LMU-DCOM or LECOM-Bradenton or...

[smrdoc15]

I have recently been accepted to LMU-DCOM and LECOM-Bradenton. I have applications still in at CCOM, OUCOM, PCOM-Ga, ATSU-KCOM. I have an interview at KCOM on Jan 15, but have not heard back from the other schools despite being complete on 11/14. I really would like some advice in picking a school, as I want to make the most informed decision possible.


LMU-DCOM was my first interview, and to be honest I wasn’t sold on the school before I went. I was going just to look at the school, and to get valuable experience in the interviewing process. Well, when I went I was blown away by the facilities, the faculty, the school in general. I had to rethink, and I realized this could be a place I would end up.

Then came the LECOM-B interview, and I loved it as well. Looking past the two day beach hiatus a few days before Christmas, I really loved the school, PBL, and the students seemed happy. I knew if I got accepted to both I would have a rough decision on my hands.

So here’s my feel when I put the two head to head:

Ciriculum- It’s hard to pick a clear winner here- I really like the PBL concept, and I know if it will work for anyone it will work for me- I’m extremely self-motivated. But I’m also kind of anal about reading as much as possible before a test, and looking over too much info if that’s possible. So it all sounds nice and good to do PBL style because I would have so much more time to sit and read on my own, BUT what if I’m missing a bunch of stuff that are crucial to medical education at other schools? How will I even know if I’m missing this stuff? I know we have faculty mentors to guide us, but as I understand they only do light guiding, not redirecting... So feedback on that would be great if anyone was a little scared of PBL. But i do think it’s great how LECOM reiterates everything learned in year 1 in year 2. That is really cool.

Location- well LECOM obviously wins- how can you complain about going to school on the beach??? It is far from my family, but I’m moving anywhere I go so why not to the beach. I really believe that I will be a happier person and better studier in warmer weather. I hate Cincinnati winters Oh, and on the minus side Harrogate, is very rural- probably the biggest downside of the school for me. So rural that it would be hard to deal with for me (and it’s a dry county...)

Reputation- Hard for me to judge on this one- I’ve tried to get some insight here, but if others could help me out that would be awesome. I would think LECOM-B would have a good reputation based on LECOM Erie campus, but I could be wrong because I know they are pretty independent. I also know that LMU-DCOM is still new and haven’t even released their board scores to the public or their students, so it’s hard to judge.

Rotations/Residency- I think LECOM wins. LECOM and LMU-DCOM alike have pretty diverse 3rd and 4th year rotation sites, so it wouldn’t be an issue at either school to come back to Cincy. I like the fact that LECOM has a very diverse match list, and matches a lot of students in specialities and allopathic residencies. LMU has yet to have a match list available as far as I know so maybe they will too. I am worried, however, about how much clinical experience LECOm students get before 3rd and 4th year. I know DCOM has the sim lab and such so they get some, but I didn’t see anything comparable at LECOM...

Cost- LECOM is about 10k/yr cheaper even for an OOS like me. So that’s definitely something to consider, however i know cost of living in FL will be more. Hey anyone know if hurricanes are ever an issue in Bradenton?

Student Happiness- both students seemed very happy. I was impressed with LECOM’s students confidence and belief that they were happier than most other med students. Both had a family feel and seemed to really support each other. Also both seemed to know almost everyone in their class which is cool and have a good relationship with faculty.

Faculty- LMU-DCOM wins- they have like 5 or so deans of other osteo med schools now working as faculty there... why is that? Are they that great? Any insight there would be awesome. But i know that it’s going to be up to the students more than the faculty so this criteria is not top notch for my choice.

Overall, its a tough call. I still have an interview at KCOM, and I know this is a great school as far as reputation goes and rotations go. I have also seen in previous posts that once you get an interview here you have a pretty good chance of getting in. Is this still true after winter break??? I would also love insight on hearing back from CCOM, OUCOM and PCOM-Ga. I know several folks wait months before hearing back from anyone... but it sucks! I wish I could have all my rejections/acceptances now instead of playing this dumb waiting game. It’s hard for me to give up a spot and hold out for an unknown entity... what if these are my only acceptances??? Anyone know how likely a school is to extend the 30-day deposit window??? Thanks for all input!!!!!

