LECOM-Erie Discussion thread 2007-2008

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I interviewed this past monday (11th) I had to interview with all post-baccs while not being one myself which was a little weird, but everyone was really cool, just felt a little out of place. I hate the waiting game, they said my file would go for review yesterday and i am really tempted to call up Amy but I think I should probably just wait until at least monday.

Do post-baccs hear back any sooner?

I asked John W. about macs during my tour and he said as long as they can run power point and other software it would be fine and there is really little to no software that can't be run on macs now a days, or atleast a sufficient mac counter part.

I happen to be a post-bac that interviewed on monday as well - we asked and they said that the letters will be sent out tomorrow (friday) and we should get them by monday. As for if we hear back any sooner - not really, except Dr. Nassiri (who did my interview) was teaching tonight and singled me out by saying that everyone he interviewed he accepted - but who knows if that really means I got in.

Hope to see you next year @ LECOM !!!
 
I happen to be a post-bac that interviewed on monday as well - we asked and they said that the letters will be sent out tomorrow (friday) and we should get them by monday. As for if we hear back any sooner - not really, except Dr. Nassiri (who did my interview) was teaching tonight and singled me out by saying that everyone he interviewed he accepted - but who knows if that really means I got in.

Hope to see you next year @ LECOM !!!



wasn't that fun? i was actually surprised he didn't single out jeff as he usually does (although he did later). that guy is something else
 
for post bac students. What did you take in the post-bac program? actual ms1 courses? Will that make you better prepared than other entering students?
 
for post bac students. What did you take in the post-bac program? actual ms1 courses? Will that make you better prepared than other entering students?


we took basically the same classes as the MS1's did but not the full class, more of a MS1 light. as for being better prepared i would say yes because we've seen the material and been responsible for it, but more so because we know the professors (how they teach/test) and know the school (how the administration is/rules etc). is it an advantage, definitely. how big? well depends on the person but at then end of year 1 everyone is even again

/if you go there get to know some post-bacs, they'll help you out
 
we took basically the same classes as the MS1's did but not the full class, more of a MS1 light. as for being better prepared i would say yes because we've seen the material and been responsible for it, but more so because we know the professors (how they teach/test) and know the school (how the administration is/rules etc). is it an advantage, definitely. how big? well depends on the person but at then end of year 1 everyone is even again

/if you go there get to know some post-bacs, they'll help you out

thanks for the reply
would you recomend that i do a little bit of preparation till the school starts, like brushing up on amatomy terms? Or would i be just stressing myself out for no reason?
 
I'm coming to an end of my 3rd year now.... and since the school doesn't tell you anything about rotations until the week before you begin to set them up, here's a little info I wish someone had provided me. Straight up, here is how rotations at LECOM work:

1) You have CORE rotations that you complete during your 3rd year: 3 months of IM, 1 month Peds, 1 month OB/GYN, 1 month psych, 2 months Surg, 1 month Family prac, and 1 month core selective in any of the previously mentioned core rotations. These have to be done at affiliated sites, which they will provide an updated list for you when the time comes. There is also a list on the LECOM website, however I'm not sure how often they update it. Also, you get 2 months of electives in anything you want, at any hospital in the country that will take you. For FP(family practice), you can do it with any board-certified DO in the country. Your CORE selective can be done at any hospital of choice (yes, that means at a non-affiliate), but only in your THIRD year. It's like having an elective, but in one of the CORE subjects.

Your 4th year will consist of 2 Ambulatory rotations, 2 ER rotations, 1 rural/underserved rotation, 1 medical selective, 1 surgical selective, and 4 regular electives. All SELECTIVES in your 4th year have to be done at affiliates (not like your 3rd year, where it can be done anywhere). Electives can be done anywhere on god's green earth.

2) You will decide your rotating fate (group) based on 1 of 2 things......1) Geographic location- if you want to do your rotations in a certain area you can pick this as your main priority. Areas that LECOM has are ohio, erie, pittsburg, east PA, middle PA, Jersey, NY, and a few in FL. There are random hospitals in georgia, kansas, and indiana. Again, you will get a list. 2) Vacation month- you get 1 month vacation each in 3rd and 4th year. If you are dead set on having a certain month off (i.e. getting married in August) then you can pick your vacay month as your priority over geographic location. The vacation month, if you choose this priority, will be the same month in your 3rd and 4th year (if your vacay month is in july of 3rd year, it will be july of 4th year). The only time this will change is if you fail the boards and are off track for some reason, but worry about this only if you come to this path.

When you indicate your priority (Geo or vacation month), then the student gov and whoever will place everyone according to their personal preference into a group. Usually everyone ends up with their priority (again, geo or vacay month). Most likely you will not end up in a group with your friends, they are chosen based on individual priorities and then grouped accordingly. We had no probs in my class that I know of.

3) Your entire class will be split into rotation groups, there's 13 of them. The groups will start out doing different rotations; for example, some will start on surgery while others will start Ob/Gyn, etc. Each rotation group has a group leader that will attempt to deal with any problems that arise in your group. Rotations begin June of your 3rd year. I suggest taking Step1 (in May) before you start rotations because it's a hassle to leave a rotation and your nerves will be shot from the idea of beginning rotations anyways. Don't worry though, you'll be fine. It's overwhelming, but keep on truckin'.

4) There are mandatory hospitals that require at least one student to be there at all times. You will get a list of these. They are in all the areas mentioned above, and only pertain to CORE rotations mentioned above. If a mandatory hospital is in your geographic area of choice, it's a bonus. My group didn't have any problems covering mandatories and we all made sure they were evenly distributed, so the same people didnt get stuck covering the same hospitals. It is true that LECOM does not pay hospitals to teach students, which is why some hospitals will drop off the list in the middle of your clinical years. It happens, but no big deal.

