LECOM-FL Class of 2008

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aidith

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Hello fellow LECOM class of 2008!!

I am going to LECOM Bradenton and thought we should have a post for us to get to know each other before arrival or maybe make plans to meet! I may be going around the area sometime soon to check out the city and look for places to live. I'm not making any final decisions just yet, but I want to get an idea of what's out there.

Post here if you're going to LECOM Bradenton! :clap:

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Hello! I will be attending UNECOM this year, but my best friend will be your classmate at Bradenton. She doesn't have much time to play on SDN like I do, so I just thought it would be nice to let you know that you're not alone out there aidith! She lives in Orlando and is graduating from UCF this May. Her parents live in St. Pete, which isn't that far from Bradenton, so she will have a good support system. If you want to, PM me and give me your phone # and I will give it to her to call you so you two can meet up before classes begin in September.

kmwmorris
UNECOM class of 2008
 
Hey all!

Yes, that is my best friend kmwmorris always helping me out. I love her to death!! I have put a deposit down for LECOM Bradenton, although I'm still going to keep my options open, as I am on two waiting lists at other DO schools. I'm from St. Petersuburg, FL and currently live in Orlando, FL and attend the Univ. of Central Florida. I recently visited the construction site in Bradenton and was actually impressed with the size of the building. I honestly thought it was going to be this small a** building since it will only serve the PBL students. It's three stories and it looks like they are making a nice man-made lake/potential study area behind the school. I have pictures and will post them soon, I promise. For health-nuts, like myself, there is a fairly new YMCA and sports complex right next door (sauna and pool YAY). Not too far is Univ. of South Florida's New College and The Ringling School of Art. So there are kids that live there for school too. The campus is actually closer to Sarasota, which I can't stress enough...because Bradenton is pretty bleak and I don't think I'll be living there. Sarasota offers all sorts of cool things (beaches, malls, events, etc.). I'm up in air about having a roommate or not. I like things clean and neat and if you are a girl or guy that fits that description I'll most definitely consider it. It would save us $$$. If you have Q's I'll check up and answer them if I can :)
 
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You guys might also want to check out this thread in the Osteopathic forum about LECOM Bradenton (aka FLECOM).

Another FLECOM thread

edit: aidith, I see you posted in that thread too. Oh, well :)
 
I'll sign in, but like docerica, I have other options. However, I really liked LECOM, but I'm just waiting for more info, which seems hard to get - or am I looking in the wrong place?

Ya, I like things clean and neat as well, but I assumed that FL would be a cheap place to live, so there would be no need for a roommate. Since your down there, what's your take?
 
hey guys! lucky ducks, going to LECOM south, while i'm stuck here at LECOM freezing a$$ cold north! watch out for dr kreuger! he's gonna be in charge of your anatomy, and he's one crazy guy, let me tell you!:p
 
i tried to post some pics but they seem to be too big. i'll work something out. forgot to mention that there is a cow pasture right across the street..but if you go down lakewood ranch road and enter the lakewood ranch development you'll find that it is one of the nicest, largest home developments to be seen. within this development is a huge, huge new hospital being built (looks done to me) and from what i gather from when i talked with Dr. Ron Berezniak, FLECOM will be associated with this hospital. they are already associated with manatee memorial. the doc came from california and is already living there. i've looked at some apartment guides and a one bedroom can range from 580-700 bucks. check out www.bradenton.com --> living --> find an apartment.
 
Hello everyone. I have a very good friend who got accepted the day after Christmas to LECOM.

She is hispanic and currently is finishing her last semester up here at USF.
 
Congratulations to those of you accepted to LECOM Bradenton (FLECOM does not suit my taste, it has a certain PESTY ring to it). To those of you on the fence, maybe I can help. I just wanted to introduce myself and open any discussion about LECOM South. My name is Mark Coty, Ph.D.,, one of those unknown Anatomy professors who will be teaching in Bradenton. After reading multiple posts, I see a need for some answers to very good questions.

1) Yes! Dr. Krueger will be in Bradenton,. He will be in charge of PBL and lending his extraordinary teaching skills to Gross Anatomy.

