The Underdog Thread

[ayb]

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Awesome thread. Congrats to those who got some interviews (and acceptances already!).

 

[lawyerdoc2b]

hey, where did you apply because i have a very low mcat too =( ~20....

RVU (a mistake on my part as I'm not from the Rockies)
LECOM-B
Nova
PCOM GA
WCU
LMU
Pikeville
AT Still
Des Moines

I explained my low MCAT in the interview as working 50 hours a week as a lawyer; passed the Bar exam first time; graduate top 15% of my Law School Class; took two science course per semester while working full time (no time to study for the MCAT). In other words, extolled the virtues of an otherwise stellar application. My low MCAT therefore was not fatal and no indicative of my abilities.

 

[lawyerdoc2b]

What is this babble about before Christmas? The quote you took from me was on June 10th...at this point retaking the MCAT may not be the best option 60 days ago I would have argued otherwise.

No babble at all. Some schools are interviewing already - beginning in July. Most if not all will be in high gear by September interviewing. The fact is that most of the acceptance letters will be out before Christmas. My point is that, if at all possible, apply early.

Applicants who are relying on the September MCAT are behind the curve. It does not mean that they won't get in - it means their chances diminish as the application cycle progresses.

Please accept my apology to you. Sorry it was a while before I weighed in on your post. I have not been on SDN for quite a while and only recently saw this thread. I have been spending tons of time winding down my law practice and getting reading for medical school (immunizations, physical exam, sending in official transcripts, financial aid forms, criminal background check, renting an apartment, moving, obtaining required insurance, buying books, etc. - the real paperwork starts after acceptance).

Hopefully, you found my advice meaningful albeit for you perhaps untimely. If retaking the MCAT is not an option this late in the game, I hope that you otherwise have an exemplary application and wish you good luck.

 

[cobe3mat]

Hi everyone so here is my stat:

cGPA 3.25
sGPA 3.03
MCAT: Have not taken yet.

I still have a year and two quarters left of school. My counselor told me to take 3 new biology classes to replace my low (C grades) biology series grades. Granted if I take those three new biology classes, biochem, and pchem and did well my sGPA would be around a 3.18 or something like that. But if I retook the biology series and get As then I can automatically increase my sGPA to 3.25. I've retaken some ochem classes and got 3.6, 3.7, and 4.0 the lab class. So I think if I retake and study hard I will do well. But I don't know if its worth it to take it. Or should I just continue with the new classes and study my butt off for the MCAT and shoot for a 30?

 

[HockeyDr09]

RVU (a mistake on my part as I'm not from the Rockies)
LECOM-B
Nova
PCOM GA
WCU
LMU
Pikeville
AT Still
Des Moines

I explained my low MCAT in the interview as working 50 hours a week as a lawyer; passed the Bar exam first time; graduate top 15% of my Law School Class; took two science course per semester while working full time (no time to study for the MCAT). In other words, extolled the virtues of an otherwise stellar application. My low MCAT therefore was not fatal and no indicative of my abilities.

You have been giving some good advice, i've added you to the supporters. Good luck with med school this year, let us know how brutal it is .

Hi everyone so here is my stat:

cGPA 3.25
sGPA 3.03
MCAT: Have not taken yet.

I still have a year and two quarters left of school. My counselor told me to take 3 new biology classes to replace my low (C grades) biology series grades. Granted if I take those three new biology classes, biochem, and pchem and did well my sGPA would be around a 3.18 or something like that. But if I retook the biology series and get As then I can automatically increase my sGPA to 3.25. I've retaken some ochem classes and got 3.6, 3.7, and 4.0 the lab class. So I think if I retake and study hard I will do well. But I don't know if its worth it to take it. Or should I just continue with the new classes and study my butt off for the MCAT and shoot for a 30?

I think that your MCAT score will be a critical aspect of your application, so I would definitely make sure you are well prepared. I personally would say to retake classes over taking new classes IF the new classes are not helping you toward your degree. For example, are these 3 biology classes for your degree or just to raise your GPA. If its just to raise your GPA, I would definitely retake instead. Are you a chem major? Why pchem? I've heard it's a pretty difficult course for people who aren't chem majors.

 

[HockeyDr09]

Alright!! our boss got in, yayayayayayayay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, thank you! Now I can focus on getting everyone else in. Time for me to make some phone calls to ADCOM's

Wow havent been on here in a while.

