LMU-DCOM Discussion Thread 2011-2012

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I was told it wasn't due last year until May 31st so I guess we have nothing to worry about
 
I check my email 5 times a day hoping for the matriculation packet so that I can get it all done and out of the way.....but no such luck.
This is so cute 🙂 The excitement is natural though...honestly from what I remember there wasn't that much paperwork. It's pretty minimal. Just start getting ready for the health part of it because for me it was a scramble, as I didn't have insurance. The biggest timing concern there is the hep B series.
 
Hey guys,

Just got done with my KYCOM interview and arrived at the Holiday Inn in Middlesboro. I drove up here from Alabama, so I scheduled them close to avoid two trips. I am scheduled to interview on Monday, the 23rd. I see most people are interviewing on Tuesday, which is slightly disconcerting... Anyone else going to be at the pizza party on Sunday?
 
Hey guys,

Just got done with my KYCOM interview and arrived at the Holiday Inn in Middlesboro. I drove up here from Alabama, so I scheduled them close to avoid two trips. I am scheduled to interview on Monday, the 23rd. I see most people are interviewing on Tuesday, which is slightly disconcerting... Anyone else going to be at the pizza party on Sunday?

what undergrad do you go to? I go to school in bham
 
what undergrad do you go to? I go to school in bham

Well, I grew up in Birmingham (went to the IB high school) and I went to Emory in Atlanta for undergraduate. Which college? My sisters both went to BSC.
 
Well, I grew up in Birmingham (went to the IB high school) and I went to Emory in Atlanta for undergraduate. Which college? My sisters both went to BSC.

haha thats where I go
 
Hey guys,

Just got done with my KYCOM interview and arrived at the Holiday Inn in Middlesboro. I drove up here from Alabama, so I scheduled them close to avoid two trips. I am scheduled to interview on Monday, the 23rd. I see most people are interviewing on Tuesday, which is slightly disconcerting... Anyone else going to be at the pizza party on Sunday?

No reason to worry. I've never seen an interview group with less than 5-7 people. The pizza night is usually well attended even though the people there may not be SDN members (believe it or not haha).

Keep yourself busy over the weekend! Try out the movie theater across the street, it's only like $3.50 or so which is insanely cheap compared to where I'm from. There isn't a lot going on in the area I'll admit, but the movies are cheap at least and DCOM sure will keep you occupied once you're here!
 
No reason to worry. I've never seen an interview group with less than 5-7 people. The pizza night is usually well attended even though the people there may not be SDN members (believe it or not haha).

Keep yourself busy over the weekend! Try out the movie theater across the street, it's only like $3.50 or so which is insanely cheap compared to where I'm from. There isn't a lot going on in the area I'll admit, but the movies are cheap at least and DCOM sure will keep you occupied once you're here!

I've been on SDN so long that it's hard for me to even imagine there are pre-meds out there who don't use it. How on earth do they know all the inside information? I think it would be neat if they could quantify out of the total U.S. matriculates what percentage are on SDN!
 
This is so cute 🙂 The excitement is natural though...honestly from what I remember there wasn't that much paperwork. It's pretty minimal. Just start getting ready for the health part of it because for me it was a scramble, as I didn't have insurance. The biggest timing concern there is the hep B series.

Well the excitement is more than just going to medical school. For me getting into medical school means going from Enlisted in the military to Officer, which is a complete lifestyle change. Every Enlisted member dreams of the day when they can become an officer. And within Navy medicine becoming a "Doctor" is the cream of the crop.

As for the health stuff, immunizations, hep B, etc......already taken care of and well documented. One benefit of being in the military.
 
Well the excitement is more than just going to medical school. For me getting into medical school means going from Enlisted in the military to Officer, which is a complete lifestyle change. Every Enlisted member dreams of the day when they can become an officer. And within Navy medicine becoming a "Doctor" is the cream of the crop.

As for the health stuff, immunizations, hep B, etc......already taken care of and well documented. One benefit of being in the military.
Sounds like you're good and ready to go then! Congrats on the acceptance and decision to attend....I think you'll be happy with coming here.
 
No reason to worry. I've never seen an interview group with less than 5-7 people. The pizza night is usually well attended even though the people there may not be SDN members (believe it or not haha).

Keep yourself busy over the weekend! Try out the movie theater across the street, it's only like $3.50 or so which is insanely cheap compared to where I'm from. There isn't a lot going on in the area I'll admit, but the movies are cheap at least and DCOM sure will keep you occupied once you're here!

Thanks for the advice, fiznat. I checked out Underworld 4 at the theater last night (meh, pretty entertaining) and toured good old Wal-Mart during the day. Small towns don't really bother me, as long as I have a computer and some reading. I will definitely attend the pizza party tonight, although I may cut my visit short due to NFL football! 😀 Excited about my interview day tomorrow!
 
