LMU MS 2017-2018 Cycle

[HalluxSlicer]

I was accepted 1 week ago for Biomedical Professions program and are heavily leaning towards LMU because I heard a lot of good reviews from past students; the matriculation rate from MS to DCOM is relatively high, transfer of GMA and Neuroanatomy credits to DCOM once acceptance, and guaranteed interview as long as you get 3.0 and higher GPA during Fall semester.

Anyone else get accepted here for MS in Anatomical Sciences, Biomedical Professions, or Veterinary Sciences?

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[surgeryDO]

I was accepted 1 week ago for Biomedical Professions program and are heavily leaning towards LMU because I heard a lot of good reviews from past students; the matriculation rate from MS to DCOM is relatively high, transfer of GMA and Neuroanatomy credits to DCOM once acceptance, and guaranteed interview as long as you get 3.0 and higher GPA during Fall semester.

Anyone else get accepted here for MS in Anatomical Sciences, Biomedical Professions, or Veterinary Sciences?

Congrats! Current student here in the MS program, happy to answer questions if you have any.

 

[futuemd6]

Congrats! Current student here in the MS program, happy to answer questions if you have any.

what is the matriculation rate from the masters to the med school? how many years is the program?

 

[surgeryDO]

what is the matriculation rate from the masters to the med school? how many years is the program?

The program is meant to be 1 year but that depends on if you have any deficiencies. The matriculation rate from last year was somewhere around 70% I believe, I could be wrong though.

 

[futuemd6]

The program is meant to be 1 year but that depends on if you have any deficiencies. The matriculation rate from last year was somewhere around 70% I believe, I could be wrong though.

do you know the average acceptance stats? also, what is it like living in this town? looks like there's not much around.

 

[HalluxSlicer]

I got accepted to BP last week! Full disclosure I'm still torn because I am also on the waitlist at KCU-COB. I just want to go where I have the best shot at a D.O. matriculation, and I've heard conflicting things for both schools.

Congrats! What are you conflicted on??

 

[HalluxSlicer]

First of all thank you!

Don't get me wrong, the matriculation rates are still quite high but not as high as they were in years prior. They have expanded the program so it puts it close to (and maybe slightly lower than) KCU-COB at around 70%. I love that they transfer some MS credit and it sounds like they have a wholesome student-faculty relationship, but I'm not sure I'll love Harrogate. Obviously I wouldn't have applied if I wasn't willing to go there, and I'm hugely grateful for their acceptance, but at this point I just don't know what I would say if KCU called and was like "you have 24 hours to decide."

I totally feel you. I'm a bit uneasy about moving myself from the suburban west coast to the rural TN. But I feel like it's high yield given that MGA, NeuroPhys, and Histology counts for credit given that you go there AND opening of new 2nd campus in Knoxville, which should increase the matriculation rate from the MS.

If you would like to join the LMU MS FB page, lmk!

 

[HalluxSlicer]

Definitely a perk that other programs don’t have, it’s almost like being a real medical student lol. And yeah hit me up with the link!

Here's the Facebook link to the group
Log into Facebook | Facebook

 

[SamIAm12]

To those accepted, how long did it take for a response from the moment you submitted your application? I applied and it has been 10 business days so far..a bit worried.

 

[surgeryDO]

I do not know the average stats for acceptance but if you're at least over the minimum stats they have on their admissions page then you shouldn't have a problem at least getting an interview or getting into the BP program.

There's really not much out here. There are your general fast food chains, a few restaurants, and a mall with only a handful of stores in it. Knoxville is about an hour away and people will go there if they need to do any significant shopping or anything. The mountains are beautiful and there are a bunch of great hiking trails but if your a city person looking for night life then you might be disappointed. They've got all your basics covered for the most part, anything luxurious will require a trip to knoxville.

do you know the average acceptance stats? also, what is it like living in this town? looks like there's not much around.

