soooo LECOM dental?

[johna72481]

I am at a bit of a cross roads. I have only gained acceptance to one dental school so far and its LECOM. I got my acceptance early January so its almost time for me to submit my deposit to hold my seat. That being said, I don't know if I want to go there. I have read a lot of negative things about the school in general which is scary. To make things worse, I have read several threads that state that a lot of the students failed their boards exams and ADEX exams. Do you guys think that LECOM provides a subpar education, or do yall think that it isn't as bad as it seems.. I understand that LECOM is a new institution but attending a school that will set me up for failure when needed (boards!!!) is a smart decision. Especially if it'll cost me over 200k. Would taking a year off and reapplying next cycle be better than attending LECOM? I am waitlisted at NOVA, and haven't heard from NYU or Tufts (better than rejection I guess)

My stats weren't terrible, and I would retake my DAT if I took a year off. but I have a 3.7oGPA 3.55sGPA 19AA/18PAT/19TS. Still a fourth year in undergrad. My conercn is LECOM, will I be a good dentist once I get out, will they provide me with an education to pass the boards? What are your thoughts, and if you are a current student please try to be unbiased.

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[DC206R]

Declining an acceptance and applying again next year is ehhhhh. Honestly, I'd just go. What you get out of dental school is dependent on how much effort you put in. You'll be fine if you put in enough effort. Good luck.

 

[NavyDDS1990]

I am at a bit of a cross roads. I have only gained acceptance to one dental school so far and its LECOM. I got my acceptance early January so its almost time for me to submit my deposit to hold my seat. That being said, I don't know if I want to go there. I have read a lot of negative things about the school in general which is scary. To make things worse, I have read several threads that state that a lot of the students failed their boards exams and ADEX exams. Do you guys think that LECOM provides a subpar education, or do yall think that it isn't as bad as it seems.. I understand that LECOM is a new institution but attending a school that will set me up for failure when needed (boards!!!) is a smart decision. Especially if it'll cost me over 200k. Would taking a year off and reapplying next cycle be better than attending LECOM? I am waitlisted at NOVA, and haven't heard from NYU or Tufts (better than rejection I guess)

My stats weren't terrible, and I would retake my DAT if I took a year off. but I have a 3.7oGPA 3.55sGPA 19AA/18PAT/19TS. Still a fourth year in undergrad. My conercn is LECOM, will I be a good dentist once I get out, will they provide me with an education to pass the boards? What are your thoughts, and if you are a current student please try to be unbiased.

Sure, some schools may allow students to have more opportunities and more options depending on how well that school is established. However, IMO, every schools are competent to train their students to pass the boards and meet the minimum requirements to graduate. As I have always heard, the "REAL" learning starts once you graduate and actually start to practice. No matter where you graduate from, you are still going to be slow and you are still going to be not perfect. I strongly agree to those that say, "Go to the cheapest school." You are ultimately just paying for the exact same degree and again, every schools will be capable to teach you with the minimum amount of stuff you would need as a beginning dentist. Let's say you decline the offer this year and re-apply next year for more "established" schools. There is no guarantee that you would get into better schools, or even get into "a" school. I wouldn't risk your career.

Just my thoughts!

 

[amalgam2020]

I am at a bit of a cross roads. I have only gained acceptance to one dental school so far and its LECOM. I got my acceptance early January so its almost time for me to submit my deposit to hold my seat. That being said, I don't know if I want to go there. I have read a lot of negative things about the school in general which is scary. To make things worse, I have read several threads that state that a lot of the students failed their boards exams and ADEX exams. Do you guys think that LECOM provides a subpar education, or do yall think that it isn't as bad as it seems.. I understand that LECOM is a new institution but attending a school that will set me up for failure when needed (boards!!!) is a smart decision. Especially if it'll cost me over 200k. Would taking a year off and reapplying next cycle be better than attending LECOM? I am waitlisted at NOVA, and haven't heard from NYU or Tufts (better than rejection I guess)

My stats weren't terrible, and I would retake my DAT if I took a year off. but I have a 3.7oGPA 3.55sGPA 19AA/18PAT/19TS. Still a fourth year in undergrad. My conercn is LECOM, will I be a good dentist once I get out, will they provide me with an education to pass the boards? What are your thoughts, and if you are a current student please try to be unbiased.