5) You must expect a cancellation in a rotation at some point during your clinical years. This happens all the time, so don't freak out when it happens to you. Sometimes a hospital will be over-booked, or they will say they aren't taking students for that rotation anymore, or sometimes they don't even give you a reason as to why you got booted. If this happens and it's a CORE rotation, sometimes LECOM will give you permission to go with a non-affiliated hospital (especially if it's a week before your rotation is supposed to start and you have to scramble to find another place). It's not as bad as it sounds, really. Just be prepared in case it happens, and always check in with your next rotation site at least a week prior to the start date to make sure all systems are a-go.

In regards to your specific questions about setting stuff up yourself: NOT TRUE. You will set up your CORE rotations when your individual rotation group meets. Medical education will put your request for your CORE rotations in and contact the affiliated hospitals for you. The rotations you set up on your own are 1) electives 2) FP 3) Core selectives. These are done by contacting the Medical education department of the hospital/physician you are interested in rotating at. They will then okay or deny your request for a rotation there. If they accept you for an elective rotation, then you fill out a rotation approval form (it's basically a request form for an elective) on the LECOM website, and someone in med ed at LECOM will receive it and communicate your paperwork to the hospital/physician you want to do the elective with.

When it comes to competing for rotations with other med students from different schools..... non-existent on CORE roations. You will encounter students from different schools on every rotation you go on, no one will be fighting you over anything. Electives are a bit different......say for example, if you want to go to Harvard your 4th year for an elective, you will be applying along with about 1200 other med students that want to rotate there as well, but the hospital will fill as many spots as they can. Again though, expect that some hospitals will turn you down for an elective, either because you are a 3rd year (most places won't take you unless your a 4th year), or because other people have applied for the elective before you and they don't have any open spots. Don't even worry about that now though, things will become more clear in your 3rd year when you get a better feel on how rotations work.

Hopefully this helps, we didn't have anyone to clue us in on stuff when we first began. Sorry for the novel! Good luck to you 🙂
 
I'm coming to an end of my 3rd year now.... and since the school doesn't tell you anything about rotations until the week before you begin to set them up, here's a little info I wish someone had provided me. Straight up, here is how rotations at LECOM work:

1) You have CORE rotations that you complete during your 3rd year: 3 months of IM, 1 month Peds, 1 month OB/GYN, 1 month psych, 2 months Surg, 1 month Family prac, and 1 month core selective in any of the previously mentioned core rotations. These have to be done at affiliated sites, which they will provide an updated list for you when the time comes. There is also a list on the LECOM website, however I'm not sure how often they update it. Also, you get 2 months of electives in anything you want, at any hospital in the country that will take you. For FP(family practice), you can do it with any board-certified DO in the country. Your CORE selective can be done at any hospital of choice (yes, that means at a non-affiliate), but only in your THIRD year. It's like having an elective, but in one of the CORE subjects.

Your 4th year will consist of 2 Ambulatory rotations, 2 ER rotations, 1 rural/underserved rotation, 1 medical selective, 1 surgical selective, and 4 regular electives. All SELECTIVES in your 4th year have to be done at affiliates (not like your 3rd year, where it can be done anywhere). Electives can be done anywhere on god's green earth.

2) You will decide your rotating fate (group) based on 1 of 2 things......1) Geographic location- if you want to do your rotations in a certain area you can pick this as your main priority. Areas that LECOM has are ohio, erie, pittsburg, east PA, middle PA, Jersey, NY, and a few in FL. There are random hospitals in georgia, kansas, and indiana. Again, you will get a list. 2) Vacation month- you get 1 month vacation each in 3rd and 4th year. If you are dead set on having a certain month off (i.e. getting married in August) then you can pick your vacay month as your priority over geographic location. The vacation month, if you choose this priority, will be the same month in your 3rd and 4th year (if your vacay month is in july of 3rd year, it will be july of 4th year). The only time this will change is if you fail the boards and are off track for some reason, but worry about this only if you come to this path.

When you indicate your priority (Geo or vacation month), then the student gov and whoever will place everyone according to their personal preference into a group. Usually everyone ends up with their priority (again, geo or vacay month). Most likely you will not end up in a group with your friends, they are chosen based on individual priorities and then grouped accordingly. We had no probs in my class that I know of.

3) Your entire class will be split into rotation groups, there's 13 of them. The groups will start out doing different rotations; for example, some will start on surgery while others will start Ob/Gyn, etc. Each rotation group has a group leader that will attempt to deal with any problems that arise in your group. Rotations begin June of your 3rd year. I suggest taking Step1 (in May) before you start rotations because it's a hassle to leave a rotation and your nerves will be shot from the idea of beginning rotations anyways. Don't worry though, you'll be fine. It's overwhelming, but keep on truckin'.

4) There are mandatory hospitals that require at least one student to be there at all times. You will get a list of these. They are in all the areas mentioned above, and only pertain to CORE rotations mentioned above. If a mandatory hospital is in your geographic area of choice, it's a bonus. My group didn't have any problems covering mandatories and we all made sure they were evenly distributed, so the same people didnt get stuck covering the same hospitals. It is true that LECOM does not pay hospitals to teach students, which is why some hospitals will drop off the list in the middle of your clinical years. It happens, but no big deal.

