LMU-DCOM Class of 2011 Stats

[DoctorMom78]

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I thought y'all might be interested in DCOM's stats for this year. And, for anyone who is wondering, it is absolutely as incredible a school as I thought it would be. 😀 We have a wonderful class and the faculty and staff are really some of the best around. We already have a really close-knit class and everyone, (faculty, staff, and students,) all really try to help each other out. The technology is really amazing too. Anyway, anyone applying to an osteopathic school owes it to themselves to check it out. Good luck everyone!

Number of AACOMAS applications: 2050
Number of applicants scheduled for an on-campus interview: 558 (27.2% of the AACOMAS applicant pool)
Number of applicants interviewed: 529 (94.8% of interviews scheduled or 5.2% no-show rate)
Number of offers of admissions extended to applicants: 295 (14.4% of the AACOMAS applicant pool and 55.8% of those interviewed)
Number of those who were extended an offer of admission who also accepted the offer of admission/students in the class: 160 (54.2% of those who interviewed)
Mean Cumulative GPA 3.29
Mean Non-Science GPA 3.40
Mean Science GPA 3.18
Mean MCAT Total 24.62
Females 59 (37%)
Males 101 (63%)

 

[BrianD]

That looks very doable for me!

Now I'm just waiting for my last LOR so I can be complete.

 

[DoctorMom78]

That looks very doable for me!

Now I'm just waiting for my last LOR so I can be complete.

Good luck! I hope that you get the chance to interview at DCOM. I know you will love it. 🙂

 

[EEL08]

Thanks DoctorMom! And wow that's a lot of guys!

 

[scpod]

Females 59 (37%)
Males 101 (63%)[/I]

The percentage of women surprises me a little bit because it's pretty far below the average, but everything else looks good 😀.

 

[littlealex]

The mean MCAT is 24? What is the average Step1 score for the school?

 

[BrianD]

The mean MCAT is 24? What is the average Step1 score for the school?

Well they are just starting their first class this year I believe.

We will find out soon enough.

 

[DoctorMom78]

Yes, this is the first class so no board scores yet. I would imagine the stats will go up a bit in the future, but I thought that they were pretty good for being the first class.

I have no idea why there are so few women. I don't know how many were accepted who turned down their spot. We have a great class though. 😍

 

[scdocusc]

thats great info doctormom. I just sent my secondary into DCOM! I hope that I get an interview there. I really like DCOM

 

[DoctorMom78]

thats great info doctormom. I just sent my secondary into DCOM! I hope that I get an interview there. I really like DCOM

Good luck!!!

 

[Lamont]

ladies please apply!!!

thats my 2 cents, from the gender majority. i like dcom, nice place. you'll be blown away by the stellar beauty around here. when i walk out the door to my car i just think 'dang. who gets a view like this???' i literally live in a national park. i cant ask for much more.

 

[ocwaveoc]

What is going to be their 3rd and 4th yr clinical rotations? Will it be around the areas of the school or much farther away, ie out of state/county?

 

[Punchap]

ladies please apply!!!

thats my 2 cents, from the gender majority. i like dcom, nice place. you'll be blown away by the stellar beauty around here. when i walk out the door to my car i just think 'dang. who gets a view like this???' i literally live in a national park. i cant ask for much more.

LOL, this lady is applying. Hope I at least get an interview.

 

[gobluegirl]

LOL, this lady is applying. Hope I at least get an interview.

I'm applying too! I hope I get an interview as well 🙂 I've talked to the admissions people, and they were really helpful.

 

[nascardoc]

What is going to be their 3rd and 4th yr clinical rotations? Will it be around the areas of the school or much farther away, ie out of state/county?

As of right now, a vast majority of 3rd year rotations are in Knoxville, which is about 60 miles from DCOM. The hospitals are large medical centers. Each student will have one of these hospitals as their hub and each rotation during 4th year will be within a 60 mile radius of that hub hospital. The 4th year hospitals are smaller and more rural, but there isn't the resident, intern, student hierarchy in those hospitals. The students will be the 1st assistant to many of the procedures and will get a lot of hands-on experience, so that is a good thing. Also remember, that if the smaller hospitals aren't your thing, you do have electives where you can go anywhere in the country.