Current D1 at LECOM here.

I was at a crossroads with LECOM last year too. I had good stats (3.8sGPA and 22AA). I got into LECOM in December 2015 and into my top choice school (University of Utah) the next month in January. Obviously, the U of U is what I had been wanting during undergrad, and it was about 100K cheaper, so the choice should have been obvious. It wasn't. After comparing the two schools and talking with current students and faculty at both schools, I chose LECOM without hesitation. The students at LECOM were actually getting more clinical education than those at the U, and I liked LECOM's educational philosophies a lot more. Also, students at the U seemed pretty miserable while students at LECOM seemed excited about dentistry and life in general.

There is a ton of misinformation out there about LECOM (99% of it being written by people here on SDN who aren't even LECOM students, or who were rejected by LECOM and all of a sudden have an axe to grind against "new schools". Rumors get spread and magnified as well.).

First off, boards: LECOM has always had a 97-99% boards first-time pass rate for both parts I and II. People who say otherwise are simply making stuff up. The D3s and D4s I've talked to have all said that LECOM prepared them more than enough for the boards.

Secondly, ADEX: The only hiccup with ADEX was the very first class when some students missed something on the manikin portion (which was taken their D3 year. Those same students all passed the live patient portion, by the way.). The problem was quickly resolved and the students who failed retook the exam and passed. The following two classes have all passed that part of the ADEX with zero problems. To make sure that first year hiccup never happened again, our clinical professors became officially certified ADEX proctors and LECOM makes the D3s do a true-to-form mock ADEX before they're even allowed to go out and take the real thing. So really there's no possible way for you to not pass the ADEX if you're a LECOM student. Our pre-clinical and clinical grading is very strict, which I appreciate.

If you come here, you definitely won't be disappointed. Your clinical experience (which is what really matters most in dental school) is equivalent to an average four year school plus a 5th year AEGD. I've talked with several students who have graduated from LECOM and are working as full-time dentists, and they said that they felt very confident starting work on day one after graduation because they had already been seeing patients all day/5 days a week for the last two years in school.

The bad: We've had an interim dean for about a year, and he doesn't really listen to student suggestions about how to make PBL better. The current interim guy is from the med school, and he doesn't really get how dental school is supposed to be different. LECOM has been interviewing people for the position, however, so we're hopeful we'll get someone that listens and understands what dental students need a little better.

Overall, I've loved being here. If I had the chance to go back in time, I'd make the same decision in a heartbeat. Being here at LECOM has been a very challenging/rewarding experience.

 

[wengerout]

In the words of the dentist I shadowed, "The best dental school is the one that accepts you."


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[toothdoctor123]

I am at a bit of a cross roads. I have only gained acceptance to one dental school so far and its LECOM. I got my acceptance early January so its almost time for me to submit my deposit to hold my seat. That being said, I don't know if I want to go there. I have read a lot of negative things about the school in general which is scary. To make things worse, I have read several threads that state that a lot of the students failed their boards exams and ADEX exams. Do you guys think that LECOM provides a subpar education, or do yall think that it isn't as bad as it seems.. I understand that LECOM is a new institution but attending a school that will set me up for failure when needed (boards!!!) is a smart decision. Especially if it'll cost me over 200k. Would taking a year off and reapplying next cycle be better than attending LECOM? I am waitlisted at NOVA, and haven't heard from NYU or Tufts (better than rejection I guess)

My stats weren't terrible, and I would retake my DAT if I took a year off. but I have a 3.7oGPA 3.55sGPA 19AA/18PAT/19TS. Still a fourth year in undergrad. My conercn is LECOM, will I be a good dentist once I get out, will they provide me with an education to pass the boards? What are your thoughts, and if you are a current student please try to be unbiased.

Never trust hearsay from SDN. I can't imagine that any dental school in the US is currently setting its students up for failure. Every school gives you at minimum the education required to pass the boards; otherwise it wouldn't be accredited.

BTW, if you haven't read negative things about NOVA, NYU, or Tufts, it's only because you haven't looked. People have something bad to say about every school. You have to be very critical when weighing these opinions against the positive ones.

 

[Blueshirts]

Current D1 at LECOM here.