Thanks for the advice, fiznat. I checked out Underworld 4 at the theater last night (meh, pretty entertaining) and toured good old Wal-Mart during the day. Small towns don't really bother me, as long as I have a computer and some reading. I will definitely attend the pizza party tonight, although I may cut my visit short due to NFL football! 😀 Excited about my interview day tomorrow!
I can't believe he didn't tell you about the bowling alley....F- to fiznat 😉

Yeah, if you can handle Walmart being the perk of your day, you're good to go here. It's, uh, well....the major hangout spot for local teenagers on Fridays. And don't expect to be one of those midnight grocery shoppers where you dodge the crowds....no way, that's when the peak of DCOM shoppers hits as well as the townies who are night owls lol. If you are a coffee drinker or hungry on your way out of town, and you have time, check out the one coffee shop in the area. Ask any staff or student and they can direct you there- it's really good! Warning though, they do not open until 3 and I think the interview day usually wraps up a little earlier than that, but at least you know it's there if you decide to come here.
 
Hey guys,

I was just curious if anything else has been said at DCOM about them getting registered for the VSAS? I know it has to be done by the end of the month. I am really hoping our school chooses to take part in it.
 
I was accepted back in September, and I haven't received the matriculation packet yet. I am from Harrogate, and unfortunately there isn't much public transportation in the area at all. I have seen a taxi or two and public transit for the senior citizens--but that's it.

Like Heather, I was also asked by LMU to write a blog representing the DO/MBA program and the Class of 2016. I am just getting my feet wet now, but I would love to have some input and direction. So, if anyone has any suggests, be sure and send them my way! I do have photos documenting the progress of the new science building.

Here is the link to my blog: http://lmudcomjustin.wordpress.com/

Where do you practice spanish in Harrogate? I have been accepted for the fall and interpret at a free clinic/ done grant funded work in Ecuador. Would like to see DCOM have an international presence in Latin America like VCOM and others.
 
Where do you practice spanish in Harrogate? I have been accepted for the fall and interpret at a free clinic/ done grant funded work in Ecuador. Would like to see DCOM have an international presence in Latin America like VCOM and others.

They're in Haiti and the Dominican Republic now with plans to expand international medicine extensively from my understanding. I traveled to Latin America with a DCOM student who was on an international rotation as well. Opportunities certainly exist and, I'm confident, will continue to expand under the guidance of Dr. Williamson.
 
Hey guys,

I was just curious if anything else has been said at DCOM about them getting registered for the VSAS? I know it has to be done by the end of the month. I am really hoping our school chooses to take part in it.

I hope they commit to this as well. If not, there's always next year, when it will really matter to us the most.
 
Where do you practice spanish in Harrogate? I have been accepted for the fall and interpret at a free clinic/ done grant funded work in Ecuador. Would like to see DCOM have an international presence in Latin America like VCOM and others.
In addition to DCOM's mission trips to Haiti & the DR, I have heard that students have rotated in Peru and Belize. I am going to talk to Dr. Williamson about it this week to get more details. I am going to post a blog on this too because it is something I am also interested in pursuing.

Unfortunately, there are not too many opportunities to practice Spanish in Harrogate. The only time I get to practice Spanish is in my Medical Spanish class and my occasional trip to the Mexican restaurants.
 
In addition to DCOM's mission trips to Haiti & the DR, I have heard that students have rotated in Peru and Belize. I am going to talk to Dr. Williamson about it this week to get more details. I am going to post a blog on this too because it is something I am also interested in pursuing.

Unfortunately, there are not too many opportunities to practice Spanish in Harrogate. The only time I get to practice Spanish is in my Medical Spanish class and my occasional trip to the Mexican restaurants.

A student did rotate in Belize for two weeks and then two weeks of work stateside. I was in Belize with her - it's not an established rotation per say but one she setup herself through a physician who volunteers at a clinic there. That's where the flexibility of DCOM really shines by allowing us to seek out our own rotation sites and experiences abroad.
 
Where do you practice spanish in Harrogate? I have been accepted for the fall and interpret at a free clinic/ done grant funded work in Ecuador. Would like to see DCOM have an international presence in Latin America like VCOM and others.

There is a small group of us that speak Spanish, and we sometimes get together on Thursdays during lunch, just to practice and talk. We also did a practice OSCE the other week that I thought was extremely beneficial and very fun. There isn't a huge hispanic population in Harrogate, but we get our practice in.
 
For people who have already had their interviews, what is the discounted price for the Holiday Inn or Sleep Inn? I have my interview in 2 weeks.
 