Congrats to all the underdogs who got into LECOM🙂 thats amazing! Hopefully I will get an interview once all my **** is confirmed

Does anyone think being an underdog and not having my primary app sent in for next week is putting me at huge disadvantage? I have to wait for confirmation after that🙁

Thanks! I don't think you will be at a huge disadvantage. LECOM-E has only had one interview group so far, and only AZCOM, LECOM-B, and TouroCOM-NY (kind of) seem to have sent out some invites so far. Most schools seem to still be working on the first batches. Just get everything in asap (as i'm sure you already know).

Hey guys got an update from Tourocom NY

Complete email stating.

"Please be advised that we received your supplemental application and fee.
After a thorough review of your file you will be notified via email for an invite to interview if your file is complete.
You will also get notified if your file is incomplete and what is missing.

Note: we are not open for interviews yet."

Fun stuff eh Hockey?

I am not too sure how to interpret these emails, I still think that a secondary means an interview but it would be nice to see in the email subject line, SECONDARY=INVITE.

 

[cobe3mat]

I'm a biochemistry and environmental health major. I haven't taken the pchem class yet so I don't know if I would like it. Although if I sample it and find that I don't like it I can just not take the biochemistry major since environmental health will do just fine. I'm only taking the new biology course because my counselor said Med school prefer to see you take higher level classes and do well. I tend to do better in biology class when the subject is more narrow it seems. Thats my problem with the general series its too broad. But if I score a 30 on the MCAT do you think I would have a chance?

 

[gatewasani]

so hockey, r u set on lecom? r u gonna attend any more interview?

 

[Atom bum]

hey fellow underdogs. i'm a lowly pre-med student from byu. stats are 3.26 cgpa, 3.2 sgpa, 29Q on MCAT last summer. i applied to all DO schools (crazy & expensive, I know). actually got an interview invite last week to Midwestern in AZ. So stoked! But still hoping for more. Has anyone gotten other interview invites to other DO schools?

btw, I'm way new to this SDN thing. but it's been a good experience so far. i'm appreciating everyone's advice/input/positivity.

Hey Fellow Utahn. I was just accepted to LECOM Erie. While I was interviewing there I met a former BYU student. Apparently they have a nice ward for you churchy types.

 

[HockeyDr09]

I'm a biochemistry and environmental health major. I haven't taken the pchem class yet so I don't know if I would like it. Although if I sample it and find that I don't like it I can just not take the biochemistry major since environmental health will do just fine. I'm only taking the new biology course because my counselor said Med school prefer to see you take higher level classes and do well. I tend to do better in biology class when the subject is more narrow it seems. Thats my problem with the general series its too broad. But if I score a 30 on the MCAT do you think I would have a chance?

I think no matter what your scores are you will ALWAYS have a chance, do NOT ever forget that. With a 3.0, 30, you will definitely have a good chance. Look at the front page, you would have one of the highest MCAT scores and we already have some acceptances. In the end though, it's not just about grades, if it was, I don't think I would have been accepted. Use your EC's to show how passionate you are about medicine and show your interests in life, I honestly believe my EC's and Personal Statement went a long way.

As for what courses to take, my advisor told me not to retake a 100 level chem class from freshmen year because I had already done well on the MCAT and Orgo, so I didn't retake. After I spoke with schools, they said I SHOULD have retaken it. Advisors are helpful but they are similar to SDN in that you get some good advice and some bad. The more research you do on your part the more you'll see the most accurate answer. If it was me, if I already had 3 or 4 bio's at the 300/400 level, I would definitely retake instead of take new classes, but that's just me. Good luck .

*Disclaimer- I don't know anything, and apply EARLY!

 

[HockeyDr09]

so hockey, r u set on lecom? r u gonna attend any more interview?

I'm going to be 100% honest, I had started with a list of schools (20) that I was going to apply to in May. I took 2 days and sat down with the CIB and read all the old class threads and cut that down to 13. I didn't know all that much about LECOM, despite reading a ton, and had it ranked at 9 out of 13(I ranked them in order of interest, i'm a loser I know). I visited them for an open house and it jumped up to 4. After my interview, it became my number 1 without question. Everybody has there reasons for liking / disliking schools. I can give my pro's and con's to anyone interested from an applicant P.O.V but the bottom line is, the pros outweighed the cons, big time, for me. When I tell people, i'm proud to say that i'm going to go to LECOM. It's crazy how much your opinion can change from visiting schools. Keep an open mind to all schools everybody!

