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What are the general impressions of LECOM? Good school? Cold location?
Lecom
- Thread starter Megalofyia
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i hear a lot of bad things about lecom. strict dress code, dreary erie, cloudy weather a lot, really cold winters, erie is not a happening place, a bit old and run-down, students often joked that they ended up their because it was their only choice. they said that there were apartments with lots of roaches and rats. i visited the school and would have to say i agree.
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LECOM is a fairly new school (this year it turned 10) that has come a long way in a short period of time. The school will offer you a great education with a fantastic systems-based approach to learning and early clinical education (2nd semester of 1st year). I feel that they adequately prepare you for the boards--individual instructors stress what is important for the boards in their lectures, and board review lectures begin after Thanksgiving break for MSII's. One of the greatest strengths of LECOM is their clinical rotations. LECOM offers a wide variety of hospitals in various areas of the country (PA, GA, FL, NY, OH, NJ, MI, IN, AL, etc.). For states this far away to be interested in a small school in NW PA, it shows that we are well-respected in the medical community, and that we have great connections. If you are interested in varied learning styles, LECOM was the first school to offer three separate learning pathways-LDP (lecture-discussion), PBL (problem-based learning), and ISP (independent study).
Now, all this is not to say that there aren't bad points. Essentially the school is run like a military camp (dress code, attendance policy, tons of rules and regulations, high security). They claim this gets us prepared for the harshness of the "real medical world," though sometimes it can be counterproductive to our learning. As for specific curricular weaknesses, I would have to say gross anatomy (the lab anyway, not the faculty) and OMM (definitely). Many people will complain about the Erie area, but you're very naive if you move here thinking it's going to be any more than what it is (it's not Philly, it's not NYC, it's not Chicago, so please don't make the comparison). Furthermore, if you don't like NW PA, you can try to go to their new FL campus as a PBL student.
That's about it. If you have any more specific questions, feel free to post them, and I or any other student can respond. I think the deal with LECOM is that you have to know what to expect coming in. The alumni who come back to lecture us, who went through all the same things we went through (dress code, blah, blah, blah) rave that they received a great education and they were complimented more than other students (MD and DO) on rotations because of the education they received (systems-based, early clinical exposure) at LECOM.
Good luck,
njdo
Now, all this is not to say that there aren't bad points. Essentially the school is run like a military camp (dress code, attendance policy, tons of rules and regulations, high security). They claim this gets us prepared for the harshness of the "real medical world," though sometimes it can be counterproductive to our learning. As for specific curricular weaknesses, I would have to say gross anatomy (the lab anyway, not the faculty) and OMM (definitely). Many people will complain about the Erie area, but you're very naive if you move here thinking it's going to be any more than what it is (it's not Philly, it's not NYC, it's not Chicago, so please don't make the comparison). Furthermore, if you don't like NW PA, you can try to go to their new FL campus as a PBL student.
That's about it. If you have any more specific questions, feel free to post them, and I or any other student can respond. I think the deal with LECOM is that you have to know what to expect coming in. The alumni who come back to lecture us, who went through all the same things we went through (dress code, blah, blah, blah) rave that they received a great education and they were complimented more than other students (MD and DO) on rotations because of the education they received (systems-based, early clinical exposure) at LECOM.
Good luck,
njdo
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Hey
LECOM being run down???
ANYWAY...I do like being at LECOM...except today when us LDP MS1's pretty much got screwed by something that should have been told to us and wasn't....
LECOM being run down???
ANYWAY...I do like being at LECOM...except today when us LDP MS1's pretty much got screwed by something that should have been told to us and wasn't....
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LECOM has good and bad points, as others here have mentioned.
Good points:
- early clinical experience. On all of my rotations so far I have been told that LECOM is a good school and does a very good job of preparing us for our clinical years.
- excellent board prep. As njdo said, the professors point out what will be tested on the boards. Having taken COMLEX I, I know that at least Dr. Kell and Dr. Nassiri have been right on the money as to high yield material.
- the dress code is actually a good thing since you won't have to buy yourself a whole wardrobe when you start rotations.
- Presque Isle is absolutely beautiful in the summertime.
Bad points:
- the school has a lot of rules. I didn't mind the attendance policy because I learn better by listening to lecture anyway, and the dress code isn't a big deal, for girls at least. But for those who would rather study at home and not go to class, the rules might kinda suck.
- THE WEATHER! (see what I put my location as )One of the main reasons I am back in the Pittsburgh area for rotations (other than I am from the area). It really is Dreary Erie. There isn't much sun from October until about March, and we saw 144 inches of snow this past winter.
