LMU-DCOM Discussion Thread 2009-2010

[dendrites]

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Jedi --> It is ridiculously expensive to change tickets! I've had to do it once so far and it was almost as much as the original ticket!! haha I also will be there for the people as I'm allergic to pizza, plus I don't really like it. I just really want to get a feel for what the school is like! 🙂

they have salad too!

 

[SAEbrodel]

just got an interview invite for December 15...can't wait

 

[Jedi Mindtricks]

Growing up in New York originally...I love pizza...but it is so bad for you. I am on that atkins diet so I don't eat bread and rice. I might apply for a military scholarship and they keep having to weigh me. I lost 36lbs, then gained 10 back. I have to lose 10 in 2 weeks for my next weight. Its pretty ridiculous.

So my impression is that the school opened up a couple of years ago (2007?) and is working there way through finishing their first graduating class next year? The clinical rotations are all within the area? Any opportunities in Knoxville? I am sure the family medicine training is great but I am concerned if that focus hinders broader training in all other disciplines of medicine. The overall attitude of the school seems really nice. I am just a little concerned about the number of cadavers, diversity of population for building broad clinical skills, and I am wondering about their emphasis/ philosophy on OMT. I have alot of questions. 😕

Okay I was able to skip out of the parent teacher conference, just a couple of all nighters to do all the work to give them handouts while I am flying to TN. So I will be at the Pizza hut thing on the 15th. Look forward to meeting everyone.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

I want my interview to hurry up and be here already!! You all are making me quite jealous.

 

[wackyfizzle]

Hey everyone, I have an interview on the 7th of Dec. Anyone joining me??? I'm super nervous as this is my no 1 school AND my first interview... So any advice from anyone is greatly appreciated. So many of my friends (who applied last year) said they had great interviews but were shot down, so that adds to my stress!

 

[EMTP2DOC]

Hey guys...I'll be interviewing on Monday. I hope to see some of you there! 🙂

 

[Jedi Mindtricks]

Hey guys...I'll be interviewing on Monday. I hope to see some of you there! 🙂

I will see you there.

 

[Makati2008]

I have a few questions about the school and location to other hospitals:
1.)My gf is in the healthcare field(She works in Ultrasound), and we are wondering would there be any hospitals nearby where she could use her skills(We will be married soon and the alternative is for her to live 5+hrs away.)
2.)Are there any places to live besides the on campus housing that you would suggest(I will probably come in May to rent my future home so I can just move in) or does anyone have a decent sized home they are looking to share?
3.)Have the COMLEX scores come back yet for DCOM
4.)Do the students help each other to get through the didactic years of medical school or is it more so a "gunner" attitude throughout the school.

Thanks.
PS-If you prefer to IM me privately I would appreciate it.

 

[CopToEM]

1.)My gf is in the healthcare field(She works in Ultrasound), and we are wondering would there be any hospitals nearby where she could use her skills(We will be married soon and the alternative is for her to live 5+hrs away.)

Middlesboro ARH Hospital (5 miles away)
http://www.arh.org/middlesboro/default.php

UT Medical Center (60 miles away)
http://www.utmedicalcenter.org/

Mercy Health System (varies)
http://www.mercy.com
Mercy operates several locations throughout the region.

Lee [County] Regional Medical Center (~30 miles away)
http://www.wellmont.org/hospitals/lee-regional-medical-center.aspx

Lonesome Pine Hospital (~60 miles away)
http://www.wellmont.org/hospitals/lonesome-pine-hospital.aspx

There are more... just the ones that came to mind.

 

[nascardoc]

I have a few questions about the school and location to other hospitals:
1.)My gf is in the healthcare field(She works in Ultrasound), and we are wondering would there be any hospitals nearby where she could use her skills(We will be married soon and the alternative is for her to live 5+hrs away.)
2.)Are there any places to live besides the on campus housing that you would suggest(I will probably come in May to rent my future home so I can just move in) or does anyone have a decent sized home they are looking to share?
3.)Have the COMLEX scores come back yet for DCOM
4.)Do the students help each other to get through the didactic years of medical school or is it more so a "gunner" attitude throughout the school.

Thanks.
PS-If you prefer to IM me privately I would appreciate it.

1) As the previous poster showed, there are options in the area for your wife and work.