2) Frank Liuzzi, Ph.D. will be in charge of Gross Anatomy. You'll like him just as well, he's bald-headed and rides a Harley. He's also a top-notch Anatomy instructor with nearly 30 years teaching experience. Currently, he is Gross Anatomy course director at the University of South Florida where he is always ranked very high in student evaluations.

3) My background is also in Anatomy with a little twist, I'm also a Biomedical Engineer. Like Dr. K and Liuzzi, I absolutely thrive on teaching (all good teachers do). Because I have experience in 3-D modeling of human tissue, I can bring exciting new digital teaching tools to the mix. My specialty is also laboratory presentations and dissections.

4) LECOM Bradenton is actually in Bradenton, not Sarasota. It is at what one might consider , the rural edge of Bradenton. The beaches (both Bradenton and Sarasota) are probably the nicest on the West coast of Florida and you can get there by traveling West about 15 miles. Feel free to enjoy the beaches, however, the gross text should also return with a tan! Just kidding!

5) AOA has given final provisional acreditation. The final unprovisional acreditation is not given until the first class has graduated. It's an AOA thing!

6) The gross class will be taught using a combination of pro-sected embalmed and plastinated specimens. We already have the curriculum in place and are presently presently working on dividing up the lectures (the lucky one's will get me).

7) The building WILL be ready by September.

I look forward to meeting you all in Bradenton in September. Bring a positive attitude and a bathing suit, leave your coat at home!

Mark Coty, Ph.D.
 
Hi!

What other professors from LECOM Erie will be moving down to Florida?

Dr. K was bragging to us MS1's how Florida is using plastinations! :)
 
Originally posted by Doctortobee
Hi!

What other professors from LECOM Erie will be moving down to Florida?

Dr. K was bragging to us MS1's how Florida is using plastinations! :)

Hello,
Although one might think there would be a mass exodus to better weather, no other Anatomy professors are leaving. I'm not sure about other disciplines.

Plastinated prosected specimens seem to be catching on around the world. The old method of having students pick away at fat and skin only to miss an important structure is giving way to well-dissected specimens presented by Professors. Most Anatomy department professors are reporting more student satisfaction and higher success rates for students taking these type courses.

Thanks for the question,
Mark Coty, Ph.D.
 
I appreciate the additional information on FLECOM or LECOM South. (I kind of like FLECOM:D ) I am a nontraditional student who is chomping at the bit to be admitted this year to LECOM South. I sent in my application and I am waiting on a few things before I expect to hear back from them. But it is sounding better and better!!! :D :cool: :D


excited just thinking about it!!
 
We will sure miss Dr. K. He's so funny. If they phrase "high yield" is not in your vocabulary now, just give it a few days...:)
 
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I am glad to see that more DO schools are opening up. Sounds like you are going to have a solid program. Good luck to you all at FLECOM ( i kinda like that name myself )

Aaron
 
Thanks Dr. Coty for providing info on LECOM South.

Can you comment on the structure of the PBL classes, and what a day would look like?

What is the ideal size of a PBL group?

How many will be in a PBL group at LECOM-Bradenton?

Will this group change for each case study, or change at anytime, or is the group static once they are established?

How often will a group meet and for how long?

I know that the facilitators do not teach in a traditional sense, but will they at least tell us if we are not on track ? studying something too deep or not deep enough, or even the wrong thing altogether!

Thanks again ? I?m sure I?ll have other questions later.
 
Groups are 8 members, one facilitator. If you meet like we do, you will meet 3x week for 2 hr sessions; 2x week MSII. You have a new group each SEMESTER. You have a different facilitator each semester as well.

There is not much 'structure' to a PBL day. Structure is a lecture-based construct. You meet when you need to meet and go to classes(if you have them) and OMM as scheduled. The rest of the time is free/study.
 
Dr Sax ? that is the structure of PBL at LECOM-North, and it sounds ideal, but what about LECOM-South? With 8 students per class, that would mean there would be 18.75 classes (or 19). I see this breaking down as:

19 classes, with 8 students each (like LECOM-North), except for one smaller class.