5) You must expect a cancellation in a rotation at some point during your clinical years. This happens all the time, so don't freak out when it happens to you. Sometimes a hospital will be over-booked, or they will say they aren't taking students for that rotation anymore, or sometimes they don't even give you a reason as to why you got booted. If this happens and it's a CORE rotation, sometimes LECOM will give you permission to go with a non-affiliated hospital (especially if it's a week before your rotation is supposed to start and you have to scramble to find another place). It's not as bad as it sounds, really. Just be prepared in case it happens, and always check in with your next rotation site at least a week prior to the start date to make sure all systems are a-go.

In regards to your specific questions about setting stuff up yourself: NOT TRUE. You will set up your CORE rotations when your individual rotation group meets. Medical education will put your request for your CORE rotations in and contact the affiliated hospitals for you. The rotations you set up on your own are 1) electives 2) FP 3) Core selectives. These are done by contacting the Medical education department of the hospital/physician you are interested in rotating at. They will then okay or deny your request for a rotation there. If they accept you for an elective rotation, then you fill out a rotation approval form (it's basically a request form for an elective) on the LECOM website, and someone in med ed at LECOM will receive it and communicate your paperwork to the hospital/physician you want to do the elective with.

When it comes to competing for rotations with other med students from different schools..... non-existent on CORE roations. You will encounter students from different schools on every rotation you go on, no one will be fighting you over anything. Electives are a bit different......say for example, if you want to go to Harvard your 4th year for an elective, you will be applying along with about 1200 other med students that want to rotate there as well, but the hospital will fill as many spots as they can. Again though, expect that some hospitals will turn you down for an elective, either because you are a 3rd year (most places won't take you unless your a 4th year), or because other people have applied for the elective before you and they don't have any open spots. Don't even worry about that now though, things will become more clear in your 3rd year when you get a better feel on how rotations work.

Hopefully this helps, we didn't have anyone to clue us in on stuff when we first began. Sorry for the novel! Good luck to you 🙂
 
I'm coming to an end of my 3rd year now.... and since the school doesn't tell you anything about rotations until the week before you begin to set them up, here's a little info I wish someone had provided me. Straight up, here is how rotations at LECOM work:

1) You have CORE rotations that you complete during your 3rd year: 3 months of IM, 1 month Peds, 1 month OB/GYN, 1 month psych, 2 months Surg, 1 month Family prac, and 1 month core selective in any of the previously mentioned core rotations. These have to be done at affiliated sites, which they will provide an updated list for you when the time comes. There is also a list on the LECOM website, however I'm not sure how often they update it. Also, you get 2 months of electives in anything you want, at any hospital in the country that will take you. For FP(family practice), you can do it with any board-certified DO in the country. Your CORE selective can be done at any hospital of choice (yes, that means at a non-affiliate), but only in your THIRD year. It's like having an elective, but in one of the CORE subjects.

Your 4th year will consist of 2 Ambulatory rotations, 2 ER rotations, 1 rural/underserved rotation, 1 medical selective, 1 surgical selective, and 4 regular electives. All SELECTIVES in your 4th year have to be done at affiliates (not like your 3rd year, where it can be done anywhere). Electives can be done anywhere on god's green earth.

2) You will decide your rotating fate (group) based on 1 of 2 things......1) Geographic location- if you want to do your rotations in a certain area you can pick this as your main priority. Areas that LECOM has are ohio, erie, pittsburg, east PA, middle PA, Jersey, NY, and a few in FL. There are random hospitals in georgia, kansas, and indiana. Again, you will get a list. 2) Vacation month- you get 1 month vacation each in 3rd and 4th year. If you are dead set on having a certain month off (i.e. getting married in August) then you can pick your vacay month as your priority over geographic location. The vacation month, if you choose this priority, will be the same month in your 3rd and 4th year (if your vacay month is in july of 3rd year, it will be july of 4th year). The only time this will change is if you fail the boards and are off track for some reason, but worry about this only if you come to this path.

When you indicate your priority (Geo or vacation month), then the student gov and whoever will place everyone according to their personal preference into a group. Usually everyone ends up with their priority (again, geo or vacay month). Most likely you will not end up in a group with your friends, they are chosen based on individual priorities and then grouped accordingly. We had no probs in my class that I know of.

3) Your entire class will be split into rotation groups, there's 13 of them. The groups will start out doing different rotations; for example, some will start on surgery while others will start Ob/Gyn, etc. Each rotation group has a group leader that will attempt to deal with any problems that arise in your group. Rotations begin June of your 3rd year. I suggest taking Step1 (in May) before you start rotations because it's a hassle to leave a rotation and your nerves will be shot from the idea of beginning rotations anyways. Don't worry though, you'll be fine. It's overwhelming, but keep on truckin'.

4) There are mandatory hospitals that require at least one student to be there at all times. You will get a list of these. They are in all the areas mentioned above, and only pertain to CORE rotations mentioned above. If a mandatory hospital is in your geographic area of choice, it's a bonus. My group didn't have any problems covering mandatories and we all made sure they were evenly distributed, so the same people didnt get stuck covering the same hospitals. It is true that LECOM does not pay hospitals to teach students, which is why some hospitals will drop off the list in the middle of your clinical years. It happens, but no big deal.

5) You must expect a cancellation in a rotation at some point during your clinical years. This happens all the time, so don't freak out when it happens to you. Sometimes a hospital will be over-booked, or they will say they aren't taking students for that rotation anymore, or sometimes they don't even give you a reason as to why you got booted. If this happens and it's a CORE rotation, sometimes LECOM will give you permission to go with a non-affiliated hospital (especially if it's a week before your rotation is supposed to start and you have to scramble to find another place). It's not as bad as it sounds, really. Just be prepared in case it happens, and always check in with your next rotation site at least a week prior to the start date to make sure all systems are a-go.

