Liberty COM

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Awesome location, outstanding faculty, and great facilities. Although I wasn't accepted there I felt at home during the interview and would've taken a seat there over my other acceptances, no questions asked.
 
Liberty is the heart of Lynchburg. The faculty is amazing. They are extremely friendly. The campus sits on top of a mountain. The area is awesome, lots of stuff to do! The interview is relaxed and they give you a bus tour of the campus. There is a 99% chance you will be asked a question about ACA so be sure to do some research! I was accepted to this school and I plan to turn down any other interview offers. It would take a LOT for me to consider another school. I truly felt at home there and I cannot WAIT until I pack up my stuff and move to Virginia this spring 🙂. I am a Michigan resident and I applied to MSU. My stats are lower so I don't know that I would even be accepted to MSU but I already made up my mind that LUCOM is the perfect school for me. If I were to be accepted to MSU, I would still sell my house, leave my job and the rest of my family just to attend LUCOM. It is THAT amazing folks 😉
 
EH123 said:
Liberty is the heart of Lynchburg. The faculty is amazing. They are extremely friendly. The campus sits on top of a mountain. The area is awesome, lots of stuff to do! The interview is relaxed and they give you a bus tour of the campus. There is a 99% chance you will be asked a question about ACA so be sure to do some research! I was accepted to this school and I plan to turn down any other interview offers. It would take a LOT for me to consider another school. I truly felt at home there and I cannot WAIT until I pack up my stuff and move to Virginia this spring 🙂. I am a Michigan resident and I applied to MSU. My stats are lower so I don't know that I would even be accepted to MSU but I already made up my mind that LUCOM is the perfect school for me. If I were to be accepted to MSU, I would still sell my house, leave my job and the rest of my family just to attend LUCOM. It is THAT amazing folks 😉
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No school is that amazing, let alone a brand new one. You would be out of your mind to turn down MSU for liberty if the situation arises. How many other schools have you seen?
 
Mehd School said:
No school is that amazing, let alone a brand new one. How many other schools have you seen?
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See for yourself!! I have seen other schools and this one tops my list 🙂 Since when does older mean better? Newer means state-of-the-art EVERYTHING. Its my opinion anyway. You're allowed to disagree.
 
EH123 said:
See for yourself!! I have seen other schools and this one tops my list 🙂 Since when does older mean better? Newer means state-of-the-art EVERYTHING. Its my opinion anyway. You're allowed to disagree.
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And in my opinion, state of the art means jack and ****, otherwise all of the new schools would garner the best applicants. Don't get distracted by the bells and whistles.
 
I live probably 30 minutes from MSU and I took classes there. Sure the campus is nice but it doesn't hold a candle to LUCOM. MSU is more established, but I think that being a part of the inaugural class at LUCOM sounds exciting. I can participate in local community outreach event that an established school has had for years, or I can start one myself with other students. Which one sounds better? To me, the second. It shows leadership and organization, not just the desire to participate. Sure you could do that at other schools, but at a school with a completely clean slate, your opportunities are endless. Research, community outreach, international outreach, etc. They are waiting to be initiated. Thats the kind of person I am. I believe that when applying for a residency, I have a better chance at obtaining a competitive edge if I can show that I didn't just participate, I started, established, and lead.
 
Elevencents said:
And in my opinion, state of the art means jack and ****, otherwise all of the new schools would garner the best applicants. Don't get distracted by the bells and whistles.
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When every school has OSCE suites, sim labs, OMM labs, huge anatomy labs, etc. sometimes the bells and whistles are what makes a difference. Location isn't a bad reason for choosing one school over another. I happen to prefer 20 degree Januaries with an inch of snow versus the negative 8 degrees we had today with about 7 inches of snow in my front yard. Bring on Virginia Beach!!
 
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I don't buy the bells and whistles being enough of a selling point, either. Lots of new schools will have this stuff... old schools too.

