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LMU-DCOM Discussion thread 2008-2009
Started by mshheaddoc
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So i am on the waitlist and LMU is my 1st choice... i wrote my Letter of Intent and was wondering if someone can read it for me and give me suggestions... pm me if you will help
Thanks
Thanks
So...ummm...DCOM was awesome. Let me list the ways it was awesome:
1. Students were very friendly
2. Students were very receptive to questions (even if questions were ignorant)
3. Students were very informative about the school and encouraging
4. Faculty was very nice and approachable.
5. Interview was laid back (wrote all about it in the feedback thread, so I won't expand here)
6. Facilities were nice.
7. Seemed to my naive self that they took what other schools had and multiplied it. For example some schools brag about having a sim lab. This place has 4 or 6 or 100 or something. We didn't get to see the anatomy lab, but if they have a mural on the wall then they must have run out of things to buy for the rest of it, so I am assuming it must be top notch. They have the whole standardized patient thing. They have a ton of study rooms. Their OMM lab is huge and seems to be technologically advanced (don't know it was the first one I have seen).
8. 'I' loved the area. I love the mountains anyway, and from a small town originally so it was great to me to have that small town atmosphere with the back drop of the mountains.
Things I did not like:
1. It was not in North Carolina...
2.
3.
Yep that is about it. Have fun at your interviews.
1. Students were very friendly
2. Students were very receptive to questions (even if questions were ignorant)
3. Students were very informative about the school and encouraging
4. Faculty was very nice and approachable.
5. Interview was laid back (wrote all about it in the feedback thread, so I won't expand here)
6. Facilities were nice.
7. Seemed to my naive self that they took what other schools had and multiplied it. For example some schools brag about having a sim lab. This place has 4 or 6 or 100 or something. We didn't get to see the anatomy lab, but if they have a mural on the wall then they must have run out of things to buy for the rest of it, so I am assuming it must be top notch. They have the whole standardized patient thing. They have a ton of study rooms. Their OMM lab is huge and seems to be technologically advanced (don't know it was the first one I have seen).
8. 'I' loved the area. I love the mountains anyway, and from a small town originally so it was great to me to have that small town atmosphere with the back drop of the mountains.
Things I did not like:
1. It was not in North Carolina...
2.
3.
Yep that is about it. Have fun at your interviews.
I forgot to add that the lecture halls seem to be pretty nice, and that the students got along with each other very well also.
yes but NC is not THAT far away.
and you couldn't see the anatomy lab because we had our anatomy lab practical yesterday, but it is just as awesome as everywhere else in the school 🙂
Well just got back from my interview last night... still love DCOM! And now for the tough part- waiting. Thanks to all the current students who attended pizza night, conducted the tour, and ate lunch with us!
Good luck soccerchic! Keep in mind that it is still relatively early in the cycle and they'll be pulling plenty off the alternate list throughout the year.
Good luck soccerchic! Keep in mind that it is still relatively early in the cycle and they'll be pulling plenty off the alternate list throughout the year.
Anyone heard yet about the clinical rotation sites?
I second that motion, on both accounts
You're right it is not that far away, which is why I applied there, but I had to think of some kind of CON for all the naysayers out there.
How was your practical anyway? I figured the anatomy lab was just as well thought out, planned, and implemented as the rest of the facility, I just couldn't resist the urge to make a smart comment.😎
Take Home Message:I loved every part of the school.🙂
My application was complete on oct. 30 but I still havent gotten a response.
Did anyone have to wait this long?
Did anyone have to wait this long?
The list was released to the OMS-IIs today - looks like 9 Core Hospitals, some in TN, KY, AL, & VA. I don't see any in Chattanooga.
I waited 4 months before I heard anything last year
You could email the admissions office to confirm their receipt of your application. They are pretty good about responding promptly.
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Can you list the sites? I'm interested to see what they came up with!
Yes, please post the sites as soon as you can. I need to make some decisions pretty soon. I hope they were able to work something out with UT Knoxville, or some similar teaching hospital.
Ditto
You can email the school and inquire. They may still be adjusting it, I don't know - I'm not a second year, so I didn't get the presentation.
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Hmmm.... didn't really play a role in my decision. This school is amazing 😍 There's a great team of faculty and staff here at LMU-DCOM that's working hard to put together these sites for us. I trust they will do a good job.
I'm sure you can get more info if you call the school.... I'm an OMS-I, so my info might not be all that reliable when it comes to rotations...
I can see why this is an important issue. The clinical sites have changed many times since I interviewed since nothing was set in stone. I just have to hope that everything is worked out for next year. If you have multiple acceptances it is a good thing to note on your pros and cons list (although I don't think this school has many other cons). A school that has been around for a while does have more definite rotation spots.
At least you know there will have been two years of guinea pigs before you do rotations at DCOM 😉
At least you know there will have been two years of guinea pigs before you do rotations at DCOM 😉
If they are accepting med students, they are going to be teaching you... you are not just shadowing doctors.
and UT knoxville is not one of the places, St. Mary's in knoxville is though.