Things will be changing a bit before we get to 3rd year since we are just now starting. I'm sure more hositals will be added, but so far, the hospitals we have are really nice. If I can find it, I will attach a list of the hospitals we are affliated with so far on another post.

Good luck to all those applying. The school is amazing and I know you won't be disappointed. I know I'm not.

 

[MJB]

nd,

I have the list that I think you originally authored and was just looking at it tonight, but it's on our other computer...

Off the top of my head....

3rd year

UT Med Center
St. Mary's Knoxville
Parkwest
East TN Children's Hospital
Ft. Sanders (Maybe)
(All of the above are in Knoxville)
Erlanger
There are more...

4th Year
St. Mary's Campbell Co.
Claiborne Co.
St. Mary's Jefferson Co.
St. Mary's North (this is the one I want)
Athens Regional
Middlesboro
Again, there are more..but I can't remember them all.

When I get on the other computer, I'll try to remember to post the whole list.

I gotta say, I'm VERY glad I chose this school. My choice and satisfaction is reaffirmed on a daily basis.

 

[MJB]

Here is the file I have...I'm guessing it's been updated.

 

[ocwaveoc]

nascardoc and MJB, thanks a lot for that info. I just wanted to make sure that their 3/4th yr rotations were decent before applying. With schools that have been around for a long time, do they have rotations close enough to the school so that students don't need to move? Thanks.

 

[LauraDO]

So good to see this thread! As a knoxville native LMU is by far my first choice school. Hopefully for fall 2008, but if not 2009. Keep us updated on all the first year stuff it will be motivational!

Thanks

 

[LauraDO]

Here is the file I have...I'm guessing it's been updated.

These are some great hospitals, that is impressive!

 

[nascardoc]

nascardoc and MJB, thanks a lot for that info. I just wanted to make sure that their 3/4th yr rotations were decent before applying. With schools that have been around for a long time, do they have rotations close enough to the school so that students don't need to move? Thanks.

It will probably depend on where you live. I live halfway between DCOM and Knoxville (30 minute drive), so I am hoping I will not have to move for 3rd and 4th year. I don't think I will have to. As for those who live in the DCOM apartment, or in Harrogate, TN or Middlesboro, KY, most likely they will have to move, otherwise face a 1.5 hour drive to get to the hospital from home. If you don't want to move for the entire 4 years, or have a spouse or significant other who will be working in Knoxville, then I would suggest getting a place between school and Knoxville. The ride isn't that bad at all. Actually, it is a really nice way to unwind after studying all day.

 

[MJB]

These are some great hospitals, that is impressive!

I thought so.

St. Mary's North just opened and appears to be unbelievable.

As I'm one of those that has a spouse that works in Knoxville and commutes...I thought I would comment on that as well. The drive isn't by any means ideal, but so far it hasn't bothered me, and I'm hopeful that when rotations come, I'll not have to drive more than 15-20 minutes to my hospitals in years 3 and 4. Any questions, I'd be happy to help.

 

[LauraDO]

how long does it take you to get there from k-ville?

Do you think there is anything in particular I can do to help my application stand out? What do you think helped you?

 

[MaximusD]

Yeah that female percentage is low... PCOM's is 53% women and 47% men... I would expect that to even out over the course of the next few years.

How are classes docmom?

 

[Powdermonkey]

I thought so.

St. Mary's North just opened and appears to be unbelievable.

It is unbelievable. I work as a tech in the ER at the main hospital, and have been picking up shifts at North to help out. In one word, amazing. All of the monitors are touch screen, the EKG machine is touch screen, and the teamwork is great. The staff is amazing, and although there are still some bugs, we've only been open for a week now, and things are going great.