In regards to your specific questions about setting stuff up yourself: NOT TRUE. You will set up your CORE rotations when your individual rotation group meets. Medical education will put your request for your CORE rotations in and contact the affiliated hospitals for you. The rotations you set up on your own are 1) electives 2) FP 3) Core selectives. These are done by contacting the Medical education department of the hospital/physician you are interested in rotating at. They will then okay or deny your request for a rotation there. If they accept you for an elective rotation, then you fill out a rotation approval form (it's basically a request form for an elective) on the LECOM website, and someone in med ed at LECOM will receive it and communicate your paperwork to the hospital/physician you want to do the elective with.

When it comes to competing for rotations with other med students from different schools..... non-existent on CORE roations. You will encounter students from different schools on every rotation you go on, no one will be fighting you over anything. Electives are a bit different......say for example, if you want to go to Harvard your 4th year for an elective, you will be applying along with about 1200 other med students that want to rotate there as well, but the hospital will fill as many spots as they can. Again though, expect that some hospitals will turn you down for an elective, either because you are a 3rd year (most places won't take you unless your a 4th year), or because other people have applied for the elective before you and they don't have any open spots. Don't even worry about that now though, things will become more clear in your 3rd year when you get a better feel on how rotations work.

Hopefully this helps, we didn't have anyone to clue us in on stuff when we first began. Sorry for the novel! Good luck to you 🙂
This message is for pamolive.... sorry it got posted twice, I don't post too often and tend to be electronically challenged at times!! I guess I should have quoted,, oops! 😀
 
I'm coming to an end of my 3rd year now.... and since the school doesn't tell you anything about rotations until the week before you begin to set them up, here's a little info I wish someone had provided me. Straight up, here is how rotations at LECOM work:

1) You have CORE rotations that you complete during your 3rd year: 3 months of IM, 1 month Peds, 1 month OB/GYN, 1 month psych, 2 months Surg, 1 month Family prac, and 1 month core selective in any of the previously mentioned core rotations. These have to be done at affiliated sites, which they will provide an updated list for you when the time comes. There is also a list on the LECOM website, however I'm not sure how often they update it. Also, you get 2 months of electives in anything you want, at any hospital in the country that will take you. For FP(family practice), you can do it with any board-certified DO in the country. Your CORE selective can be done at any hospital of choice (yes, that means at a non-affiliate), but only in your THIRD year. It's like having an elective, but in one of the CORE subjects.

Your 4th year will consist of 2 Ambulatory rotations, 2 ER rotations, 1 rural/underserved rotation, 1 medical selective, 1 surgical selective, and 4 regular electives. All SELECTIVES in your 4th year have to be done at affiliates (not like your 3rd year, where it can be done anywhere). Electives can be done anywhere on god's green earth.

2) You will decide your rotating fate (group) based on 1 of 2 things......1) Geographic location- if you want to do your rotations in a certain area you can pick this as your main priority. Areas that LECOM has are ohio, erie, pittsburg, east PA, middle PA, Jersey, NY, and a few in FL. There are random hospitals in georgia, kansas, and indiana. Again, you will get a list. 2) Vacation month- you get 1 month vacation each in 3rd and 4th year. If you are dead set on having a certain month off (i.e. getting married in August) then you can pick your vacay month as your priority over geographic location. The vacation month, if you choose this priority, will be the same month in your 3rd and 4th year (if your vacay month is in july of 3rd year, it will be july of 4th year). The only time this will change is if you fail the boards and are off track for some reason, but worry about this only if you come to this path.

When you indicate your priority (Geo or vacation month), then the student gov and whoever will place everyone according to their personal preference into a group. Usually everyone ends up with their priority (again, geo or vacay month). Most likely you will not end up in a group with your friends, they are chosen based on individual priorities and then grouped accordingly. We had no probs in my class that I know of.

3) Your entire class will be split into rotation groups, there's 13 of them. The groups will start out doing different rotations; for example, some will start on surgery while others will start Ob/Gyn, etc. Each rotation group has a group leader that will attempt to deal with any problems that arise in your group. Rotations begin June of your 3rd year. I suggest taking Step1 (in May) before you start rotations because it's a hassle to leave a rotation and your nerves will be shot from the idea of beginning rotations anyways. Don't worry though, you'll be fine. It's overwhelming, but keep on truckin'.

4) There are mandatory hospitals that require at least one student to be there at all times. You will get a list of these. They are in all the areas mentioned above, and only pertain to CORE rotations mentioned above. If a mandatory hospital is in your geographic area of choice, it's a bonus. My group didn't have any problems covering mandatories and we all made sure they were evenly distributed, so the same people didnt get stuck covering the same hospitals. It is true that LECOM does not pay hospitals to teach students, which is why some hospitals will drop off the list in the middle of your clinical years. It happens, but no big deal.

5) You must expect a cancellation in a rotation at some point during your clinical years. This happens all the time, so don't freak out when it happens to you. Sometimes a hospital will be over-booked, or they will say they aren't taking students for that rotation anymore, or sometimes they don't even give you a reason as to why you got booted. If this happens and it's a CORE rotation, sometimes LECOM will give you permission to go with a non-affiliated hospital (especially if it's a week before your rotation is supposed to start and you have to scramble to find another place). It's not as bad as it sounds, really. Just be prepared in case it happens, and always check in with your next rotation site at least a week prior to the start date to make sure all systems are a-go.

In regards to your specific questions about setting stuff up yourself: NOT TRUE. You will set up your CORE rotations when your individual rotation group meets. Medical education will put your request for your CORE rotations in and contact the affiliated hospitals for you. The rotations you set up on your own are 1) electives 2) FP 3) Core selectives. These are done by contacting the Medical education department of the hospital/physician you are interested in rotating at. They will then okay or deny your request for a rotation there. If they accept you for an elective rotation, then you fill out a rotation approval form (it's basically a request form for an elective) on the LECOM website, and someone in med ed at LECOM will receive it and communicate your paperwork to the hospital/physician you want to do the elective with.