I was at a crossroads with LECOM last year too. I had good stats (3.8sGPA and 22AA). I got into LECOM in December 2015 and into my top choice school (University of Utah) the next month in January. Obviously, the U of U is what I had been wanting during undergrad, and it was about 100K cheaper, so the choice should have been obvious. It wasn't. After comparing the two schools and talking with current students and faculty at both schools, I chose LECOM without hesitation. The students at LECOM were actually getting more clinical education than those at the U, and I liked LECOM's educational philosophies a lot more. Also, students at the U seemed pretty miserable while students at LECOM seemed excited about dentistry and life in general.

There is a ton of misinformation out there about LECOM (99% of it being written by people here on SDN who aren't even LECOM students, or who were rejected by LECOM and all of a sudden have an axe to grind against "new schools". Rumors get spread and magnified as well.).

First off, boards: LECOM has always had a 97-99% boards first-time pass rate for both parts I and II. People who say otherwise are simply making stuff up. The D3s and D4s I've talked to have all said that LECOM prepared them more than enough for the boards.

Secondly, ADEX: The only hiccup with ADEX was the very first class when some students missed something on the manikin portion (which was taken their D3 year. Those same students all passed the live patient portion, by the way.). The problem was quickly resolved and the students who failed retook the exam and passed. The following two classes have all passed that part of the ADEX with zero problems. To make sure that first year hiccup never happened again, our clinical professors became officially certified ADEX proctors and LECOM makes the D3s do a true-to-form mock ADEX before they're even allowed to go out and take the real thing. So really there's no possible way for you to not pass the ADEX if you're a LECOM student. Our pre-clinical and clinical grading is very strict, which I appreciate.

If you come here, you definitely won't be disappointed. Your clinical experience (which is what really matters most in dental school) is equivalent to an average four year school plus a 5th year AEGD. I've talked with several students who have graduated from LECOM and are working as full-time dentists, and they said that they felt very confident starting work on day one after graduation because they had already been seeing patients all day/5 days a week for the last two years in school.

The bad: We've had an interim dean for about a year, and he doesn't really listen to student suggestions about how to make PBL better. The current interim guy is from the med school, and he doesn't really get how dental school is supposed to be different. LECOM has been interviewing people for the position, however, so we're hopeful we'll get someone that listens and understands what dental students need a little better.

Overall, I've loved being here. If I had the chance to go back in time, I'd make the same decision in a heartbeat. Being here at LECOM has been a very challenging/rewarding experience.

Do you mind possibly going into a little detail on the PBL style?

 

[Viva Terlingua]

LECOM will turn you into a competent dentist - declining an acceptance and applying again without extenuating circumstances raises an enormous red flag to schools.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Never trust hearsay from SDN. I can't imagine that any dental school in the US is currently setting its students up for failure. Every school gives you at minimum the education required to pass the boards; otherwise it wouldn't be accredited.

BTW, if you haven't read negative things about NOVA, NYU, or Tufts, it's only because you haven't looked. People have something bad to say about every school. You have to be very critical when weighing these opinions against the positive ones.

Anything recently said about Nova that is negative? I could only dig up older stuff

Also to the OP, lecom wouldn't be my first choice, but it IS a dental school. I have friends that would kill to have just even one acceptance, anywhere in the nation. Put the deposit down

 

[mroerdh22]

In the words of the dentist I shadowed, "The best dental school is the one that accepts you."

Love this! If you really want to go to dental school and become a dentist, there should be no reason you do not jump on an acceptance. There's many people who would gladly take yours and not look back. Not doing so may raise a lot of eyebrows if you apply again. If you had these concerns, you should ask yourself, why did I apply to LECOM to begin with?

 

[Screwtape]

Current D1 at LECOM here.

I was at a crossroads with LECOM last year too. I had good stats (3.8sGPA and 22AA). I got into LECOM in December 2015 and into my top choice school (University of Utah) the next month in January. Obviously, the U of U is what I had been wanting during undergrad, and it was about 100K cheaper, so the choice should have been obvious. It wasn't. After comparing the two schools and talking with current students and faculty at both schools, I chose LECOM without hesitation. The students at LECOM were actually getting more clinical education than those at the U, and I liked LECOM's educational philosophies a lot more. Also, students at the U seemed pretty miserable while students at LECOM seemed excited about dentistry and life in general.

There is a ton of misinformation out there about LECOM (99% of it being written by people here on SDN who aren't even LECOM students, or who were rejected by LECOM and all of a sudden have an axe to grind against "new schools". Rumors get spread and magnified as well.).