But if all classes are to be the same size, then with 150 students, you end up with either:
15 classes with 10 students each, or
25 classes with 6 students each.

I would assume that the 6 or the 8 would be better than the 10, but would that require more instructors? Of course the size per class can go higher, all depending on the number of facilitators available. Hence my original questions.
 
To be honest, I have no idea how they will decide to do it in FL. If I were in charge, I'd make it groups of 10. Anywhere from 6-10 members is productive; anything more or less wouldn't work.


Dr_sax
 
Lets bring this thread back to life.

Last I heard, from the paper is:

OPENING OF MEDICAL COLLEGE ON TARGET FOR 2004

Source: Matt Griswold, Herald Staff Writer
LAKEWOOD RANCH --- As construction crews put the finishing touches on the exterior of the northern third of a building that will house a new medical college, school administrators say faculty hiring and student enrollment for their new Florida campus are moving along nicely.In their second month of business in Manatee County, officials from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine say everything from enrollment to facility construction is right on schedule for a target opening date of

Published on December 18, 2003, Page 1B, Bradenton Herald, The (FL)


That is all I got. Notice the date - has anybody got any new and updated information. Is the school still on track? Any delays?
 
I applied to LECOM...did I have to indicate which campus I was applying for or does that come later? Do you get to choose between the two? How does this work???
 
Originally posted by vrazz
I applied to LECOM...did I have to indicate which campus I was applying for or does that come later? Do you get to choose between the two? How does this work???


You can either call the admissions office and let them know you are also interested in Bradenton...or you can mention it in the interview. During the interview you are given a form in which you indicate your preference between the three learning pathways. On that form you can also indicate you prefer or are interested in Bradenton. However, you can only be considered for Bradenton if PBL is your first choice of pathways. Hope that helps! :)
 
I've done some reading on the three different learning paths available...anyone who is currently enrolled in classes at LECOM, please help. The PBL path meets w/ facilitators two or three times a week in addition to all other lectures? Is that how it works? I wasn't sure after reading the website.

Also, did I read that for gross anatomy, the specimens are prosected?
 
Hey

The first 13 weeks the entire class is together doing anatomy (yes it is prosection and is great), embryo, and histo. After that, those lucky PBLers don't have lectures. EXCEPT for Spirituality, Healthcare management, and ethics. Spirit. will meet for 2 weeks or so, HCM meets for a few weeks, but most of it is distance education (ie reading article objectives the night before the exam), and ethics for a week or so.

Of course all the pathways have OMM lecture and lab together.
 
You meet 3x/week MSI and 2x MSII. The "other" lectures you attend are OMM and any supplemental classes you may have, ie medical ethics or healthcare management. These classes(with the exception of OMM) usually run anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 1/2 months.

At LECOM anatomy lab is prosection, but at FLECOM I believe they are shifting over to plasticated models like Dr. Coty mentioned.

Dr_sax
 
Are either of you in PBL? It sounds like something I'd be interested in, b/c of the emphasis on clinical correlation, but I just don't see how you'd learn as much as traditional lectures. Also, because of the prosected/plasticized anatomy course, don't you think you're missing out by not dissecting it yourself?
 
I am an MSII at Lecom, and we dissected. IMO, we missed out on a lot of study time picking fat in the anatomy lab. It is much better to work with prosected specimens so that you can ID the structures and move on. Again, picking fat for 3 hours in lab is just not helpful. If you really feel the need to dissect, they usually offer the MSI's the opportunity to dissect the next year's specimens. In addition, they pay you $7 per hour to do it.

As far as PBL goes, I wouldn't worry a whole lot. The PBL classes took a set of practice boards in January, right after winter break. Almost none of us studied for these exams, and most of us passed. In addition, last year's PBL class scored 50 points higher on average on the COMLEX than the LDP classes. PBL is a very good option for students who are good at organizing their time and who tend to be self directed learners. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
 
The PBL classes at LECOM will be identical to those at LECOM Erie in both size and structure with one exception; one or two of the groups will have 6 or eight members, respectively. Remeber that Dr. Krueger will be the man in charge of PBL in Bradenton, and I know he is not expecting any drastic changes. You will get the same quality education wheter attending LECOM south or Erie. At both colleges, a facilitator's responsibility is to provide materials and monitor group dynamics, he may indeed allow the group to stray too far in a specific direction. This is because it's not whether you get the cases correct that matters, it's the material learned along the way.
Sincerely,
Mark Coty, Ph.D.
 