- the size of Erie may be good or bad depending on where you are from. I am from a small town, so I thought Erie was a nice size, and as long as there are some restaurants, a mall, a movie theater, and a grocery store I am fine. But if you are from a bigger city Erie may seem like a run-down town. The view of the city of Erie is completely relative to the person.
And I lived in a nice apartment, with no roaches or rats or any other little critters.
My $0.02....
Good points:
- early clinical experience. On all of my rotations so far I have been told that LECOM is a good school and does a very good job of preparing us for our clinical years.
- excellent board prep. As njdo said, the professors point out what will be tested on the boards. Having taken COMLEX I, I know that at least Dr. Kell and Dr. Nassiri have been right on the money as to high yield material.
- the dress code is actually a good thing since you won't have to buy yourself a whole wardrobe when you start rotations.
- Presque Isle is absolutely beautiful in the summertime.
Bad points:
- the school has a lot of rules. I didn't mind the attendance policy because I learn better by listening to lecture anyway, and the dress code isn't a big deal, for girls at least. But for those who would rather study at home and not go to class, the rules might kinda suck.
- THE WEATHER! (see what I put my location as
)One of the main reasons I am back in the Pittsburgh area for rotations (other than I am from the area). It really is Dreary Erie. There isn't much sun from October until about March, and we saw 144 inches of snow this past winter.- the size of Erie may be good or bad depending on where you are from. I am from a small town, so I thought Erie was a nice size, and as long as there are some restaurants, a mall, a movie theater, and a grocery store I am fine. But if you are from a bigger city Erie may seem like a run-down town. The view of the city of Erie is completely relative to the person.
And I lived in a nice apartment, with no roaches or rats or any other little critters.
My $0.02....
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Thanks for your responces! I am actually very concerned about the weather. I live in South Texas where it is warm and sunny for more than 200 days a year.. and I have only seen pictures of snow. But my interview date is in Jan so I guess I'll be able to see snow this year.
Does anybody know if you could do all your rotations in pittsburgh? I ask this because i am married and want to reduce the stress on my wife as much as possible. Would i still get "good" rotations if i did this? Thanks!
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If you are concerned about the weather don't do it. I am not a student at LECOM but have relatives that live in Erie and I do not like the weather one bit. Visit it to see what you think. Spend a few days there. This is the perfect time of year to see what the worst is. OK maybe Jan. is. I would not be able to deal with it. Major SAD. I would however try out the florida campus.
I do not even like the weather in philly and thats were I live and will be going to med school. But it is a sacrafice I am willing to make. It comes down to options if that is the only school you get into go. If you do not mind the weather and policies go. Is it a sacrafice you are willing to make. What about PCOM.
good luck.
I do not even like the weather in philly and thats were I live and will be going to med school. But it is a sacrafice I am willing to make. It comes down to options if that is the only school you get into go. If you do not mind the weather and policies go. Is it a sacrafice you are willing to make. What about PCOM.
good luck.
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I've read some of the student interview feedback and they seem to be very similar to the ones written last year. People either HATE LECOM or they can adjust to it. And I must say, that no matter what a premed will tell you about his/her 3 day excursion to Erie, he/she doesn't know the whole story. I was in Erie a whopping 2 days when I interviewed and by no means could tell you for sure what LECOM was like. That's why we the students are here.
1) If the sole reason you don't go to LECOM is the dress code or the "food code" then you're, well, I'll bite my tongue. If you think having to dress up for a daily activity/work is strenuous or a pain in the ass, then you'd better rethink what profession you want to pursue. Plus, I question the "strictness" of these policies. For instance, WOMEN HAVE NO DRESS CODE AT LECOM. Since there is no "standard" of female professional dress, there isn't one at LECOM. Ask any woman if she has it easier than a man. I guarantee she will say yes. Men have to wear a shirt and tie. Wow. Do you think guys all wear Armani suits and parade around like stock brokers? No, we wear Dockers and some guys wear baby blue polyester leisure suits. As an aside, I do believe that VCOM has a dress code and NSU is starting an attendance policy.
As for the food, I see students EVERY time I'm at LECOM eating or drinking something in the lecture halls. I'm sure the MSIIs and IIIs can vouch for that. Rules are meant to be broken and I assure you, within a week, my fellow classmates were bending the rules and getting away with it.
2) The weather in Erie is bad. It snows quite a bit and the weather could only be compared to something like England's. If you are from a state with heavy snow fall or cold temps, then you have nothing to worry about. If are from a warmer state and/or have never personally witnessed snow(and I know a few), hold on for the ride. But remember, schools like CCOM, PCOM, DMU, KCOM, NYCOM(which are all arguably "better" than LECOM) have crappy weather too. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a bit for your dreams.