 

[cobe3mat]

Thanks for the great advice. I think if I really apply myself I can pull a 30 on the MCAT. As for ECs I have been very active in my youth group since I was 7 and right now I'm teaching for the youth group as well. I was volunteering in a hospital, but I'm doing an internship right now and won't have time to do that anymore. I am shadowing a physician, but he is an MD not a DO I'm trying to find a DO to shadow. I have also traveled alot and did a medical mission abroad where I was basically working as a PA, interviewed patients for clinical signs and symptoms as well as help diagnosed them. I worked with 3 physicians during this trip practicing primary care which is what I want to get into. I got alot of exposure from this trip even got to give out vaccines and did pap smears. Yeah it was basically this that made me decide to turn my grades around and head back to the pre-med track.

I am debating if I should do some sort of researching or should I just concentrate on clinical hour experience. Cause really I'm not that excited about researching.

 

[DbDan]

I am debating if I should do some sort of researching or should I just concentrate on clinical hour experience. Cause really I'm not that excited about researching.

Research is a unwritten requirement for MD schools, DOs will look past lack of research for alot of clinical experience. Do something you are passionate about, it will yield a better letter and more to talk about if you are asked in an interview.

 

[HockeyDr09]

Attention! Let's establish criteria to be an underdog .

I like this formula: MCAT/2 + aGPA*10 = Applicant Score

(The "aGPA" here is the average of your cumulative and science GPA)

The average applicant (according to the 2011 CIB: 26.19 MCAT, 3.48 cGPA, 3.38 sGPA) will then have their "applicant score" as 47.4, as per the formula: 26.19/2 + 3.43(3.48 cGPA, 3.38 sGPA) = 47.4

To be an underdog, let's say you have to have a 46 or below as your "Applicant Score"? Someone with a 46 "Applicant Score" could have a:

24 MCAT with a 3.40 aGPA (possibly a 3.45 cGPA, 3.35 sGPA)
26 MCAT with a 3.30 aGPA (possibly a 3.35 cGPA, 3.25 sGPA)
28 MCAT with a 3.20 aGPA
30 MCAT with a 3.10 aGPA


...I like it.

How about that exact method, but using your science GPA (since I have only everyone's science GPA listed on the front page. I think it's a pretty good gauge. It won't be concrete obviously but I will be a good method for people that are curious. Realistically underdogs would probably be at least 1 std below but I think 46 is a good number to work with.

Also, we are growing like crazy! It will look amazing when we have a ton of acceptances later in the year on the front page (WE WILL )

I'm going to update the front page with Dre's method and people can use it to see where they stand if they would like.

(edit: i'll hold off for now, looks like that would eliminate quite a few people)

 

[DbDan]

How about that exact method, but using your science GPA (since I have only everyone's science GPA listed on the front page. I think it's a pretty good gauge. It won't be concrete obviously but I will be a good method for people that are curious. Realistically underdogs would probably be at least 1 std below but I think 46 is a good number to work with.

Also, we are growing like crazy! It will look amazing when we have a ton of acceptances later in the year on the front page (WE WILL )

I'm going to update the front page with Dre's method and people can use it to see where they stand if they would like.

I'm at 46.5 😱 I get the boooooooooot lol

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

haha damn, assuming my MCAT improves i don't think i'll be an underdog according the formula. we'll know soon enough.

 

[Maica]

RVU (a mistake on my part as I'm not from the Rockies)
LECOM-B
Nova
PCOM GA
WCU
LMU
Pikeville
AT Still
Des Moines

I explained my low MCAT in the interview as working 50 hours a week as a lawyer; passed the Bar exam first time; graduate top 15% of my Law School Class; took two science course per semester while working full time (no time to study for the MCAT). In other words, extolled the virtues of an otherwise stellar application. My low MCAT therefore was not fatal and no indicative of my abilities.

Wow you are amazing. I shouldn't have, but taken a summer research job on top of my regular job so it was pretty hard trying to study and work two jobs, my fault. But since my ec's aren't as awesome as yours, haha, retaking in september =P

 

[jpgoodie]

congrats on your acceptance dude. that's awesome. and i appreciate the churchy heads up haha. good luck at LECOM-E.

 

[jpgoodie]

Hey Fellow Utahn. I was just accepted to LECOM Erie. While I was interviewing there I met a former BYU student. Apparently they have a nice ward for you churchy types.

oops sorry to double post. but congrats on your acceptance dude. that's awesome. and i appreciate the churchy heads up haha. good luck at LECOM-E.

 

[SML67]

So, just to update everyone(my last post was on page 6, if i remember correctly), my application got verified(after being sent back for some mix-up with foreign credits) about a week and a half ago and I got secondary emails from UMDNJ-SOM and PCOM today. I remember reading somewhere that UMDNJ doesn't screen and sends everyone secondaries- is PCOM the same?
Either way, pretty exciting for me, as these are 2 of my top 3 schools. Just not looking forward to essay-writing, but everyone's gotta do it.

