I can't believe that people are honestly saying that lmu is a superior school than lecom. Yes lmu is a great school, has done very well but still has a long way. As someone who has interviewed at both and has had to make this exact decision and chose lecom.
Frankly I'm kind of insulted that people bash lecom all the time on this site and with the fact that dcom has so many supporters makes it even worse.
You need to make an educated decision and this is what I had to do. Look at the price difference. Their cost ofattendance difference is roughly a ten thousand dollar difference. Now multiply that by four. Then look at how much dcom has increased tuition over the last year. 5%. Look at how much lecom has...1%. You do the math. Your looking at almost sixty grand after interest etc.
Then let's factor in this oh so precious technology that EVERYONE takes into account. How much does technology factor into your residency placement and board scores? ZERO. Technology is great for luring premeds into going to someones school. Now,
On to rotations. Check out the rotations for the schools on their websites. You'll notice that lecom students rotate at some amazing teaching institutions in pittsburg, and cleveland and all around the state. Including philadelphia.
Let's look at dcom. Their rotations are good but nowhere near the league of lecoms. Way too many 70 bed hospitals and community medical centers. Which yes, you can get a better education at places like this but you want the other side of the scope also. This is to be expected as the school is five years old.
Now onto board scores. Dcoms first classes average was not that impressive. Than look at lecoms. Nuff said. Ill use my own lap top and go with non recorded lectures and mandatory attendance for those things alone thank you very much.
Oh and PA is a much friendlier state to DO's. Sorry if I came off a little angered but I'm sick of how people put down lecom on this site all the time and for the most part I keep my mouth shut. But please please you cannot honestly tell me that RIGHT NOW dcom is a better or more established school for residency than lecom. Give dcom a few more years and there is no doubt in my mind that it will be just as good and maybe better but not right now. There aren't even attending physicians in the field practicing from there.
I will reiterate. Dcom was my first choice and I wanted to attend there very badly. I love rural areas and want to practice rural medicine. Harrogate was right up my alley bbut I made this decision using my brain and not my heart. I feel like I will be getting a better education at a great price.
Definitely an interesting post considering your past posts...glad you followed it up with some more level headed responses as opposed to just venting about people dogging on LECOM. Don't sweat what people say about your school...they wanted you, that's all that matters.
As for your interview...I hate to say it, but you missed out on studying under someone who is outrageously skilled in OPP. Even if he does come across a little harsh along the way at times....he's seriously fantastic.
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I'm going to go out on a limb and just say something wacky...med school is what you make of it. If you are particularly interested in one specialty for sure, and a certain city puts you in a location where you can get the best of the best in that specialty, fine. Go to that school. If you need to cut costs on tuition, fine, choose a cheaper school. And if you legitimately think you'll do best with PBL, then your decision is made! But from my lowly OMS-II perspective, I'm gonna go ahead and say that just because you rotate at an amazing hospital doesn't mean you'll have an amazing experience. Great hospital does not necessarily equate out to great doctors in every case...some of our students RAVE about these experiences at little ol' 70 bed hospitals (you certainly are the first assist in nearly every situation it seems...) Investigate the pros and cons for sure of each school you're considering, but when it comes down to it, go where it felt right. The things that seem so life-altering now will honestly not be as big of a deal in the long run. Besides, every program has its good and bad.
As for DCOM- I know that our 3rd years almost unanimously post positive experiences with their preceptors. As for connections, in my opinion, it has VERY little to do with the age of the program. To me, it's much more important to look at your faculty. Our faculty are VERY well connected. Even the few that will have left by the time you arrive would do whatever they could to help you if you want to utilize their connections- it's just the kind of family we have here. Plus, having such a young grad class entering the field has proven to be really beneficial. The new interns came back for our "Hospital Day" program and many expressed willingness to do whatever they could do to help us in our future endeavors.
My little spiel is basically always the same...if you're wanting to do residency in derm at Harvard, yes, reputation is likely going to play a role. But honestly, YOU are going to be what determines whether or not you get what you want out of all this. Don't count on riding on the coat tails of all those before you all the time...it will get you nowhere.
Good luck in making your decision...at the end of the day, with all these debates and posts, just remember that either way, you're gonna save lives regardless of where you went to school
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