PCOM or LECOM?

[scpod]

The guy who gave us the Erie information, can't remember his name!, said that it was because of confidentiality issues with the students and they didn't want to release the "personal information" of these students. If the students wanted to do it on their own they could, but the school would not publically release them... It sounded somewhat valid, especially since the lists that have surfaced are fairly decent.

According to the FERPA law, the only information that can be released about a student by an entity who receives money from the Department of Education without the direct written consent of the student is "directory information." The FERPA law conciders that to be:

"...information contained in an education
record of a student which would not generally be considered harmful or
an invasion of privacy if disclosed. It includes, but is not limited to
the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth,
major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities
and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of
attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous
educational agency or institution attended."

Of course, at the student's request, even directory information cannot be given out. Any "personally identifiable information" contained in the student record is governed carefully. Schools interpret the law differently, but LECOM has chosen to interpret it strictly.

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[osteo564]

Can anyone elaborate on LECOM and/or PCOM's third and fourth years?

I've heard PCOM's first two years are better (maybe because you don't have to be in lecture all the time, I don't know) but that their third and fourth are just mediocre.

More generally, how are the third and fourth years scored? Is the COMLEX the only test you need to take? Do you travel back and forth to your school from your rotation sites?

 

[FutureDocDO]

What's the quality of LECOM-PA affiliated hospitals. How about quality of clinical rotations as LECOM doesn't want to pay their affiliated hospitals anything? Also, when setting up our own rotations do we have to pay the hospital out of our own pocket for taking us under their wings? Thank you.

 

[JonnyG]

Can anyone elaborate on LECOM and/or PCOM's third and fourth years?

I've heard PCOM's first two years are better (maybe because you don't have to be in lecture all the time, I don't know) but that their third and fourth are just mediocre.

More generally, how are the third and fourth years scored? Is the COMLEX the only test you need to take? Do you travel back and forth to your school from your rotation sites?

Where did you hear that. We have really good 3rd and 4th years. Being in Philly gives you plenty of oppurtunities.

 

[UltimateDO]

Can anyone elaborate on LECOM and/or PCOM's third and fourth years?

I've heard PCOM's first two years are better (maybe because you don't have to be in lecture all the time, I don't know) but that their third and fourth are just mediocre.

More generally, how are the third and fourth years scored? Is the COMLEX the only test you need to take? Do you travel back and forth to your school from your rotation sites?

Don't know where you got the mediocre PCOM 3rd and 4th year info but statistically we do better on Step 2 than Step 1 so the data disagrees with you on that one. Our clinical years are graded per rotation by the attending and with an exam at the end of each core rotation. Combination of the two grades gives you a honors/high/pass/fail grade. COMLEX is the only required exam but some competitive allopathic residencies will ask for USMLE. No reason to go back to school if you are on an away rotation, the exam gets faxed to the attending and you take it there. I am doing rotations in HI, VA, and GA so getting back might be a little tough were it a requirement.

 

[chopstick1]

I realize that PCOM is, objectively, ranked higher than LECOM (if D.O. schools were actually ranked)

I didn't know they ranked DO schools.....where can I find the list?

 

[allendo]

I didn't know they ranked DO schools.....where can I find the list?

I think they are talkin about the U.S. news rankings. They rank all the schools in the U.S. on how many primary care docs they produce.

 

[JonnyG]

The PCOM would be at the bottom of any list on primary care docs produced since it produces the lowest percentage of any osteopathic school and many allopathic schools.

 

[Spankete87]

I didn't know they ranked DO schools.....where can I find the list?

D.O. schools are also "ranked" by their average incoming MCAT in this website.

http://www.kcom.edu/faculty/chamberlain/ranmcat.htm

 

[FutureSoxDoc]

LECOM for the best reason- more bang for your buck.

LECOM $25,850 (out of state) per year


PCOM tuition per year (according to their website) $34,122 per year


LECOM is $33,088 cheaper over 4 years on tuition alone; that is not even including the higher cost of living in Philly compared to Erie.


In the end, we all end up with D.O. after our name. Saving around $40,000 is well worth it.

 

[medhacker]

The PCOM would be at the bottom of any list on primary care docs produced since it produces the lowest percentage of any osteopathic school and many allopathic schools.

Which schools turn out the most primary care residents? The fewest?

