LECOM Class of 2006

[asilvey]

This is the place for the LECOM class of 2006 to post regarding the school, Erie, medicine, etc. My first question is: what areas of town have a good reputation with the students? Has anyone started researching housing yet? If so, some links would be great!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[jean]

LECOM will send you a housing packet next fall, most students live within a few miles of school but, you can live anywhere in town and get around easily. This is the only website I can remember BaldwinBros.com

 

[fiesty4]

Hi. I was accepted into the PBL pathway at LECOM. Is anyone else thinking about this pathway? If there is a student already in the PBL, can you tell me what it is like?

 

[maxim728]

Hi everyone, got accepted into LECOM!!!! Really relieved now, but I have a few questions in which i was hoping someone here could answer:
* How many MS4s secured residencies, and were any at prestigious hospitals?
* Do students have to secure their own rotations(do they have to schedule them on their own)?
and
* are first years allowed to do "rounds" with physicians as their preceptors, or is that until year 2?
Thanks

 

[mistirvr]

Hi! I recently received an invitation to interview at LECOM on Jan. 11! What is the interview day like? What does it mean to *apply* for PBL pathway? If you're a LECOM student, or recently accepted, what influenced your decision? Thanks!!

Oh, one more thing, I'm from down south and haven't ever dealt with snow. How should I dress for that (shoes, coat..)?

-Melissa

 

[maxim728]

hi mistirvr, well the reasons for me that i like LECOM are:
*You can conduct research during the summer(there are awards and it also helps out in securing a residency)
*A new building will be ready for our entering class, with a cafeteria, student lounge, and new library.
*There is a laptop requirement, and I like the notion that the web can provide valuable information to our education. However, i think all schools are doing this requirement now.
*There is mandatory attendance, so i know this will definetely be an asset to our preparation for the COMLEX(board exams).
*There are 43 affiliated hospitals for our clinical hospitals, and LECOM is trying to be the top Osteopathic school with clinical affiliates.(Source: AACOM web site, Annual statistical report)
*I think we can do rounds with physicians as preceptors during our first two years(I am not sure and if you see my post, that is one of my questions.
I also have an interview at Western COMP. I noticed that western does 11 - 4 week long rotations and LECOM does 8 - 6 week long rotations during a year. I was wondering what would be better to a medical student's career, or would the extra rotations just be additional CORE rotations such as pediatrics 2, pediatrics 3.


Hope this helps melissa. About the weather, i would suggest definitely bringing a jacket because it will be in the mid 20's and with the nearby lake, youll freeze.
Anthony

 

[DOtobe]

I am an MS-1 at LECOM, so maybe I can be of some help...
About housing, as jean said, most people live within a few miles of the school. Many students live in the Granada Apartments, many live in Lake View, and a few live in my apartment complex, Willow Wood Village. And then people are scattered around in some other apartment buildings as well. The website for the realtors who own the complex I live in is <a href="http://www.pastorebuilders.com." target="_blank">www.pastorebuilders.com.</a> I'm not sure about the other apartment complexes' websites.

As for rotations, we are still kind of confused amongst ourselves as to how they work, so I can't provide much info on that. And we start our preceptorships the second semester of our first year, with a course called OPEP (Osteopathic Preceptor Evaluation Project).

Hope I was of some help...good luck and I know you'll really like LECOM!

 

[maxim728]

thanks for the help with the preceptor question, DOtobe. Do you know if LECOM students score above average on the COMLEXs ?? thanks

 

[apple638]

I am a first year at LECOM and I just wanted to comment on some of the questions asked. Alot of my information is second hand info from second year students but it should still help you with some of your questions.

Lecom students have always done excellent on the boards. The passing rate is usually in the high 90 percentile. Last years passing percentage dropped to a high 80%. Lecom is working on improving those scores.

At the end of our second semester of the first year, students are given a list of rotations and we will make preliminary list stating the areas where we want to go. When the first semester of the second year begins, students again fill out a questionnaire about the locations they want to do their rotations in. According to those questionnaires, the students will placed in groups of about 11. Each group is given the list of rotations sites and they have to work together to select their rotations. The group should consist mainly of people who want to go to different places so that everyone can be placed in the rotation sites that they want. For example, one person might want to rotate in Florida, one person might want to rotate in Erie, one person in New York, one person in Philly, one person in Cleveland, one in Pittsburgh etc... All though LECOM has several rotation sites in several cities and states, groups may still have problems because many of the students at LECOM are from the Pittsburgh area and may want to do their rotations there. This is where conflicts and compromises come in. From what I've seen, everything usually works out fine and rotations are selected no later than November.