I was nervous about applying to LMU because its still so new, and also because of where its at, I was worried about rotations and stuff like that. But from what I've read here, it seems like they really have their stuff together, and if I can do rotations at both of the St. Mary's locations where I would get a lot of hands on time, and get to see familiar faces, sign me up tomorrow. I definitely feel much better about applying there... now if they will just send me an interview and/or acceptance letter... 😀

-Ryan

 

[ocwaveoc]

How's the traffic in that area? For an example, if you lived half way between DCOM and Knoxville and had an 8 AM class, what time would you leave in the morning?

 

[nascardoc]

How's the traffic in that area? For an example, if you lived half way between DCOM and Knoxville and had an 8 AM class, what time would you leave in the morning?

I live in La Follette, about 30 miles from DCOM, and it takes me 30 minutes to get to school. I take TN-63 and it goes by pretty quick. There are no stop lights, so you are just going the whole time. It is not a bad ride at all - a nice break from the day. Right now, our classes start at 8:30 am and I live between 7:30 - 7:45 am and have plenty of time.

 

[Pansit]

I thought y'all might be interested in DCOM's stats for this year. And, for anyone who is wondering, it is absolutely as incredible a school as I thought it would be. 😀 We have a wonderful class and the faculty and staff are really some of the best around. We already have a really close-knit class and everyone, (faculty, staff, and students,) all really try to help each other out. The technology is really amazing too. Anyway, anyone applying to an osteopathic school owes it to themselves to check it out. Good luck everyone!

Number of AACOMAS applications: 2050
Number of applicants scheduled for an on-campus interview: 558 (27.2% of the AACOMAS applicant pool)
Number of applicants interviewed: 529 (94.8% of interviews scheduled or 5.2% no-show rate)
Number of offers of admissions extended to applicants: 295 (14.4% of the AACOMAS applicant pool and 55.8% of those interviewed)
Number of those who were extended an offer of admission who also accepted the offer of admission/students in the class: 160 (54.2% of those who interviewed)
Mean Cumulative GPA 3.29
Mean Non-Science GPA 3.40
Mean Science GPA 3.18
Mean MCAT Total 24.62
Females 59 (37%)
Males 101 (63%)

Nothing against the first class because it is just that...the first class, but those are some low gpa numbers compared to other DO schools and little bit lower mcats than other schools...All those people complaining about RVU letting in below average students sure dont have a problem with DCOM...I mean it is still "non-profit"

3.29 cumulutive and 3.18 science....(there are quite a few people with science gpas below 3.0...thats close to a C average in undergrad, sorry but I couldnt even imagine seeing the people in my undergrad who got C's in organic or cell biology in medical school)

Hopefully you guys do okay on the boards...(some carrib schools have higher gpa's and they fail out like half their class)

I think several DO schools are in 3.5-3.6 gpa and 27 mcat range.

I was just looking at DMU's class of 2011 profile and they had:

Science GPA 3.59, Cumulative 3.64
MCAT 27

DCOM hopefully should see an increase in it's numbers in the next few cycles...or else it would be beaten out by both GPA and MCATS to numerous carrib schools, which should not be the case, seeing it's an American school...The top two or three carrib schools are right on par with the DO schools here in the US, which is fine...but to be on par with the lower tier carrib schools is just inexcusable in my opinion.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

How long is the drive to nashville, to be graced by the presence of the great one, Vincent Paul Young?

 

[nascardoc]

Nothing against the first class because it is just that...the first class, but those are some low gpa numbers compared to other DO schools and little bit lower mcats than other schools...All those people complaining about RVU letting in below average students sure dont have a problem with DCOM...I mean it is still "non-profit"

3.29 cumulutive and 3.18 science....(there are quite a few people with science gpas below 3.0...thats close to a C average in undergrad, sorry but I couldnt even imagine seeing the people in my undergrad who got C's in organic or cell biology in medical school)

Hopefully you guys do okay on the boards...(some carrib schools have higher gpa's and they fail out like half their class)

I think several DO schools are in 3.5-3.6 gpa and 27 mcat range.