 

[crcrown]

To those accepted, how long did it take for a response from the moment you submitted your application? I applied and it has been 10 business days so far..a bit worried.

how long did it end up taking you to hear back? Hoping to apply next week.

 

[blueangel12]

I have a phone interview with them in the coming days for the Biomedical Professions (BP) program. What kind of questions do they ask you during the interviews?
After the phone interview, that is it or is there a in person interview as well that needs to be conducted?

 

[blueangel12]

I had a pretty low-stress interview. They asked questions mostly about experiences I’ve had, like how I’ve handled a confrontational situation, a time I failed, a leadership role, etc. Probably about 4 or 5 questions total lasting about 15 or 20 minutes. There’s no in-person interview, thank god. I did mine on a Wednesday and got the acceptance email the following Monday I think

I appreciate the heads up. Thank you. I am not exactly a typical candidate, older, not stellar gpa and mcat scores, took long to complete a bachelor's degree, and repeated courses. I just had my phone interview today and hope all went well, fingers crossed.

 

[blueangel12]

It’s a DO school, they’re into unconventional applicants if you can tell your story well. I’m the same way, an older (but still 20s) career changer with a non-science degree. My GPA had its kneecaps beaten in by the new class retake policy too. If they weren’t interested in admitting you they wouldn’t interview, so be proud and try not to stress!

That is true, you have to be good enough to be accepted to even be granted an interview. I felt like I may have said um a few times and even spoke quickly. Do they notify your acceptance/rejection through email, mail, or you would have to login to the portal to see the status? I saw someone else on another LMU thread wrote about a week ago, said they logged into their portal and saw they had been accepted a day after their phone interview. When I login to the portal, it just says congratulations your application has been submitted and is under review. When I asked the committee during the phone interview, they should it might take a few weeks. I am a little anxious because if I am accepted, the program starts in August. I want to be able to give my employers plenty of time to find a successor and for me to train them before I leave.

 

[surgeryDO]

pretty sure the program starts late July. And you'll probably be notified soon. For me, it was about several days later to give you some perspective.

Program does start end of July. If you opt to do the anatomy bootcamp, that starts at the beginning of July.

 

[HalluxSlicer]

Program does start end of July. If you opt to do the anatomy bootcamp, that starts at the beginning of July.

Do you know what date the program started for you? Im taking my MCAT at my home institution on the 20th of July and will fly out few days after, definitely by the 24th. I asked Pam and she was like we'll inform you in late Mar / early June...

 

[surgeryDO]

Do you know what date the program started for you? Im taking my MCAT at my home institution on the 20th of July and will fly out few days after, definitely by the 24th. I asked Pam and she was like we'll inform you in late Mar / early June...

Our first MGA lecture (intro to MGA and lab) was Friday, July 28. MGA started full blown the following week with lectures and labs. Master's classes won't start until middle of August.

 

[I'mJustCurious]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the deadline is in June 15th?

 

[HalluxSlicer]

Our first MGA lecture (intro to MGA and lab) was Friday, June 28. MGA started full blown the following week with lectures and labs. Master's classes won't start until middle of August.

You mean July??

 

[surgeryDO]

You mean July??

Yes, July. Sorry about that.

 

[druidboy05]

Current OMS-1/Prior BP student, feel free to ask me any questions as well - congratulations on your acceptances!

 

[vronika]

Accepted to AS program today!!! I'm beyond excited and am looking forward to meeting everyone in July. On a side note, does anyone looking for a roommate or have suggestions for housing near the school?

 

[anasasis06]

BP acceptance into the DO program is far less than 70%. This year, even those who achieved a 3.0 in the Fall semester were not granted interviews until very late and were subsequently wait-listed. Do not get mislead by the 3.0, if you do not perform well in MGA you may still be interviewed, but will likely get wait-listed instead. AS are very favored for matriculation into the DO program, your schedules will be a lot lighter during MGA compared to BP and your group interacts more with DCOM faculty. That being said, if you preform well in MGA, whether AS or BP, you will likely get in regardless of all other stats. However, this also means you must preform well in Neuro in the Spring. Any bad grades in the Spring will get an acceptance rescinded.

