LECOM Post Bac advice needed

[OLYWA]

Hi all.

I am a non-trad, career changing premed who chose to do my post-bac at a CC. Not my first choice, of course, but you simply have to do what works for you...and (due to full-time employment and living in a very rural area) that is what worked for me. Please see my mdapps profile link to view my stats/story. BCPM 3.2 with an 22 MCAT. Unfortunately never took an MCAT prep course...I live in the boonies and the closest is 2 hours each way. Simply not an option for me.

Ok, it's my 2nd go-round at applying to schools. I had 2 interviews last year, both waitlisted me, and NOTHING at all this year. It clearly isn't my first choice, but as I get older, continuing to wait is getting quite old...and I am very seriously considering the Caribbean in August.

Before I jump ship and head south...I felt I should really look at SMP's and specialty post-bacs. With a little research...LECOM looks like it may be a good fit for me although I have a few ?'s for anyone out there who has some answers and/or advice.

1. The program is 1 year (2 semesters). BUT...if you were to get subsequent admission to the med school...is there a traditional 'lag year' or would you simply start school upon completion of the program?

2. Can you get financial aid...i.e. Staffords...for the program?

3. What are your chances, upon finishing the program, that you will be accepted into the DO program at LECOM? Any general percentage...90+ maybe?

4. Any judgment on how 'hard' the program is? Poor question I know...but thought I'd ask.

Again...any advice regarding my situation is appreciated. Would really love to hear from someone with LECOM experience.

OlyWA

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DrMidlife]

...22 MCAT. Unfortunately never took an MCAT prep course...I live in the boonies and the closest is 2 hours each way. Simply not an option for me.

Yeah it is. Kaplan has a 100% online prep course. I haven't been to the bricks&mortar center, ever, and I'm fairly happy with the course. Also, all the practice tests are online now (www.e-mcat.com). Also, there are a ton of quiz books (such as Examkrackers) that you do on your own. Location's not a limit, but money might be.

Can't help with advice on LECOM's program - you know there are more DO SMPs, right? Look for my 2008 SMP list. But the LECOMs are my personal favorite DO schools (not that I don't love Nova...).

I've been rooting for you for a long time - I'd sure like to see you get a stronger MCAT and have some laurels to rest on instead of getting back on the emotional roller coaster.

Best of luck to you.

 

[OLYWA]

anyone else wanna chime in on this one???

 

[holly4069]

hi there--

saw your questions about lecom. i went there, so i thought i'd offer some input. but i graduated a few years ago, so i hope my info is not out of date.

during my time there, most of the students in the post-bac program were accepted into the DO program. this includes a few students with mcat scores that i know were significantly below yours. at that time, successful completion of the program almost ensured acceptance. with lecom now having multiple branches, i think your chance would still be quite good of gaining acceptance at one of their schools. i would strongly recommend you pursue it. i have little doubt that if you worked hard there, you would get in to the med school.

it also may be a good choice for you because you can apply to med school while in the post-bac program, so there would be no year in between. you would complete the post-bac and then begin your first year of med school. in 5 years you can be done.

i will mention that, overall, i did not like lecom very much. erie is not a great place to live. and, obviously, it's not the best medical school in the country. but in the end, i am in an excellent allopathic residency program, after which, i will be doing a cardiology fellowship at a strong program. so your education is what you make of it, and you will do great. work hard, and the opportunities are there.

i didn't look into the caribbean, but i have some friends who did. it has its pluses. you could probably be done sooner. and in some areas, the reality is MD is still considered better than DO (but this is less the case nowadays). but being considered a foreign medical grad comes with a lot of baggage. and i think those schools can be quite expensive, but i am not sure about that.

no matter what, don't give up. being a physician is the greatest job in the world. i am convinced of it. med school goes by quickly and before you know it, you'll be doing what you've always wanted. good luck!

 

[holly4069]

--i believe you can get stafford loans. at least that was the case when i was there. they can cover most of your expenses.

--in terms of difficulty, i would rate it as moderate. although i didn't do the post-bac program, i tutored some students in it. it is rigorous enough that i think it makes the first year of med school a little easier. but it is not nearly that intense and makes for a good transition in that respect.

 

[OLYWA]

wow...thanks so much for a great response!

 

[DocShow]

Hi all.

