LECOM-E vs. WVSOM

[MilitaryMed]

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Looking for some updated advice on this topic.

How would you all compare LECOM-E vs. WVSOM?

Thanks for all of your input!

Cheers!

 

[Dr Yiot]

If you are OOS for wvsom, you have a simple decision cause your talking a 100k dollar difference in tuition over four years (with interest its gonna be about that)

If your IS then your gonna have a more difficult decision
If your going with the military scholarship then you have a more difficult decision.

If your either of the latter your gonna have to give some more specifics. Where do you wanna practice? What were your thoughts? Etc. What pathway do you like? Are you pbl or ldp at erie?

 

[Dr Yiot]

Oh your asking for a comparison. My bad. Well oos tuition for wvsom is rediculous. Their both good nschools that will make you a good doc. The admissions dept at wvsom is wonderful. But they are definitly looking for a specific type of applicant. I have competetive stats for them and they decision deffered me twice. As for lecom, I interviewed and am accepted and will probably be attending so thatn should tell you what I think.

 

[MilitaryMed]

If you are OOS for wvsom, you have a simple decision cause your talking a 100k dollar difference in tuition over four years (with interest its gonna be about that)

If your IS then your gonna have a more difficult decision
If your going with the military scholarship then you have a more difficult decision.

If your either of the latter your gonna have to give some more specifics. Where do you wanna practice? What were your thoughts? Etc. What pathway do you like? Are you pbl or ldp at erie?

Well, I got accepted to LECOM-E and would be in the PBL pathway. I have an interview at WVSOM at the end of September, but I have other interviews in Sept as well (CCOM and NEUCOM). I am trying to decide if I would rather go to LECOM-E vs. WVSOM. If so, I would cancel my WVSOM interview and save some money.

Hoping to receive input from prospective students and current students!

Thanks!

 

[Kate429]

I applied to and interviewed at LECOM and WVSOM, and was accepted at both. I chose to come to WVSOM despite the MUCH higher tuition.

I had some negative impressions of LECOM. First...it's Erie!! I mean, I can handle the cold to some degree but lake effect weather all winter!

Actually, talking with the students gave me a lot to think about. The MOST positive thing any of the students at LECOM said was "You get a good education, I guess, considering the price", which seemed less than enthusiastic. The tenor of how the students are addressed (in notes in the bathroom no less) seemed to indicate they were treated less as adults, and more as irresponsible youth. The OMT lab did not have adjustable tables by and large (whereas every other D.O school I interviewed at did...which seemed to indicate that those other schools had some concern for the well-being of the student).

At my WVSOM interview, EVERy student I talked to (the 4 that they had us eat lunch with (one from each year of the program), and every student I ran into on campus told me it was a great school, they loved it. They all raved about the faculty - how accessible they are, how much they care, how they'll help students studying way past normal hours. It's all true. Fabulous faculty by and large. I was on the curriculum committee last year and took every student concern about the classes, schedule, material, etc to the committee and saw a lot of quick response and change instituted based on student feedback. They had, when I interviewed, about 1 faculty member for every 2 students in the incoming class (or every 4 students on campus), counting only the full time faculty.

Lewisburg is a lovely place to live as well. Ok, enough raving. Bottom line - I really love it and think I am very fortunate to be here. And I still don't have a scholarship (holding my breath waiting to hear about NHSC this year, which I did not get last year) If you've got military scholarship, no reason not to come! Lots of my classmates are here on military scholarship.

Kate

 

[Dr Yiot]

No offense kate but your reasonns for not attending lecom are, well, a little immature. Not having adjustable lab tables? Who cares.

Fwiw, when I interviewed at erie I was in a micro lab and the seats where far more comfortable than my metal undergrads. And at lecom it seems like you do get a great education at an excellent price.

I'm sure wvsom is an excellent school, but I would rather go to mother russia for med school instead of attending there if I was oos and had an acceptance somewhere else.

Now if I had no other choice but to attend wvsom as an ooser than I would go don't get me wrong. But those loans are gonna take a while to get rid of. Good luck getting the scholarship though for real.

 

[MilitaryMed]

I applied to and interviewed at LECOM and WVSOM, and was accepted at both. I chose to come to WVSOM despite the MUCH higher tuition.

I had some negative impressions of LECOM. First...it's Erie!! I mean, I can handle the cold to some degree but lake effect weather all winter!

Actually, talking with the students gave me a lot to think about. The MOST positive thing any of the students at LECOM said was "You get a good education, I guess, considering the price", which seemed less than enthusiastic. The tenor of how the students are addressed (in notes in the bathroom no less) seemed to indicate they were treated less as adults, and more as irresponsible youth. The OMT lab did not have adjustable tables by and large (whereas every other D.O school I interviewed at did...which seemed to indicate that those other schools had some concern for the well-being of the student).

