Why does LECOM advertise to death?

[jesterrace]

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Why? Are they a de facto for profit? Everyone in the D.O. community knows of their existence...and they receive plenty of applications...so what's the deal? Rocky Vista is at least honest- by which I mean "for-profit" vs. "non-profit".

 

[IamaBanana]

There is a big difference. When RVU makes money it goes to the owners' pockets, whereas LECOM's profits go right back into the school network. It has to. Things that LECOM does with that money are stuff like paying cash for their new dental school in Bradenton (rumor, but from what I've seen pretty likely), or expanding class size exponentially. LECOM is definitely organized differently from a lot of other schools out there but there is no malevolence in what they do. "De facto" for profit is a misnomer since it is really a binary kind of thing. You either are or you aren't.

Also, the students benefit directly from the things LECOM does, such as keeping tuition low and setting up their post graduate educational network (someone help me out with its name). Some, non-profit, private schools have incredibly high tuition and none of that money is ever seen again by the students, in any shape or form.

 

[Slane]

The post graduate network is LECOMT, and as Banana mentioned, the money isn't going into the pockets of the administration or anything shady like that. They use it to expand the campuses (like adding the bayfront campus here for PBL or the Seton Hill satellite campus), build things like the new Wellness center we have or the new dental school, keep tuition low, et cetera. The school is also very generous in supporting clubs and such beyond what we can petition to receive from SGA's funds. All of the money comes back to the school and the students one way or another. Plus, the advertising helps to establish and familiarize the region with the school and it's presence.

 

[TheSeanieB]

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[HockeyDr09]

LECOM is a de facto for-profit school. There is another thread going on SDN that talks about the compensation paid to the higher ranking employees. I believe that the provost and dean makes around $650K/year. A non-profit can be for-profit by paying out large salaries.

LECOM has developed a business in which they are paid $30K/year by students and provide very little in the way of educational services. I think it is funny when people argue that they keep tuition low. The reason for lower tuition is because they do not have teachers teaching classes. Instead students meet in groups of 8 and teach themselves. It is also funny when people argue that they are putting the money back into the school by expanding. The reason for the expansion, like most for-profit businesses, is to make more money.

That's too funny. When I interviewed at LECOM-B, it was pretty obvious that the school was for-profit. I wonder why Sylvia is making $648K for being the provost and dean while her husband is making less, $493K, for being the president and CEO. Seems kind of fishy. It is possible that the board of directors set his pay and he set his sister's pay.

RVU has officially taken its place within the rank of LECOM-Bradenton, Wayne State Unviersity, and Rush University as having one of the silliest names in medicine.

That's very funny. I can tell that you do not want to talk about the RVU and LECOM names.

OK. Based solely on names, I recommend Saba>LECOM-E>RVU>LECOM-B.

Saba has the best name. Although, it does kind of sound like it is a foreign school. LECOM-E edges out RVU because it is legitimately named. It is in Erie, PA. RVU barely edges out LECOM-B. Sure, Rocky Vista University sounds like a strip mall college where your degree is signed by Sally Struther. However, LECOM-B just doesn't make any sense. Lake Erie College in Florida?? Huh??

There is a great deal of defense of LECOM on this thread. Maybe LECOM-E is different than LECOM-B. I interviewed at LECOM-B and was really disappointed. The whole day was spent trying to sell us on the PBL/independent study program. During the day, I sat in on a 2 hour PBL session. The whole time I was thinking, what is LECOM providing these students besides a room with a table and chairs? During the session, the students identified some factual inaccuracy in the case they were studing but only had themselves to ask questions to. It seems somewhat obvious that LECOM-B is a for profit business. 30K/year to be provided with tables and chairs. With a business model like that, no wonder they are continuing to expand.

On a less serious note, who came up with the names Rocky Vista and Lake Erie College. RVU sounds like one of those strip mall colleges where you can become a medical transcriptionist or paralegal in 4 weeks. Regarding LECOM, they should really change the name if they are going to have campuses that are not in Erie, PA. It sounds rediculous to say that you go to Lake Erie College in Florida.

With Saba, you only spend 20 months on the island learning basic science from teachers before doing US rotations. Many of Saba's graduates go into competitive specialties like surgery, radiology, etc.

You are correct about RVU. Their mission is prepare students to do primary care in rural areas.

LECOM is essentially a for-profit school. You are expected to learn basic science from the other students for $30K/year.

I think we get it, you don't like LECOM. You apply and interview at LECOM-B knowing it's a PBL school, apparently not doing research into it beforehand. You decide you hate it (which is fine), and then proceed to group all of the LECOM's together (when LECOM E has roughly 900 students doing LDP) and claim they are "de-facto for-profit". Give me a break, the school has their own hospital, a $50 mil wellness center, and added another building for PBL students in Erie. There are definitely are some cons, but you need to relax with the over generalizations.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

I'm fairly sure TheSeanieB and Ron C are the same poster...FWIW.

 

[DuxburyPembroke]

It is not uncommon for non-profits to follow for-profit business practices - it doesn't make them for-profit businesses. It would be nice if they started putting some of that money into the Seton Hill campus... 🙁 Crappy internet, no journals in the library, no outlets in the lecture hall, no changing rooms, still broadcasting some lectures in from Erie because we don't have enough teachers... I understand that the Ferrettis are from Erie and live in Erie and are lauded as captains of industry and society in Erie, but, for a student at the Seton Hill campus, it rankles to be putting in all this money and not really getting anything back...