I was just looking at DMU's class of 2011 profile and they had:

Science GPA 3.59, Cumulative 3.64
MCAT 27

DCOM hopefully should see an increase in it's numbers in the next few cycles...or else it would be beaten out by both GPA and MCATS to numerous carrib schools, which should not be the case, seeing it's an American school...The top two or three carrib schools are right on par with the DO schools here in the US, which is fine...but to be on par with the lower tier carrib schools is just inexcusable in my opinion.

Pansit,

First, don't even put DCOM in the same category of RVU. RVU has a whole different set of issues than just being a new school.

Actually, if you look at the numbers below you will see that DCOM ranks in the middle of the pack, which, I think is pretty good for a first year school. Granted, the numbers are a couple of years old, but even if you extrapolate them a bit, DCOM is still in the running with other schools. Not just because I go there, but I would gladly put DCOM up against any carrib school and many DO schools. We have excellent profs and technology (2nd to none), and I firmly believe that we will do very well on the boards. DCOM is very focused on making sure its students excel and are prepared. Although DCOM is a new school, the faculty is NOT new. I would suggest looking thru DCOM's website and check out the faculty to see what I am talking about. Our Anatomy Chair taught for 25+ years at UNECOM and you can ask any graduate from there about his abilities. Also, can anyone who went to LECOM-BR or Western about Dr. Leo and Dr. Kiick. I know we will receive a great education. Yeah, the GPA doesn't rank with some of the established schools (PCOM, DMU, CCOM, etc.), but it is pretty much average for osteopathic schools. But remember, judging a school based on numbers alone is not the whole story. I invite you to come to DCOM for a day, meet with some of the faculty and students (and maybe Mr. Pete DeBusk who roams the halls) and you will see what I mean. I wouldn't be surprised if you caught the vision too 😉 😎



Osteopathic Medical Schools listed in descending order by total MCAT
Western University of Health Sciences / College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Pomona, CA) MCAT: 10.00, 9.00, P, 9.00 total= 28
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey UMDNJ - School of Osteopathic Medicine (Strattford, NJ) MCAT: 9.24, 9.00, Q, 8.54 total= 26.78
Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University; MCAT: 9.01, 9.00, O, 8.76 total= 26.77
University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (Fort Worth, TX) MCAT: 9.20, 8.72, O, 8.49 total= 26.41
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine (San Francisco, CA) MCAT: 9.07, 8.99, NR, 8.19 total=26.25
Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State Univ. College of Osteopathic Medicine (Tulsa, OK) MCAT: 9.0, 8.0, O, 9.0 total= 26
Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine MCAT: 9.05, 8.34, O, 8.45 total=25.84
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Des Moines, Iowa) Average MCAT: 8.7, 8.3, O, 8.2 total= 25.2
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences/Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (Kirksville, MO) Average MCAT: 8.8, 8.2, O, 8.03 total= 25.03
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (Maine) Average MCAT: 8.64, 7.81, Q, 8.52 total= 24.97
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine MCAT: 8.7, 8.0, O, 8.2 total=24.9
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (Kansas City, MO) Average MCAT: 8.64, 8.13, Q, 8.09 total=24.86
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Philadelphia, PA) Average MCAT: 8.31, 8.04, P, 8.20 total= 24.55
Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine MCAT: 8.0, 8.0, P, 8.0 total= 24
Ohio University Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Athens, OH) Average MCAT: 8.32, 7.61, P, 8.03 total= 23.96
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (FLA) MCAT: 8.26, 7.76, N, 7.87 total= 23.89
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (Lewisburg, WV) Average MCAT: 7.3, 6.8, N, 7.8 total= 21.9
Pikesville College School of Osteopathic Medicine (Kentucky) MCAT: 7.50, 6.90, O, 7.30 total=21.70
New York Institute of Technology New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (Old Westbury, NY) Did NOT report
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (Erie, PA) Did NOT report
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine- (Bradenton, Florida campus)- Did NOT report
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - (Duluth, Georgia campus)- Did NOT report
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine- (Las Vegas, Nevada campus)-Did NOT report
Medical School information from The Princeton Review http://www.princetonreview.com/home.asp (accessed 3/13/06)
Revised 3/13/06

 

[mastamark]

I look forward to visiting with you guys down there nascardoc. My interview is on 10/19. I am hearing so many great things about your school I can not wait.

