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Anyone get a call yet that interviewed on the 23rd/24th? I really loved DCOM, but I'm not sure how well my interview went. Post-interview wait has to be the worst!
LMU-DCOM Discussion Thread 2011-2012
- Thread starter ShyRem
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No... I heard that song all Christmas from my wife. There will be no singing it in this thread.
Also, I can't focus on my undergrad studies anymore whatsoever.😴
I am just glad that someone got the reference.
And Bham, it has been discussed on the DCOM facebook group that most of us felt like our interviews went horrible, yet we were accepted. So try not to sweat too much. 🙂
CoptoEM. My Internet has been spotty at best so I just saw your message. I spent my day getting to know the people in Middlesboro. I tried to go to places they would go and whatnot. People in Texas always boast that we are the friendly state, but I cannot imagine a friendlier town. Thanks for the tip though. Maybe I'll get a really good opportunity to come back?!?
TennDoc I hope you had a wonderful interview! Best wishes.
TennDoc I hope you had a wonderful interview! Best wishes.
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Looking back, I would rather wait 90 days for MCAT results than wait another 24 hours for interview results. I got my call less than 48 hours after my interview.. if I had to wait for the letter like the recent batch has then I would have lost it. I was a complete disaster for 48 hours.
I felt like my interview went exceptionally well but I was still completely covered in doubt. I guess that's only human.
I felt like my interview went exceptionally well but I was still completely covered in doubt. I guess that's only human.
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I've done a tremendous amount of traveling, both in the U.S. and abroad, and I'm not kidding when I say that I've never found people who are as kind and value driven as the people in our four state corridor. Sure, there's outliers, but most people up here would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it.
Is mountain life for everyone? No, certainly not. No doubt exists, though, that you're welcome here.
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Really hoping the increase in seats might help my prospects on the waitlist....
Rooting for you, DJack!
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Really hoping the increase in seats might help my prospects on the waitlist....
It's almost certain that it will!
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when did you interview
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I interviewed on January 24th.
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any one know what they want for the urine test..
my doctor was kinda clueless...esp about the panel?? for drug testing
should i go to a drug testing center
my doctor was kinda clueless...esp about the panel?? for drug testing
should i go to a drug testing center
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we actually talked about this the other day on here. go find an accredited place for it. im pretty sure they are just doing a urine test. just make sure you dont drink a week before it. Im really hoping i get in... double rejection today. but i KNOW i blew my interview 🙁
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guess i didnt get in then
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Congrats to all of you who got accepted today! For those who didn't get a call, don't lose hope yet - he may not have been able to finish them all and you might have simply been wait listed. With the class only being half full (or a little over) there will certainly be wait list movement!
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Accepted off the wait list today! So excited!😍
Agreed! Keep the faith. Dean Stowers told us Tuesday that he is traveling both this week and next.
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I don't post very often, but I think I can help you with this. First of all, there's a lot of discussion on the 2016 FB group on the topic of the matriculation packet....https://www.facebook.com/groups/255862157789612/
If I recall correctly from last year, they basically want the 10-panel drug screen. You can do a bigger one, but I know a lot of insurances weren't paying for them. Most insurances should, however, cover the 10-panel. You should just be able to do it at the hospital--I went for my physical and then went straight to the lab to get blood for titers and pee in the cup!
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?? As far as I know, alcohol isn't relevant to the drug test. Unless you're talking about drinking something else I'm unaware of....I've always been a little naive to the drug scene lol 🙂
The screen required, as of 2 years ago at least, is a 10 panel. That is listed in the matriculation packet so double check it just in case it's changed (doubtful though). When I went to do my physical for school, they were able to do it then and that was just at a little community clinic. I wouldn't make a special appointment...just get it done when you get your titers measured.
Congrats!! Isn't it weird that we are going to be doctors?
Hey everyone! I've been following this thread for a while now, and I really feel like DCOM is the right fit for me! I got the call for an interview invite earlier today and I'm so stoked! I'm just worried about how to prepare for the interview...would anyone mind sharing any tips, suggestions, or questions? Any info would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
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It's really, really laid back. Basically,know who you are and why you do what you do! They don't know anything about you (closed file), so it is your chance to really make yourself stand out, just be genuine and it will show!
I'd also recommend going to the pizza get together the night before and meeting fellow interviewees and current students. You get to hear all sorts of things about the school and community, plus it really helped calm my nerves. I also really liked hearing where everyone else was from and why they were there. Just be yourself, and good luck! 🙂
I think the one thing that stands out is to be yourself. We were told at the pizza night that they would prod a little until they actually saw "you" and they do. Once they see you though, it's all smooth sailing from there. Might as well start out just being you.
Thanks for the info! I am trying to set my schedule up so I can make it to the pizza get together...it seems to be a crowd fav 🙂 Also, do you guys think that going over the interview feedback page for LMU DCOM would be beneficial?
oh, and is the holiday inn express the closest to campus?
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I (and everyone else interviewing that same day) stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. There is also a Sleep Inn right next door. Its only like a 5 minute drive from campus. 🙂
And I went over the interview feedback page. It mostly just has old questions regarding why you want to be a doctor, why DO, why LMUDCOM, etc...