First off, boards: LECOM has always had a 97-99% boards first-time pass rate for both parts I and II. People who say otherwise are simply making stuff up. The D3s and D4s I've talked to have all said that LECOM prepared them more than enough for the boards.

Secondly, ADEX: The only hiccup with ADEX was the very first class when some students missed something on the manikin portion (which was taken their D3 year. Those same students all passed the live patient portion, by the way.). The problem was quickly resolved and the students who failed retook the exam and passed. The following two classes have all passed that part of the ADEX with zero problems. To make sure that first year hiccup never happened again, our clinical professors became officially certified ADEX proctors and LECOM makes the D3s do a true-to-form mock ADEX before they're even allowed to go out and take the real thing. So really there's no possible way for you to not pass the ADEX if you're a LECOM student. Our pre-clinical and clinical grading is very strict, which I appreciate.

If you come here, you definitely won't be disappointed. Your clinical experience (which is what really matters most in dental school) is equivalent to an average four year school plus a 5th year AEGD. I've talked with several students who have graduated from LECOM and are working as full-time dentists, and they said that they felt very confident starting work on day one after graduation because they had already been seeing patients all day/5 days a week for the last two years in school.

The bad: We've had an interim dean for about a year, and he doesn't really listen to student suggestions about how to make PBL better. The current interim guy is from the med school, and he doesn't really get how dental school is supposed to be different. LECOM has been interviewing people for the position, however, so we're hopeful we'll get someone that listens and understands what dental students need a little better.

Overall, I've loved being here. If I had the chance to go back in time, I'd make the same decision in a heartbeat. Being here at LECOM has been a very challenging/rewarding experience.

That is quite the bold and to me laughable statement. But I'm open to being enlightened. Could you expound on the clinical experience at LECOM? Number of cases, procedure mix, patients seen in a day, do you have professional assistants, etc. I'm a D4 at an established state school that is well known for its excellent clinical curriculum but I would never say I have the same amount of experience as someone who attended an AEGD after D school. Maybe it's LECOM students with chips on their shoulders since they are attending a new school no one has heard about or maybe it's because they really are that good. I'd like to find out.

 

[amalgam2020]

That is quite the bold and to me laughable statement. But I'm open to being enlightened. Could you expound on the clinical experience at LECOM? Number of cases, procedure mix, patients seen in a day, do you have professional assistants, etc. I'm a D4 at an established state school that is well known for its excellent clinical curriculum but I would never say I have the same amount of experience as someone who attended an AEGD after D school. Maybe it's LECOM students with chips on their shoulders since they are attending a new school no one has heard about or maybe it's because they really are that good. I'd like to find out.

You're free to email the school and ask for yourself. Don't take my word for it.

 

[Evolver311]

I'd put the deposit down and not think twice about it! I've had great success this cycle with acceptances (second time applying, untraditional applicant) and right now I'm deciding between LECOM and my state school. I'm leaning towards my state school because it is way cheaper and very established, but if LECOM was my only acceptance, I'd go there in a heartbeat! It seems like the students aren't getting "crushed" their 1st year or two (as is the case with many schools), the facility is beautiful and state of the art, you can smell the beach from school (I'm a total beach junkie), and the weather is unbeatable. I volunteer time at a dental clinic and there is a LECOM resident there...He is awesome and seems more than competent. You're not guaranteed an acceptance at all next cycle so again, I'd put the deposit down and not think twice about it!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Shifff based]

Current D1 at LECOM here.

I was at a crossroads with LECOM last year too. I had good stats (3.8sGPA and 22AA). I got into LECOM in December 2015 and into my top choice school (University of Utah) the next month in January. Obviously, the U of U is what I had been wanting during undergrad, and it was about 100K cheaper, so the choice should have been obvious. It wasn't. After comparing the two schools and talking with current students and faculty at both schools, I chose LECOM without hesitation. The students at LECOM were actually getting more clinical education than those at the U, and I liked LECOM's educational philosophies a lot more. Also, students at the U seemed pretty miserable while students at LECOM seemed excited about dentistry and life in general.

There is a ton of misinformation out there about LECOM (99% of it being written by people here on SDN who aren't even LECOM students, or who were rejected by LECOM and all of a sudden have an axe to grind against "new schools". Rumors get spread and magnified as well.).