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[farnesylatedDO]

I have been accepted to both schools (LECOM-B and LMU-DCOM). I chose LECOM-B for many reasons.

I am from Florida, lived hear for quiet few years and I am familiar with area and population. My family and girlfriend are living fairly close to Bradenton. But that's not why I chose LECOM-B.

LMU-DCOM has better facilities but I did not cared that much about that. After all pre-clinical education last 2 years and you don't need to be in school all the time.


Reasons why LECOM-B.

1) Time
I don't have that much experience with PBL but I do with traditional lectures. Going to school 8 or more hours a day and then having to study after is not fun. Not to mention that you have to stay concentrated for the whole time and listen to lectures even when they are boring or when you are distracted. LECOM-B seemed to have more time to do extra things even watch football games whenever they wanted to.

2) Board exams and preparation
As you know your scores for board exams are very important especially if you want to go for competitive residency.
Since LECOM-B have PBL, you can use books such as First Aid, review books and arrange your study in the courses toward preparing for boards. From doing research on this topic and talking to students at both schools, in general LECOM-B students seems to be better prepared for boards, very high pass rate, high average.

3) Clinical preparation

At LECOM-B you have case studies. You will learn to read lab results, read X-rays, MRI scans etc. You will know what tests you have to order, usefull skills when you go for clinical rotations and residency
With PBL, you can arrange your study toward board examinations. Based on PBL lecture I attended LECOM-B students seemed to know their stuff pretty well.

Both schools have early patient exposure. LECOM-B test you on actors-patients. LMU-DCOM has very good labs which they train you what to do in case of example: cardiac arrest.

4) Rotations

In both schools you have freedom of rotations. In both schools you have rotations at different hospitals, sometimes lots of driving, adjusting to new hospital policies but that's universal for most DO schools. At LMU-DCOM your forth year is in smaller medical centers which can be positive thing or negative. At LECOM-B you might have to arrange some rotations on your own, but after all we are adults so no need for holding hands. To my knowledge none of the schools have one site where you do your all rotations.
Lots of good hospitals around St. Petersburg/Tampa/Sarasota/Bradenton. Not sure about LMU-DCOM.

5) Costs of education

In my case LECOM-B gives me big savings on top of the lowest tuition I would live with family for at least 2-4 years.

6) Mental support

Family and girlfriend close by, help to deal with stress. However, LMU-DCOM is located in nice relaxing area, mythical like.

7) Residency match

Looking at LECOM-B match list for past few years it looks like students from that school get into good programs.


Other minor things to consider

-Area

LMU-DCOM is more rural, mountains, colder. Fresh air, good to relax, hiking, great local food. Things to do besides that hmmm....

LECOM-B warm, humid, beach. Relax at the beach, watch sunset, swimming etc. Bradenton/Sarasota has one of the best beaches Siesta Key, white sand that does not get hot-powder like. Nice winter, hot summer, but air conditioning is everywhere so no problem and I am ok with the florida weather.

- General population outside school.

In Florida: High diversity, higher elderly population.
In TN: Low diversity,

If you are minority, you will probably feel more comfortable in Florida


The choice is yours. Both schools will prepare you well but what kind of doctor you want to be is all up to you.

Your priorities might be different than mine.

 

[VA1986]

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[HopefulDoc1984]

I have recently been accepted to LMU-DCOM and LECOM-Bradenton. I have applications still in at CCOM, OUCOM, PCOM-Ga, ATSU-KCOM. I have an interview at KCOM on Jan 15, but have not heard back from the other schools despite being complete on 11/14. I really would like some advice in picking a school, as I want to make the most informed decision possible.