 

[druidboy05]

BP acceptance into the DO program is far less than 70%. This year, even those who achieved a 3.0 in the Fall semester were not granted interviews until very late and were subsequently wait-listed. Do not get mislead by the 3.0, if you do not perform well in MGA you may still be interviewed, but will likely get wait-listed instead. AS are very favored for matriculation into the DO program, your schedules will be a lot lighter during MGA compared to BP and your group interacts more with DCOM faculty. That being said, if you perform well in MGA, whether AS or BP, you will likely get in regardless of all other stats. However, this also means you must preform well in Neuro in the Spring. Any bad grades in the Spring will get an acceptance rescinded.

In my year, we had AS students who were waitlisted (got a B or C in MGA) and BP students who were accepted early on in February (because they got an A in MGA). Work hard and get an A in MGA.

@anasasis06 - did students this year have their offer rescinded because of Neuro?

 

[BS_to_DO]

To any current or past MS Students:

I've been accepted into the AS program, and I'm super excited! I have a few questions regarding clinical experience and letters when it comes to your med school applications.. I have had a lot of trouble getting into shadow recently (I had a lot throughout undergrad but that was several years ago), and I am worried about obtaining letters for applications. (I live in a really small town, so shadowing is very limited and typically only goes to family members). How do most MS students go about this? Do they enter into the program with their letters already lined up, or do many shadow/talk to current professors/etc? Any insight would be extremely helpful! Also, do you have any sort of advisor to help you through the process or offer feedback when it comes to the process and personal statement?

 

[vronika]

@surgeryDO, I was wondering what your approach is to applying to their DO program while you were enrolled in the MS program. Did you start your application prior to school starts? If so, how did you contact the professors for LORs for AACOMAS? I'm trying to tying up loose ends prior to the program so I can focus on classes. Thank you for answered our questions

Congrats! Current student here in the MS program, happy to answer questions if you have any.

 

[druidboy05]

@surgeryDO, I was wondering what your approach is to applying to their DO program while you were enrolled in the MS program. Did you start your application prior to school starts? If so, how did you contact the professors for LORs for AACOMAS? I'm trying to tying up loose ends prior to the program so I can focus on classes. Thank you for answered our questions

I highly recommend getting your application in prior to starting the MS program (unless you need extra LORs). I submitted my application maybe a week or two after MGA started and I waited until then so that my advisor could go over my application. Whether you're AS or BP, you'll have a chance to meet with your advisor and go over your application at the beginning of the semester. All my LORs were from previous employees/physicians/undergrad professors, however, if you need a LOR from a professor in the Masters program, then you'll have to wait, spend some time forming those relationships, and then ask them before the deadline (which I believe was like November/December for us?). But that being said, stay on top of your LORs. In my year, I had my classmates who waited up until the deadline and were freaking out about getting their application in in the midst of finals, etc. Better to solely focus on your classes if you get most of your application out of the way before you get here. OH, and make sure you have a physician letter, preferably DO. If you don't, start looking at options on how to acquire one, whether that means finding a physician to shadow nearby or in Knox or hitting up someone from your past. As for how to approach our professors here for LORs - our professors are chill and nice, so if you go to office hours, participate in class, ask questions, I highly doubt they'll turn you down for a LOR (unless they have some specific criteria you have to meet). I'm sure @surgeryDO can add to what I said above.