Also, I will be starting a research project in the next week or so doing clinical trials on chest pain patients in the ER. I have been in touch with the head of the ER at a hospital near me(he is a DO) and the program will incorporate clinical trials as well as the opportunity to do plenty of shadowing. Now, while I know this will look very last-minute, I want the experience nonetheless, but I am hoping that I will be able to secure a letter of recommendation from him in time to send out to all of the schools I applied to.

 

[obuckseyesu1]

I know this has been asked elsewhere but i can't find it...

About how long does it take to get the primary app verified by AACOMAS? I submitted 7/27...

 

[SML67]

I know this has been asked elsewhere but i can't find it...

About how long does it take to get the primary app verified by AACOMAS? I submitted 7/27...

Depends on how early you send it in, but from what I gather, the later you submit, the longer it takes. I submitted mine at the end of June and it took about a month to get it verified. I read in another thread that someone that submits at the end of July may not get verified until the end of September, but this may not be the case for everyone. I would say 6 weeks, give or take.

 

[obuckseyesu1]

End of september?! thats ridiculous...i don't even think AMCAS takes that long if it is still submitted in July.

Go underdogs

 

[obuckseyesu1]

I'm going to be 100% honest, I had started with a list of schools (20) that I was going to apply to in May. I took 2 days and sat down with the CIB and read all the old class threads and cut that down to 13. I didn't know all that much about LECOM, despite reading a ton, and had it ranked at 9 out of 13(I ranked them in order of interest, i'm a loser I know). I visited them for an open house and it jumped up to 4. After my interview, it became my number 1 without question. Everybody has there reasons for liking / disliking schools. I can give my pro's and con's to anyone interested from an applicant P.O.V but the bottom line is, the pros outweighed the cons, big time, for me. When I tell people, i'm proud to say that i'm going to go to LECOM. It's crazy how much your opinion can change from visiting schools. Keep an open mind to all schools everybody!

I'm interested to hear your pros/cons since you've recently been through the whole process. I've read a lot about LECOM-E, but haven't had the chance to visit. Fill me in brah

 

[DbDan]

End of september?! thats ridiculous...i don't even think AMCAS takes that long if it is still submitted in July.

Go underdogs

Last Year:
AMCAS Submitted: 7/27 Verified/Released: 8/26
AACOMAS Submitted: 7/28 Verified: 9/17 Released: 9/28

 

[ayb]

Last Year:
AMCAS Submitted: 7/27 Verified/Released: 8/26
AACOMAS Submitted: 7/28 Verified: 9/17 Released: 9/28

It seems this year verification is faster after reading the verification thread.

 

[lawyerdoc2b]

You have been giving some good advice, i've added you to the supporters. Good luck with med school this year, let us know how brutal it is .



I think that your MCAT score will be a critical aspect of your application, so I would definitely make sure you are well prepared. I personally would say to retake classes over taking new classes IF the new classes are not helping you toward your degree. For example, are these 3 biology classes for your degree or just to raise your GPA. If its just to raise your GPA, I would definitely retake instead. Are you a chem major? Why pchem? I've heard it's a pretty difficult course for people who aren't chem majors.

Thanks for adding me to the list of supporters. I am honored and humbled. I wish all the underdogs success. And congratulations to you HockeyDr09 on your early acceptance. I know that it takes some of the pressure off. It did for me. 🙂

 

[obuckseyesu1]

It seems this year verification is faster after reading the verification thread.

uhh yeah...

submitted: 7/27
verified: 8/4

8 days. dodged a bullet on that one. bad luck last year i guess.

 

[ayb]

uhh yeah...

submitted: 7/27
verified: 8/4

8 days. dodged a bullet on that one. bad luck last year i guess.

Thanks for letting us know. AACOMAS seems to be working fast this year. Nice! 👍

 

[lawyerdoc2b]

Wow you are amazing. I shouldn't have, but taken a summer research job on top of my regular job so it was pretty hard trying to study and work two jobs, my fault. But since my ec's aren't as awesome as yours, haha, retaking in september =P

Good luck on the retake. The only real way to study for the MCAT is practice tests.

 

[HockeyDr09]

I'm interested to hear your pros/cons since you've recently been through the whole process. I've read a lot about LECOM-E, but haven't had the chance to visit. Fill me in brah

Not a problem.