What would turn me off most is wading through the growing pains of a new school/faculty/curriculum/establishment of rotation sites. But I'm not gonna argue with you... if you don't want a spot at another school, don't take it. Someone else out there wants it.
 
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Awesome Sauceome said:
let us know how those clincal rotations (the important part of med school) at LUCOM treat you
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Im sure I will be too busy during clinicals to post on SDN.
 
congrats. I understand why you are so excited to defend LUCOM over an excellent established program like MSUCOM....you got accepted to LUCOM, plain and simple. by the rules of SDN the DO school ranking goes like this:
1. the school you are accepted to and matriculate at,
2. schools you were accepted at but decided against,
3. the schools you interviewed at but didn't get accepted to
4. the schools you didn't receive a interview invite
5. the schools you didn't get a secondary from
6. the schools you didn't send in a primary to
7. LUCOM

just remember they are going to be testing out their administration/policies/curriculum and troubleshooting everything with YOU. you are the guinea pig so to speak. no medical school gets running without major problems with their faculty and staff and curriculum. And there are gonna be huge problems with rotations come time for the inaugural class to enter their third years, and you and your cohort are going to be the students they are going to say "oops" to. go find a thread for a new school that opened a few years back and have fun reading through the complaints the inaugural classes go through as the school works the kinks out. This why established programs and schools are preferred over new schools. They have gone through fixing most of their problems through decades of trial and error. some still have lingering problems but they aren't nearly as egregious as when they first opened.

but that's just my opinion
 
coolingglasses said:
I don't buy the bells and whistles being enough of a selling point, either. Lots of new schools will have this stuff... old schools too.

What would turn me off most is wading through the growing pains of a new school/faculty/curriculum/establishment of rotation sites. But I'm not gonna argue with you... if you don't want a spot at another school, don't take it. Someone else out there wants it.
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Not saying thats the only reason why I want to go there. When I visited, it felt like the perfect school for me. Clinical sites are set up, even more are being developed. OP was asking about our initial impression of the school after the interview. I gave mine. Have you seen it?
 
EH123 said:
Liberty is the heart of Lynchburg. The faculty is amazing. They are extremely friendly. The campus sits on top of a mountain. The area is awesome, lots of stuff to do! The interview is relaxed and they give you a bus tour of the campus. There is a 99% chance you will be asked a question about ACA so be sure to do some research! I was accepted to this school and I plan to turn down any other interview offers. It would take a LOT for me to consider another school. I truly felt at home there and I cannot WAIT until I pack up my stuff and move to Virginia this spring 🙂. I am a Michigan resident and I applied to MSU. My stats are lower so I don't know that I would even be accepted to MSU but I already made up my mind that LUCOM is the perfect school for me. If I were to be accepted to MSU, I would still sell my house, leave my job and the rest of my family just to attend LUCOM. It is THAT amazing folks 😉
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lol How much did they pay you to say this?
 
EH123 said:
Not saying thats the only reason why I want to go there. When I visited, it felt like the perfect school for me. Clinical sites are set up, even more are being developed. OP was asking about our initial impression of the school after the interview. I gave mine. Have you seen it?
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Of course not. My application cycle was over before Liberty was taking applicants.

But what do you suppose I would see that would oppose my apprehensions? My school converted from quarters to semesters and rearranged the order of their curriculum the year I started, and that was enough of a nuisance. I can't imagine going to a school where almost everything is under trial. I have friends going to some of the new schools and they seem to be holding up, but that doesn't mean I would.