This is an interesting debate in the anatomical community at the moment. First, let me clear up a couple of questions in previous messages. At LECOM south, we (meaning the anatomy instructors) will be dissecting three cadavers in preparation for the coming fall term. These dissections will be done in a manner that allows us to fully demonstate the anatomy that we feel is important to learn. At the same time, dissections are being done in Erie and sent for plastination. With this system, we will have enough specimens for teaching, but they will be comprised of both plastinations and embalmed prosections.

Now back to the debate. As sddoc mentioned, when students do the dissections, they spend a lot of time picking out fat and other unecesarry tissues. The purist would argue that students get a better appreciation of the 3D anatomical relationships when dissecting their own cadaver. The draw back, besides that already mentioned, is that some important structures, like nerves and vessels, are lost with one scalpal swipe from an inexperienced dissector. Also, the students typically find themselves wondering what structures are important, even though the dissector tells them.

Even in a student dissection environment the students come alive when the anatomy is demostrated by an instructor, it's like a light suddenly goes off. The phrases "Wow, that's what we are supposed to see" and "Gee, it makes sense now that you pointed that out" are commonly heard around student dissection tables. I personally enjoy the information exchange that happens in small group demonstrations. My colleagues might dissagree, but I really think that students can get more out of proper prosections and good instruction.

See you in Bradenton,
Mark Coty, Ph.D.
 
Dr. Coty,

Do you know if the required books listed for the first year PBL at the Erie campus will be the same for the Bradenton campus? I would not mind picking up one or two to keep me out of trouble this summer.
 
Bacmedic,
I will check on the PBL books and get back to you, but I'm pretty sure they will be the same. Alternatively, you should look into occupying your summer with a little anatomy. This will go a long way toward your first term success. For enjoyable reading, I might suggest Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Actually, any good anatomy text will get you going early.
Regards:
Mark Coty, Ph.D.
 
Our class swears by the BRS anatomy...It was a lifesaver
 
Hi folks,

I've posted this same message in other threads on LECOM-Bradenton, but I just want to make sure that everyone who may be interested sees it.

I've lived in Btown, as many of us affectionately call Bradenton, for all of my 22 years (apart from time at college 2 hours away in Winter Park/Orlando) and will be attending LECOM-Bradenton in the Fall. I enthusiastically invite anyone with questions about the area to PM me, IM me on AIM (hellobeastieboy), or even call me (I'll give you my phone # if you PM me). I'd love to speak with anyone that will be my classmate or is considering it, so don't be shy! In addition, if you're coming to visit, let me know if you'd like a tour guide ;)

I will give some preliminary info here: LECOM is actually located in an area called Lakewood Ranch. As of right now, it is technically considered Bradenton, but that will eventually change and Lakewood Ranch will become its own town. Lakewood Ranch is a planned community on the eastern edge of Bradenton which has begun booming the past several years. It is still in the process of being fully developed - LECOM is on the northern edge of this development. The area directly around the school is quite undeveloped at the moment. There is a YMCA and a highschool next to it, and other than that it is fields for a mile or so.

A mile down the road is Lakewood Ranch proper - it consists of high-priced homes, two nice apartment complexes, quickly growing shopping areas, and several restaurants. A movie theatre is soon opening, and plans call for basically everything in the book. This is one of the fastest growing areas in the country.

Bradenton and Sarasota proper are 15 minutes west. The beaches are 20-30 minutes away depending on traffic and driving style.;) As Dr. Coty said, these beaches are some of the best and most beautiful beaches anywhere. Tampa, with all the offerings of a big city, is 30-40 minutes north.

As for places to live - houses in Lakewood Ranch are prohibitively priced. The two apartment complexes in Lakewood are about $800 for a single, $1000 for a double, and $1200 for a triple (unfurnished, utilities not included). They are quite nice and include all the amenities. They operate at near capacity however. There is plentiful, cheaper housing in Bradenton. I can't really speak for Sarasota.