 

[vronika]

@druidboy05, thank you for your reply I'm short a DO LOR so I'll definitely hit up local DO for shadowing plus LOR for sure. But I thought getting a LOR from current professors of the program will look favorably so please correct me if I'm wrong. It's gonna be a tight timeline getting this all done prior to the start of the program so your help during the process is awesome

I highly recommend getting your application in prior to starting the MS program (unless you need extra LORs). I submitted my application maybe a week or two after MGA started and I waited until then so that my advisor could go over my application. Whether you're AS or BP, you'll have a chance to meet with your advisor and go over your application at the beginning of the semester. All my LORs were from previous employees/physicians/undergrad professors, however, if you need a LOR from a professor in the Masters program, then you'll have to wait, spend some time forming those relationships, and then ask them before the deadline (which I believe was like November/December for us?). But that being said, stay on top of your LORs. In my year, I had my classmates who waited up until the deadline and were freaking out about getting their application in in the midst of finals, etc. Better to solely focus on your classes if you get most of your application out of the way before you get here. OH, and make sure you have a physician letter, preferably DO. If you don't, start looking at options on how to acquire one, whether that means finding a physician to shadow nearby or in Knox or hitting up someone from your past. As for how to approach our professors here for LORs - our professors are chill and nice, so if you go to office hours, participate in class, ask questions, I highly doubt they'll turn you down for a LOR (unless they have some specific criteria you have to meet). I'm sure @surgeryDO can add to what I said above.

 

[druidboy05]

@vronika, our MS program is pretty small and LMU itself is a small school within a small community. Like it or not, people/professors will recognize who you are, so doing well and just participating in class will get you noticed so that these professors can vouch for you if need be. I personally didn't have any LORs from LMU, but I did well in my classes and I the professors knew who I was from active participation, etc. Additionally, the LORs I had were strong letters that I wanted to use - if you feel like you have a LOR that is not as strong as you like, you can definitely get one from a professor. The downside to that is just having to wait a while. And don't feel like you NEED to get your application in before the program - there are workshops and advisors who will provide feedback on your PS, etc. But definitely have a good chunk of it done - you definitely want to aim to get an A in MGA and to get an A, you have to start working hard at the beginning and finishing strong. Feel free to ask me any other questions, I'll answer as best as I can.

 

[Lilmasie]

I had a quick question for those of you who were BP students and are now OMS-1s. In order for the guaranteed acceptance, do you need to retake your MCAT once again to be considered competitive? The website said that is up to the administration but I'm still confused about it.

Can someone weigh in on this who is also currently in the AS/BP Program?
I need all the input I can get.

 

[druidboy05]

@Lilmasie, you are not forced to re-take your MCAT, however, if your MCAT score is below a 500, your advisor may suggest that you re-take it. There have been students in the past who have been accepted with a MCAT score lower than 500, but those students earned a 4.0 fall semester. If you have any particular questions, feel free to DM me and we can talk about this further.

 

[Mhelou]

Current OMS-1/Prior BP student, feel free to ask me any questions as well - congratulations on your acceptances!

How many of the students in your class have been accepted into medical school

 

[Heytheree]

BP acceptance into the DO program is far less than 70%. This year, even those who achieved a 3.0 in the Fall semester were not granted interviews until very late and were subsequently wait-listed. Do not get mislead by the 3.0, if you do not perform well in MGA you may still be interviewed, but will likely get wait-listed instead. AS are very favored for matriculation into the DO program, your schedules will be a lot lighter during MGA compared to BP and your group interacts more with DCOM faculty. That being said, if you preform well in MGA, whether AS or BP, you will likely get in regardless of all other stats. However, this also means you must preform well in Neuro in the Spring. Any bad grades in the Spring will get an acceptance rescinded.

what was the gpa or mcat score most people got to get an interview? And how hard was it to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above?

 

[EMdocMK]

Did the masters program several years ago. AS > BS. BS is way more time consuming, and for some reason it feels that the AS students are favored although the BS classes are much more difficult and the schedule is way more reflective to that of an MS-1. Get an A in MGA... Do well in any other transferable classes (Neuro/Histo), be liked by your classmates (people talk... its a small town) and BE KNOWN TO YOUR FACULTY/STAFF. People who slip through the cracks.... slip through the cracks. HMU if you have questions, I'll try to answer.