Your enthusiasm for LUCOM is a good way to start should you ultimately end up there, I just hope they come through for you.
 
guylewis said:
congrats. I understand why you are so excited to defend LUCOM over an excellent established program like MSUCOM....you got accepted to LUCOM, plain and simple. by the rules of SDN the DO school ranking goes like this:
1. the school you are accepted to and matriculate at,
2. schools you were accepted at but decided against,
3. the schools you interviewed at but didn't get accepted to
4. the schools you didn't receive a interview invite
5. the schools you didn't get a secondary from
6. the schools you didn't send in a primary to
7. LUCOM

just remember they are going to be testing out their administration/policies/curriculum and troubleshooting everything with YOU. you are the guinea pig so to speak. no medical school gets running without major problems with their faculty and staff and curriculum. And there are gonna be huge problems with rotations come time for the inaugural class to enter their third years, and you and your cohort are going to be the students they are going to say "oops" to. go find a thread for a new school that opened a few years back and have fun reading through the complaints the inaugural classes go through as the school works the kinks out. This why established programs and schools are preferred over new schools. They have gone through fixing most of their problems through decades of trial and error. some still have lingering problems but they aren't nearly as egregious as when they first opened.

but that's just my opinion
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So is LUCOM at the bottom just because its a new school? Regardless, I am going to be a doctor. I am used to taking the hard way (story of my life!). I will probably read through some of those forums for more info anyway. If I get an acceptance to MSU, lucky person next on the list can have my spot. Shouldn't that be exciting? 😉

Starting something new always comes with its hiccups. Im not worried about those. New schools wouldn't bother opening if they didn't graduate doctors during their "trial and error" years. I truly do appreciate all of your concerns and I will read other posts so that I know what to expect. Thank you for your opinion 🙂
 
EH123 said:
So is LUCOM at the bottom just because its a new school? Regardless, I am going to be a doctor. I am used to taking the hard way (story of my life!). I will probably read through some of those forums for more info anyway. If I get an acceptance to MSU, lucky person next on the list can have my spot. Shouldn't that be exciting? 😉

Starting something new always comes with its hiccups. Im not worried about those. New schools wouldn't bother opening if they didn't graduate doctors during their "trial and error" years. I truly do appreciate all of your concerns and I will read other posts so that I know what to expect. Thank you for your opinion 🙂
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That, and being a school created by the bigot Jerry Falwell. and he's not some old bigot from the 1700s. he held his bigoted beliefs even until the 21st century.

You are going to become a doctor, and we all hope a very good one. I hope I'll become a good doctor someday as well. congratulations
 
coolingglasses said:
Of course not. My application cycle was over before Liberty was taking applicants.

But what do you suppose I would see that would oppose my apprehensions? My school converted from quarters to semesters and rearranged the order of their curriculum the year I started, and that was enough of a nuisance. I can't imagine going to a school where almost everything is under trial. I have friends going to some of the new schools and they seem to be holding up, but that doesn't mean I would.

Your enthusiasm for LUCOM is a good way to start should you ultimately end up there, I just hope they come through for you.
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Thank you 🙂 I can definitely see where starting something new would be hard. One semester, my chemistry prof was switched out 3 times. Not saying this is exactly the same situation, but I understand how disorganization can lead to frustration, etc. I'm sure I will survive it. Like I said, I've taken the hard way through a lot of things and Ive gotten this far. Thats more than what a lot of other applicants, even more qualified applicants than me, can say. I'm just blessed to have the opportunity 🙂
 
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guylewis said:
probably an admissions ticket.
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Well that can surely have an impact! But before I knew I was accepted, I thought the same thing. The admissions ticket simply solidified my initial impression 🙂
 
guylewis said:
That, and being a school created by the bigot Jerry Falwell. and he's not some old bigot from the 1700s. he held his bigoted beliefs even until the 21st century.

You are going to become a doctor, and we all hope a very good one. I hope I'll become a good doctor someday as well. congratulations
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Thanks! Congrats to you too!

Liberty is a Christian school. I am a Christian so it would be nice to go to a school where faith is encouraged rather than shut out. I honestly don't know much about Jerry Falwell so I will have something to research 🙂 .
 
EH123 said:
Thanks! Congrats to you too!