At my WVSOM interview, EVERy student I talked to (the 4 that they had us eat lunch with (one from each year of the program), and every student I ran into on campus told me it was a great school, they loved it. They all raved about the faculty - how accessible they are, how much they care, how they'll help students studying way past normal hours. It's all true. Fabulous faculty by and large. I was on the curriculum committee last year and took every student concern about the classes, schedule, material, etc to the committee and saw a lot of quick response and change instituted based on student feedback. They had, when I interviewed, about 1 faculty member for every 2 students in the incoming class (or every 4 students on campus), counting only the full time faculty.

Lewisburg is a lovely place to live as well. Ok, enough raving. Bottom line - I really love it and think I am very fortunate to be here. And I still don't have a scholarship (holding my breath waiting to hear about NHSC this year, which I did not get last year) If you've got military scholarship, no reason not to come! Lots of my classmates are here on military scholarship.

Kate

Thanks for your input! So much to think about!

 

[DrWily]

No offense kate but your reasonns for not attending lecom are, well, a little immature. Not having adjustable lab tables? Who cares.

Fwiw, when I interviewed at erie I was in a micro lab and the seats where far more comfortable than my metal undergrads. And at lecom it seems like you do get a great education at an excellent price.

I'm sure wvsom is an excellent school, but I would rather go to mother russia for med school instead of attending there if I was oos and had an acceptance somewhere else.

Now if I had no other choice but to attend wvsom as an ooser than I would go don't get me wrong. But those loans are gonna take a while to get rid of. Good luck getting the scholarship though for real.

I think that student attitude is a big reason to be concerned. Who wants to go to a school if everyone is miserable? It's like, everyone's saying "lets just get through this.... at least we got it for cheap" rather than "this is awesome and I love being here."

Based on that, I'd rather pick a higher tuition school where I can engage myself more and interact with my peers who want to be there vs. those who dread it.

That being said, I'm sure not everyone at LECOM hates it. Kate might have gotten some bad apples, but still.. I don't think her reasons for not picking LECOM are immature. Ultimately, it was her choice. When I go to my interview on 9/23, I'll be sure to judge for myself 👍

 

[pancakesyrup]

Looking for some updated advice on this topic.

How would you all compare LECOM-E vs. WVSOM?

Thanks for all of your input!

Cheers!

If you really served in the military as your user name suggests, then tuition shouldn't be an issue for you. If you're not from WV and are paying for med school, definitely do LECOM.

 

[csmittyB]

No offense kate but your reasonns for not attending lecom are, well, a little immature. Not having adjustable lab tables? Who cares. ...

Your opinion of that may change after being hunched over a table that is too short doing OPP techniques that requires the "physician" to be standing and resisting the movements of the "patient" that is lying down.

I think that student attitude is a big reason to be concerned. Who wants to go to a school if everyone is miserable? It's like, everyone's saying "lets just get through this.... at least we got it for cheap" rather than "this is awesome and I love being here."...

That is the exact opinion of me and my friends here. Misery loves company?

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

Town of Lewisburg vs Erie

 

[Mbeas]

^^^^ 👍 cool stuff

 

[Dr Yiot]

Your opinion of that may change after being hunched over a table that is too short doing OPP techniques that requires the "physician" to be standing and resisting the movements of the "patient" that is lying down.



That is the exact opinion of me and my friends here. Misery loves company?

For the hundred thousand dollar difference in price, I think I might deal with bad omm tables.
Also, the student I talked too during interview day was very serious but didn't seem miserable at all. So I did not get this impression. Besides if there is one thing I learned its that just cause a few students don't like a school does not mean that every one of their students do. You can't please everyone.

 

[painmd87]

With the substantial caveat that I have been here for only 7 weeks, I'll offer my opinion on LECOM-Erie.

You are given the tools and the options to succeed at LECOM. Yes, people complain, feel disrespected, etc. At the end of the day, the education is excellent and the potential to grow is great.

Maybe I have a skewed view because the end of mandatory lecture is around the corner (6 weeks, but who's counting?), but I am very happy with my decision.

Regarding the cost, it's not so much that it's cheap, but rather what you get for your dollar. For me, it's not so notable that I spend half monthly on rent/mortgage in Erie than I did in the DC area, but rather that I get twice the space and live in a safe neighborhood.