LMU-DCOM was my first interview, and to be honest I wasn’t sold on the school before I went. I was going just to look at the school, and to get valuable experience in the interviewing process. Well, when I went I was blown away by the facilities, the faculty, the school in general. I had to rethink, and I realized this could be a place I would end up.

Then came the LECOM-B interview, and I loved it as well. Looking past the two day beach hiatus a few days before Christmas, I really loved the school, PBL, and the students seemed happy. I knew if I got accepted to both I would have a rough decision on my hands.

So here’s my feel when I put the two head to head:

Ciriculum- It’s hard to pick a clear winner here- I really like the PBL concept, and I know if it will work for anyone it will work for me- I’m extremely self-motivated. But I’m also kind of anal about reading as much as possible before a test, and looking over too much info if that’s possible. So it all sounds nice and good to do PBL style because I would have so much more time to sit and read on my own, BUT what if I’m missing a bunch of stuff that are crucial to medical education at other schools? How will I even know if I’m missing this stuff? I know we have faculty mentors to guide us, but as I understand they only do light guiding, not redirecting... So feedback on that would be great if anyone was a little scared of PBL. But i do think it’s great how LECOM reiterates everything learned in year 1 in year 2. That is really cool.

Location- well LECOM obviously wins- how can you complain about going to school on the beach??? It is far from my family, but I’m moving anywhere I go so why not to the beach. I really believe that I will be a happier person and better studier in warmer weather. I hate Cincinnati winters Oh, and on the minus side Harrogate, is very rural- probably the biggest downside of the school for me. So rural that it would be hard to deal with for me (and it’s a dry county...)

Reputation- Hard for me to judge on this one- I’ve tried to get some insight here, but if others could help me out that would be awesome. I would think LECOM-B would have a good reputation based on LECOM Erie campus, but I could be wrong because I know they are pretty independent. I also know that LMU-DCOM is still new and haven’t even released their board scores to the public or their students, so it’s hard to judge.

Rotations/Residency- I think LECOM wins. LECOM and LMU-DCOM alike have pretty diverse 3rd and 4th year rotation sites, so it wouldn’t be an issue at either school to come back to Cincy. I like the fact that LECOM has a very diverse match list, and matches a lot of students in specialities and allopathic residencies. LMU has yet to have a match list available as far as I know so maybe they will too. I am worried, however, about how much clinical experience LECOm students get before 3rd and 4th year. I know DCOM has the sim lab and such so they get some, but I didn’t see anything comparable at LECOM...

Cost- LECOM is about 10k/yr cheaper even for an OOS like me. So that’s definitely something to consider, however i know cost of living in FL will be more. Hey anyone know if hurricanes are ever an issue in Bradenton?

Student Happiness- both students seemed very happy. I was impressed with LECOM’s students confidence and belief that they were happier than most other med students. Both had a family feel and seemed to really support each other. Also both seemed to know almost everyone in their class which is cool and have a good relationship with faculty.

Faculty- LMU-DCOM wins- they have like 5 or so deans of other osteo med schools now working as faculty there... why is that? Are they that great? Any insight there would be awesome. But i know that it’s going to be up to the students more than the faculty so this criteria is not top notch for my choice.

Overall, its a tough call. I still have an interview at KCOM, and I know this is a great school as far as reputation goes and rotations go. I have also seen in previous posts that once you get an interview here you have a pretty good chance of getting in. Is this still true after winter break??? I would also love insight on hearing back from CCOM, OUCOM and PCOM-Ga. I know several folks wait months before hearing back from anyone... but it sucks! I wish I could have all my rejections/acceptances now instead of playing this dumb waiting game. It’s hard for me to give up a spot and hold out for an unknown entity... what if these are my only acceptances??? Anyone know how likely a school is to extend the 30-day deposit window??? Thanks for all input!!!!!

The cirriculum is the biggest factor here. Do you want to be taught or do you want to teach yourself?

 

[DitchDoc73]

Hey anyone know if hurricanes are ever an issue in Bradenton?