2) Yes, there are rental options in the Harrogate area, along with Cumberland Gap, Tazewell and New Tazewell, and Middlesboro. If you are bringing along a pet, then it may be a bit more difficult to find a place.

3) Average comlex scores have not been released

4) As a 3rd year, I can tell you the atmosphere there is VERY helpful. Students always send out review sheets, answer each others questions and work together to help everyone. Not only do the students do this themselves, the school expects it as well and promotes students working with each other. It is very much a family atmosphere at DCOM and an enjoyable experience.

 

[Pirate2009]

Anyone who interviewed on the 9th or 10th hear anything today? I haven't yet.

 

[bsteven2]

I interviewed the 10th and have not heard anything yet.. sigh

 

[Mota]

Anyone who interviewed on the 9th or 10th hear anything today? I haven't yet.

I've not heard anything yet. Hopefully some good news will be on the way via mail....

 

[GraceEuphoria]

I've not heard anything yet. Hopefully some good news will be on the way via mail....

LMU pretty consistently takes 10 days to send correspondence following interview days. 14 days tops from what I observed on the forums last year. Sit tight kids 🙂

 

[jm192]

I'm still waiting to be verified via AACOMAS. Since the 2ndary is on their website, I've gone ahead and finished it. Should I go ahead and mail it in?

 

[Marathon0503]

I have an interview on dec. 8 and the more I read the more I love this place. I'm curious, why did you guys decide to apply at LMU-DCOM? Also do they offer medical spanish classes or international rotations?

For the previous poster, send it in right away. I sent in my secondary and LORs almost two months before my primary was verified and was offered an interview really quickly!

 

[rmj254]

For the previous poster, send it in right away. I sent in my secondary and LORs almost two months before my primary was verified and was offered an interview really quickly!

Oh God, I hope this is me! Why must AACOMAS take so long to verify?!

 

[LeonPheltz]

I interviewed on the 10th as well. I am still nervously awaiting a hopeful phone call from the Dean. I have yet to hear anything. I hope they were not lying when they said they would call today or tomorrow. All this waiting is killing me. I think it would have been better if they didnt tell us when they might call, that way I wouldnt be worrying myself.

 

[LeonPheltz]

Should have held off on the last post. I just got the phone call. I was accepted!!!

 

[Mota]

Should have held off on the last post. I just got the phone call. I was accepted!!!

Grats to you! Of course I've still not heard anything so I'm guessing I'm going to be pretty disappointed in the near future. 🙁

Seemed like a great school though, so I'm happy for you! 👍 And thanks for at least letting us know that calls are now going out, it's appreciated. 🙂

 

[Styria]

I have an interview on dec. 8 and the more I read the more I love this place. I'm curious, why did you guys decide to apply at LMU-DCOM? Also do they offer medical spanish classes or international rotations?

Dr. Osborn was appointed "Associate Dean for Community and International Medicine" at the beginning of the semester. He is working on rotation opportunities and would be happy to talk to anyone interested in going overseas.

There are no medical Spanish classes and I don't see Spanish offered for the undergrads at the university either, at least not as a degree program.

I applied to DCOM because I liked the curriculum, the instructors, the quality of OMT instruction, and the rural setting.

 

[123880]

I'm still waiting to be verified via AACOMAS. Since the 2ndary is on their website, I've gone ahead and finished it. Should I go ahead and mail it in?

Yes!

I have an interview on dec. 8 and the more I read the more I love this place. I'm curious, why did you guys decide to apply at LMU-DCOM? Also do they offer medical spanish classes or international rotations?

For the previous poster, send it in right away. I sent in my secondary and LORs almost two months before my primary was verified and was offered an interview really quickly!

medical spanish is not offered as a class but we do have access to Rosetta Stone. Iirc, we do have to pay a fee but it's minimal compared to if you had to pay out of pocket for a single Rosetta Stone.

Should have held off on the last post. I just got the phone call. I was accepted!!!

Congrats!!!

 

[Irishfan]

Hey how long after completion of your file are you usually offered an interview? I just sent in my secondary and letter, but I was wondering if anyone knew about what the turnaround time was?

 

[Emo378]

Hey how long after completion of your file are you usually offered an interview? I just sent in my secondary and letter, but I was wondering if anyone knew about what the turnaround time was?