There is a small group of us that speak Spanish, and we sometimes get together on Thursdays during lunch, just to practice and talk. We also did a practice OSCE the other week that I thought was extremely beneficial and very fun. There isn't a huge hispanic population in Harrogate, but we get our practice in.
You didn't happen to record the OSCE did you? I am taking the Spanish for Medical Professionals class, and that would be great to show in class! (If possible...)
 
A student did rotate in Belize for two weeks and then two weeks of work stateside. I was in Belize with her - it's not an established rotation per say but one she setup herself through a physician who volunteers at a clinic there. That's where the flexibility of DCOM really shines by allowing us to seek out our own rotation sites and experiences abroad.
What part of Belize were you in? I have traveled to Belize before and LOVED it. I would love to go back.
 
Dumb question but for the females out there...

How much of a walking is involved during this whole tour and everything? I'm debating between heels/flats (yes, I'm THAT nervous about this interview that I would be freaking out about something like that 2 weeks before my interview).

Thanks!
 
Dumb question but for the females out there...

How much of a walking is involved during this whole tour and everything? I'm debating between heels/flats (yes, I'm THAT nervous about this interview that I would be freaking out about something like that 2 weeks before my interview).

Thanks!

You don't really walk around that much. Just around the building and then around the one housing area, but a shuttle takes you from place to place around the campus. I have no coordination and I was fine in low heels.

The interview is really laid back and everyone was super nice, so don't be too nervous! 🙂
 
You don't really walk around that much. Just around the building and then around the one housing area, but a shuttle takes you from place to place around the campus. I have no coordination and I was fine in low heels.

The interview is really laid back and everyone was super nice, so don't be too nervous! 🙂

Thanks! 🙂 I'm trying to stay calm but the excitement/anxiety is making it hard! 13th couldn't get here fast enough!
 
Hey guys,

I was just curious if anything else has been said at DCOM about them getting registered for the VSAS? I know it has to be done by the end of the month. I am really hoping our school chooses to take part in it.
I inquired about this with the higher ups and was told that we were accepting the invitation. For those that don't know, this basically means that we have a more streamlined approach for elective rotations at a WHOLE lot of great hospitals. Normally, there's a lot of paperwork and effort that goes into getting set up at these places- this is like an application service like for college or med school where you can cut corners with the website doing some of the work for you basically. You save your info on it and then can just, from what I understand, apply to a particular hospital at a click of a button.

In addition to DCOM's mission trips to Haiti & the DR, I have heard that students have rotated in Peru and Belize. I am going to talk to Dr. Williamson about it this week to get more details. I am going to post a blog on this too because it is something I am also interested in pursuing.

Unfortunately, there are not too many opportunities to practice Spanish in Harrogate. The only time I get to practice Spanish is in my Medical Spanish class and my occasional trip to the Mexican restaurants.
For everyone out there- the international med program is growing, even if it is slowly. The cool thing about a new school is the students set the precedent....for example, a group of us got together in the international medicine club and decided to go to Africa this summer to volunteer. We set it up through an organization and the hope is that it will inspire future students to follow and do the same....this of course isn't a set trip ready to go for you. It's a lot of work in fact. But it's still getting our students out there to make a name for ourselves, hopefully making connections in the process. The Haiti trip is consistent (they went twice this year) and as far as rotations go, the world is yours for the taking. I like this, whereas some people find it too much work. I like that I can go anywhere basically, if I'm just willing to put in a little work, instead of being given a list of options. As far as where people have gone, we do seem to have a steady reliable opportunity in New Zealand for an OPP rotation- 2 upcoming grads did 2 months there last year! The Belize stuff people are talking about was through a doc from the general area- he did (and probably still does) a 2 week course type thing here with 2 weeks following in Brazil. All of these type of connections are going to be best made through our club (I'm not biased or anything, I may or may not an officer....🙂) or through Dr. Williamson, the club's advisor and chair of international medicine.
 
You didn't happen to record the OSCE did you? I am taking the Spanish for Medical Professionals class, and that would be great to show in class! (If possible...)

Unfortunately, we didn't record it, it was really just an informal type thing. I have a medical history form in Spanish if you want to take a look at that...that is what we are using as a template. It's nice to do these because I have never taken medical spanish, so I have limited medical vocabulary, but all of us have different levels of fluency in the language. I could talk to the people in the group and see if they would be willing to record the one we are doing today, but it might be just a crude recording on an iphone or something.
 