I'm going to post my opinion on LECOM-Erie and hopefully when other Underdogs have their interviews (cough sedaniel, DbDan) they can share their feelings as well. Who knows, maybe we will have a comprehensive review of some of the medical schools that are Underdog friendly.

Note, I am not easy to impress, although this review may seem like it.

LECOM Erie

Initial Impression- When I first began searching for schools I wasn't quite sold on LECOM. I knew someone who worked in the area that wasn't a big fan of erie. I couldn't find any information on rotations or an accurate match list. After reading through SDN, I felt like people believed it was a mid to low tier D.O school. Despite this, I decided to apply because I went to undergrad two hours away, the tuition was extremely competitive, and I shadowed a D.O who went there and said she was happy with her education.

Open House- I decided to attend their open house because of the schools proximity to me and it was my first chance to view a D.O school in person. Coming from a massive public university I was a little disappointed with the size (small) of LECOM. Then I realized, this is a private medical school, they're not going to have a huge campus and stopped caring about the size. Once inside the building I realized it was quite large, and immaculate (I couldn't find a speck of dust if I walked around the place for a day). The lecture halls were large with comfortable chairs, and they had wifi throughout the building (essential). The anatomy lab was also large, and it looked like they could have had roughly 30 or 40 cadavers (we were told 4 students to a cadaver, mostly pro-dissected). The OMT lab was huge with a large variety of tables at different sizes so all students could find one to fit their height. I felt the library was small (and I was unhappy with the fact that there is no print allocation, i'm used to 500 pages a semester).


Interview- Started at 8am, I arrived a little early and saw plenty of other interviewee's already there, ready for the day. They gave us a nice little gift when we arrived (not going to give it away for anyone who will be interviewing) which was cool. The staff were very nice, and all the presentations seemed organized and prepared. The interviews were in a group format, no stress. We then had a financial aid presentation and toured the school, saw the anatomy lab, cafeteria (not the library surprisingly), lecture hall, OMT room, and finally the fitness center which was located 5 mintues away from the main building. I left extremely impressed and knew this was the school for me.


Pros:

Cost- As far as I am aware 3rd cheapest private medical school in the country. Instate and O.O.S are now the same price, which is nice as an O.O.S.'er. Extremely low cost of living, like $600 for a 2 BR apartment. Cheap gas, no tax on clothes, lower taxes than i'm used to.

Curriculum- They offer extremely diverse methods of learning. LDP (lecture based), PBL (House style), ISP (throw you to the wolves), PCSP (primary care in 3 years), and now an accelerated track for PA's.

Faculty- This is something that I feel needed to be stated. The faculty WANT you to succeed. Throughout my interview day I noticed the desire of the faculty members to make sure their students not only did well, but excelled. This was what ultimately made my decision to make LECOM my top choice. It's something you can't explain, just experience.

Rotation Sites - We received a list of rotation sites, TONS of options. I was pleasantly surprised to find 5 hospitals near where i'm from (which is 9 hours away from LECOM). Very very satisfied with my options. Only thing I was concerned with is that I remember shadowing the LECOM alumni and she mentioned something about having to go back to LECOM to take some exams during rotations. (not sure how accurate that is)

Residency Placements - We also received a list of residency placements. A healthy mix of D.O/M.D residencies, and a healthy mix of General/Specialties. I have learned that you can't put too much stock in these, but it was nice to see.

Fitness Center - ~50 mil. $ state of the art building built last year. They give us free membership. Nicest gym I have ever been to in my life. By no means a large pro for the decision process, but still nice to have nonetheless. I could go on but i'm sure you get the point. (3 pools, bball court, track,etc)

Location - Yeah its in Erie, blah blah blah. I grew up a 5 min train ride from NYC so I don't want to hear I have not been to a nice city or any of that nonsense. This was a plus to me. It's one of the few D.O schools that are near a moderately sized city, without instate bias. Everything is cheap around there. There are beaches, an OHL and AHL hockey team (HUGE for me lol), and other sports. Plenty of cheap bars, other things to do etc. I love the snow, so was not concerned about that. My experience is in areas where is snows alot, they know how to deal with it, and its usually not too much of a problem.

Comlex Preparation- Seems like they do everything they can to prepare you for exams. Whether it's administering old exams, having professors with kaplan experience, or having specific test prep times, I believe they go out of their way to make sure you're prepared.



Cons:

Library- I have been spoiled coming from a school with 6 libraries and one open 24 hours a day. LECOM's was smaller than I would have liked, and would not be open as late as I would have liked.