 

[EmmaNemma]

Why? Are they a de facto for profit? Everyone in the D.O. community knows of their existence...and they receive plenty of applications...so what's the deal? Rocky Vista is at least honest- by which I mean "for-profit" vs. "non-profit".

LECOM is a different kind of medical school and that is going to draw attention to it. I'm sure that all medical schools could be criticized if they were put under the microscope.

 

[HockeyDr09]

It is not uncommon for non-profits to follow for-profit business practices - it doesn't make them for-profit businesses. It would be nice if they started putting some of that money into the Seton Hill campus... 🙁 Crappy internet, no journals in the library, no outlets in the lecture hall, no changing rooms, still broadcasting some lectures in from Erie because we don't have enough teachers... I understand that the Ferrettis are from Erie and live in Erie and are lauded as captains of industry and society in Erie, but, for a student at the Seton Hill campus, it rankles to be putting in all this money and not really getting anything back...

I really feel for you guys at Seton Hill, it sounds brutal down there sometimes. I really don't agree with how they are treating students down there, I've seen a few people on here say some pretty bad things.

 

[DuxburyPembroke]

I really feel for you guys at Seton Hill, it sounds brutal down there sometimes. I really don't agree with how they are treating students down there, I've seen a few people on here say some pretty bad things.

🙂 Not brutal, really, just... less. My favorite administrative gaffe was the use, in all seriousness, of the phrase "separate but equal"! I am hoping that it gets better eventually as the campus becomes more established... This year was a little better than last year, hopefully next year will be better than this one, etc.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

🙂 Not brutal, really, just... less. My favorite administrative gaffe was the use, in all seriousness, of the phrase "separate but equal"!

If you go to Erie for rotations are you allowed to drink out of the same drinking fountain as the Erie students?

 

[NurWollen]

🙂 Not brutal, really, just... less. My favorite administrative gaffe was the use, in all seriousness, of the phrase "separate but equal"! I am hoping that it gets better eventually as the campus becomes more established... This year was a little better than last year, hopefully next year will be better than this one, etc.

Ahh yes, the Osteopathic Establishment's rallying cry.

Seriously though I think LECOM offers a good deal... maybe it's not for everyone, but I'll certainly apply. It's cheap, and I feel like the classes I do best in are the ones where I learn from other students. As far as the dress code, I can relate. I think a certain formality in medicine instills confidence on the patient's part in the physician treating him or her. And the snow there can't possibly be worse than where I am now.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Ahh yes, the Osteopathic Establishment's rallying cry.

Seriously though I think LECOM offers a good deal... maybe it's not for everyone, but I'll certainly apply. It's cheap, and I feel like the classes I do best in are the ones where I learn from other students. As far as the dress code, I can relate. I think a certain formality in medicine instills confidence on the patient's part in the physician treating him or her. And the snow there can't possibly be worse than where I am now.

I know you're in my neck of the woods around here somewhere...so you might be suprised at the snowfall there.

It makes both Denver and Salt Lake snow fall look like flurries.

This was in part one of a few reasons I chose a branch campus over the mothership.

 

[NurWollen]

I know you're in my neck of the woods around here somewhere...so you might be suprised at the snowfall there.

It makes both Denver and Salt Lake snow fall look like flurries.

This was in part one of a few reasons I chose a branch campus over the mothership.

True, and I can't say I'm not tired of the snow...

 

[Druggernaut]

The reason for lower tuition is because they do not have teachers teaching classes. Instead students meet in groups of 8 and teach themselves.

That's not a very good argument. There's one instructor for each of those groups of eight. Elsewhere, you'd find yourself in a lecture hall with 200 people listening to one instructor. What's less expensive, hiring four professors to lecture on the classes in the block, or 25?

 

[drctother]

I'm fairly sure TheSeanieB and Ron C are the same poster...FWIW.

haha possible, since both have started ridiculous threads lately and asked ridiculous questions

But ya, definitely too much negativity towards LECOM and not enough valid arguments.

I hate LECOM. For personal reasons. Nothing to do with the education etc. LECOM E, The bastards didnt acknowledge that I sent them a primary and a complete waste of money, but thats because im Canadian. LECOM B lied to me and said they accepted Canadians....so I sent them my money...than got a rejection letter saying they dont accept internationals.

Again personal reasons for hate, but both are decent schools

 

[Banned]

well when fifty cents out of every dollar of tuition is pure profit and you see how much money can be made by lowering admission standards, packing students in lecture halls like cattle, and importing cheap english illiterate professors from india you decide to go one step further and mass market to squeeze every dime out of poor students

WE HATE LECOM
.com

Nice 2+ year bump. Also, lol @ that web site. Stay classy bro.

 

[darklabel]

Nice 2+ year bump.

And they still advertise quite often. I even saw it once in a commercial one the cruise from Tampa

 

[hallowmann]

And they still advertise quite often. I even saw it once in a commercial one the cruise from Tampa

Man. I'm a few hours away from LECOM and I've seen 0 ads for it. I got 1 right before I applied (after my MCAT), but beyond that I have seen none. Maybe there are more in FL? Everything I know about them has come from medical students/grads, medical professionals or pre-meds.

Now as far as the Carib schools go, I could fill a box with the ads they send/email me. I swear I must have gotten more communication from Trinity and AUA each than all the application communications I had from US schools this last cycle combined.