Nova or LECOM????

[kg062008]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi, I will be finishing my primary app very soon (late in the season I know). I was wondering if I should apply to NOVA or LECOM brandenton in florida? I noticed that NOVA has a deadline in Jan, and LECOM is in April. Will it hurt my chances applying this late for NOVA? With a Jan deadline do you think the class is nearly full and would I be better off applying to LECOM Brandenton?

 

[gatorfann14]

Apply to both?

 

[kg062008]

Apply to both?

Im poor🙁 and will be using the fee waiver ( if they have any left)

for only 3 schools

1. William Carey ( I live in Ms,)
2. LM-COM in Tennessee
3. And 1 school in florida.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

I feel like I can confidently say that there is no way there are fee waivers left. You are apply fairly late in the season. So don't plan on a fee waiver.

 

[ManBroDude]

This is what you do if you're limited due to budget:

Compare your stats to all the schools and strategically apply to those you have the best chance of being accepted in. In-state schools are a big plus here, for example, while far-away schools might not be.

Second off, the only way you're going to "hurt your chances" is by not applying. At this stage in the game, it's already November and you haven't finished your primary. Say you get it done this week, November 8th. You won't get verified and released until 12/13 or 12/20, and then you lose a week or two due to admissions committees all being gone for the holidays. Then when they get back, you gotta wait for them to send secondaries, which might be a week or two on top of that, at which point we all hope you've pre-written your secondary essays and have all your LOR's in line. Then you submit your secondaries around New Years at the earliest, and wait for a week or two to get complete, which puts you at Jan 15th before any admissions committees will actually sit down and review your file, which takes 3 or so weeks until you get an interview invite. We're looking at Feb 1-14th at the earliest to get an interview invite. If there's any seats left.

If your stats and EC's are less-than-stellar, I'd hold off. Sure, it can be done, and some will show you there's some underdog stories out there to prove it, but statistically you're probably gonna waste your money. If you're strapped for cash, start saving up for next year's cycle and apply early and apply broadly.

What are your stats, BTW? And what state are you in?

 

[Cinclus]

There's more stuff to do near Nova. I'm not too big on the west coast of FL.

 

[OzelloPiRat]

Nova and Lecom have two different styles of teaching also. Look and make sure one of those styles fit you. I agree that if your stats arnt enough to make you shine above the pack this late in the game, hold off and be ready for day 1 of of 2012.

And there is TONS to do here on the West coast! Ya just gotta learn how to leave Mickey behind and see how the real Florida can play!

 

[dmplz707]

So is it true that NOVA only has 25 cadavers for ~ 250 students!? And LECOM doesn't utilize cadavers at all!?

 

[Mbeas]

So is it true that NOVA only has 25 cadavers for ~ 250 students!? And LECOM doesn't utilize cadavers at all!?

LECOM-B uses prosected cadavers. LECOM-E PBL doesn't use cadavers (which is lame IMO).

 

[munchymanRX]

So is it true that NOVA only has 25 cadavers for ~ 250 students!? And LECOM doesn't utilize cadavers at all!?

Yes. The class is split into two groups, and about 5 people from each group are on one body at any given lab time. It depends on how you learn, but personally I find dissection a waste of time. I was convinced you need to get your hands dirty and actually cut to learn the anatomy. I didn't, as I ended up getting far more out of the prosections. Most of your time in dissection will be spent cutting away fat. It's terribly dull.

Some people love it though. The one good thing about nova is that it has both prosections and dissection, so you can see what you best learn on and opt for that.

 

[MAnne]

I visited both Lecom and Nova over the summer where I was conveniently vacationing with my family that lives down there. Bradenton is near Tampa so there is stuff to do, just depends on what you're comparing it to. They have a reason why their tuition is one of the lowest in the country. It's a pretty much teach yourself type of program. You are not allowed to eat or drink outside of the cafeteria. there are cameras in the study rooms to make sure you don't. Both these factors confirmed the school was not a good fit for me. I didn't get a warm and fuzzy feeling in comparison to UMDNJ-SOM and Nova.

Nova was really nice. The area is somewhat more $$ than Bradenton but much more to do. I was late for the tour because I couldn't find my way - the campus is huge compared to the other DO schools I visited. The tourguide took time out to give me a special one-on-one tour. The classes and labs are shared between DO's, PT's, Dentists, etc. I met some people in the admissions office and they were very helpful in answering all my questions (I brought a list). They have really nice off-campus housing that accommodates family as well (because I do). The tuition is up there but I have residency in FL, just recently since my parents live down there...good connections.

So it depends on what fits your needs. Like it was previously said, you need to see what the school offers and see if you can imagine yourself going there. I'm not good at learning independently I am a people-person and need interaction. I'm really glad I had those opportunities; gave me an insight on what I (not)wanted in a DO program.