LECOM: Quit Giving Kids Piss Tests!

[phantompooper]

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Dear Student Doctor Network,

I am a former LECOM student who thought the place did absolutely outlandish things to their students. One of the most shocking situations was not something that happened to me, but to a fellow student in my class regarding confidentiality with the school psychologist. Per the student’s account, they were meeting with the school psychologist, Dr. ‘K’, regarding handling stress and study habits. They were a good student and had no prior history of discipline. This student first asked whether their meeting was confidential, to which Dr. ‘K’ replied, “Yes…. I could lose my job if it wasn’t”. During the course of the meeting, the student mentioned that sometimes he/she smoked marijuana. To the student’s dismay, Dr. ‘K’ responded that under LECOM policy he is required to report substance abuse to the Dean of his/her College. After word drifted up to the 4th floor, he/she was temporarily removed from classes and sent to a “Substance Abuse Specialist” in Pittsburgh (which he/she had to pay for). Based upon his/her evaluation of “Cannabis Abuse”, he/she was signed up for a state-run recovery program for healthcare professionals to which he/she had to submit to 2-3 random urine tests per month and substance abuse counseling (which he/she had to pay for). The student did not feel that he/she benefited from the situation and was consistently broke during the remainder of the time I knew them from paying for random urine tests. This is just one incidence and from what I’ve heard, students are signed up against their will for these substance abuse treatment programs all the time at LECOM. I guess this might happen too if your were in the military or something, but it just seems ridiculous for Medical School where you are paying tuition.
Dr. ‘K’ left in 2012. Not sure if he retired or was let go. They hired a replacement psychologist to save the souls of students. Nonetheless, this situation brings up a very important point that anything mentioned regarding substance abuse to the LECOM psychologist is not actually confidential and could get you thrown out of class and signed up for random urine tests.
See text below in this email from 12/30/2012 regarding “strict confidentiality unless clear exceptions apply” and the “buddy” system – a method for paranoid, good-intentioned students to turn in their drugged out friends.
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Email from Silvia Ferretti concerning the new school psychologist:
Please be advised that Richard Hahn, Psy.D., has started as the new Director of Behavioral Health.
Dr. Hahn is an Erie native and PA licensed psychologist who has been in clinical practice for over the last 40 years. His main employ during the last 10 years was at Saint Vincent Health Center as a behavioral health psychologist, while he has also been in a private group practice for the last 23 years.
Having been a patient of an osteopathic medicine family practitioner for many years, namely, Dr. Robert Evans of the faculty here, Dr. Hahn has had some familiarity with as he has benefited from osteopathic practices and procedures.
Dr. Hahn’s role here has various aspects, primarily for student support on various levels of need including: 1) guidance for situational problems; 2) chairperson of the Behavioral Intervention Team; 3) coordination of any student’s need for intensive intervention, especially from designated behavioral clinicians, that is, help with ongoing problems as well as acute, including intense distress that would require emergency treatment.
As students are well informed, there is zero tolerance of anything said or done that could be a threat of danger to any student and the integrity of the school. Dr. Hahn would also address anything reported in this regard directly and through the “buddy” system, in its function as a preventive of problems.
Any service through Dr. Hahn’s office is strictly confidentialunless clear exceptions apply, and it does not go on student record.
The office location is A4-358, and telephone number is 866.8160. Dr. Hahn is also on the global email address list.
Dr. Hahn looks forward to be a part of LECOM and the wish for success of its students.
Silvia M. Ferretti, D.O.
Provost, Senior Vice President, Dean of Academic Affairs
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

 

[Jibby321]

I read this on the we hate LECOM site. Fuxed up.

 

[Chemistjoey]

Not that I condone using weed, especially as a future health professional. However, this incidence is just plain DIRTY and unethical imho. Watch out guys LE-COM isn't playing fair.

 

[Chemistjoey]

Not that I condone using weed, especially as a future health professional. However, this incidence is just plain DIRTY and unethical imho. Watch out guys LE-COM isn't playing fair.

 

[phantompooper]

Don't get me wrong, there are some very nice people that work at the school. However, the Italian lady that runs the school is very strange and put students through all kinds of strange situations.

If a guy is not wearing his tie properly, he could be disciplined. And no water or snacks are allowed in the classrooms. They block certain internet sites. There are video cameras everywhere. Most classes are taught in only one of 2 huge lecture halls (not fun like your state school where you get to walk from building to building). You have to dress up, but are then crammed in these tight little classrooms with 150 other students. The parking lost is just this massive square, no levels. It is the worst kind of degree mill. They advertise themselves as this affordable school, but one of the reasons is that they don't pay for rotations like other schools. So, it's hard to get rotations and the ones you do get may be screwed up.

The school also gives out Psychiatric Evaluations like hot cakes. They always just try to clear liability off of themselves in the chance a student is suicidal. They are known to make students get psychiatric evaluations simply as punishment, with no real meaning. And of course, the piss tests.

I liked many of the professors at this school, but other than that absolutely hated it. There are some real problems there. Ask students in the hall about these issues if/when you interview there. The "Ambassadors" will not give you the real deal.

 

[phantompooper]

Here's the embarrassing quote that was on their facebook:


"One of the good things about being a pharmacist is the exceptional income related to the workload. Unquestionably, the work requirements of pharmacists are lighter than those of any other healthcare-related occupations, such as nurse practitioners and physicians. These days pharmacists typically earn annual income of $75,000 to more than $150,000."


Then they tried to withdraw the quote, but it had already been copied and went viral on the internet. They gave the student body a pretty pathetic apology which you can see at the above link as well.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Here's the embarrassing quote that was on their facebook:


"One of the good things about being a pharmacist is the exceptional income related to the workload. Unquestionably, the work requirements of pharmacists are lighter than those of any other healthcare-related occupations, such as nurse practitioners and physicians. These days pharmacists typically earn annual income of $75,000 to more than $150,000."


Then they tried to withdraw the quote, but it had already been copied and went viral on the internet. They gave the student body a pretty pathetic apology which you can see at the above link as well.

I can confirm that I also saw this post by LECOM.

 

[BenJammin]

I saw the post as well. Man LECOM gets a really bad rep on the internet...more than any other college that I know of. If it's all true that water is banned from classes and they monitor your every move then this is a school you should stay away from at all costs.