My secondary was in about a week before the ii.

 

[bsteven2]

I got the call from Dr. Stowers this morning (1043am eastern), accepted!! So excited!

 

[korsibor]

just got an interview invite for December 15...can't wait

Interviewing the same day. I will be driving in from NC the day before. Someone mentioned tickets on I-81. What kind of tickets? lol. Speeding?

 

[Pirate2009]

I got the call this morning as well!

 

[CopToEM]

Huge congrats to you guys! Looks like today is acceptance day - everyone keep your fingers crossed and heads in the air! 🙂

 

[meghalo05]

Those of you who got acceptances congratulations! Did all of you interview on the tenth? I interviewed on the ninth...i'm starting to get worried that I have not been accepted if people who interviewed on the 10th have gotten calls. Maybe 10th was called first because their interviews were more recent? Sigh. Congratulations to all who got accepted!

 

[bsteven2]

I wouldn't stress too much, last year it was exactly 10 days before I found out I was waitlisted. Also, dean Stowers doesnt always get to make the phone calls as Janette mentioned.

 

[Marathon0503]

I'm interested in continuing spanish throughout med school. Would it be appropriate to email Dr. Osborn and ask him about his plans for the future with this program? I interview on the 8th and would really like to have more background info on this side of DCOM

 

[Styria]

I'm interested in continuing spanish throughout med school. Would it be appropriate to email Dr. Osborn and ask him about his plans for the future with this program? I interview on the 8th and would really like to have more background info on this side of DCOM

He just got back from a short trip to Belize (no, he doesn't know Spanish himself) and is catching up this week. So I think a short E-mail would be better.

You could start a Spanish club...

 

[meghalo05]

Are acceptance phone calls done all one day? Or are they spread out?

 

[dendrites]

I'm interested in continuing spanish throughout med school. Would it be appropriate to email Dr. Osborn and ask him about his plans for the future with this program? I interview on the 8th and would really like to have more background info on this side of DCOM

Hi! I'd be interested in a Spanish program too! let me know if I can help!

 

[matrica]

Hi! I'd be interested in a Spanish program too! let me know if I can help!

me 3 👍

 

[meghalo05]

Anyone?

 

[Mota]

Anyone?

Good luck! 🙂

Yes, this was edited after I had some cooling off time. 😉

 

[rmj254]

I hadn't heard anything so I called Janette yesterday. I have another interview coming up and was going to cancel it if I was accepted to DCOM. I was told I interviewed well and was recommended by the people that interviewed me, but was put on the alternate list due to a low MCAT (which is higher than some of the scores of some of the people with posted acceptances...).

Anyway, that really seems like a monumental waste of time and money. If I actually did interview well then why even invite me for an interview since it appears as though I was predetermined for an alternate spot regardless. It's not like my MCAT changed between the time of the interview invite and the interview. I liked the school, but that seems like a really shady way of doing things.

Anyway, I got the impression that calls were placed to those accepted and if you hadn't heard then you might be waiting on a letter with some not so stellar news. Hopefully I just misunderstood and some of you will get some acceptance letters.

Good luck! 🙂

I'm very sorry to hear this. At the same time, this post scares me because if I'm offered an interview, I hope that my MCAT doesn't keep me out because it's not very high.

 

[Zaboota]

Ouch. Sounds like what happened to me Mota...except at a different school.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

I'm very sorry to hear this. At the same time, this post scares me because if I'm offered an interview, I hope that my MCAT doesn't keep me out because it's not very high.

Ditto, except for me it is my GPA that I am concerned about.

My interview is 12/8- since they tend to get decisions out in about 10 days, is it reasonable to assume that decisions would be made on my group before the administration goes on holiday break? I know they might want to see my fall grades before making a final decision anyway, but I didn't know if anyone might have some insight on this...

All I want for Christmas is a DCOM acceptance, a DCOM acceptance, oh a DCOM acceptance...

 

[Mota]

I'm very sorry to hear this. At the same time, this post scares me because if I'm offered an interview, I hope that my MCAT doesn't keep me out because it's not very high.

I wish you the best of luck! 🙂

 

[rmj254]

I can understand them interviewing people just for an alternate spot..I suppose. But they could let us know that we are being interviewed solely for an alternate spot up front so that we can make a decision prior to spending the money to go interview.