For everyone out there- the international med program is growing, even if it is slowly. The cool thing about a new school is the students set the precedent....for example, a group of us got together in the international medicine club and decided to go to Africa this summer to volunteer. We set it up through an organization and the hope is that it will inspire future students to follow and do the same....this of course isn't a set trip ready to go for you. It's a lot of work in fact. But it's still getting our students out there to make a name for ourselves, hopefully making connections in the process. The Haiti trip is consistent (they went twice this year) and as far as rotations go, the world is yours for the taking. I like this, whereas some people find it too much work. I like that I can go anywhere basically, if I'm just willing to put in a little work, instead of being given a list of options. As far as where people have gone, we do seem to have a steady reliable opportunity in New Zealand for an OPP rotation- 2 upcoming grads did 2 months there last year! The Belize stuff people are talking about was through a doc from the general area- he did (and probably still does) a 2 week course type thing here with 2 weeks following in Brazil. All of these type of connections are going to be best made through our club (I'm not biased or anything, I may or may not an officer....🙂) or through Dr. Williamson, the club's advisor and chair of international medicine.

I can second the opinion that the IM club is aweomse 🙂 Just sayin'. P.S. How could you ever be on my bad side! Silly. I'll put in a good word with my dad for you 😉.
 
So did anyone else get the matriculation packet-email a few days back? I thought this would be a hot topic of conversation on here haha.
 
So did anyone else get the matriculation packet-email a few days back? I thought this would be a hot topic of conversation on here haha.

I think most of the accepted students have moved our pre-matriculation conversation to Facebook. There's like a 32 reply thread on there about the packet!
 
how quick is the turnaround from committee meeting to getting a phone call from the dean?
 
how quick is the turnaround from committee meeting to getting a phone call from the dean?

They told us on Tuesday that he's been so busy the past few weeks, he has yet to call the last batch of accepted students. They said that you might get your letter before he is able to give you a call. They also said that for the students interviewing this week, they would be meeting on Friday (tomorrow) and sending out the letters on Monday.
 
For you single guys out there, I was surprised to learn (along with the surprised look of the other male interviewees) that the undergrad population is like 70% female, although from what we were told, they hardly interact with the undergrads regardless. We just ate lunch with them in the cafeteria because of the tour.

I noticed this as well. What is the ratio for DCOM? I've heard some say that it's a brofest.
 
I noticed this as well. What is the ratio for DCOM? I've heard some say that it's a brofest.

I am pretty sure for DCOM it is about 50-50...I don't know why people would say it's a "brofest"...I don't know anything about the undergrad. We don't interact with them at all.
 
I am pretty sure for DCOM it is about 50-50...I don't know why people would say it's a "brofest"...I don't know anything about the undergrad. We don't interact with them at all.

I see. One person that I talked to at another school interview cited the AACOM College Information Book. I'm hoping the information in there is wrong lol.
 
I see. One person that I talked to at another school interview cited the AACOM College Information Book. I'm hoping the information in there is wrong lol.

2010-2011 Data
OVERALL
Total male: 371
Total female: 248

FIRST YEARS
First-year male: 107
First-year female: 55

Source: College Information Book
 
I noticed this as well. What is the ratio for DCOM? I've heard some say that it's a brofest.

2010-2011 Data
OVERALL
Total male: 371
Total female: 248

FIRST YEARS
First-year male: 107
First-year female: 55

Source: College Information Book

Now, now, oh hormone-driven future doctors....take note, this data is from MY class, the class that will no longer be on campus when you get here. The class of 2015 is more 50-50.

And not to condone such activities, BUT....I hear the guys in my class frequently talk about the "talent" on the 4th floor. You'll figure that one out soon enough I suppose 😉
 
Guess it's a good thing I'm married. 😎 lol

Yeah, you and probably half your class probably will be too....at least by 2nd year they will be. I swear more people have gotten engaged, married and managed to procreate during the past year and a half than is really possible. I sometimes wonder when these people study 🙂
 
Yeah, you and probably half your class probably will be too....at least by 2nd year they will be. I swear more people have gotten engaged, married and managed to procreate during the past year and a half than is really possible. I sometimes wonder when these people study 🙂

Already happening with my undergrad class for some reason...so crazy.
 
Yeah, you and probably half your class probably will be too....at least by 2nd year they will be. I swear more people have gotten engaged, married and managed to procreate during the past year and a half than is really possible. I sometimes wonder when these people study 🙂

I bet the conception dates fall closely to the test dates. You know, gotta let out a little steam post-test and all.

I know of at least four or five girls from last years nursing class at my undergrad who are expecting at roughly the same time. Approximately 9 months post-grad!
 
Now, now, oh hormone-driven future doctors....take note, this data is from MY class, the class that will no longer be on campus when you get here. The class of 2015 is more 50-50.

And not to condone such activities, BUT....I hear the guys in my class frequently talk about the "talent" on the 4th floor. You'll figure that one out soon enough I suppose 😉

Hmm... I think that either the nursing or PA students must be on the 4th floor? If I'm right, do I win a prize?
 
leaving the house now. see yall in a hr or so
 
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