3) Erie is not a small place. I'm not endorsing it because God knows I would never live here for the rest of my life, but calling it small is just stupid. Pitt, Buffalo and Cleveland are all 1 1/2 hrs away. If you want something to do, you can find it.
I encourage each applicant to speak with a member of the student body. And, I would recommend speaking with someone from the individual pathways. Another thing many people forget or neglect to mention about LECOM: we all have different experiences depending on the learning pathway. I'm in PBL, go to LECOM maybe 5-6 times a week for never more than 3 hrs, never worry too much about the dress code, don't really have an attendance policy and is having a great deal of fun. I'd be happy to address any concerns or questions via PM. I've taken up too much room the way it is
Dr_sax, LECOM '07
1) If the sole reason you don't go to LECOM is the dress code or the "food code" then you're, well, I'll bite my tongue. If you think having to dress up for a daily activity/work is strenuous or a pain in the ass, then you'd better rethink what profession you want to pursue. Plus, I question the "strictness" of these policies. For instance, WOMEN HAVE NO DRESS CODE AT LECOM. Since there is no "standard" of female professional dress, there isn't one at LECOM. Ask any woman if she has it easier than a man. I guarantee she will say yes. Men have to wear a shirt and tie. Wow. Do you think guys all wear Armani suits and parade around like stock brokers? No, we wear Dockers and some guys wear baby blue polyester leisure suits. As an aside, I do believe that VCOM has a dress code and NSU is starting an attendance policy.
As for the food, I see students EVERY time I'm at LECOM eating or drinking something in the lecture halls. I'm sure the MSIIs and IIIs can vouch for that. Rules are meant to be broken and I assure you, within a week, my fellow classmates were bending the rules and getting away with it.
2) The weather in Erie is bad. It snows quite a bit and the weather could only be compared to something like England's. If you are from a state with heavy snow fall or cold temps, then you have nothing to worry about. If are from a warmer state and/or have never personally witnessed snow(and I know a few), hold on for the ride. But remember, schools like CCOM, PCOM, DMU, KCOM, NYCOM(which are all arguably "better" than LECOM) have crappy weather too. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a bit for your dreams.
3) Erie is not a small place. I'm not endorsing it because God knows I would never live here for the rest of my life, but calling it small is just stupid. Pitt, Buffalo and Cleveland are all 1 1/2 hrs away. If you want something to do, you can find it.
I encourage each applicant to speak with a member of the student body. And, I would recommend speaking with someone from the individual pathways. Another thing many people forget or neglect to mention about LECOM: we all have different experiences depending on the learning pathway. I'm in PBL, go to LECOM maybe 5-6 times a week for never more than 3 hrs, never worry too much about the dress code, don't really have an attendance policy and is having a great deal of fun. I'd be happy to address any concerns or questions via PM. I've taken up too much room the way it is
Dr_sax, LECOM '07
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Yes you can do all of your rotations in Pittsburgh. I'm doing that starting in June, and my husband and I are pretty happy about it!!! I love LECOM, and Erie is...well... Erie. Like others said, don't kid yourself, its no booming metropolis. But everything you need is here, and I live in a very very nice (no roaches, I would never live anyplace with roaches!) 2 bedroom for around $600/mo and that includes utilities.
You can feasibly do all of your rotations in any number of places, including NY (upstate and downstate), Ohio, eastern PA, philly, etc etc. So while Erie may not be ideal, its only two years and you get a great education and then get to get the hell out of here.
You can feasibly do all of your rotations in any number of places, including NY (upstate and downstate), Ohio, eastern PA, philly, etc etc. So while Erie may not be ideal, its only two years and you get a great education and then get to get the hell out of here.
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Thank you for all your responces they are really helpful!
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"If the sole reason you don't go to LECOM is the dress code or the food code then you're, well, I'll bite my tongue. If you think having to dress up for a daily activity/work is strenuous or a pain in the ass, then you'd better rethink what profession you want to pursue"
I don't think the problem is with actually dressing up, its with the principle behind. When asked about why I didn't apply to LECOM (I am from West PA) I solely state the dress code thing as my reason. Why? Because medical school should be about learning, not how you dress. To punish a student for not conforming to dress makes LECOM look more like a boarding school than a nurturing, open-minded, learning environment. Thats just my opinion, I am very much against dress codes just as I am against other conformist practices at learning institutions, such as reciting the pledge of allegiance, or even having to eat campus food for the firt year.
And I take offense tou you, Sax, coming off and telling people like me I need to rethink my profession. My family and friends were also suprised that a medical school is making 20 and 30 year old people dress a certain way; its useless and for lack of a better word, stupid. Besides, it seems that most people don't like LECOM's dress code policy. Then why settle? Unless its the only school you get in to, I don't see why people should compromise their idea of a good school.