Food/Cafeteria - The cafeteria was a nice size, but the food during the interview was not as good as I had hoped (they could have ordered out for all I know, so I can't say my review is all that accurate). If the food during the interview resembled the food they usually serve I may be eating elsewhere.

Size of Student Body- From what I have read LECOM is the largest medical school in the country. Although this is pretty cool, it makes me wonder about the amount of individual attention students receive. Honestly in the end, you're in medical school, you should be able to handle the workload without constant guidance, so this really is not too much of a con.

Dress Code- This is really not even a con for me, some people (mostly pre-med) complain about it. I just wish it didn't apply for studying in the library until 7pm (not sure of the actual time it stops being in effect).

Reputation- I believe the school has a much better reputation that most people on SDN give it credit for, but it seems that it's not in the same tier as DMU/PCOM etc. I do believe it is getting better and better every year. Above the national average for comlex scores for all pathways. (LECOM-B had 100%).


I'm sure there are a ton of typos, i'll probably go back and check up on them. Just remember this is only one applicants view, but I thought it was a good perspective because they turned me into a believer. Hopefully I was detailed enough, and this won't get buried somewhere deep in the thread in a few days. Thanks for reading my absurdly long post.

For a much more detailed review from a matriculant see here
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7459142&postcount=337


Any other questions, or places where you would like me to elaborate, let me know. I'll update the post with relevant information, or PM you the info when I have the time.

 

[DbDan]

uhh yeah...

submitted: 7/27
verified: 8/4

8 days. dodged a bullet on that one. bad luck last year i guess.

When were your transcripts in? I'm going to bet that your last transcript was received well before 7/27. AACOMAS has begun pre-verification now with those who have their transcripts in. Judging by the 1 week turnaround on your application I'd guess that they probably had started before then and your's likely isn't going to be the norm.

Verification this year is definitely faster than last year though, which was atrocious.

 

[VeeTeeHokies]

Curriculum- They offer extremely diverse methods of learning. LDP (lecture based), PBL (House style), ISP (throw you to the wolves), PCSP (primary care in 3 years), and now an accelerated track for PA's.

I lol'd

 

[ayb]

When were your transcripts in? I'm going to bet that your last transcript was received well before 7/27. AACOMAS has begun pre-verification now with those who have their transcripts in. Judging by the 1 week turnaround on your application I'd guess that they probably had started before then and your's likely isn't going to be the norm.

Verification this year is definitely faster than last year though, which was atrocious.

What do you mean by pre-verification?

 

[Sinfest]

LECOM review

Very informative, thanks HockeyDr 🙂

 

[DbDan]

Fitness Center - ~50 mil. state of the art building. They give us free membership. Nicest gym I have ever been to in my life. By no means a large pro for the decision process, but still nice to have nonetheless. I could go on but i'm sure you get the point. (3 pools, bball court, track,etc)

😱

😱

DO WANT!

 

[HockeyDr09]

What do you mean by pre-verification?

He thinks you had sent your transcripts in way before you clicked submit. AACOMAS probably had already confirmed them before you even submitted which made your verification process move much faster. (I think that's what he meant).

Very informative, thanks HockeyDr 🙂

No problem, hopefully it helps the people leery of LECOM.

 

[Atom bum]

😱

😱

DO WANT!

Seriously this gym has a hot tub as big as a swimming pool. I mean I don't really enjoy hot tubs but I thought that was awesome.
I guess technically it wasn't a hot tub but a "warm tub", cool nonetheless.

 

[painmd87]

I feel pretty similar to HockeyDr on a lot of points. When I applied, I cast a wide net, as is necessary with sub-par stats. I have a fairly unique rest-of-the-application, but you have to get someone to read that first, which means they have to ignore then GPA to see who I really am.

In regards to LECOM, my first thought was, "Erie, Pennsylvania?"

Then I thought, "well, at least it's an interview."

The 7 hour drive from DC (with 3 pit stops because I was sleepy) was a little brutal, especially because Pennsylvania is a weird state (what's with the obsession with coal???) to drive through. I was happy to get in and settle into the hotel. I did a drive through the town, and a dry run to LECOM. Seemed like an OK place. No real traffic for 6 p.m., which was in stark contrast to DC/MD/VA traffic.

Didn't sleep much. Woke up feeling like garbage. Went to the interview. Felt much better once I parked.

It was cool to meet with people before the interview started. It really took the edge off. It seemed to be more of the "people who will be doctors" type than the "I'm better than you pre-med" types. In other words, the long table where I sat seemed to be full of people who could carry a conversation that didn't relate to their god-awful research project. A good sign.