That's all I will say for now, but I eagerly await questions whether via this forum or old-fashioned telephone. I also have some pictures if anyone is interested. I look forward to meeting everyone in Bradenton in September!! :D

- Noah

P.S. Another future LECOM student (female) and I are looking for a third roomate with whom to share one of the triples in Lakewood Ranch. At about $1200, it would be about $400 a person. Let me know if anyone is interested!
 
What's up guys & girls,

I've posted this same message in other threads on LECOM-Bradenton, but I just want to make sure that everyone who may be interested sees it.

I've lived in Btown, as many of us affectionately call Bradenton, for all of my 22 years (apart from time at college 2 hours away in Winter Park/Orlando) and will be attending LECOM-Bradenton in the Fall. I enthusiastically invite anyone with questions about the area to PM me, IM me on AIM (hellobeastieboy), or even call me (I'll give you my phone # if you PM me). I'd love to speak with anyone that will be my classmate or is considering it, so don't be shy! In addition, if you're coming to visit, let me know if you'd like a tour guide

I will give some preliminary info here: LECOM is actually located in an area called Lakewood Ranch. As of right now, it is technically considered Bradenton, but that will eventually change and Lakewood Ranch will become its own town. Lakewood Ranch is a planned community on the eastern edge of Bradenton which has begun booming the past several years. It is still in the process of being fully developed - LECOM is on the northern edge of this development. The area directly around the school is quite undeveloped at the moment. There is a YMCA and a highschool next to it, and other than that it is fields for a mile or so.

A mile down the road is Lakewood Ranch proper - it consists of high-priced homes, two nice apartment complexes, quickly growing shopping areas, and several restaurants. A movie theatre is soon opening, and plans call for basically everything in the book. This is one of the fastest growing areas in the country.

Bradenton and Sarasota proper are 15 minutes west. The beaches are 20-30 minutes away depending on traffic and driving style. As Dr. Coty said, these beaches are some of the best and most beautiful beaches anywhere. Tampa, with all the offerings of a big city, is 30-40 minutes north.

As for places to live - houses in Lakewood Ranch are prohibitively priced. The two apartment complexes in Lakewood are about $800 for a single, $1000 for a double, and $1200 for a triple (unfurnished, utilities not included). They are quite nice and include all the amenities. They operate at near capacity however. There is plentiful, cheaper housing in Bradenton. I can't really speak for Sarasota.

That's all I will say for now, but I eagerly await questions whether via this forum or old-fashioned telephone. I also have some pictures if anyone is interested. I look forward to meeting everyone in Bradenton in September!!

- Noah

P.S. Another future LECOM student (female) and I are looking for a third roomate with whom to share one of the triples in Lakewood Ranch. At about $1200, it would be about $400 a person. Let me know if anyone is interested!
 
I made it official this week. See you all in Sept.

Now time to start looking for a place.
 
Hi Noah,

I quess being so close made it easy to find a place. I'm now looking for a place (as most of us will be) and find that searching the net is not very productive - not knowing where to look, what areas are good, or what areas to stay away from. The prices you give seem more like LI prices! Why so high?!?!

Any hints you can give would be great.

I'm going to be heading down to scope the place out as soon as I can find a good sale on a plane ticket. Anyone else making plans?
 
Originally posted by BACMEDIC
Hi Noah,

I quess being so close made it easy to find a place. I'm now looking for a place (as most of us will be) and find that searching the net is not very productive - not knowing where to look, what areas are good, or what areas to stay away from. The prices you give seem more like LI prices! Why so high?!?!

Any hints you can give would be great.

I'm going to be heading down to scope the place out as soon as I can find a good sale on a plane ticket. Anyone else making plans?

BACMEDIC,

Yes, the rents/prices in Lakewood Ranch itself are quite high. The reason for this is that, as I said, this is an extremely fast growing "hot" area right now. I think any places in Lakewood Ranch will be prohibitively priced for medical students unless you have a roomate or two. Once you divide those $1000/month and $1200/month rents up, it's not so bad.