If you live ANYWHERE in the state of Florida, there is always the potential for issues due to hurricanes. That being said, Florida is probably the best prepared state in the country when it comes to natural disasters. I do know that all of the medical schools in the state of Florida have a mutual agreement to take on another schools students in the case that the school is damaged to the point that classes can no longer be held there. So all in all, hurricanes are not a very big issue in the state of Florida.

 

[nlax30]

I've lived in Florida all my life, but would still rather deal with hurricanes than earthquakes or freak midwestern tornadoes. At least with hurricanes there is warning and the ability to prepare.

Back to the topic at hand.... the really big factor in my opinion is the curriculum. First decide if you would even enjoy PBL, if so then go down the list of other factors and weight the pros/cons. If not then your decision is partly made.

 

[123165]

I've lived in Florida all my life, but would still rather deal with hurricanes than earthquakes or freak midwestern tornadoes. At least with hurricanes there is warning and the ability to prepare.

Back to the topic at hand.... the really big factor in my opinion is the curriculum. First decide if you would even enjoy PBL, if so then go down the list of other factors and weight the pros/cons. If not then your decision is partly made.

I have lived in the midwest my whole life, never been in a tornado. It is worth mentioning that Florida has tornadoes as well, is the lightning strike capital, and has gators/snakes. . I love FL though.

 

[MossPoh]

I've lived in Florida all my life, but would still rather deal with hurricanes than earthquakes or freak midwestern tornadoes. At least with hurricanes there is warning and the ability to prepare.

Back to the topic at hand.... the really big factor in my opinion is the curriculum. First decide if you would even enjoy PBL, if so then go down the list of other factors and weight the pros/cons. If not then your decision is partly made.

I lived in Indiana for 15 years and Florida for 6. I've had my neighborhood wiped out from a hurricane (storm surge) and a tornado destroy 2 of my friends' houses in florida during that time. I had one tornado destroy my friend's house before I knew the kid in Indiana. I've also had to rebuild our dock twice from other storms.

But I do agree about curriculum.

 

[nlax30]

I have lived in the midwest my whole life, never been in a tornado. It is worth mentioning that Florida has tornadoes as well, is the lightning strike capital, and has gators/snakes. . I love FL though.

Lightning can be a real issue, more so the inconvenience of having to replace electronics at some point when a strike nearby happens, which will happen at some point to most folks here. Other than that, stay indoors and off the golf course during storms.

Gators and snakes can be a problem. Just be careful when walking your small dog near a lake...... it happens.

Yeah, on the coast or in a known flood area you WILL have problems from hurricanes/tropical storms. We get tornadoes but not the huge freak of nature ones out west that are half a mile wide and destroy whole towns. When I was in high school in the Orlando area I remember one that traveled for several miles, destroyed numerous homes, and unfortunately took a few lives, but that's the only "terrible" one I can recall. Those are the exception here.

Then again, if there's a Category 4 or 5 storm heading toward you then it really doesn't matter where your house is located or made of..... that's when you just leave and hope there's something when you get back.

 

[Powdermonkey]

When I started med school I thought PBL was the last thing that I would ever want to do. I honestly thought that it was absolutely ridiculous to have to "teach" myself everything. As a current 2nd year gearing up to prepare for boards and my last semester in the classroom, I've found that I'm using a PBL type program for myself. I'm not going to class and I'm going over the lectures myself since they are all recorded and the material is all online for us. Would I have been better at a PBL program? I dunno. I think I could have managed it though, and honestly I learn better when I can go at my pace and I can stop everything and go research something when I have no clue what a word means or when I need more information about a study, etc. Just me though.

As far as DCOM.... we're still a young school. We havent graduated a class yet, and we dont know how the students are going to do residency wise and everything like that. So going to a newer school means you put a bit of trust into the curriculum and the faculty. It's been interesting, thats for sure. I think things will be better for the next few classes because of the things the first class as well as our class has done. There are still a few issues, as all schools have, but for the most part, I'm still pretty happy being at DCOM.

If you have any specific questions about DCOM, PM me.