When it comes to competing for rotations with other med students from different schools..... non-existent on CORE roations. You will encounter students from different schools on every rotation you go on, no one will be fighting you over anything. Electives are a bit different......say for example, if you want to go to Harvard your 4th year for an elective, you will be applying along with about 1200 other med students that want to rotate there as well, but the hospital will fill as many spots as they can. Again though, expect that some hospitals will turn you down for an elective, either because you are a 3rd year (most places won't take you unless your a 4th year), or because other people have applied for the elective before you and they don't have any open spots. Don't even worry about that now though, things will become more clear in your 3rd year when you get a better feel on how rotations work.

Hopefully this helps, we didn't have anyone to clue us in on stuff when we first began. Sorry for the novel! Good luck to you 🙂


Awesome. Thanks! That was so helpful. This was my major concern with LECOM. Now I feel a lot better about it.
 
So has anyone got an acceptance with a MD letter only?
Or must one have a LOR from a DO?
 
thanks for the reply
would you recomend that i do a little bit of preparation till the school starts, like brushing up on amatomy terms? Or would i be just stressing myself out for no reason?


if you want to learn basics i would say that would be helpful, but as far as memorizing actually anatomical features it will probably be unneeded stress. for out anatomy we are only doing cavities (thorax, abdomen, pelvis) so everything after that is going to be new for us as well. if you have an anatomy book or get one, just read the intro chapter on directions/basics and you'll be fine.
 
So has anyone got an acceptance with a MD letter only?
Or must one have a LOR from a DO?


anecdotal but i know a kid who had an MD letter and they told him he needed a DO before they would let him in. they said he was accepted but his letter wouldn't be mailed until he had the DO letter in. more of a formality but i think it's required
 
I called today about my application status...after not hearing anything since September. They said no decision has been made yet. Is this too long to not hear anything?
 
I'm coming to an end of my 3rd year now.... and since the school doesn't tell you anything about rotations until the week before you begin to set them up, here's a little info I wish someone had provided me. Straight up, here is how rotations at LECOM work:

That was very thorough, thanks for taking the time. 👍
 
I am not a Buckeye fan (except on certain occasions when they play Michigan) but I must say that the post was clear, thorough, dispassionate and very helpful.

You were very generous with your time.

Much success to you!👍
 
thanks for the reply
would you recomend that i do a little bit of preparation till the school starts, like brushing up on amatomy terms? Or would i be just stressing myself out for no reason?

I'd say if you want to you can, but there is no need, so enjoy yourself! As long as when you get here you are in go mode right away. When it starts, it starts for real, there is not slow progression to a full schedule. They teach you everything you need to know.

I know plenty of people who aren't post bacs who are doing very well.
 
I'd say if you want to you can, but there is no need, so enjoy yourself! As long as when you get here you are in go mode right away. When it starts, it starts for real, there is not slow progression to a full schedule. They teach you everything you need to know.

I know plenty of people who aren't post bacs who are doing very well.

thanks. i assume you did a post-bac too, and now you're an ms1. I know you get asked this a lot, but how is a typical day in lecom (attendance hours, after-hours studying...etc)
 
thanks. i assume you did a post-bac too, and now you're an ms1. I know you get asked this a lot, but how is a typical day in lecom (attendance hours, after-hours studying...etc)

Actually, I did not do a post bac program, so I'm living proof you can do well in med school without one and without studying much the summer before starting! I read a book on what med school will be like, some tips to get through and stuff, but that was it. As for the rest of your answer, I PM'd you. 🙂
 
finally got the acceptance letter last week! 🙂
now i have a big decision to make.
 
Just wondering where most of the LECOM students live. I was looking through that little apartment book they gave us at the interview, but couldn't really get a good idea of what is good there. Any thoughts about where or when I should start looking? Thanks in advance! 😎
 
Does anyone have an estimate of how many seats are left in the class? I have an interview scheduled on March 3, but I'm not sure if I want to go if it'll be for a spot on the wait list.
 
What's the closest hotel to LECOM? I want to just book the Days Inn because its cheap, but is that even close to the school? Lost my map :-/
 
What's the closest hotel to LECOM? I want to just book the Days Inn because its cheap, but is that even close to the school? Lost my map :-/

There is a closer one, i think the marriot, but it is quite expensive. I stayed in Days Inn. It is not that far from the school. However, don't take the route of the residential streets ( the one google maps gave me). Take 90 to peach street. Go north, and then take a left at W. Grandview. This is a much easier route. The residential streets don't always have 'name signs' and it is easy to get lost there. If you stay at Days Inn, ask them for a map of the area, they'll give you a sheet with the main streets (free ofcourse). If you have AAA, then go to them and get a map of erie for free just in case.
It took me about 10-15 min to get to the school from the motel, so it's not that bad.
 
There is a closer one, i think the marriot, but it is quite expensive. I stayed in Days Inn. It is not that far from the school. However, don't take the route of the residential streets ( the one google maps gave me). Take 90 to peach street. Go north, and then take a left at W. Grandview. This is a much easier route. The residential streets don't always have 'name signs' and it is easy to get lost there. If you stay at Days Inn, ask them for a map of the area, they'll give you a sheet with the main streets (free ofcourse). If you have AAA, then go to them and get a map of erie for free just in case.
It took me about 10-15 min to get to the school from the motel, so it's not that bad.

