you're screwed after 4 years. Every school will require you to take exams to move forward and every school does that differently. All the pass rate really is meant to say is that PBL is different and some people may not like it, but for those who do, don't worry because it actually does work.
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Well said. Overall, I liked the school and I think I would get a good education here. The big thing for anyone considering LECOM-B is figuring out if PBL is right for you.
 
Kevon said:
Not quite the same thing. It is a screening tool to see who can sit on the Comlex, not just another exam. I think it can be a good thing or a bad thing. It is also a sign that Lecom-B does not let you test unless they say you are ready. Which I think is a contrast to the schools education strategy.
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I'm just trying to clear up a mis-communication somewhere. We have exams that we have to pass before we can move on. Our school does not keep you from taking the COMLEX based off of one diagnostic exam. We have several exams that we must pass just like every other school. I don't know who came up with this "one test" to determine if you are ready for boards thing.

It's like nlax said. We take several diagnostics. These diagnostics do not determine whether or not you get to take your boards. Your exam average excluding the diagnostics determines if you get to take your boards. Which is not different from any other school.

nlax and I are both LECOM-B students, so in terms of knowing what is expected of us, I think we have an advantage :)
 
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