First off, boards: LECOM has always had a 97-99% boards first-time pass rate for both parts I and II. People who say otherwise are simply making stuff up. The D3s and D4s I've talked to have all said that LECOM prepared them more than enough for the boards.

Secondly, ADEX: The only hiccup with ADEX was the very first class when some students missed something on the manikin portion (which was taken their D3 year. Those same students all passed the live patient portion, by the way.). The problem was quickly resolved and the students who failed retook the exam and passed. The following two classes have all passed that part of the ADEX with zero problems. To make sure that first year hiccup never happened again, our clinical professors became officially certified ADEX proctors and LECOM makes the D3s do a true-to-form mock ADEX before they're even allowed to go out and take the real thing. So really there's no possible way for you to not pass the ADEX if you're a LECOM student. Our pre-clinical and clinical grading is very strict, which I appreciate.

If you come here, you definitely won't be disappointed. Your clinical experience (which is what really matters most in dental school) is equivalent to an average four year school plus a 5th year AEGD. I've talked with several students who have graduated from LECOM and are working as full-time dentists, and they said that they felt very confident starting work on day one after graduation because they had already been seeing patients all day/5 days a week for the last two years in school.

The bad: We've had an interim dean for about a year, and he doesn't really listen to student suggestions about how to make PBL better. The current interim guy is from the med school, and he doesn't really get how dental school is supposed to be different. LECOM has been interviewing people for the position, however, so we're hopeful we'll get someone that listens and understands what dental students need a little better.

Overall, I've loved being here. If I had the chance to go back in time, I'd make the same decision in a heartbeat. Being here at LECOM has been a very challenging/rewarding experience.

I'm a current Utah resident and the fact that you turned down the UofU to attend LECOM makes me excited to attend my interview in a couple weeks! There really is a lot of hate towards LECOM so I'm looking forward to experiencing it for myself!

 

[amalgam2020]

I'm a current Utah resident and the fact that you turned down the UofU to attend LECOM makes me excited to attend my interview in a couple weeks! There really is a lot of hate towards LECOM so I'm looking forward to experiencing it for myself!

Cool! I just went with what felt right for me and my wife and kid. Of course, everyone's situation is gonna be different, and different schools will stand out over others. Speaking of Utah, there are actually several students from Utah out here (or who at least went to undergrad in Utah). There are five D3s, seven D2s, and three of us D1s. And there are four more just down the street at the med school. It's cool you get to come out and experience LECOM for yourself! Definitely visit one of the beaches if you've got time

 

[SmileItsLife]

...

 

[SnozzBerry]

Cool! I just went with what felt right for me and my wife and kid. Of course, everyone's situation is gonna be different, and different schools will stand out over others. Speaking of Utah, there are actually several students from Utah out here (or who at least went to undergrad in Utah). There are five D3s, seven D2s, and three of us D1s. And there are four more just down the street at the med school. It's cool you get to come out and experience LECOM for yourself! Definitely visit one of the beaches if you've got time

Going into an additional $100k+ more debt for the same piece of paper with the same earning potential is what felt right for your family ? What pulled you so strongly to LECOM to make that type of long term sacrifice for you and your family?

 

[Shifff based]

Cool! I just went with what felt right for me and my wife and kid. Of course, everyone's situation is gonna be different, and different schools will stand out over others. Speaking of Utah, there are actually several students from Utah out here (or who at least went to undergrad in Utah). There are five D3s, seven D2s, and three of us D1s. And there are four more just down the street at the med school. It's cool you get to come out and experience LECOM for yourself! Definitely visit one of the beaches if you've got time

I'm actually staying with one of my best friends from undergrad who is in your class! I'm bringing the family and he's going to show us around, we'll be staying a couple days to get some beach time in!

Sent from my SM-G920V using SDN mobile

 

[amalgam2020]

Going into an additional $100k+ more debt for the same piece of paper with the same earning potential is what felt right for your family ? What pulled you so strongly to LECOM to make that type of long term sacrifice for you and your family?