Average % 2002-04 entering primary care residencies

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine 87.9%
Mich. State U. Coll. of Osteopathic Medicine 82.5%
Pikeville Coll. School of Osteopathic Medicine (KY) 80.0%
U. of N. Texas Health Sci. Center (Tx Col. of Osteopathic Medicine) 77.2%
Nova Southeastern U. Col. of Osteopathic Med. (FL) 75.0%
Col. of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Western University) (CA) 72.0%
U. of New England Col. of Osteopathic Medicine (ME) 72.0%
Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (Midwestern University) 70.0%
Marshall University (Edwards) (WV) 63.0%
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences 63.0%
Touro Univ. College of Osteopathic Medicine (CA) 62.0%
University of Mississippi 62.0%
University of Massachusetts--Worcester 61.0%
University of Nebraska College of Medicine 60.0%
University of California--San Diego 57.5%
East Tennessee State Univ. (J. H. Quillen) 56.0%
University of Vermont 56.0%
New York College of Osteopathic Medicine 55.0%
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 55.0%
Yeshiva University (Albert Einstein) (NY) 55.0%
Wright State University (OH) 54.0%
East Carolina University (Brody) (NC) 53.3%
Mercer University (GA) 53.0%
University of Missouri--Columbia 53.0%
University of Wisconsin--Madison 52.8%
University of Maryland 52.0%
Brown University (RI) 51.3%
Des Moines U. Osteopathic Medical Center (IA) 50.9%
Eastern Virginia Medical School 50.7%
Medical College of Georgia 50.3%
Ohio State University 50.3%
Wake Forest University (NC) 50.0%
University of Connecticut 49.7%
University of Minnesota--Twin Cities 49.7%
Loyola University Chicago (Stritch) 49.6%
University of New Mexico 49.0%
St. Louis University 48.7%
George Washington University (DC) 48.4%
UMDNJ--School of Osteopathic Medicine 48.3%
University of South Carolina 48.3%
New York Medical College 48.0%
University of Illinois--Chicago 48.0%
University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill 48.0%
University of Southern California (Keck) 48.0%
University of Washington 48.0%
University of California--Davis 47.9%
Michigan State University 47.5%
University of Chicago (Pritzker) 47.5%
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (Kirksville) (MO) 47.1%
Baylor College of Medicine (TX) 46.7%
Case Western Reserve University (OH) 46.7%
University of Oklahoma 46.7%
Georgetown University (DC) 46.4%
University of Florida 46.3%
Emory University (GA) 46.2%
Duke University (NC) 45.5%
Temple University (PA) 45.5%
University of Kansas Medical Center 45.0%
University of Kentucky 45.0%
Stony Brook University (NY) 44.5%
Medical College of Wisconsin 44.0%
University of California--Irvine 44.0%
Wayne State University (MI) 44.0%
West Virginia University 44.0%
Texas A&M Univ. System Health Science Center 43.3%
Drexel University (PA) 43.0%
Medical College of Ohio 43.0%
Northeastern Ohio Univ. College of Medicine 43.0%
Oregon Health and Science University 43.0%
Southern Illinois University--Springfield 43.0%
Tufts University (MA) 43.0%
U. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center--Dallas 43.0%
Va. Commonwealth U.--Medical Col. of Va. 43.0%
University of Iowa (Roy J. & Lucille A. Carver) 42.6%
University of Miami (FL) 42.0%
New York University 41.8%
University of Colorado--Denver and Health Sciences Center 41.3%
Boston University 41.0%
Harvard University (MA) 41.0%
Jefferson Medical College (PA) 41.0%
Johns Hopkins University (MD) 41.0%
SUNY--Syracuse 41.0%
Mount Sinai School of Medicine (NY) 40.8%
Northwestern University (Feinberg) (IL) 40.3%
Medical University of South Carolina 40.0%
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School 40.0%
University of South Florida 40.0%
University of California--Los Angeles (Geffen) 39.9%
University of Utah 39.7%
Dartmouth Medical School (NH) 39.4%
Yale University (CT) 39.1%
University of Virginia 39.0%
Cornell University (Weill) (NY) 38.9%
Rush University (IL) 38.7%
Howard University (DC) 38.5%
University of Arizona 38.2%
University of Alabama--Birmingham 38.0%
University of Pennsylvania 38.0%
Tulane University (LA) 37.9%
University of South Dakota 37.3%
Univ. of Texas Health Science Center--Houston 37.3%
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center 37.0%
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School 37.0%
Uniformed Services Univ. of the Health Sciences (Hebert) (MD) 37.0%
University of Cincinnati 37.0%
Indiana University--Indianapolis 36.9%
University of Pittsburgh 36.0%
University of Rochester (NY) 35.2%
Creighton University (NE) 35.0%
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (IL) 35.0%
Stanford University (CA) 34.8%
University of North Dakota 34.4%
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 34.0%
Vanderbilt University (TN) 34.0%
Columbia U. College of Physicians and Surgeons (NY) 33.9%
University of California--San Francisco 32.8%
University at Buffalo--SUNY 32.6%
Washington University in St. Louis 32.4%
University of Michigan--Ann Arbor 30.7%
Mayo Medical School (MN) 30.0%




Source:usnews

 

[EastCoaster78]

Which schools turn out the most primary care residents? The fewest?

I am beginning to believe we are the bastard child of the osteopathic community.

 

[medhacker]

I am beginning to believe we are the bastard child of the osteopathic community.

haha

In my opinion I think it means PCOM supplies a certain niche within the osteopathic profession

 

[osteo564]

I agree with FutureSoxDoc that the savings at LECOM are pretty impressive.

But clearly if cost were the only factor, everyone would go to the cheapest school right? So what makes PCOM worth the extra $$ ????
Is it the rotations/opportunities/alumni/whatever at PCOM and why? A degree is a degree after all.

Does LECOM make it harder to get said D.O. with their odd administration?

Can any PCOM and/or LECOM -ers give their $.2?

Also, can PCOM and LECOM students tell us what they like most/least about their respective schools?