 

[HalluxSlicer]

Did the masters program several years ago. AS > BS. BS is way more time consuming, and for some reason the AS students are favored although the BS classes are much more difficult and the schedule is way more reflective to that of an MS-1. Get an A in MGA... Do well in any other transferable classes (Neuro/Histo), be liked by your classmates (people talk... its a small town) and BE KNOWN TO YOUR FACULTY/STAFF. People who slip through the cracks.... slip through the cracks. HMU if you have questions, I'll try to answer.

Oh man! I applied to AS but they rejected me and instead accepted me in BP, which I am still grateful. It does suck that we will be treated differently than AS but do you know the reason why?

What's the best way for BP students to reach the equal playing field like BP? Joining organizations with med students? Go to every office hours? Scrub the floors of the Hall?

 

[vronika]

Did the masters program several years ago. AS > BS. BS is way more time consuming, and for some reason the AS students are favored although the BS classes are much more difficult and the schedule is way more reflective to that of an MS-1. Get an A in MGA... Do well in any other transferable classes (Neuro/Histo), be liked by your classmates (people talk... its a small town) and BE KNOWN TO YOUR FACULTY/STAFF. People who slip through the cracks.... slip through the cracks. HMU if you have questions, I'll try to answer.

@mhk12 what is the reason for the favorable treatment though? Is it because they have more interactions with dcom professors? The consensus I get here is that if you do well in MGA, you'll be more favorable for an interview and maybe an acceptance, regardless of the program you're in, is that right?

 

[EMdocMK]

I think it seems that way because of the student to faculty ratio... they get more face time with the professors. Also the program itself is a bit more difficult to get into. But the BP (not biomedical sciences program, sorry) prepares you more for 1st year. The students who matriculated from the BP program CRUSHED 1st semester.

 

[vronika]

Thank you @mhk12 for the reply. Im grateful for the acceptance and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get that acceptance next year This is my last hooray since the grade policy changed last cycle. What was the acceptance rate for your class into dcom (or any other school) that you know? The numbers they posted online wasn't as clear as I'm looking for

 

[EMdocMK]

Thank you @mhk12 for the reply. Im grateful for the acceptance and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get that acceptance next year This is my last hooray since the grade policy changed last cycle. What was the acceptance rate for your class into dcom (or any other school) that you know? The numbers they posted online wasn't as clear as I'm looking for

So I feel bad about my last post, I don't want any BP students feeling like they're starting out in a hole because you/they ARE NOT. You will do great and when you do, you'll get in. You will take a couple more challenging courses than the AS students but on the bright side, you will be way more prepared for 1st year. I did not do well in undergrad, I did not have a good MCAT. I truly felt like that the masters program served me the way I wanted it to, as a clean slated second chance. I expect it will serve you that way as well! I can not emphasize enough the importance of relationships during the program though. Know your professors and your classmates... With that said, @vronika, I believe my year the acceptance rate was in the upper 80s. Students who were not accepted either didn't retake the MCAT when they were told or performed poorly on in their grad courses. I don't know ANYONE who wasn't accepted because of their undergrad GPA.

 

[NoMessEMS]

I believe my year the acceptance rate was in the upper 80s. Students who were not accepted either didn't retake the MCAT when they were told or performed poorly on in their grad courses. I don't know ANYONE who wasn't accepted because of their undergrad GPA.

Do you know if anyone in your class applied and was accepted into any allopathic schools? I'd like to go back to my home state for med school, if possible, but there are more MD than DO schools there.