In addition to the reasons I mentioned above, I had just dragged them through years of a very stressful undergrad experience where they rarely got to spend time with me. Our family was suffering. LECOM offered a great school/life balance because their PBL curriculum allows you to study the sciences at your own pace (within reason, obviously). I study efficiently during the day, and I'm home with my family by 5pm at the latest, M-F, with weekends off. What the U offered was the polar opposite. Financially, not the best decision, I'll admit. If I were a single guy, I probably would have gone to the U simply for the lower price. (Although LECOM is on the cheaper end of the spectrum when it comes to private schools, for sure.) But these were four years we weren't going to get back, and our family's quality of life has been amazing at LECOM. A total 180. I'm not your traditional single student, so you can take all of this with a grain of salt. What felt right for us will feel totally wrong for someone else.

 

[amalgam2020]

I'm actually staying with one of my best friends from undergrad who is in your class! I'm bringing the family and he's going to show us around, we'll be staying a couple days to get some beach time in!

Sent from my SM-G920V using SDN mobile

Nice! I'll probably see you then!

 

[predental21250]

Going into an additional $100k+ more debt for the same piece of paper with the same earning potential is what felt right for your family ? What pulled you so strongly to LECOM to make that type of long term sacrifice for you and your family?

Life isn't just money. Money money money, that's all I hear here

 

[Shifff based]

Nice! I'll probably see you then!

Awesome, I look forward to it!

Sent from my SM-G920V using SDN mobile

 

[schmoob]

In addition to the reasons I mentioned above, I had just dragged them through years of a very stressful undergrad experience where they rarely got to spend time with me. Our family was suffering. LECOM offered a great school/life balance because their PBL curriculum allows you to study the sciences at your own pace (within reason, obviously). I study efficiently during the day, and I'm home with my family by 5pm at the latest, M-F, with weekends off. What the U offered was the polar opposite. Financially, not the best decision, I'll admit. If I were a single guy, I probably would have gone to the U simply for the lower price. (Although LECOM is on the cheaper end of the spectrum when it comes to private schools, for sure.) But these were four years we weren't going to get back, and our family's quality of life has been amazing at LECOM. A total 180. I'm not your traditional single student, so you can take all of this with a grain of salt. What felt right for us will feel totally wrong for someone else.

You're home by 5PM every day? And you don't study on the weekends? What about your preclinical/labwork? Are you just taking basic sciences now, or dental anatomy as well?

 

[Screwtape]

Life isn't just money. Money money money, that's all I hear here

Once you start making loan repayments you'll understand how big of a difference being $100k more in debt can make. Life isn't all about money, but it's what makes the world run. Ignoring the fact will only lead to trouble.

 

[amalgam2020]

You're home by 5PM every day? And you don't study on the weekends? What about your preclinical/labwork? Are you just taking basic sciences now, or dental anatomy as well?

We take our preclinical courses and lab work at the same time as our basic sciences. The basic sciences just take up less time because instead of sitting in lectures all day, I can study the sciences on my own a lot faster. But, if you're not into reading and self-driven study, LECOM can potentially be more time consuming than another school might be. Every student is different.

 

[amalgam2020]

Once you start making loan repayments you'll understand how big of a difference being $100k more in debt can make. Life isn't all about money, but it's what makes the world run. Ignoring the fact will only lead to trouble.

You're a wise man. It's going to be tough. Definitely gotta know what you're getting yourself into. Still paying about 100k less than my older brother did for dental school though (Midwestern AZ), so... perspective? lol

 

[Screwtape]

You're a wise man. It's going to be tough. Definitely gotta know what you're getting yourself into. Still paying about 100k less than my older brother did for dental school though (Midwestern AZ), so... perspective? lol

If he can do it you can do it! Best of luck

 

[power5643]

That is quite the bold and to me laughable statement. But I'm open to being enlightened. Could you expound on the clinical experience at LECOM? Number of cases, procedure mix, patients seen in a day, do you have professional assistants, etc. I'm a D4 at an established state school that is well known for its excellent clinical curriculum but I would never say I have the same amount of experience as someone who attended an AEGD after D school. Maybe it's LECOM students with chips on their shoulders since they are attending a new school no one has heard about or maybe it's because they really are that good. I'd like to find out.

I am a D3 student in LECOM and I do agree with you. Our clinic experience is not same amount of experience as someone who attended an AEGD obviously. They are pushing this statement because we have full clinic time starting may of our D3 year (so just tons and tons of clinical hours but as you know we have to get every single steps checked so in bottom line we can only see 2 or 3 patients a day). However, I am pretty happy with my clinical experiences in LECOM. I know we are new school and we still have a lot of things to improve. I have done tons of oral surgery (extraction, alveoloplasty, frenectomy, and torus removal), crowns, restoration, dentures, and of course good old perio lol.