 

[Pansit]

Pansit,

First, don't even put DCOM in the same category of RVU. RVU has a whole different set of issues than just being a new school.

Actually, if you look at the numbers below you will see that DCOM ranks in the middle of the pack, which, I think is pretty good for a first year school. Granted, the numbers are a couple of years old, but even if you extrapolate them a bit, DCOM is still in the running with other schools. Not just because I go there, but I would gladly put DCOM up against any carrib school and many DO schools. We have excellent profs and technology (2nd to none), and I firmly believe that we will do very well on the boards. DCOM is very focused on making sure its students excel and are prepared. Although DCOM is a new school, the faculty is NOT new. I would suggest looking thru DCOM's website and check out the faculty to see what I am talking about. Our Anatomy Chair taught for 25+ years at UNECOM and you can ask any graduate from there about his abilities. Also, can anyone who went to LECOM-BR or Western about Dr. Leo and Dr. Kiick. I know we will receive a great education. Yeah, the GPA doesn't rank with some of the established schools (PCOM, DMU, CCOM, etc.), but it is pretty much average for osteopathic schools. But remember, judging a school based on numbers alone is not the whole story. I invite you to come to DCOM for a day, meet with some of the faculty and students (and maybe Mr. Pete DeBusk who roams the halls) and you will see what I mean. I wouldn't be surprised if you caught the vision too 😉 😎



Osteopathic Medical Schools listed in descending order by total MCAT
Western University of Health Sciences / College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Pomona, CA) MCAT: 10.00, 9.00, P, 9.00 total= 28
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey UMDNJ - School of Osteopathic Medicine (Strattford, NJ) MCAT: 9.24, 9.00, Q, 8.54 total= 26.78
Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University; MCAT: 9.01, 9.00, O, 8.76 total= 26.77
University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (Fort Worth, TX) MCAT: 9.20, 8.72, O, 8.49 total= 26.41
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine (San Francisco, CA) MCAT: 9.07, 8.99, NR, 8.19 total=26.25
Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State Univ. College of Osteopathic Medicine (Tulsa, OK) MCAT: 9.0, 8.0, O, 9.0 total= 26
Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine MCAT: 9.05, 8.34, O, 8.45 total=25.84
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Des Moines, Iowa) Average MCAT: 8.7, 8.3, O, 8.2 total= 25.2
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences/Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (Kirksville, MO) Average MCAT: 8.8, 8.2, O, 8.03 total= 25.03
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (Maine) Average MCAT: 8.64, 7.81, Q, 8.52 total= 24.97
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine MCAT: 8.7, 8.0, O, 8.2 total=24.9
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (Kansas City, MO) Average MCAT: 8.64, 8.13, Q, 8.09 total=24.86
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Philadelphia, PA) Average MCAT: 8.31, 8.04, P, 8.20 total= 24.55
Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine MCAT: 8.0, 8.0, P, 8.0 total= 24
Ohio University Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Athens, OH) Average MCAT: 8.32, 7.61, P, 8.03 total= 23.96
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (FLA) MCAT: 8.26, 7.76, N, 7.87 total= 23.89
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (Lewisburg, WV) Average MCAT: 7.3, 6.8, N, 7.8 total= 21.9
Pikesville College School of Osteopathic Medicine (Kentucky) MCAT: 7.50, 6.90, O, 7.30 total=21.70
New York Institute of Technology New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (Old Westbury, NY) Did NOT report
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (Erie, PA) Did NOT report
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine- (Bradenton, Florida campus)- Did NOT report
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - (Duluth, Georgia campus)- Did NOT report
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine- (Las Vegas, Nevada campus)-Did NOT report
Medical School information from The Princeton Review http://www.princetonreview.com/home.asp (accessed 3/13/06)
Revised 3/13/06