I'm from Louisiana so I can understand the fear of snow. I've been blessed thus far. It only snowed half a day in October. The snow slowly begin to fall the last week of finals but it wasn't that bad. I just came back from break and I see that it has been snowing alot but the roads are very clear. I have a nice huge coat, snow boots, defrosting windshield fluid etc which I bought in October. You can wait until you get here and buy those things though.

I wish you guys the best and I look forward to seeing you here next year.

 

[maxim728]

Thanks for the helpful answers apple638, I have another question though:
Will LECOM be adding more hospital sites to their lists? (I say this because I am from Michigan and Michigan is the #1 state in the country with DO's and affiliated hospitals. I noticed that Western COMP has over 20 hospitals in Michigan in which students can complete their rotations at. I mean it would never hurt to add additional sites ) Thanks again!!

 

[apple638]

LECOM is always adding more sites. I'm praying that they have more rotations in the South when the time comes.

 

[maxim728]

Hi apple638. I have another question:
I just read in "Peterson's Guide to medical schools" that 98% of LECOM graduates match with their first choice. Is that true? That is amazing.

 

[maxim728]

Also, how many weeks do MS-II s have before the boards? Is it more than 2 weeks? I am sorry for asking all of these questions, I just am deciding between schools based on my concerns. Thanks

 

[jean]

This year's MS2 class will finish the semester a few weeks before taking the boards.

 

[maxim728]

Hi Jean, so I assume that you mean at least 3 weeks preparation time for the COMLEX , that sounds good. How is the nightlife there in Erie, are there many bars, clubs, etc...? Thanks

 

[maxim728]

May I ask what the average was for your biochemistry class? Are LECOM students allowed to leave class for bathroom breaks? I am saying this because someone brought this up for their school (Western-COMP). Thank you

 

[jean]

The last day of the semester is May 17th. I'm not sure what day in June the exam is.

We have 10 minute breaks in between classes. It's not a problem to leave during some classes for bathroom breaks but most people wait until the break. Lunch is an hour long.

LECOM grades with straight percentages....70=C, 80=B, 90=A. We're not given mean scores for exams. I would guess 80% to be the average for Biochem. But, again, I'm not certain of any mean scores. Are you comparing Biochem averages among the schools? If so, what have you found out so far?

Night life....there are bars and dance clubs in the downtown Erie area that a lot of the students go to on the weekends and after exams.

 

[maxim728]

Hi Jean, thanks for your input. I appreciate it. On the post "COMP and it's Policies" someone mentioned that their (MS-I) Biochem. average was a 70%, and he or she was really mad. Likewise, that person said that they do not have bathroom breaks. i just want clarification between the two schools(LECOM and Western) because I've been accepted to LECOM and I have an interview with Western in a few weeks. LECOM sounds very nice to me, I mean I read that 98% of their students match with their first choice. i liked that. i also liked that students can go anywhere for their electives. thanks for the answers though Also, do you find your classmates to be competitive and do many people at LECOm study in groups? I say this because i read that LECOM posts your ranking with your test score, and this fosters extreme competitiveness.

 

[jean]

At LECOM, I would say there's not much competition. Most people work in study groups which is encouraged by the faculty. The first day of class the faculty emphasized helping each other through this process. I have heard of a ranking after the first year but it hasn't been mentioned to our class yet. There's no posting of scores at LECOM. Everthing is confidential unless you share your information with others.

 

[maxim728]

Hi LECOM students, a few more questions to help clarify things
I heard from a MS-II that LECOM is not student friendly and that they do not listen to input from students. Is this true?
Also, this MS-II took a practice board exam and found that he was not prepared and the school did a bad job in teaching histology, biochem., and physiology. Is this true, do LECOM students score particularly less on these subjects for the boards?
And finally, do DO students have to take the USMLE to obtain a residency position into a competitive field?
Thanks

 

[Medman]

******APARTMENT FOR RENT*******
hey everyone! I am a 2nd year at LECOM, and I am moving to Pittsburgh for rotations in June. I am currently looking for students to rent my apartment.
Details:
Great apt! Attached to an ophthalmologist's office 1 mile from LECOM. Could be used for 1 or 2 students
* 1BR plus a loft, 1 1/2 baths.
* walk-in closet
* spiral staircase leading to loft-- i use the loft as a study area
* washer/dryer hookups
* dishwasher/disposal
* water, trash, and snow plowing included
* patio and 2 private parking spaces
* tons of storage and closet space
* best kept apartment secret in town by far
* $575

 

[Medman]

RE: APARTMENT
IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME USE:
[email protected]

 

[Mylaina]

For the PBL pathway at LECOM-- what are their exams like? Do they perform comporably on the COMLEX? Are they graded with the other students, or seperate? Thanks!