 

[Screwtape]

I am a D3 student in LECOM and I do agree with you. Our clinic experience is not same amount of experience as someone who attended an AEGD obviously. They are pushing this statement because we have full clinic time starting may of our D3 year (so just tons and tons of clinical hours but as you know we have to get every single steps checked so in bottom line we can only see 2 or 3 patients a day). However, I am pretty happy with my clinical experiences in LECOM. I know we are new school and we still have a lot of things to improve. I have done tons of oral surgery (extraction, alveoloplasty, frenectomy, and torus removal), crowns, restoration, dentures, and of course good old perio lol.

Makes sense. Sounds very similar to my program. Best of luck !

 

[jlarmstr34]

I am at a bit of a cross roads. I have only gained acceptance to one dental school so far and its LECOM. I got my acceptance early January so its almost time for me to submit my deposit to hold my seat. That being said, I don't know if I want to go there. I have read a lot of negative things about the school in general which is scary. To make things worse, I have read several threads that state that a lot of the students failed their boards exams and ADEX exams. Do you guys think that LECOM provides a subpar education, or do yall think that it isn't as bad as it seems.. I understand that LECOM is a new institution but attending a school that will set me up for failure when needed (boards!!!) is a smart decision. Especially if it'll cost me over 200k. Would taking a year off and reapplying next cycle be better than attending LECOM? I am waitlisted at NOVA, and haven't heard from NYU or Tufts (better than rejection I guess)

My stats weren't terrible, and I would retake my DAT if I took a year off. but I have a 3.7oGPA 3.55sGPA 19AA/18PAT/19TS. Still a fourth year in undergrad. My conercn is LECOM, will I be a good dentist once I get out, will they provide me with an education to pass the boards? What are your thoughts, and if you are a current student please try to be unbiased.

 

[johna72481]

I will be attending Lecom dental in a few months, and I am beyond excited. I have a friend who attends the school now and has reaffirmed for me that 90 percent of the negativity about Lecom on SDN is not true. I hope you decided to attend the school. I am also a John A. so I hope no one associates me with doubting the school. haha

Hahaha yes, I guess we will be class mates! I have done lots of research and talked to some students who also reaffirmed that LECOM isn't as bad as it seems. And lmao.

 

[Dentaldork33]

Current D1 at LECOM here.

I was at a crossroads with LECOM last year too. I had good stats (3.8sGPA and 22AA). I got into LECOM in December 2015 and into my top choice school (University of Utah) the next month in January. Obviously, the U of U is what I had been wanting during undergrad, and it was about 100K cheaper, so the choice should have been obvious. It wasn't. After comparing the two schools and talking with current students and faculty at both schools, I chose LECOM without hesitation. The students at LECOM were actually getting more clinical education than those at the U, and I liked LECOM's educational philosophies a lot more. Also, students at the U seemed pretty miserable while students at LECOM seemed excited about dentistry and life in general.

There is a ton of misinformation out there about LECOM (99% of it being written by people here on SDN who aren't even LECOM students, or who were rejected by LECOM and all of a sudden have an axe to grind against "new schools". Rumors get spread and magnified as well.).

First off, boards: LECOM has always had a 97-99% boards first-time pass rate for both parts I and II. People who say otherwise are simply making stuff up. The D3s and D4s I've talked to have all said that LECOM prepared them more than enough for the boards.

Secondly, ADEX: The only hiccup with ADEX was the very first class when some students missed something on the manikin portion (which was taken their D3 year. Those same students all passed the live patient portion, by the way.). The problem was quickly resolved and the students who failed retook the exam and passed. The following two classes have all passed that part of the ADEX with zero problems. To make sure that first year hiccup never happened again, our clinical professors became officially certified ADEX proctors and LECOM makes the D3s do a true-to-form mock ADEX before they're even allowed to go out and take the real thing. So really there's no possible way for you to not pass the ADEX if you're a LECOM student. Our pre-clinical and clinical grading is very strict, which I appreciate.