First off those are mcat numbers from like 2001 (and western U is not an old DO school but they have high numbers as well)...but besides that nobody is disputing the quality of education...it's about the quality of students. What is the COMLEX pass rates going to be...is the first matchlist going to contain 95% Primary care residencies in the boonies...what is the attrition rate going to be...these are all concerns incoming students should have. This first class will be the first impression on Residency Directors for the school. They can provide a great advantage for the upcoming students or they can make it a disadvantage. However, with an average gpa of 3.18 it does not look as good now (especially compared to other DO schools)...only time will tell...but hopefully it is more positive than negative.

 

[MJB]

how long does it take you to get there from k-ville?

Do you think there is anything in particular I can do to help my application stand out? What do you think helped you?

Sorry, I did not see this until just now.

I give myself about an hour to get to school. It's right at 50 miles from my house to the parking lot at DCOM.


Now, my brain might be a little fried from studying for today's test, but I'm gonna have to go figure out how a 3.18 is "almost a C average". 🙂



As for making yourself standout...I don't know without more info. I'm pretty much right on the "average" numbers...but I'm also a non-trad that carried a 4.0 for the last two years while taking some pre-reqs. I had some "indescretions" in my undergrad experience...amazing what studying can do. 🙂

Guess what those numbers meant once classes started? NOTHING

I have quite a bit of "life experience" going for me...and I'll put my determination up there with just about anyone. We certainly have an interesting class, and I have little doubt that we will be successful.

If anyone has specific questions, I'll try to help if you PM me.

 

[MJB]

Oh, and it's about 2.5 hours from Knoxville to Nashville...or about 3.5 hours from Harrogate to Nashville, but I'd probably plan on 4.

As for my drive, as long as I don't get caught behind schoolbuses, it is very stress free..and I actually kind of enjoy it. I definitely like living in Knoxville, though living closer to school would be more convenient.

 

[MJB]

And finally....

http://www.aacom.org/data/cib/06-mcat-gpas.html


KCUMB and DMU do have higher numbers...it's a fact. That's also part of what they look for...no further comment.

 

[t-funk]

I just read that PCOM's average for 2007 was an overall GPA of 3.38 and an MCAT of 24. Those stats look strikingly similar to DCOM's with a 3.29 and a 24.6. I actually think those are really good stats for the school's 1st year and are right there in the middle to slightly below average as far as DO schools go. According to the AACOM website, the avg GPA for students entering DO schools is 3.45 and MCAT is about 25.5. I'm just not quite so sure how this makes DCOM's averages are so incredibly low that no one will pass their boards. I also don't quite understand how a 3.18 is close to a C average. It looks pretty intermediate to a B and a B+ to me.

 

[mastamark]

I thought 2.0 was a C average on a 4.0 scale. I could be wrong.

 

[EEL08]

Okay my question is when the GPAs for schools are listed, is that referring to overall or science?

 

[t-funk]

If it is not specified, I would assume it is overall.🙂

 

[EEL08]

If it is not specified, I would assume it is overall.🙂

Man, that's too bad. I guess I'm one of the few whose science GPA is higher than their overall.

 

[Pansit]

Maybe some people have misunderstood me...but I dont have a problem with people having 3.0 gpa's in medical school. The schools with 3.66 gpa average have their share of students with 3.0's as well. The problem with me is that the average gpa is 3.18...meaning there are quite a few students in 2.5-2.9 range...alot of DO schools dont even look at applicants with a below 3.0 gpa...to have the average near 3.0 means a large portion of the class could not even pull a B (3.0) average...I am not gonna doubt the students because we have to see and find out...but I have a feeling that quite a few students will struggle, especially if the education is itself top notch and challenging.

 

[scpod]

...The problem with me is that the average gpa is 3.18...meaning there are quite a few students in 2.5-2.9 range....