Rents in Bradenton itself (west of Lakewood Ranch) are much more reasonable, and a single can be had for $500-600. Good areas/areas to stay away from? Well it's difficult to make any broad sweeping statements, but generally West Bradenton (the higher numbered streets followed by a W, ie 34st St W and above) is nicer than East Bradenton. Having said that, however, East Bradenton is much closer to LECOM, so you're paying a price in driving time. Again, there are plenty of places in East Bradenton that are fine, and probably some that are great. Then there is Sarasota, where I'm not familiar with the apartment situation. However, I bet there are apartments popular with students since New College is located there. That area is about a 15 minute drive from LECOM.

My advice is to check out places on rent.com, rent a car down here, drive to the school location first, and visit apartments roughly in order of distance from there. I could name some random apartment complexes that I know are nice, but there are so many others that I'm not familiar with it would certainly not be an end all list. Good luck, I hope this has helped at least some, and let me know if I can be of any more help.

-Noah
 
Originally posted by BACMEDIC
I made it official this week. See you all in Sept.

Now time to start looking for a place.

I hope I get the opportunity to go there.....Florida sounds pretty good!
 
Hi everyone!
BACMEDIC it is a great idea to meet before the fall, to take a look at places and give each other extra info on the area.
I am in Miami and will be going to Bradenton on March 20 (Sat and Sunday, maybe Monday).
Also for me it is a pretty easy drive there if people are interested in getting together sometime, after all we are going to be together for the next 2 years.

I will also post info on the apartments I see when I go. I am unsure whether or not I want to have a roommate yet. I am a non-smoker, with a dog, if anyone is interested in a roommate let me know.

Good luck everyone. See you in the fall!!

- Karla
 
Hi everyone!
BACMEDIC had a great idea to meet before the fall, to take a look at places and give each other extra info on the area.
I am in Miami and will be going to Bradenton on March 20 (Sat and Sunday, maybe Monday).
Also for me it is a pretty easy drive there if people are interested in getting together sometime, after all we are going to be together for the next 2 years.

I will also post info on the apartments I see when I go. I am unsure whether or not I want to have a roommate yet. I am a non-smoker, with a dog, if anyone is interested in a roommate let me know.

Good luck everyone. See you in the fall!!

- Karla
 
Hey guys/girls,
Here's a picture I took of the building progress so far. It looks a lot bigger in person, and in this picture, than on the webcam.
 

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From the side.
 

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Wow, FLECOM looks like it is going to be a great place! (Sorry, I just can't call it LECOM-Bradenton ;) )
 
Yup, I'll be there in the fall too. I'm from DeLand and went to undergrad at UF. Health Science major. Probably will be looking for roommates soon. I figure I'd look at the Lakewood Ranch complexes and maybe have 2-3 other roommates. Make studying a lot easier too. You can email me at [email protected].

-Xanderain (Joey)
 
Thanks for the pictures! The building looks more complete than what you see on the WebCam. Did you get a chance to go inside and see what was there, or not there? Could you see if the building was still just a shell with floors, or ...?

It would be nice if the school or contractor posted weekly updates on progress.

On the living arrangements - it would be great if most of us lived close - for study purposes and so forth.
 
Originally posted by BACMEDIC
Did you get a chance to go inside and see what was there, or not there? Could you see if the building was still just a shell with floors, or ...?

I couldn't go inside, but I basically saw the inside because the building is "see-through" right now. Looks like the only stuff on the inside right now are staircases.

-Noah
 
Watch out DOtobe! We have ways of forcing memorization for those students who have trouble with correct nomenclature, both Anatomical and otherwise - LECOM Bradenton not FLECOM. I'm thinking perhaps a practicle question or something, maybe something where spelling counts. Just kidding! See ya in the Fall.

Mark Coty, Ph.D.
 
2 words...."Bonus Points"
 
I spoke with Dr. Berezniak the other day, who is the assistant dean at LECOM-Bradenton. He comes from COMP out west, and is extremely friendly and helpful. I'm getting more excited every day! :p

-Noah
 
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