Liberty is a Christian school. I am a Christian so it would be nice to go to a school where faith is encouraged rather than shut out. I honestly don't know much about Jerry Falwell so I will have something to research 🙂 .
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First two things you see when you google Jerry Falwell:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2007/05/faithbased_fraud.html

no school actively encourages you to disregard your faith. some just wear the faith wayyyy more on their sleeve. e.g. Liberty doesn't allow the teaching of evolution, which, as an evolutionary biologist is just appalling especially when you consider you need evolution to appreciate and understand medicine. Just try your best to be more Christ-like rather than Christian. unfortunately those two words no longer mean the same thing.
 
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I agree. There is a big difference unfortunately
 
I was accepted there from 10/28 int. I must say I was impressed, and I am jelly of the new building because it is ginormous and all of the staff are excited and confident about it. I decided to attend a diff school just because liberty is so new. But I will say, you get the feeling that this school has MONEY so there's no reason they won't make it a great school 🙂 I mainly like the giant building. Lynchburg is nice too
 
EH123 said:
Thanks! Congrats to you too!

Liberty is a Christian school. I am a Christian so it would be nice to go to a school where faith is encouraged rather than shut out. I honestly don't know much about Jerry Falwell so I will have something to research 🙂 .
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Well I think he's probably not the best role model but some people like him. He's a televangelist if you get what I'm saying
 
I'd be curious to see what type of code of conduct is required of med students when Ya'll get there. Personally I have major problems with Falwell and do not feel like someone like me would fit in there. But EH you seem like a very nice and enthusiastic person and I wish you the best. I hope you come back after school starts and give an impression then.
 
LUCOM has their stuff together. I was really impressed.
 
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verynice said:
LUCOM has their stuff together. I was really impressed.
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I go to a university that appears the same. They do a really good job selling the school but most students transfer after the 1st year after they realize they were sold a lie and its nothing like it was made out to be. Not saying LUCOM is like that, I wouldn't mind attending it, but I'd be weary.
 
Putting the new building and fluff aside; LUCOM is a worse school than MSUCOM. I'm not saying it's a bad school, but it is not as respected, and will likely give you less opportunities than if you attended MSUCOM. You choosing LUCOM over MSUCOM is like an athlete signing with a terrible team simply for the money (think Al Jefferson with the Bobcats for any NBA fans out there).

But then again, you haven't been accepted to MSUCOM [yet], so it's easy to talk up the school that's accepted you more than the one that hasn't. Regardless, good luck.
 
Now, to play devil's advocate. I was on an interview at a very well regarded DO school last month. I got to know a non traditional applicant very well. He had already been accepted to NSU, DMU, and PCOM. I asked him where he was planning on matriculating...and he told me he was waiting anxiously on Liberty's decision as he had recently interviewed there. I asked him if he was serious, and he said that he was. I think I actually offended him a little bit, and I felt bad because it wasn't my intention; I was just really caught off guard considering he has been accepted to some beefy schools.

Long story short, different people can feel a certain pull to one school over another for whatever reason. You couldn't pay me enough to go to a new school, let alone one with the reputation of liberty. But this guy showed me that it isn't as black and white as I thought, and I was wrong for judging him for it. I just hope he knows what he is getting himself into.

Edit: he was from the Midwest if I remember correctly so he doesn't have special ties to VA.
 
edgerock24 said:
Putting the new building and fluff aside; LUCOM is a worse school than MSUCOM. I'm not saying it's a bad school, but it is not as respected, and will likely give you less opportunities than if you attended MSUCOM. You choosing LUCOM over MSUCOM is like an athlete signing with a terrible team simply for the money (think Al Jefferson with the Bobcats for any NBA fans out there).

But then again, you haven't been accepted to MSUCOM [yet], so it's easy to talk up the school that's accepted you more than the one that hasn't. Regardless, good luck.
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or think Robinson Cano with the Seattle Mariners.
 