There are closer hotels that will take you about 5 mins to get to the school. There are a few hotels right where 90 lets off at Peach Street where he is talking about, so you won't have to take the highway. I know there is a Marriott there, but there are a few others. They are near Splash Lagoon & Boston's restaurant. There are also some by the mall, another type of Marriott and a Hilton. I wouldn't want to drive that far the morning of the interview just in case its snowy/icy (a likely possibility).

Just wondering where most of the LECOM students live. I was looking through that little apartment book they gave us at the interview, but couldn't really get a good idea of what is good there. Any thoughts about where or when I should start looking? Thanks in advance! 😎

I think people have mentioned either on this thread or in the Osteopathic Class Threads section, LECOM 2012, if you do a search. I Know they are building ones directly across the street from LECOM, i.e. you could walk, and it looks like they should be done by the upcoming school year. I think they are called Laurel Springs if you can find out about them. Possibly Palermo realty? Or Maleno?? I think its 1 of 2. They would be super convenient.
 
I am about to send out the secondary app.....anyone know about how many seats are left?? my stats: 26N, 3.6GPA.....think I have a chance?
 
i'll be interviewing at LECOM-erie and was hoping to find out whether or not I could bring my two bags with me to LECOM. I mean, I intend to just get a taxi to and from the med school, but don't wanna pay for an extra night at the hotel. Or do you think I should suck it up and rent a car?
 
I'm coming to an end of my 3rd year now.... and since the school doesn't tell you anything about rotations until the week before you begin to set them up, here's a little info I wish someone had provided me. Straight up, here is how rotations at LECOM work:

1) You have CORE rotations that you complete during your 3rd year: 3 months of IM, 1 month Peds, 1 month OB/GYN, 1 month psych, 2 months Surg, 1 month Family prac, and 1 month core selective in any of the previously mentioned core rotations. These have to be done at affiliated sites, which they will provide an updated list for you when the time comes. There is also a list on the LECOM website, however I'm not sure how often they update it. Also, you get 2 months of electives in anything you want, at any hospital in the country that will take you. For FP(family practice), you can do it with any board-certified DO in the country. Your CORE selective can be done at any hospital of choice (yes, that means at a non-affiliate), but only in your THIRD year. It's like having an elective, but in one of the CORE subjects.

Your 4th year will consist of 2 Ambulatory rotations, 2 ER rotations, 1 rural/underserved rotation, 1 medical selective, 1 surgical selective, and 4 regular electives. All SELECTIVES in your 4th year have to be done at affiliates (not like your 3rd year, where it can be done anywhere). Electives can be done anywhere on god's green earth.

2) You will decide your rotating fate (group) based on 1 of 2 things......1) Geographic location- if you want to do your rotations in a certain area you can pick this as your main priority. Areas that LECOM has are ohio, erie, pittsburg, east PA, middle PA, Jersey, NY, and a few in FL. There are random hospitals in georgia, kansas, and indiana. Again, you will get a list. 2) Vacation month- you get 1 month vacation each in 3rd and 4th year. If you are dead set on having a certain month off (i.e. getting married in August) then you can pick your vacay month as your priority over geographic location. The vacation month, if you choose this priority, will be the same month in your 3rd and 4th year (if your vacay month is in july of 3rd year, it will be july of 4th year). The only time this will change is if you fail the boards and are off track for some reason, but worry about this only if you come to this path.

When you indicate your priority (Geo or vacation month), then the student gov and whoever will place everyone according to their personal preference into a group. Usually everyone ends up with their priority (again, geo or vacay month). Most likely you will not end up in a group with your friends, they are chosen based on individual priorities and then grouped accordingly. We had no probs in my class that I know of.

3) Your entire class will be split into rotation groups, there's 13 of them. The groups will start out doing different rotations; for example, some will start on surgery while others will start Ob/Gyn, etc. Each rotation group has a group leader that will attempt to deal with any problems that arise in your group. Rotations begin June of your 3rd year. I suggest taking Step1 (in May) before you start rotations because it's a hassle to leave a rotation and your nerves will be shot from the idea of beginning rotations anyways. Don't worry though, you'll be fine. It's overwhelming, but keep on truckin'.

4) There are mandatory hospitals that require at least one student to be there at all times. You will get a list of these. They are in all the areas mentioned above, and only pertain to CORE rotations mentioned above. If a mandatory hospital is in your geographic area of choice, it's a bonus. My group didn't have any problems covering mandatories and we all made sure they were evenly distributed, so the same people didnt get stuck covering the same hospitals. It is true that LECOM does not pay hospitals to teach students, which is why some hospitals will drop off the list in the middle of your clinical years. It happens, but no big deal.

5) You must expect a cancellation in a rotation at some point during your clinical years. This happens all the time, so don't freak out when it happens to you. Sometimes a hospital will be over-booked, or they will say they aren't taking students for that rotation anymore, or sometimes they don't even give you a reason as to why you got booted. If this happens and it's a CORE rotation, sometimes LECOM will give you permission to go with a non-affiliated hospital (especially if it's a week before your rotation is supposed to start and you have to scramble to find another place). It's not as bad as it sounds, really. Just be prepared in case it happens, and always check in with your next rotation site at least a week prior to the start date to make sure all systems are a-go.

In regards to your specific questions about setting stuff up yourself: NOT TRUE. You will set up your CORE rotations when your individual rotation group meets. Medical education will put your request for your CORE rotations in and contact the affiliated hospitals for you. The rotations you set up on your own are 1) electives 2) FP 3) Core selectives. These are done by contacting the Medical education department of the hospital/physician you are interested in rotating at. They will then okay or deny your request for a rotation there. If they accept you for an elective rotation, then you fill out a rotation approval form (it's basically a request form for an elective) on the LECOM website, and someone in med ed at LECOM will receive it and communicate your paperwork to the hospital/physician you want to do the elective with.