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I would definitely recommend looking at the interview feedback questions. You'll find they recycle a lot of the questions...I made it a point to practice answering them aloud to myself again and again in the car while driving, not to get a scripted answer ready, but just to get used to answering those types of questions so that it sounded smooth. I'm sure I provided much entertainment to surrounding drivers
Holiday inn is not only one of the closest hotels to the school....it's almost the ONLY one 🙂 I would recommend staying there for several reasons: 1.) If you tell them you're there for the interview, they should still offer a slightly discounted rate to you and 2.) There's a shuttle to campus in the morning if you want to ride in with the students and the fantastic tour guide, Bob. Even if you don't ride with them, go down in the morning to the breakfast and chat with Bob....he will easily calm your nerves, I promise. 🙂
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Many of my classmates in 2014 have Master's, in things ranging from business administration to public health to biology...
I was in the middle of my Master's when I got accepted and I opted to drop out of the program to save money and have some free time before starting school. I e-mailed both Dr. Leo and Janette Martin before dropping out just to make sure my acceptance wasn't contingent upon my finishing the degree. If you're interested in dropping it as well, just double check with them that that is still an acceptable thing to do.
I have an MEd and am finishing an MS right now. There is certainly a pull in my mind to want to stop it, but it wasnt really to "get in" anyway. You never know when those couple of extra letters after the DO could land you where you want to be.
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👍 This is smart for sure. Mine was only a 1 yr Master's in Bio and since DO well trumps MS, I decided to forgo it. Anything else though, MEd, MPH, MBA....I'd say stick it out.
Any other ladies out there interviewing on Tuesday the 14th and interested in sharing a hotel room? I've already booked at Holiday Inn Express and it'd be cool to split the cost. 😀 I plan to go to Pizza Night too.
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Thanks for all of the replies, I'm doing an MPH and I do plan to finish. I'm applying for next cycle and I finishing the MPH this summer. I was just wondering if seeing it complete on my transcript is necessary or if I should apply early instead of waiting until the end of summer.
I have a 4.0 in my MPH but I won't be able to take the MCAT until summer, this whole thesis thing is quite time consuming 😛.
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Hello guys! I am so excited about my interview coming up on Monday the 13th. I will be going to the pizza get together on Sunday night so hopefully I'll see some of you there! So I know LMUDCOM places a great deal of emphasis on primary care and I'm sure the Appalachia region is a major focus. My question to current students and anyone already accepted is, what are some unique points of LMUDCOM?
Thanks!!! 🙂
Thanks!!! 🙂
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They'll tell you this on your interview day but don't forget also in their mission is the under served - whether that's in the mountains of Appalachia or the heart of Los Angeles. Primary care is certainly their focus but there's nothing they do that will make you less of a specialist from what I've seen.
For me, DCOM is in a really nice part of the country. SWVA and Eastern TN combined are one of the major biodiversity hotspots in North America. That was important to me - I'm not a city guy and have no intentions of being one. I enjoy the slower pace of life and the outdoors. I want to be able to escape on a Friday evening after a test if I need to and cutoff the stress and fast paced nature of med school.
DCOM puts a lot of emphasis on producing quality clinicians. It's important to have a broad spectra of knowledge but it's also important to be skilled with your patients both mechanically and socially. From the get go, through EPC and OSCEs, DCOM has really pushed for producing capable clinicians. I went the extra step of calling residency directors and preceptors in the area and talking to them about the quality of DCOM students coming through their systems. All of them had positive things to say and that impressed me. I did the same for other schools and that wasn't the case. Granted, many other schools have a longer track record and more chance for bad eggs.
I really like the layout of our c/o 2016 curriculum and I think, logically, it makes sense. When learning things in largely singular blocks I believe it would be difficult at times to connect information. I.E., Let's say you had renal for six weeks followed by cardiology for six weeks. Congestive heart failure and its implications in both systems becomes a matter of matching Cardio information to Renal information from 6+ weeks ago. With our curriculum, Renal and Cardiology (and others) overlap and the block lasts longer. So we might learn about CHF in renal at 8am and in Cardiology at 9am. I felt this way of learning promotes retention of the information and connecting things to grasp the bigger picture. A modified body systems approach, so to speak. Also, I like that we're going to a dissection based gross anatomy course. I'm a hands on learner and while it will require more time commitment than prosection, I'm sure, I feel that it's worth it.
Lastly, there's something to be said about the openness of both faculty and staff. Sure, the school has its problems like any other and sometimes students feel like they're in the dark on certain administrative things, but at the end of the day the policy is open door. There's a certain buzz at the school - fueled largely by new construction and Dean Stowers' upcoming AOA appointment - that made me feel proud to be there.
It's funny how it works but you will either know it's for you or you will know it's not. Sometimes, it just feels right and sometimes it doesn't.
Best of luck!
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Now that's interesting. I've never heard of anyone going that far before! How many people did you call in the area? How did you decide who to call? Did you just cold call these physicians and start asking about DCOM? Any more detail about what they said?
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Definitely get your app in as early as possible...you can always update them with a new transcript later. Just make sure to indicate your current and future coursework on your AACOMAS!
Good luck in your interview!
For me, the biggest draw here was the family feel. Students are for the most very happy, even in the times of greatest stress. One unique aspect of training here is the patient population....you definitely see interesting things and deal with interesting philosophies regarding medicine. All in all, the community seems to appreciate our presence, probably primarily due to the economic benefit we bring....but my hope is that as we establish our presence here even more, the openness to doctors and all that will increase (rural areas are often sites of populations who distrust medicine and doctors). The beauty of the area is a nice factor- a stress reliever for sure to have the views we do. I personally am a fan of how MY class has their curriculum set up, but the curriculum change would be one thing worth noting if you are interested in that. It's definitely different than a lot of other schools.
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