I am not sure if anyone wants us to be posting all the rotation sites on here yet, but if you interview (especially now that the 2nd years have their info) I am sure they will explain everything to you, and you are of course free to ask questions. Furthermore, if you already interviewed at DCOM and accepted, and your decision on whether to come is based on the clinical sites, then I have no doubts that you could call or email someone here and ask them about it more (after explaining that you had interviewed and were accepted.. don't start calling them just because you want to know)
But from what I have heard and seen about rotations, I'm really not worried about it at all, they have a bunch of hospitals to do rotations at, but it is done in that way so that we can have fewer students per doctor, and thus get a better learning experience. And keep in mind the majority of 4th year is made up of selectives and electives, which you can do wherever I believe. 🙂
But from what I have heard and seen about rotations, I'm really not worried about it at all, they have a bunch of hospitals to do rotations at, but it is done in that way so that we can have fewer students per doctor, and thus get a better learning experience. And keep in mind the majority of 4th year is made up of selectives and electives, which you can do wherever I believe. 🙂
Why would they care if the sites were posted? Seems to me that that info should not have to be guarded.
They are GOING to tell people the rotation sites, but not until they are finalized. If they give you a list that isn't 100% certain, people complain that it has changed. You have to understand that DCOM's inaugural class is only in their second year right now. The staff and faculty have been working hard to set up the best possible rotations and in December students will be assigned a CORE hospital. So you can rest assured that sometime between now and then, things will be set in stone. Dean Stowers has only discussed with the class of 2011 up to this point. I would guess that it will be posted to the school website shortly! Again, if you have any questions or concerns, I highly recommend you contact the admissions office. 👍
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I agree, if you have any questions definately give someone in the admissions office a call. Personally, I am not worried at all and wasn't when I interviewed either, I have more important things to worry about right now and will start thinking about rotations in my 2nd year. I am very confident in our faculty and administration, these people have been in medical education for a long time and they are dedicated to our success.
I apologize. I thought I read where DCOM was informing second year students their core clinical placements options today. If they don't tell them until December, I can understand why they would not want to have those sites posted although I would still like to know as soon as possible. But December is just two weeks away, and I don't think I need to bother them with a phone call. If you hear of any participating programs, I would appreciate it.
My interview was also on Monday 11/17 and I have to say DCOM still has the magic it had last year. I'll review:
pros:
Facilities are top of the line
dean of students writes questions for boards and teaches Kaplan classes for usmle and comlex
students completely non-snobby
dean of the college seems highly receptive to feedback/probs/concerns
THEY WANT YOU TO DO WELL---I cant emphasize this one enough
cons:
lack of restaurants
if youre the type who gets wrapped up in match lists, i could understand why that might be a problem, seeing as dcom wont have one for 2 years. however, dcom is doing all of the right things, and to be blunt, theyve made more progress in many areas in 2 years than several allopathic and do schools i know of in 5x that amt. of time.
pros:
Facilities are top of the line
dean of students writes questions for boards and teaches Kaplan classes for usmle and comlex
students completely non-snobby
dean of the college seems highly receptive to feedback/probs/concerns
THEY WANT YOU TO DO WELL---I cant emphasize this one enough
cons:
lack of restaurants
if youre the type who gets wrapped up in match lists, i could understand why that might be a problem, seeing as dcom wont have one for 2 years. however, dcom is doing all of the right things, and to be blunt, theyve made more progress in many areas in 2 years than several allopathic and do schools i know of in 5x that amt. of time.
lol
I agree totally! FYI the dean of students is not the only faculty we have that writes board questions...we have a few...
Well crap, I missed the posted list of sites. I'm just curious as to what sites they were tossing around and I don't really care if it's set in stone or not. Where were the sites in Alabama?
Please be Birmingham (Barber Motorsports Park)
Lol, I live 10 minutes away from Barber...cleanest facilities that I've ever seen!
I emailed them to ask, we'll see if I get anything. I put a lot of emphasis on the 3rd and 4th years because with the exception of one school, they have all had very nice facilities. The one school was still acceptable..just not a pretty area. All I really need is a desk, a comfortable chair, my books/powerpoints, dry erase board and maybe wireless internet. While it is nice to have a sweet building and what not, it is only half of your education. Also, while those first 2 years are the building blocks for your clinical years, it is the clinical years, experience, and performance that makes or breaks your residency applications. The grades from the first 2 years don't quite hold the same weight.
I'm not knocking the school at all. I'm excited to check it out, but on the same note, I like to have something a little more concrete than faith that things will be alright. Especially when compared to places that will remain unnamed, but have defined/established sites ready to roll. (If you're really curious then you can probably figure it out from my post history...I just don't dare say one school is "better" than the other...because that is crap.)
I feel like I have to reiterate that I have nothing against the school and am excited to interview there. I'm just trying to have a bit of a critical analysis as to what school will end up being best for my personal needs.