If you come here, you definitely won't be disappointed. Your clinical experience (which is what really matters most in dental school) is equivalent to an average four year school plus a 5th year AEGD. I've talked with several students who have graduated from LECOM and are working as full-time dentists, and they said that they felt very confident starting work on day one after graduation because they had already been seeing patients all day/5 days a week for the last two years in school.

The bad: We've had an interim dean for about a year, and he doesn't really listen to student suggestions about how to make PBL better. The current interim guy is from the med school, and he doesn't really get how dental school is supposed to be different. LECOM has been interviewing people for the position, however, so we're hopeful we'll get someone that listens and understands what dental students need a little better.

Overall, I've loved being here. If I had the chance to go back in time, I'd make the same decision in a heartbeat. Being here at LECOM has been a very challenging/rewarding experience.

I'm starting my fourth year at the U and I'm not miserable at all. You may have got the wrong impression while visiting the U. The U definitely works you hard at the beginning but because of that we are able to do so much more than your average dental school. My clinical experience has been amazing. I've done 30+ cases of endo, 2 full mouth rehabs(and starting another one in 2 weeks) and a ton of all other procedures, and I still have a year to go! I highly doubt Lecom is giving you that experience. The U is a great school

 

[Dentaldork33]

30+ endo in D3...pardon my french, but I call bull****

Feel free to send me a message if you'd like to know more about the program. I'll gladly share the cases I've competed with you. I know it sounds hard to believe, but the U has been amazing.

 

[I-hate-alginate]

30+ endo in D3...pardon my french, but I call bull****

I second that. Total nonsense.

 

[schmoob]

I'm starting my fourth year at the U and I'm not miserable at all. You may have got the wrong impression while visiting the U. The U definitely works you hard at the beginning but because of that we are able to do so much more than your average dental school. My clinical experience has been amazing. I've done 30+ cases of endo, 2 full mouth rehabs(and starting another one in 2 weeks) and a ton of all other procedures, and I still have a year to go! I highly doubt Lecom is giving you that experience. The U is a great school

What's clinic schedule like during D3? How many pts a week?

 

[Dentaldork33]

What's clinic schedule like during D3? How many pts a week?

Clinic is every day starting at 8:15 and 1:15 except Tuesday mornings we had class and half days Friday. Typically we see 1-2 patients in the morning and 1-2 in the afternoon. Depends on the procedure and how long it takes you but they want us to see as many people as we can

 

[Dentaldork33]

I second that. Total nonsense.

I gain absolutely nothing by making up those numbers. I share them because the earlier post mentioned the students at the U seemed miserable. And I'll admit that the first year was really tough, but because of that we were able to get in to clinic early and looking back I couldn't be happier. Just putting it out there so people know what kind of opportunity you can have at the U

 

[jefstu16]

Thank you to the two LECOM students who provided their prospective and experiences throughout this thread. I am really hoping to receive an acceptance to LECOM. I interviewed in Sept. at LECOM, but the only school I have been admitted to thus far is Penn. LECOM seems like an amazing place and personally is my first choice. I agree with all of the reasons for attending that others have indicated, especially because at the end of the day its the same piece of papyrus no matter where you go.

 

[Tommyjj]

Thank you to the two LECOM students who provided their prospective and experiences throughout this thread. I am really hoping to receive an acceptance to LECOM. I interviewed in Sept. at LECOM, but the only school I have been admitted to thus far is Penn. LECOM seems like an amazing place and personally is my first choice. I agree with all of the reasons for attending that others have indicated, especially because at the end of the day its the same piece of papyrus no matter where you go.

Nice congratz on Penn! That is also a great school!

 

[smile matters]

Hey guys, I have a question related to LECOM. My portal says "The Admissions Committee has made a decision on your file. We will notify you in 30 days." I have not yet interviewed here so does this mean a rejection?

 

[predent2151]

Hey guys, I have a question related to LECOM. My portal says "The Admissions Committee has made a decision on your file. We will notify you in 30 days." I have not yet interviewed here so does this mean a rejection?

Yes

 

[smile matters]

Yes

Thank you! Do you know how long it usually takes for the mail?

 

[Jueves]

Hey guys, I have a question related to LECOM. My portal says "The Admissions Committee has made a decision on your file. We will notify you in 30 days." I have not yet interviewed here so does this mean a rejection?

You can find those answers on the school specific thread- no need to hijack OP’s post