Dr. Moore's sales pitch was excellent. He hit all the things we should have been looking for in regards to rotations, residency placements, board scores, etc. It was informative and not nearly as boring as it could have been. PBL guy wasn't my cup of tea, but neither is PBL. They passed around an ISP packet, which I spent a lot of time looking through, as I wanted ISP most.

The interview was the interview and has been covered pretty well in other threads.

Facility tour was informative and showed us the places we'd be spending the next few years of our lives. OPP lab was significantly larger than I thought it would be, and I never really thought about having the TV there to show a different angle.

The wellness center was strategically placed as the jewel of the tour. Any school can show us their classrooms, lecture halls, OPP labs, cafeteria etc., but LECOM capped it off with a bang by showing us their sparkling facility. It was an excellent-looking place and top-notch salesmanship.

(I did get a kick out of them saying we would take a "tour bus" to the wellness center. I pictured a coach bus. I didn't realize a tour bus in Erie means a bus in which you take a tour, not an actual tour bus. All the same. I got a good conversation with one of the recruitment guys on the ride over.)

Just a few different thoughts from HockeyDr and a supplement or two...

It's Erie, Pa. It snows a lot. It rains a lot. It's a rust belt town. I'm bringing a wife and a daughter and we will be able to afford twice as much house for half as much rent as we have now. I'm told there are jobs for those willing to work.

When considering the town, just remember that you're not going to have free time when you're in medical school. The free time that you do have, won't really be free. So when looking at "Oh God, there's nothing to do in Erie!", think about the actual value of the time you'll have in Erie -- it's going to be spent studying, preparing and learning. I feel it's more important to coalesce well with the program and facilities of the institution than the surrounding town.

I was thrilled when I got my acceptance. Everyone is asking me questions about it. I even had my first "so do you get an MD? can you write prescriptions? there aren't DO surgeons, right?" conversation with my extended family. Just smile and realize it's an opportunity to teach.

Erie will be getting my deposit. It's a matter of someone else blowing them out of the water in order to get me to walk away from it.

 

[DbDan]

<SNIP>
Erie will be getting my deposit. It's a matter of someone else blowing them out of the water in order to get me to walk away from it.

👍 Sounds like the school came off as very well liked. I'm actually hoping for an interview for Erie despite the travel costs just because it seems to have so many options and seems like a very favored school. Not to mention the super cheap tuition doesn't hurt! We'll see what happens, these non-refundable deposits are going to be the death of me, especially since my Bradenton interview is a month before any other interview

 

[Atom bum]

When considering the town, just remember that you're not going to have free time when you're in medical school. The free time that you do have, won't really be free. So when looking at "Oh God, there's nothing to do in Erie!", think about the actual value of the time you'll have in Erie -- it's going to be spent studying, preparing and learning. I feel it's more important to coalesce well with the program and facilities of the institution than the surrounding town.

I agree with you on the free time aspect but things change when you have a wife and kid like the both of us. There has to be at least some stuff for my family to do while I am gone studying all week. I don't want my wife to go crazy 🙂.
That said, Erie is Much better than where we lived when I was enlisted. I think it will be great.

Here is another fun fact about Erie. There is casino in town. Maybe everyone knew that? I was a bit surprised when I saw it

 

[painmd87]

I agree with you on the free time aspect but things change when you have a wife and kid like the both of us. There has to be at least some stuff for my family to do while I am gone studying all week. I don't want my wife to go crazy 🙂.
That said, Erie is Much better than where we lived when I was enlisted. I think it will be great.

Here is another fun fact about Erie. There is casino in town. Maybe everyone knew that? I was a bit surprised when I saw it

Oh I agree they need stuff to do. I don't think it will be too terrible. The wife (well, almost-wife. In 16 days she's a wife) grew up in the middle-of-nowhere in Maine so it won't be that bad for her.

And yes, there's a casino. How else are we supposed to pay for school?!?!? 😉

 

[DbDan]

Oh I agree they need stuff to do. I don't think it will be too terrible. The wife (well, almost-wife. In 16 days she's a wife) grew up in the middle-of-nowhere in Maine so it won't be that bad for her.

And yes, there's a casino. How else are we supposed to pay for school?!?!? 😉

Casinos near school scare me. I'm scared of my will-power if I were to get into Touro-NV lol they have HUGE living expenses budget in their loans too. Like 33k or something ridiculous. No bueno I could either win or lose ALOT with the extra cash playing poker lol

 

[sedaniel]

My experience is in areas where is snows alot, they know how to deal with it, and its usually not too much of a problem.