No, it doesn't mean that at all. It's just as likely that the average is skewed one direction or another. There could easily be 145 students with a 3.15 GPA and 5 with a 4.0. The truth is that you have NO IDEA what the range of GPA's is there.

...to have the average near 3.0 means a large portion of the class could not even pull a B (3.0) average....

Again, you have jumped to conclusions. With only the mean score you CANNOT assume that information. I took statistics and made an A in it so I've got a pretty good idea.

...I am not gonna doubt the students because we have to see and find out...but I have a feeling that quite a few students will struggle, especially if the education is itself top notch and challenging.

Once you've actually matriculated to a medical school and seen what it takes to survive, then you might be able to make generalizations like that, but I really feel that your argument doesn't hold water. There is no doubt that new medical schools tend to have lower stats in the beginning because the "top" students choose more established schools...but that changes with time.

The saddest thing, though, is that many, many pre-meds are little better than 6 year-olds when it comes to playing with others. 6 year-olds pick on the fat kid, or the wheel-chair kid, or the one whose dad drives a crappy car. Pre-meds pick on the state-school kid, or the DO school kid, or the one with a GPA 0.002 points lower than them.

Nobody has a clue how well the students at LMU-DCOM will do in the future, how they will struggle or whether they will score high on COMLEX. Debating the topic at this point is just pure silly. Why don't we talk about something more productive?

 

[gasapple]

No, it doesn't mean that at all. It's just as likely that the average is skewed one direction or another. There could easily be 145 students with a 3.15 GPA and 5 with a 4.0. The truth is that you have NO IDEA what the range of GPA's is there.



Again, you have jumped to conclusions. With only the mean score you CANNOT assume that information. I took statistics and made an A in it so I've got a pretty good idea.



Once you've actually matriculated to a medical school and seen what it takes to survive, then you might be able to make generalizations like that, but I really feel that your argument doesn't hold water. There is no doubt that new medical schools tend to have lower stats in the beginning because the "top" students choose more established schools...but that changes with time.

The saddest thing, though, is that many, many pre-meds are little better than 6 year-olds when it comes to playing with others. 6 year-olds pick on the fat kid, or the wheel-chair kid, or the one whose dad drives a crappy car. Pre-meds pick on the state-school kid, or the DO school kid, or the one with a GPA 0.002 points lower than them.

Nobody has a clue how well the students at LMU-DCOM will do in the future, how they will struggle or whether they will score high on COMLEX. Debating the topic at this point is just pure silly. Why don't we talk about something more productive?

Bravo! 👍

 

[EEL08]

Maybe some people have misunderstood me...but I dont have a problem with people having 3.0 gpa's in medical school. The schools with 3.66 gpa average have their share of students with 3.0's as well. The problem with me is that the average gpa is 3.18...meaning there are quite a few students in 2.5-2.9 range...alot of DO schools dont even look at applicants with a below 3.0 gpa...to have the average near 3.0 means a large portion of the class could not even pull a B (3.0) average...I am not gonna doubt the students because we have to see and find out...but I have a feeling that quite a few students will struggle, especially if the education is itself top notch and challenging.

You also can't assume why those people have those GPAs. One of the reasons I only applied to osteopathic schools is because they seem so much more open to nontraditional students and everything that comes with them. Grade replacement itself is reflective of that, I think. I had a bad first year when I started college 11 years ago which has an effect on my GPA now. I liked the idea of not having to go to class so I didn't a lot of the time. I so appreciate being given a break for that time when I wasn't mature enough to step up my game. There are many reasons why someone's GPA may be lower that have nothing to do with being lazy or stupid.

 

[nascardoc]

Thanks for the post scpod...It is funny how pre-meds think sometimes. Yeah, I was one just over a month ago, but I can honestly say that I know one other person's mcat score other than mine. No one talks (or cares) about mcat's, gpa's, etc. because we are all equal now....we are medical students. Our administration won't put up with that stuff anyway.