Mehd School said:
Now, to play devil's advocate. I was on an interview at a very well regarded DO school last month. I got to know a non traditional applicant very well. He had already been accepted to NSU, DMU, and PCOM. I asked him where he was planning on matriculating...and he told me he was waiting anxiously on Liberty's decision as he had recently interviewed there. I asked him if he was serious, and he said that he was. I think I actually offended him a little bit, and I felt bad because it wasn't my intention; I was just really caught off guard considering he has been accepted to some beefy schools.

Long story short, different people can feel a certain pull to one school over another for whatever reason. You couldn't pay me enough to go to a new school, let alone one with the reputation of liberty. But this guy showed me that it isn't as black and white as I thought, and I was wrong for judging him for it. I just hope he knows what he is getting himself into.

Edit: he was from the Midwest if I remember correctly so he doesn't have special ties to VA.
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Exactly! Thank you 🙂

I'm getting a kick out of the sports references lol. Going where there's more money doesn't make you a bad athlete. Everyone has to make the best decision for themselves and their families regardless of what everyone else thinks. The way I look at it, those athletes are famous no matter where they go from here. They are doing what they love and they have the choice to pick the right spot to them. Like mehd said, it's not black and white.
 
lol @ LUCOM haters. Best of luck to everyone that will be attending, they definitely have the right people on their team. I'm afraid they will fall short of the image the SDN nay-sayers painted them.
 
1badz said:
lol @ LUCOM haters. Best of luck to everyone that will be attending, they definitely have the right people on their team. I'm afraid they will fall short of the image the SDN nay-sayers painted them.
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I agree, however I am skeptical of the quality of the institution as there are always unforeseeable issues that get ironed out early on which can make things harder.
 
Liberty probably sounds like a joke to a lot of oeople because of Falwell. Falwell is a joke to me as well. However, due to the sheer amount of care, marketing, and money put into this school, it will inevitably be a good school in the future.
 
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EH123 said:
Liberty is the heart of Lynchburg. The faculty is amazing. They are extremely friendly. The campus sits on top of a mountain. The area is awesome, lots of stuff to do! The interview is relaxed and they give you a bus tour of the campus. There is a 99% chance you will be asked a question about ACA so be sure to do some research! I was accepted to this school and I plan to turn down any other interview offers. It would take a LOT for me to consider another school. I truly felt at home there and I cannot WAIT until I pack up my stuff and move to Virginia this spring 🙂. I am a Michigan resident and I applied to MSU. My stats are lower so I don't know that I would even be accepted to MSU but I already made up my mind that LUCOM is the perfect school for me. If I were to be accepted to MSU, I would still sell my house, leave my job and the rest of my family just to attend LUCOM. It is THAT amazing folks 😉
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Liberty adcom pls go.
 
did they elude to how they would address embryology and evolution? i understand they are trying to incorporate Christianity into the curriculum.
 
SurgeDO said:
did they elude to how they would address embryology and evolution? i understand they are trying to incorporate Christianity into the curriculum.
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They are incorporating both in the curriculum (embryo+evo). They will not be teaching Christianity (as a religious study) in the medical school. Not sure if you were being serious… 😵

Only thing "Christian-like" they said they expect from us is just professionalism, respect, etc. You know, things everyone (regardless of religion or background) should display.
 
 
I wouldn't see the point in teaching Darwinian evolution. I suppose speciation when it comes to micro but again speciation isn't against Christian beliefs
 
I mean speciation and micro evolution. No need for macro I wouldn't think.
 
SurgeDO said:
http://www.liberty.edu/lucom/index.cfm?PID=27151


"Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine has designed a world class, distinctively Christian, student-centered curriculum taught by dedicated professionals who demonstrate excellence both in knowledge and experience within their practice of medicine."
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Right, a Christian, student-centered curriculum. By Christian they mean Christian values… They are not teaching a course in Christianity or something (at least in the medical school), if that's what you interpreted it as.

The question was asked by other people I interviewed with. The answer was very clear
 
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