I am a non-trad, career changing premed who chose to do my post-bac at a CC. Not my first choice, of course, but you simply have to do what works for you...and (due to full-time employment and living in a very rural area) that is what worked for me. Please see my mdapps profile link to view my stats/story. BCPM 3.2 with an 22 MCAT. Unfortunately never took an MCAT prep course...I live in the boonies and the closest is 2 hours each way. Simply not an option for me.

Ok, it's my 2nd go-round at applying to schools. I had 2 interviews last year, both waitlisted me, and NOTHING at all this year. It clearly isn't my first choice, but as I get older, continuing to wait is getting quite old...and I am very seriously considering the Caribbean in August.

Before I jump ship and head south...I felt I should really look at SMP's and specialty post-bacs. With a little research...LECOM looks like it may be a good fit for me although I have a few ?'s for anyone out there who has some answers and/or advice.

1. The program is 1 year (2 semesters). BUT...if you were to get subsequent admission to the med school...is there a traditional 'lag year' or would you simply start school upon completion of the program?

2. Can you get financial aid...i.e. Staffords...for the program?

3. What are your chances, upon finishing the program, that you will be accepted into the DO program at LECOM? Any general percentage...90+ maybe?

4. Any judgment on how 'hard' the program is? Poor question I know...but thought I'd ask.

Again...any advice regarding my situation is appreciated. Would really love to hear from someone with LECOM experience.

OlyWA

Hi OlyWA!

I am currently a student in the post-bacc program at LECOM and just wanted to give you perspective of someone who is there now. To answer your questions:

1. As answered in previous posts, there is no lag year between the program and your OMS-1 year.

2. Just like medical school, you apply for FAFSA and are given the options of subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans. If those are not enough, GRAD plus loans are an option. (IMHO- don't make money a reason not to go to school)

3. Your chances of acceptance depend totally on you. As long as you have the required gpa in the program (3.0) and the MCAT (22), then you are as good as in. Everyone who has had those stats this year is already accepted. Many people in the program have even been accepted to other schools. So LECOM is not your only option.

4. The program is not easy. Our professors are the same as the medical school, the lectures are almost identical to the first-year lectures, and exams are as well. We are able to answer the same questions a first year can on many subjects even. The only difference is, some parts of the lectures we get, we are not necessarily held to. Professors will say "next years you'll have to know this", but for now we'll skip that. Doesn't happen a whole lot, but it does happen.

You are in the very same situation I was this time last year, probably a little better. I had a 23Q on my MCAT and my undergrad gpd was a 2.9(for various reasons). If you can handle the cold (and LOTS of snow). LECOM might be a good fit for you! Hope this helped!

 

[mishbebivu]

Does anyone know if LECOM will accept you into their post-bacc program if your MCAT score is below 20?

I know on their website, they say they will only consider you if your MCAT is 20 and up, so I was just wondering if there's still any chance of getting accepted? Are there any current post-bacc students who had sub-20 MCAT, but probably had retaken the MCAT to get at least a 22...? Thanks

 

[DocShow]

Does anyone know if LECOM will accept you into their post-bacc program if your MCAT score is below 20?

I know on their website, they say they will only consider you if your MCAT is 20 and up, so I was just wondering if there's still any chance of getting accepted? Are there any current post-bacc students who had sub-20 MCAT, but probably had retaken the MCAT to get at least a 22...? Thanks

There are some people in the program now that have an MCAT below a 20, not many, but there are some. Most have decent healthcare experience and at least ok undergraduate GPAs. Probably 15 of the 55 people in the current class have retaken the MCAT (Jan. 2009), in order to get the required 22 to be accepted into the medical school. So you would not be alone in that, i'm sure. Good luck!

 

[deleted92121]

GPA (without replacing grades like AACOMAS): 2.88
Science GPA (without replacing grades like AACOMAS): 2.87

GPA with grade replacement: 3.14
Science GPA with grade replacement: 3.7

MCAT unknown at this point, not taken

Which GPA would the post-bac program look at?

Thanks!

 

[OLYWA]

Anyone know if the admission process to this program involves an interview...and/or what percentage of applicants are accepted?

ALSO...

Does anyone know a link to a booklist for this program? So as to start looking over the material early...

OlyWa

 

[pianoman511]

No interview is required. I have no idea what % are accepted, but I do know if you have the requirements you will get in as long as you apply soon enough.

I would not recommend looking over the material early. Most lecture material is directly from the course powerpoints and the reading is supplemental. That being said, don't stress out before school begins, relax while you still can.