Oh well....off to studying.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

You also can't assume why those people have those GPAs. One of the reasons I only applied to osteopathic schools is because they seem so much more open to nontraditional students and everything that comes with them. Grade replacement itself is reflective of that, I think. I had a bad first year when I started college 11 years ago which has an effect on my GPA now. I liked the idea of not having to go to class so I didn't a lot of the time. I so appreciate being given a break for that time when I wasn't mature enough to step up my game. There are many reasons why someone's GPA may be lower that have nothing to do with being lazy or stupid.

Word.

Honestly, I don't think there's a med school in the country where I can't hack it on the coursework. I haven't always been the best student in the world, but I'm older now, and I'm hungry. I'm getting better all the time, and when its crunch time, I'm pretty certain that I will step it up. By the numbers, there are some schools who won't look at me, but at the same time, I think I've more than proven that I can get it done.

 

[DoctorMom78]

Yeah that female percentage is low... PCOM's is 53% women and 47% men... I would expect that to even out over the course of the next few years.

How are classes docmom?

I am sure it will even out over time.

Classes are great! I LOVE DCOM!!! I haven't had much time for SDN lately though.

How are things with you? How is PCOM? Lots of luck with your classes!🙂

 

[Lamborghini1315]

Nothing against the first class because it is just that...the first class, but those are some low gpa numbers compared to other DO schools and little bit lower mcats than other schools...All those people complaining about RVU letting in below average students sure dont have a problem with DCOM...I mean it is still "non-profit"

3.29 cumulutive and 3.18 science....(there are quite a few people with science gpas below 3.0...thats close to a C average in undergrad, sorry but I couldnt even imagine seeing the people in my undergrad who got C's in organic or cell biology in medical school)

Hopefully you guys do okay on the boards...(some carrib schools have higher gpa's and they fail out like half their class)

I think several DO schools are in 3.5-3.6 gpa and 27 mcat range.

I was just looking at DMU's class of 2011 profile and they had:

Science GPA 3.59, Cumulative 3.64
MCAT 27

DCOM hopefully should see an increase in it's numbers in the next few cycles...or else it would be beaten out by both GPA and MCATS to numerous carrib schools, which should not be the case, seeing it's an American school...The top two or three carrib schools are right on par with the DO schools here in the US, which is fine...but to be on par with the lower tier carrib schools is just inexcusable in my opinion.

oh boy what can i say when someone just basically formulates opinion and draws conclusions with less or no compelling evidence. A medical student is more than a sum of his stats (gpa + MCATS)...and if you happen to have the national avg's for DO schools which I am really not aware of please do educate me. I don't want to start a silly debate about who's good..you are entitled to your opinions...but do know i agree with you 101%

 

[Meatwad]

...but to be on par with the lower tier carrib schools is just inexcusable in my opinion.

By "lower-tier," Caribbean med schools, I assume you mean the St. Matthew's, MUA, St. Eustatius, AUA, St. James', etc.'s of the world. If so, I don't know where you are getting your figures from; these schools don't require an MCAT (at least SMU, MUA, AUA, SJ I know for a fact don't) and accept people with very low stats. No way there averages are about the same as even the lowest DO school, stats-wise. For ever 3.4 at one of these schools, a 2.5 slipped in. The average is probably more a 3.0 at one of these joints, not a 3.3+.

 

[Lamont]

Maybe some people have misunderstood me...but I dont have a problem with people having 3.0 gpa's in medical school. The schools with 3.66 gpa average have their share of students with 3.0's as well. The problem with me is that the average gpa is 3.18...meaning there are quite a few students in 2.5-2.9 range...alot of DO schools dont even look at applicants with a below 3.0 gpa...to have the average near 3.0 means a large portion of the class could not even pull a B (3.0) average...I am not gonna doubt the students because we have to see and find out...but I have a feeling that quite a few students will struggle, especially if the education is itself top notch and challenging.

man i love pre-meds...A+ work pansit, im glad youre here to tell us how it is, Dr.