I'm not knocking the school at all. I'm excited to check it out, but on the same note, I like to have something a little more concrete than faith that things will be alright. Especially when compared to places that will remain unnamed, but have defined/established sites ready to roll. (If you're really curious then you can probably figure it out from my post history...I just don't dare say one school is "better" than the other...because that is crap.)
I feel like I have to reiterate that I have nothing against the school and am excited to interview there. I'm just trying to have a bit of a critical analysis as to what school will end up being best for my personal needs.
I'm quite sure all of your questions will be answered at your interview, if not before.
I was under the impression you may have already interviewed.
I ,too, have been efforting to get answers through official scources, but with no success at the current time. Everyone appears tight lipped. I have another avenue where I can get some unofficial answers which are reliable. The third year core clinicals are extemely important. From what I know, the fourth year (selectives / electives) are not as critical except in "trying out" for residencies and preparing for test and interviews for placement. I can't imagine not concerning oneself about clinicals since this is 1/2 of medical school. If I can get some info, I'll let you know.....
I interviewed at LMU-DCOM recently any found it to be a very nice school. I wrote a bit about my experience at LMU-DCOM if any of you are interested about it. There are a lot of cool things about the school.
Glad you liked the area and hope to see you next fall.
I hope to get a phone call today....
I never did get any official word on Clinical sites. But I was able to talk to some people and get information about the sites. I think I can understand their reluctance to name them. I won't either. But I wish some of the 1st or 2nd year students would list them, as I understand it is common knowledge among the students. The 2nd year students were given the list of core hospitals on Tuesday and are to list their preferences for a match in December. Only one of the four or five larger hospitals in Knoxville is participating, and it has opened 12 spots. The remaining core sites appear to be smaller community hospitals (I did not recognize some of the names). I was told that none have taught core clinicals before, and none have residents at them. Some of the 2nd year students were asked to do their core clinicals in the 4th year and take their selectives/electives in the third year. I hope that some of the 1st or 2nd year students who post would correct any information that I received that is untruthful or misleading. I want accurate information for my decision making process.
Errata: I believe ETCH is also in Knoxville.
Errata: I believe ETCH is also in Knoxville.
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Well this is my only concern with LMU. It is slightly unnerving, but I'm sure they are working hard to come up with more options. Hopefully they will have all the bugs worked out by the time the class of 2013 enters 3/4 year.
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Without getting into too much info right now, I will give out some nuggets.
First, I can tell you that you are wrong when it comes to the school having students doing CORE rotations during 4th year. That is false.
Second, to my knowledge, there is only one teaching hospital in Knoxville, and that is UT. UT is not one of the CORE sites, but electives and selectives may be done there. What I will say about this is that UT demanded VERY unreasonable things from DCOM, and that just wasn't going to fly. I agree with DCOM 100% for not giving into those demands.
Third, we OMS-II's were given a list of sites on Tuesday, but I will not be posting them until we are all given our final rotation lists. That will be given out in December.
Fourth, in terms of teaching hospitals, I don't mind not having a lot of them. Yes, you get to "see more" there, but we will "get to do more" at the places we are at. I would much rather do more and develop my skills before residency, rather than just be able to say, "I saw something like that, but was outranked by the residents, so I didn't get to do anything." Now, does this mean teaching hospitals suck, of course not, but there are advantges to both. I do plan on doing electives and selectives at teaching hospitals b/c those are where I want to do residency.
Now, lets just hope that UT's basketball team is better than the football team this year 😉
Hi, I interviewed on the 10th..
the Dean was out of the office for a couple of weeks.. I was wondering about my status too so I called them and talked to them. I luckily called right when he got there and he called me about an hour later to let me know I was admitted. But I would wait until Monday because that is when you should hear something back. I called the admissions office and Jannette told me to wait until Monday. The reason I heard back early was because I had another interview in Nevada on Monday so I asked for an early update so that I could cancel my interview.
Hope that helps, if you have any other questions just let me know. I pretty much registered on SDN to follow up on your question.
the Dean was out of the office for a couple of weeks.. I was wondering about my status too so I called them and talked to them. I luckily called right when he got there and he called me about an hour later to let me know I was admitted. But I would wait until Monday because that is when you should hear something back. I called the admissions office and Jannette told me to wait until Monday. The reason I heard back early was because I had another interview in Nevada on Monday so I asked for an early update so that I could cancel my interview.
Hope that helps, if you have any other questions just let me know. I pretty much registered on SDN to follow up on your question.
That was really nice of them to let you know in time to cancel your next interview.
Please be Birmingham (Barber Motorsports Park)Please be Birmingham (Barber Motorsports Park)Please be Birmingham (Barber Motorsports Park)
From the ones I heard, the only one in Bama was Green Cooper or Cooper Green. Can't remember which was the correct name but it was in Birmingham. Know anything about it?
It's Cooper Green and it is a very poorly funded "inner city" type hospital. I'm weird and actually like that though.
Anyone interviewing dec 2nd?? I'm excited to see this school! For any current students... why did you choose LUM-DCOM over other schools that accepted you??
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