LECOM-Erie vs ACOM

[hsk013]

Hi guys! I have an acceptance from ACOM and I received my II from LECOM-Erie few days ago. I submitted most of my secondaries between August-September so I am still waiting to hear back from other schools. But if ACOM and LECOM-Erie are about the same in terms of the quality of education, rotation, research opportunity, board preps, and residency placement (this is not really comparable since ACOM's first class didn't even graduate yet), I am not sure if I should go to LECOM interview since I am on a budget. So If you guys can provide me with your feedbacks I would really appreciate it. I am from CA and don't really mind the location. But I am interested in doing research in med school and hopefully after med school, I can match into a university-based IM program.

Also ACOM has 80% mandatory attendance and has a grading system of A/B/C/F. I believe LECOM has 100% mandatory attendance but does it have pass/fail instead of letter grades?

Thanks so much for helping me out!

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[oOKawaiiOo]

ERIE all the way. PBL pathway. GG.

 

[DrPatriot]

Hi guys! I have an acceptance from ACOM and I received my II from LECOM-Erie few days ago. I submitted most of my secondaries between August-September so I am still waiting to hear back from other schools. But if ACOM and LECOM-Erie are about the same in terms of the quality of education, rotation, research opportunity, board preps, and residency placement (this is not really comparable since ACOM's first class didn't even graduate yet), I am not sure if I should go to LECOM interview since I am on a budget. So If you guys can provide me with your feedbacks I would really appreciate it. I am from CA and don't really mind the location. But I am interested in doing research in med school and hopefully after med school, I can match into a university-based IM program.

Also ACOM has 80% mandatory attendance and has a grading system of A/B/C/F. I believe LECOM has 100% mandatory attendance but does it have pass/fail instead of letter grades?

Thanks so much for helping me out!

LECOM does have mandatory attendance in the LDP pathway but they have other pathways that offer more freedom.

LECOM also has the cheapest tuition and it is more established. Definitely something to think about.

I cancelled my interview at ACOM so I can't speak to what they offer but I'm sure someone else could give you a better comparison.

 

[Dr. Death]

Hi guys! I have an acceptance from ACOM and I received my II from LECOM-Erie few days ago. I submitted most of my secondaries between August-September so I am still waiting to hear back from other schools. But if ACOM and LECOM-Erie are about the same in terms of the quality of education, rotation, research opportunity, board preps, and residency placement (this is not really comparable since ACOM's first class didn't even graduate yet), I am not sure if I should go to LECOM interview since I am on a budget. So If you guys can provide me with your feedbacks I would really appreciate it. I am from CA and don't really mind the location. But I am interested in doing research in med school and hopefully after med school, I can match into a university-based IM program.

Also ACOM has 80% mandatory attendance and has a grading system of A/B/C/F. I believe LECOM has 100% mandatory attendance but does it have pass/fail instead of letter grades?

Thanks so much for helping me out!

This is a huge if. How can you know this is the case?

 

[JuxGiant]

LECOM does have mandatory attendance in the LDP pathway but they have other pathways that offer more freedom.

LECOM also has the cheapest tuition and it is more established. Definitely something to think about.

I cancelled my interview at ACOM so I can't speak to what they offer but I'm sure someone else could give you a better comparison.

Did you cancel your ACOM interview before getting accepted into MSUCOM or before? If before, why the cancellation?

 

[DrPatriot]

Did you cancel your ACOM interview before getting accepted into MSUCOM or before? If before, why the cancellation?

I was accepted to MSUCOM and cancelled all of my remaining interviews because it was my top choice!

 

[deleted158872]

ERIE all the way. PBL pathway. GG.

LECOM-Erie has 3 pathways.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

LECOM-Erie has 3 pathways.

I know. My emergency physician I scribed for went to LECOM-Erie and said,"If i had to go back to redo med school, I would do PBL pathway in a heartbeat."

 

[ortnakas]

LECOM has letter grades. Attendance is mandatory, but you're not on campus that much in PBL (and I assume DSP as well). Research opportunities are limited. While LECOM is generally not considered "top of the line" by SDN, but it is far more established than the newer programs. I don't know anything about ACOM to compare the two.

 

[OverlyRomantic]

Here's my two cents:

• LECOM is more established.
• LECOM is cheaper.
• LECOM has a variety of pathways to chose from.
• ACOM doesn't have a mandatory dress code.
• ACOM will allow water in your lecture hall (small point, I know).
• ACOM has a nicer campus.
• ACOM has housing.
• ACOM- I liked Dothan more than I liked Erie (personal Preference).
• ACOM has a sim center, Erie does not (this for me is big).
• ACOM has a primary care skills class, I don't think Erie does (Don't quote me 100% on this).
• ACOM just seemed so much more friendly, warm, and opening. Erie was kind of depressing.
• ACOM- It'll snow like hell at Erie.
• ACOM- You will get a cadaver. Erie only has cadavers for the Lecture pathway. You can take an internship in the summer if you really want to dissect, but not all students will get a cadaver.
• ACOM- Has intramural leagues .

These are just the thoughts I was able to muster up. I've interviewed at both places. I see why so many people prefer Erie, and I don't blame them. For me, the phenomenal atmosphere and sim center draws me towards ACOM.

 

[DocWinter]

For tuition alone, lecom is very attractive. I am at ACOM and think it is a high quality program and glad for my decision to attend here. I have friends at lecom and they mention it's stuffy, administration is difficult and rotations are a mess. ACOM trumps lecom in those categories. Imo figure out where you want to live and what is important to you.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

Not sure how much of a commonplace this is, but you can have your rotations dropped at LECOM (doesn't happen often...but you're paying 40k+/year, you should not have to worry about that)

 

[ortnakas]

Not sure how much of a commonplace this is, but you can have your rotations dropped at LECOM (doesn't happen often...but you're paying 40k+/year, you should not have to worry about that)

This is admittedly a problem at LECOM, but it's definitely not specific to LECOM either. (I know nothing about ACOM so I can't comment on their rotations situation).

 

[hallowmann]

Not sure how much of a commonplace this is, but you can have your rotations dropped at LECOM (doesn't happen often...but you're paying 40k+/year, you should not have to worry about that)

This can happen anywhere, and does happen in many DO schools. I've heard of it happening to MD students too. If a doc is out of town, you can't really rotate with them. It sucks, and might happen (we're constantly told it might), but its yet to happen to me or anyone I know.

Also, you aren't paying $40k+/yr, you're paying ~$36k, and that's if you have to buy the $3k health insurance (if you're covered by your parents you don't have to). I feel bad for the people that get rotations dropped and pay $55k+/yr. Unfortunately, rotations aren't really well organized at DO schools. Some are certainly better than others, and I'd probably put LECOM in the middle in that regard. There are definitely awesome rotation sites, but there are also not so great ones.