When it comes to competing for rotations with other med students from different schools..... non-existent on CORE roations. You will encounter students from different schools on every rotation you go on, no one will be fighting you over anything. Electives are a bit different......say for example, if you want to go to Harvard your 4th year for an elective, you will be applying along with about 1200 other med students that want to rotate there as well, but the hospital will fill as many spots as they can. Again though, expect that some hospitals will turn you down for an elective, either because you are a 3rd year (most places won't take you unless your a 4th year), or because other people have applied for the elective before you and they don't have any open spots. Don't even worry about that now though, things will become more clear in your 3rd year when you get a better feel on how rotations work.

Hopefully this helps, we didn't have anyone to clue us in on stuff when we first began. Sorry for the novel! Good luck to you 🙂

Great post. I have had an absolutely fantastic 3rd year experience. Unfortunately, there have been bumps along the way, as in 4 of my rotations were cancelled. Yes, this will happen. Fortunately I was able to find myself stronger rotations and subsequently have been pleased with the fact that this happened.

Now for my soapbox: The ultimate cure-all for this situation would be for LECOM to consolidate their affiliates into northwestern pennsylvania. There are more than enough hospitals in NWPA to accomodate LECOM students. It would save students the cost of traveling and it would bring consistency to a curriculum that is far from it. The adminstration has stated that the fact that you can be strewn across the US for your rotations is an attractive quality for the school. I suppose for some it would be, but there comes a time where consistency and quality of education should trump personal preference for location. For the student that is proactive and excited to learn, the inconsistency from hospital to hospital and the lack of clinical faculty at these institution can easily be overcome and you can succeed. For students that are less self-reliant or inquisitive, they might find their clinical experience to be sub-par and for me that equates to a student who will be unprepared for their internship/residency.

Ultimately your medical education will be what you make of it, regardless of where you go to school Harvard to the Carribean. Stay focused, understand that some locations will make you work hard and others won't expect much. I suggest going to the one that will push you and make you think because one day you will be the one calling the shots and teaching the younger generation!
 
Hey Guys, Im A Bit Of A Bind Right Now. I Lost My Interview Information, In Terms Of The 9 Interview Questions They Ask. I Just Got To My Home And Have Looked Everywhere. Can Someone Please Help Me? Thanks.
 
any help? please.

1. Tell us about yourself in addition to the information stated in your file.

2. Who or what influenced your choice to become an osteopathic physician? What benefits do you perceive from the osteopathic holistic approach to care?

3. Describe your experiences with the healthcare system as a volunteer or an employee.

4. Describe your personal strengths. How would you describe areas of your personality or behavior you would like to improve?

5. Discuss your communication skills and provide an example of your ability as a communicator to serve your own needs as well as the needs of others.

6. Discuss your learning style and identify the pathway that best meets your educational needs.

7. Tell us how you handle stress in your life and give an example of a stressful situation and how you handled it.

8. Discuss your leadership style and give an example of an experience you had when you assumed a leadership role.

9. Provide an example of when you experience or observe a team approach as being more effective than an individual approach to a problem or task.

10. Describe how you resolve conflicts or disagreement with other individuals. Give an example of a situation, which results in disagreement and how you resolve the issue.

:luck:
 
What exactly are they looking for in the "tell us something not in your app" question? Like what you do for fun or something related to academics thats not in your app? I'm having a hard time coming up with a good answer....

any other interview tips? I'm sitting in my hotel room, interview tomorrow morning 😱

What time are we expected there? I've heard both 8am and 7:45am, I'm thinking the earlier the better but want to be sure
 
1. Tell us about yourself in addition to the information stated in your file.

2. Who or what influenced your choice to become an osteopathic physician? What benefits do you perceive from the osteopathic holistic approach to care?

3. Describe your experiences with the healthcare system as a volunteer or an employee.

4. Describe your personal strengths. How would you describe areas of your personality or behavior you would like to improve?

5. Discuss your communication skills and provide an example of your ability as a communicator to serve your own needs as well as the needs of others.

6. Discuss your learning style and identify the pathway that best meets your educational needs.

7. Tell us how you handle stress in your life and give an example of a stressful situation and how you handled it.

8. Discuss your leadership style and give an example of an experience you had when you assumed a leadership role.

9. Provide an example of when you experience or observe a team approach as being more effective than an individual approach to a problem or task.

10. Describe how you resolve conflicts or disagreement with other individuals. Give an example of a situation, which results in disagreement and how you resolve the issue.

:luck:
I LOVE YOU! 😍
 
Thank you very much! I've been freaking out all day! Once again, thanks! 🙂
 
Thank you very much! I've been freaking out all day! Once again, thanks! 🙂

Hehe, no problem. PM if you have other questions.
 
What exactly are they looking for in the "tell us something not in your app" question? Like what you do for fun or something related to academics thats not in your app? I'm having a hard time coming up with a good answer....

any other interview tips? I'm sitting in my hotel room, interview tomorrow morning 😱

What time are we expected there? I've heard both 8am and 7:45am, I'm thinking the earlier the better but want to be sure

There is nothing specific that they are looking for. Be yourself as much as you can, and think of something that you really would like them to know about you; it could be anything. Don’t look for generic, boring responses that they’ve heard many times before. Give them something that is uniquely you and it will leave an imprint. The greatest advice I would give is to be yourself.

Be there as early as you can. People at my interview showed up around 7:30, getting there at 8am is somewhat late.
 