No, all the OMM tables are not adjustable, but there are tables of different heights, and no one has had a problem with switching. There are enough short people in the class that the tall people have had no issues rearranging the tables. (This is somewhat of an unusual issue for someone to have with the school, but I can see the validity of the complaint.)

I strongly recommend talking to graduates of both schools (or of any school you're considering). Talk to their families, if you can. Talk to bosses who have employed both. I have found that I have a similar personality to many graduates that I met. I also recognize the personality in many fellow students that is going to lead to complaints about the school in the future.

In my opinion, the type of person who will do the best at LECOM is self-motivated, adaptable to change, professionally-oriented (I died a little bit inside that I just used the word professional in that sense), and accepting. It's somewhat of a paradox, since the "mandatory lecture, no eating in class" things seem like they're holding your hand the whole way. If you need that kind of culture (where you're guided all day every day), this probably isn't the right place. You will have every opportunity to get help when you need it, but ultimately you have to embrace your own responsibility to succeed.

Good luck in your decision. Feel free to PM me with any questions, and I shall do my best to answer them or tell you who can answer them.

 

[MilitaryMed]

With the substantial caveat that I have been here for only 7 weeks, I'll offer my opinion on LECOM-Erie.

You are given the tools and the options to succeed at LECOM. Yes, people complain, feel disrespected, etc. At the end of the day, the education is excellent and the potential to grow is great.

Maybe I have a skewed view because the end of mandatory lecture is around the corner (6 weeks, but who's counting?), but I am very happy with my decision.

Regarding the cost, it's not so much that it's cheap, but rather what you get for your dollar. For me, it's not so notable that I spend half monthly on rent/mortgage in Erie than I did in the DC area, but rather that I get twice the space and live in a safe neighborhood.

No, all the OMM tables are not adjustable, but there are tables of different heights, and no one has had a problem with switching. There are enough short people in the class that the tall people have had no issues rearranging the tables. (This is somewhat of an unusual issue for someone to have with the school, but I can see the validity of the complaint.)

I strongly recommend talking to graduates of both schools (or of any school you're considering). Talk to their families, if you can. Talk to bosses who have employed both. I have found that I have a similar personality to many graduates that I met. I also recognize the personality in many fellow students that is going to lead to complaints about the school in the future.

In my opinion, the type of person who will do the best at LECOM is self-motivated, adaptable to change, professionally-oriented (I died a little bit inside that I just used the word professional in that sense), and accepting. It's somewhat of a paradox, since the "mandatory lecture, no eating in class" things seem like they're holding your hand the whole way. If you need that kind of culture (where you're guided all day every day), this probably isn't the right place. You will have every opportunity to get help when you need it, but ultimately you have to embrace your own responsibility to succeed.

Good luck in your decision. Feel free to PM me with any questions, and I shall do my best to answer them or tell you who can answer them.

This is great. Thanks!

Any more current student opinions would be great, too. From either LECOM or WVSOM.

Any one know what WVSOM COMLEX pass rates are?

 

[Druggernaut]

That being said, I'm sure not everyone at LECOM hates it. Kate might have gotten some bad apples, but still.. I don't think her reasons for not picking LECOM are immature. Ultimately, it was her choice. When I go to my interview on 9/23, I'll be sure to judge for myself 👍

I think I'd hate LECOM if I was in the lecture pathway. As a PBL student, we had quite a few lectures early on, and it made for a very full, tiring day. That's loosened up now, and there's time to learn what you need to learn and still have some semblance of a life.

I haven't met a single classmate who's miserable. In fact, I've been surprised how pleasant they are to be around, and though we all have some complaints, I think just about everyone is happy to be here.

 

[HockeyDr09]

I think I'd hate LECOM if I was in the lecture pathway. As a PBL student, we had quite a few lectures early on, and it made for a very full, tiring day. That's loosened up now, and there's time to learn what you need to learn and still have some semblance of a life.

I haven't met a single classmate who's miserable. In fact, I've been surprised how pleasant they are to be around, and though we all have some complaints, I think just about everyone is happy to be here.

Couldn't agree more.👍

 

[FutureDoc01]

d

 

[MilitaryMed]

I'm an LDP at LECOM and I have nothing bad to say about it! I interviewed and was accepted at WVSOM. I hated it there. The price is nuts, but oh yeah you get a free computer yeah right!

I couldn't imagine being in any other pathway. Even with the lectures they do not take attendance that much. We have tons of breaks worked into the schedule. Today for instance I had lecture from 8-10, and lab from 1-2:30. There are long days and short ones!

I appreciate the input. I was accepted in PBL. I am trying to decide if I should go to my WVSOM interview as these interviews are becoming pricey and I have other ones to attend.