 

[Heytheree]

So I feel bad about my last post, I don't want any BP students feeling like they're starting out in a hole because you/they ARE NOT. You will do great and when you do, you'll get in. You will take a couple more challenging courses than the AS students but on the bright side, you will be way more prepared for 1st year. I did not do well in undergrad, I did not have a good MCAT. I truly felt like that the masters program served me the way I wanted it to, as a clean slated second chance. I expect it will serve you that way as well! I can not emphasize enough the importance of relationships during the program though. Know your professors and your classmates... With that said, @vronika, I believe my year the acceptance rate was in the upper 80s. Students who were not accepted either didn't retake the MCAT when they were told or performed poorly on in their grad courses. I don't know ANYONE who wasn't accepted because of their undergrad GPA.

Do you have an idea of the mcat or gpa people who did get accepted had? Just a baseline to shoot for

 

[EMdocMK]

Do you know if anyone in your class applied and was accepted into any allopathic schools? I'd like to go back to my home state for med school, if possible, but there are more MD than DO schools there.

Yes there are many students who matriculated into both MD and DO schools

 

[EMdocMK]

Do you have an idea of the mcat or gpa people who did get accepted had? Just a baseline to shoot for

Sorry, I do not. The strongest trend is students who perform well in the Masters program with the MCAT deemed satisfactory by DCOM admissions are accepted from what I've noticed. If your MCAT is low, I would reach out to DCOM admissions and ask them whether or not its an acceptable score. They were very transparent with my class on telling who needs to re-take

 

[usedtothis]

Do you have an idea of the mcat or gpa people who did get accepted had? Just a baseline to shoot for

i want to clear up a few things for everyone: the AS program has higher acceptance standards and this is 80% of the reason these people are "favored" for getting in - the other 20% is probably being able to build relationships with professors, which is indeed a very real truth.

this program, at least in the fall, is 60% doing well in MGA, 20% getting to know professors and having a good reputation, and 20% the rest of your classes (honestly, get an A in all your other classes - its genuinely not too difficult). even if you don't get an A in MGA, shoot for as high of a grade overall as possible - a high B is fine as long as you do well in the spring as well (its very, very possible to get an A in neuro even if you didn't get an A in MGA - they're very different classes)

as far as MCAT...shoot for 500 or above. if you are one or two points below that, prove that you belong with the grades you get in the program and you should be fine.

apply early!!!!!!!!! although it was very unclear how they did it (it felt arbitrary), they changed the policy for interview dates this year (don't stress - if you get at least a B in mga and do fine in your other classes you will interview). get your app in, get your letters in, make sure its complete, and you can add in letters from LMU/DCOM professors at a later date or directly to LMU's admissions office

for the sake of transparency...i came in with a poor gpa but a very strong MCAT (my freshman and sopho years were ugly). i did have an upward curve, but not as strong as i'd hoped. although i was waitlisted initially (i got a late interview date) i got in before a lot of others did, and some are still trickling in. work hard, be focused, know what you're there for, and it will be ok. anyone can feel free to pm me with any more questions you have

 

[druidboy05]

How many of the students in your class have been accepted into medical school

From what I know, about 70%, but there were plenty of people I did not speak to who may have ended up going to other medical schools.

 

[gensurghopeful]

VCOM and WVSOM have programs where a 3.4/3.5 and a 494/495 MCAT gets you auto acceptance into thier DO schools... why chance it on just a promised interview?

 

[mywoes242]

VCOM and WVSOM have programs where a 3.4/3.5 and a 494/495 MCAT gets you auto acceptance into thier DO schools... why chance it on just a promised interview?

Because not everyone is able to get accepted to those programs. There are not alot of programs with direct linkages so you take what you can get .

 

[doyinDO]

I can't post the link, but I quoted below what was posted on LMU website from the DCOM tab.

"LMU-DCOM extended interview invitations to 113 members of LMU’s M.S. program and 81 percent were accepted into LMU-DCOM or another medical school program. "

This was for last year (July 2017). So it seems matriculation from the ms program is still high in my opinion, but I'm not saying a major decease is impossible this year. Just posting this in case people haven't seen it.

 

[crcrown]

Did anyone get into the program with a high GRE score?