Thanks for your post! And after living in MI my whole life, I definitely enjoyed this line the most, it's so true 😀 I'll never forget when I heard the story a while back about how it snowed like 1/4 or 1/2 an inch down in the south (I think it was like South Carolina or Georgia or something) and entire cities were shut down for the day. Haha...

 

[obuckseyesu1]

When were your transcripts in? I'm going to bet that your last transcript was received well before 7/27. AACOMAS has begun pre-verification now with those who have their transcripts in. Judging by the 1 week turnaround on your application I'd guess that they probably had started before then and your's likely isn't going to be the norm.

Verification this year is definitely faster than last year though, which was atrocious.

This makes sense now. I arranged for my transcripts to be sent as soon as my final grades were in for the spring term (~6/10 - Ohio State Quarter System) and I think AACOMAS received them shortly thereafter so yes they had my transcripts long before I submitted.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

👍 Sounds like the school came off as very well liked. I'm actually hoping for an interview for Erie despite the travel costs just because it seems to have so many options and seems like a very favored school. Not to mention the super cheap tuition doesn't hurt! We'll see what happens, these non-refundable deposits are going to be the death of me, especially since my Bradenton interview is a month before any other interview

Do yourself a favor and fly into Cleveland (like 80 minutes from Erie), my plane ticket coming from Idaho was ~200 dollars less than it would have been to fly into Erie.

 

[DbDan]

Do yourself a favor and fly into Cleveland (like 80 minutes from Erie), my plane ticket coming from Idaho was ~200 dollars less than it would have been to fly into Erie.

👍 Thanks for the tip. I'll definitely keep that in mind if I manage an interview

 

[TheUntold]

Just joining the underdog club, although my gpa is pretty good.

MCAT: 25M - 8P, 9V, 8B
sGPA: 3.85
cGPA: 3.87

So far, just one interview at LECOM Bradenton. Been under review at Erie for over a month now. Not sure what's going on with that.

 

[DbDan]

Just joining the underdog club, although my gpa is pretty good.

MCAT: 25M - 8P, 9V, 8B
sGPA: 3.85
cGPA: 3.87

So far, just one interview at LECOM Bradenton. Been under review at Erie for over a month now. Not sure what's going on with that.

🙄 You aren't an underdog.... Erie has only had one interview date thus far and hasn't begun fully handing out invites. Your GPA is WAY above average and your MCAT is average, plus balanced. You aren't an underdog man

 

[DbDan]

(edit: i'll hold off for now, looks like that would eliminate quite a few people)

I'm actually intrigued by it. I propose that we don't eliminate anyone for it since this has become more of a support thread than anything else but I do think it would be interesting to group it and see if that formula is indicative of interview/accept rate.

Incomplete Stats
cliffhuxtableDO
medschl hpeful
aml04143 [2.76,TBD]
TMan1787 [2.8, TBD]
cobe3mat [3.03, TBD]
Turd Furgeson [3.06, TBD]
ScarletKnights [3.1, TBD]
divajazzerina [3.15,TBD]
Spderjhn [3.2, TBD]
MZeep [3.20, TBD]
wolverinepwns [3.25, TBD]

42-43.5
blueflower [3.1, 23]
jgraha 16 [3.1, 24]
SML67 [3.0, 26]
HockeyDr09 [3.0,27] Interview: LECOM-E, TouroCOM-NY ACCEPTED-LECOM-E
EgyptianDoc [3.1, 25]
JamesLMT [3.2, 24] Interview: TouroCOM-NY
vmorel1 [3.25, 24]

44-45.5
Razmatazz [3.02,29]
gatewasani [3.4, 22]
Maica [3.52, 20]
GreatScott [3.33, 24]
Sinfest [3.19, 27]
shenanigans327 [3.35, 24]
painmd87 [2.8, 28] Interview: LECOM-E ACCEPTED-LECOM-E
amg05 [3.45, 22]

46-49
artaxerxes627 [3.28, 26]
drctother [3.1, 30]
DbDan [3.0, 33] Interview: LECOM-B, AZCOM
futuredoc4432 [3.2, 29]
jpgoodie [3.2, 29]
looktme [3.12, 31]
sedaniel [3.19, 31] Interview: LECOM-B, AZCOM,TouroCOM-NY
megathunder [3.2,31] Interview: AZCOM
emno [3.6, 23]
DrDre2001 [3.15, 32] Interview: LECOM-B
jzrull [3.6,25]
Smmossey [3.73,23]