I don't think the problem is with actually dressing up, its with the principle behind. When asked about why I didn't apply to LECOM (I am from West PA) I solely state the dress code thing as my reason. Why? Because medical school should be about learning, not how you dress. To punish a student for not conforming to dress makes LECOM look more like a boarding school than a nurturing, open-minded, learning environment. Thats just my opinion, I am very much against dress codes just as I am against other conformist practices at learning institutions, such as reciting the pledge of allegiance, or even having to eat campus food for the firt year.
And I take offense tou you, Sax, coming off and telling people like me I need to rethink my profession. My family and friends were also suprised that a medical school is making 20 and 30 year old people dress a certain way; its useless and for lack of a better word, stupid. Besides, it seems that most people don't like LECOM's dress code policy. Then why settle? Unless its the only school you get in to, I don't see why people should compromise their idea of a good school.
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I've said it before and I'll say it again.... It's just as easy to roll out of bed and put on day old khaki pants and a poorly ironed (if ironed at all) shirt as it is to put on jeans and a t-shirt.
Er, wait, we all wear pressed chinos, double breasted sport jackets, penny loafers (penny STRICTLY enforced), argyle knee socks and those cowboy neck ties, which is a nice "EEriesh" touch. And for the girls, we have to wear pigtails.... ala Britney Spears!!! And you wonder why they say we girls have it easier up here at LECOM!!!
We don't look like prep schoolers, but we do look better than you!!!
Er, wait, we all wear pressed chinos, double breasted sport jackets, penny loafers (penny STRICTLY enforced), argyle knee socks and those cowboy neck ties, which is a nice "EEriesh" touch. And for the girls, we have to wear pigtails.... ala Britney Spears!!! And you wonder why they say we girls have it easier up here at LECOM!!!
We don't look like prep schoolers, but we do look better than you!!!
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I didn't go to class, but I assume she's talking about Pharmacology questions....?!? Quite a few of my classmates are faring poorly in Pharm, so the prof held a review and went over the questions from our previous test. Apparently there was much ambiguity on a question, and he would hear nothing of it! As far as any other stuff we got screwed out of, I'm an LDP and I'm not aware of anything else..... Becky, can you substiantiate my assumption??
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i'll be honest, i hate erie. i went to college in nyc, so this isn't quite as fun. but it does have a barnes and noble and a target, so really, what more do you need? but i'm not in medical school to have fun, and i plan on leaving erie as soon as i get the chance. but regardless, i am really glad i came to lecom. i think i'm going to be extrememly well prepared for everything ahead, and thats all i care about. the dress code isn't a big deal. my friend wears the same pair of wrinkly khakis for weeks in a row. lecom is a little strict, and while its annoying, its probably a good thing in the end. but if you want a good medical education at a school that provides lots of opportunity, don't discount lecom. and as far as the weather goes-- all you do is study anyway, so who cares what its doing outside? take out a big loan and rent a place with a garage. and there are lots of really nice places to rent but there are also a few places with rats. if you don't like rats and roaches, don't rent there. thats all. but i'm happy i'm here!
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oh i forgot something--
this is for turkdlit:
please pull that pole out of your behind
there's nothing conformist about a dress code. they simply want their students to take themselves seriously, and they want the community to do so also. lots of schools have dress codes, and more and more are instilling them every year. lighten up a little. its no fun being so angry.
this is for turkdlit:
please pull that pole out of your behind
there's nothing conformist about a dress code. they simply want their students to take themselves seriously, and they want the community to do so also. lots of schools have dress codes, and more and more are instilling them every year. lighten up a little. its no fun being so angry.
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We haven't had any snow yet (maybe a few flurries here and there). This is quite unusual for this time of year, especially with it being warm too.
The problem with lake effect snow if that you don't necessarily get these huge snow storms all the time...it's just that you get a little bit of snow (a few inches) almost every day. This will last until the beginning of March and dwindle down from there. It's just annoying-having to scrape your car, get snow all over your clothes, drive on Peach Street (poorly plowed), etc.... Most times for a NYC winter you get a snow storm maybe a few times a month with scattered snow showers here and there. It's quite a difference.
njdo
The problem with lake effect snow if that you don't necessarily get these huge snow storms all the time...it's just that you get a little bit of snow (a few inches) almost every day. This will last until the beginning of March and dwindle down from there. It's just annoying-having to scrape your car, get snow all over your clothes, drive on Peach Street (poorly plowed), etc.... Most times for a NYC winter you get a snow storm maybe a few times a month with scattered snow showers here and there. It's quite a difference.
njdo
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No snow accumulation yet