There is nothing specific that they are looking for. Be yourself as much as you can, and think of something that you really would like them to know about you; it could be anything. Don’t look for generic, boring responses that they’ve heard many times before. Give them something that is uniquely you and it will leave an imprint. The greatest advice I would give is to be yourself.

Be there as early as you can. People at my interview showed up around 7:30, getting there at 8am is somewhat late.

thanks, appreciate it.
 
Hello everyone,
This is my first post on here and I would greatly appreciate any answers/oppinions anyone might have!

I was accepted to Lecom-Erie about a month ago and have sent in my deposit. It's pretty much 100% where I have decided to go and I will be doing PBL. My first question is what text we will be using for anat? And also, are there specific books that the PBL students are required to buy and is there a list of them anywhere? I ask this because my older sister is graduating this year from MD school and has offered to give me all of her books if I can use them (pathology etc, etc, etc).

My second question is how far could I plan to commute within reason (is 45 minutes to an hour too long)? I know the snow makes driving fairly difficult! But I will also be doing PBL which I understand would only require me to come to campus three days a week. Any oppinions would be greatly appreciated!!
 
Hey I am going the PBL route as well, congrats on the acceptance. I too have been curious as to what books will be used and so far I have only been able to find a list from last years entering class. If you go to my.lecom.edu you can find lots of helpful info. I don't believe that the texts are any different than what the other students use, but I could be wrong.
The problem with that kind of commute in a snowy place like Erie is that an hour commute can turn into a 2 hour commute if it is a bad day. I live in Utah and it has happened to me a lot. I would recommend that you do your best to stay close to campus. I believe that within PBL you still have quite a few small group study sessions, so you might want to consider that as well. These are just opinions though, someone else might have better info on the matter, maybe a current student.
 
From my understanding, in addition to the 3x a week PBL sessions and small group study sessions, don't the PBLers also take anatomy lecture/lab with everyone else? And maybe even another lecture class? Might make sense to stay close to campus...

On another note, to those who interviewed with me on 2/21, do we hear back on Friday or do they send the letters out on Friday?
 
and if you have, have you heard anything from LECOM yet?
 
Back to the matriculation packet...

Does anyone know if we need lab documentation for all titers? (varicella, mmr, etc.) What if I already have had the immunization and records to justify them? Do i still need to get the titer? It seems kind of pointless to me if so.
 
Back to the matriculation packet...

Does anyone know if we need lab documentation for all titers? (varicella, mmr, etc.) What if I already have had the immunization and records to justify them? Do i still need to get the titer? It seems kind of pointless to me if so.

Yep, lab documentation is required for all titers, but it is super easy to do. Draw some blood, then get your PPD and tetanus, and then come back in a few days to check it. By then they should have all the lab work done. It takes a few days and your physician should be able to fill out all of the paperwork in a couple of minutes, as long as all the titers come back reactive. I believe they just want reassurance because of the tight regulations imposed upon the Hospitals, but that is understandable. It's more for our benefit than anything. I just got my second step PPD checked and now I am going to mail it in and be done with it. YEEEAAAAHH!

Did you get your Financial Aid yet? I just mailed mine back today. 😀
 
sup people..im currently a postbacc student at lecom..and 99.9 % sure im gonna be a first year in erie next year (still deciding b/w lecom and pcom) but if u have ne questions about the school let me know..and also..i have a two bedroom townhouse that is literally 35 seconds away from lecom...im trying to move into a one bedroom somewhere...so my place MIGHT be up for grabs assuming i find a one bedroom somewhere...ill post more info later on..but its 2 bedroom, really nice, heating and gas are all electric, water trash are free, dishwasher, basement, its a pretty nice cozy place in a good location. comes with a grill and a nice deck in the back,.just some things to think about..ne way let me know if u have questions..i had a LOT of great help from this site though id just add my two cents
 
sup people..im currently a postbacc student at lecom..and 99.9 % sure im gonna be a first year in erie next year (still deciding b/w lecom and pcom) but if u have ne questions about the school let me know..and also..i have a two bedroom townhouse that is literally 35 seconds away from lecom...im trying to move into a one bedroom somewhere...so my place MIGHT be up for grabs assuming i find a one bedroom somewhere...ill post more info later on..but its 2 bedroom, really nice, heating and gas are all electric, water trash are free, dishwasher, basement, its a pretty nice cozy place in a good location. comes with a grill and a nice deck in the back,.just some things to think about..ne way let me know if u have questions..i had a LOT of great help from this site though id just add my two cents

Does it have a garage?
 
noo garage..its outdoor parking..its a U shaped complex with parking in the middle...and extra guest parking on the side..
 
Hello everyone,
This is my first post on here and I would greatly appreciate any answers/oppinions anyone might have!

I was accepted to Lecom-Erie about a month ago and have sent in my deposit. It's pretty much 100% where I have decided to go and I will be doing PBL. My first question is what text we will be using for anat? And also, are there specific books that the PBL students are required to buy and is there a list of them anywhere? I ask this because my older sister is graduating this year from MD school and has offered to give me all of her books if I can use them (pathology etc, etc, etc).

My second question is how far could I plan to commute within reason (is 45 minutes to an hour too long)? I know the snow makes driving fairly difficult! But I will also be doing PBL which I understand would only require me to come to campus three days a week. Any oppinions would be greatly appreciated!!

I would take all the books your sis can give you. Even if they're not the required texts for the class, it's always good to have extra refernces on hand. Definitely take her netter, and if she has a big moore take that. Also, definitely get your hands on a marks medical biochemistry. Porbably the best book every written on biochem.
 
So I'm wondering if anyone from Long Island, NY is going to be attending LECOM Erie with me and wanted to share that the orientation starting date is July 26th.
 
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