I'm probably more upset over this than I should be, but we live below the federal poverty level and knowing that I was interviewing just for an alternate spot would have been nice to know up front. My travel expenses were greater than $600 to attend the interview, which is A LOT of money for us.

Granted, I was never told that I was interviewing for an alternate spot so I don't want to put words in the mouth of their admissions team. But, considering my MCAT was a constant, and I was told that it was the sole reason I was not accepted, then I assume I was interviewing only for an alternate spot and nothing more. Which, would have been nice to know up front.

Oh well, I wish you the best. Hopefully you have better luck than I did! 👍

What is the MCAT average there? If it's really high then I'll know what to expect, and can adjust my hopes accordingly. ha ha

 

[GraceEuphoria]

What is the MCAT average there? If it's really high then I'll know what to expect, and can adjust my hopes accordingly. ha ha

Different sources have thrown around both 24 and 25 as average MCAT values if I remember correctly from earlier in the thread...

 

[Pirate2009]

I have no idea. In response to meghalo05

 

[rmj254]

Different sources have thrown around both 24 and 25 as average MCAT values if I remember correctly from earlier in the thread...

Thank you very much. This makes me feel better. I am at least average. ha ha

 

[GraceEuphoria]

And to meghalo-
Also assuming I remember correctly from reading throughout the thread, acceptance calls don't always go out on the same day, nor does not receive one necessarily mean you are waitlisted. However, it does seem to be the trend that when you don't hear from them in a phone call, you are waitlisted. Don't lose hope just yet though!

 

[Mota]

And to meghalo-
Also assuming I remember correctly from reading throughout the thread, acceptance calls don't always go out on the same day, nor does not receive one necessarily mean you are waitlisted. However, it does seem to be the trend that when you don't hear from them in a phone call, you are waitlisted. Don't lose hope just yet though!

Exactly. I got the impression that the acceptance calls had all been made for the week we interviewed, but it was not actually said. So my impression could have been totally wrong. Hang in there and I wish you luck meghalo (and everyone else). 🙂

 

[Styria]

Are acceptance phone calls done all one day? Or are they spread out?

Acceptance phone calls depend on how busy Dean Stowers is. They're done as a courtesy and because he likes the students, but just because someone doesn't get one doesn't mean they haven't been accepted.

 

[Mota]

Acceptance phone calls depend on how busy Dean Stowers is. They're done as a courtesy and because he likes the students, but just because someone doesn't get one doesn't mean they haven't been accepted.

Now I feel bad that I posted that I called the school. I hope I didn't get anyone worried over nothing. I actually appreciated that Janette let me know that I was waitlisted before I received the mail notification so that I could plan on my upcoming interview. I'm sure she didn't have to tell me early but she appreciated the financial situation that I'm in and that I didn't want to fly to another interview if I was accepted to DCOM.

I really liked the school and I am bummed that I didn't get in as it was my top choice. The only thing that bothered me is that I got the feeling that they knew before I ever got to the school that I would (at best) be put on the alternate list. That aside, I still like the school and everyone I met there was just wonderful.

Again, I wish everyone that interviewed recently the best of luck. I really hope you hear some good news! 🙂

 

[Jedi Mindtricks]

Wow, thanks for your post. I interviewed on the 16th. Thought the interview went well. I like the school. They told us that the committee is reviewing us this wednesday and we will know by next wednesday before everyone goes away for holidays. So GRACE....maybe you will know before christmas. I wish you so much luck!

As for me, I hope I don't get put on the alt list. If I do, I will not be devastated.....I still would have another interview comming up at another school. It is whatever it is. God has a plan for all of us I think so we can not just freak out. Let what be....be. I will deal with whatever I have to deal with.

To everyone I met on the 16th......thanks for an excellent experience. 3 potential interviewees didn't it make it on our day. They dropped out or declined. I think people are getting accepted all over now...so the alternative list may not be so bad.....you may be really high on that list.

Look at it like THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER.....it always seems the last guy the coaches pick.....always has a chip on his shoulder that he was picked last...and ends up proving everyone that....that was a mistake. Try and make a positive out of the negative. Good luck. 👍

I am going to post my interview feedback.