2019-2020 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM)

[TwistedTea]

Well, I ask you what are the good things, or you will only talk about the bad? I am not the one "destroying" the school like you are. So, you absolutely have nothing good to talk about? If that's the case, I am not going to even continue the conversation. I have talked in the past to doctors who actually graduated from DCOM, and they literally told me that every medical school is hard and they put in the work and matched into their dream residency. They said DCOM has a few things they would change, but overall they think it is a great school. They also warned me about students who would be bombing their FB group page with complaints, so I guess you were one of those students. Again, I respect your opinion and insight, but there are always people like you, showing the bad side and complaining. What you put in is what you will get out. If this is your vibe, ONLY looking at downsides, then you probably won't have anything positive to say, or probably will say there's no positive haha. So again, I ask you, current DCOM student, LMU has no positive side? I am not going to extend this convo any further. You have your opinion, you already put out your vibe, and ONLY said the bad points in your opinion. But for the people reading, every medical school has downsides and people to complain. It is not because you think bad of the school that this is the ultimate truth. The doctors I talked, who graduated at DCOM, are now into their residencies such as surgery, ortho, derm, etc. They think very differently than you. But, you don't see them here posting their stuff, I had to search for them and ask questions about their experiences. Don't believe me? Just find people who graduated at DCOM and ask them (it's not hard to find them). Now, the negative people are all here on SDN

Yeah I’m totally not buying any of this. Search for previous dcom grads and ask about their experiences ? This sounds like hogwash being stated just so you can stand your ground. Most grads I’ve talked to and am friends with think this place isn’t great. But you have one acceptance I’m assuming from prior posts but took your time to call coca and then somehow find prior graduates in competitive specialties to discuss the school you were going to attend anyway?? Lol yeah not buying it. Other premeds might believe that junk but not us. Believe what you want. If it’s your only acceptance you have no choice. But I’m sure you are like 90% of premeds gunning for ortho or derm or something only a couple people get per year. Rose colored glasses. And it’s almost always the stronger students who think DCOM sucks. Not the weaker ones trying to stay a float and keep from drowning.
Good sides? Mostly not mandatory attendance and a lot of fourth year electives.
And a light OMM schedule.

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[TwistedTea]

Honestly this is one of the reasons why I suspect LMU DCOM don't do much to improve, its due to lack of effort because they know they will always have loyal and/or desperate premeds who will go anywhere that accepts them especially if they only have 1 acceptance. Why improve when students are going to come to your school anyways. I think it is very important to be very critical for the benefit of the students and for the school to IMPROVE. The only effort that is apparent is making students feel like they "vibe" with the school during interviews to overshadow the fact that the lack of opportunity there is real. Medical school is hard, why fight and uphill battle when you don't need to? To all those on the waitlist or rejected by this school, please know that it may be a blessing. The fact is, if you go and ask the top 1% who matched in competitive residencies the majority of the time they will tell you great things. People matched competitively in Caribbean schools does that mean you will go there if its your only choice? I hear so much good **** about Caribbean schools as well doesn't mean people should go there!

Lol this dude can think whatever he wants he’s just lying to himself at this point he will find out soon enough. Still at that premed stage of ultimate knowledge.

 

[premed8218]

Yeah I’m totally not buying any of this. Search for previous dcom grads and ask about their experiences ? This sounds like hogwash being stated just so you can stand your ground. Most grads I’ve talked to and am friends with think this place isn’t great. But you have one acceptance I’m assuming from prior posts but took your time to call coca and then somehow find prior graduates in competitive specialties to discuss the school? Lol yeah not buying it. Believe what you want. If it’s your only acceptance you have no choice. But I’m sure you are like 90% of premeds gunning for ortho or derm or something only a couple people get per year. Rose colored glasses
Good sides? Mostly not mandatory attendance and a lot of fourth year electives.

Are you doubting? Send me a private message and I'll show you the conversations. I have no reason to lie. I am not trying to make up things just to prove a point. I am telling you about the experiences I had and what I did to gain insight about LMU. If you don't buy it, I have no problem showing it to you. I got accepted here very early in the cycle. I only applied to a few schools because I made my research beforehand and got an interview invitation for them. It was my personal decision to turn those down because I felt comfortable with LMU, despite what I read on SDN, people mostly talked greatly about the place. And yes, I did call COCA, this isn't anything crazy, you can just search their number and call them. There's nothing crazy or special about this. Again, if you think I am lying, just call them yourself. I have nothing to hide here, and no reason to lie. I am not trying to stand on any groud here. I am simply telling you what I did, with who I talked, and how I based my decision to attend DCOM, that's all. Not trying to brag on anything, but I have way higher stats than the average accepted student at DCOM. So I am not coming to DCOM because it was "my last resource", I'm enrolling here because after considering everything, it was a good choice. Obviously not counting people anonymously publishing stuff on SDN, which I don't think is very reliable.
Now again, if you think anything I said isn't true, or that I am lying. Send me a private message and I'll show that everything I am saying is true. You could also identify yourself, it would definitely give more credibility to what you are saying. Like I said, I have no reason to lie about anything I mentioned.

 

[premed8218]

Lol this dude can think whatever he wants he’s just lying to himself at this point he will find out soon enough. Still at that premed stage of ultimate knowledge.

Yeah bro, you can continue to spread your negativity in this anonymous forum, when I know I will attend a great school and will most likely match into a competitive residency, which is my dream. I am not lying to myself, I am being realistic. I know I will put on the work and I will succeed. This is a fact!
I also know that when I see someone struggling or complaining about everything, I will know they will be the ones wasting their time here on this forum.

 

[premed8218]

Lol this dude can think whatever he wants he’s just lying to himself at this point he will find out soon enough. Still at that premed stage of ultimate knowledge.

Also, I do want to say that I respect you and your opinion. Although, we have different opinions. I have many reasons to believe DCOM is a great school and there're many people/stats showing that. But, you did show what you are experiencing and what you are struggling with. I truly hope you get through that and also match into the residency you dream about. I wish you nothing but the best!

 

[PapaGuava]

At the end of the day people are going to make the choices that are best for them, and although some of the stated opinions and facts may be valid in this thread, please keep things civil moving forward. We are here to help guide applicants in the process rather than creating unnecessary arguments.

 

[TwistedTea]

Are you doubting? Send me a private message and I'll show you the conversations. I have no reason to lie. I am not trying to make up things just to prove a point. I am telling you about the experiences I had and what I did to gain insight about LMU. If you don't buy it, I have no problem showing it to you. I got accepted here very early in the cycle. I only applied to a few schools because I made my research beforehand and got an interview invitation for them. It was my personal decision to turn those down because I felt comfortable with LMU, despite what I read on SDN, people mostly talked greatly about the place. And yes, I did call COCA, this isn't anything crazy, you can just search their number and call them. There's nothing crazy or special about this. Again, if you think I am lying, just call them yourself. I have nothing to hide here, and no reason to lie. I am not trying to stand on any groud here. I am simply telling you what I did, with who I talked, and how I based my decision to attend DCOM, that's all. Not trying to brag on anything, but I have way higher stats than the average accepted student at DCOM. So I am not coming to DCOM because it was "my last resource", I'm enrolling here because after considering everything, it was a good choice. Obviously not counting people anonymously publishing stuff on SDN, which I don't think is very reliable.
Now again, if you think anything I said isn't true, or that I am lying. Send me a private message and I'll show that everything I am saying is true. You could also identify yourself, it would definitely give more credibility to what you are saying. Like I said, I have no reason to lie about anything I mentioned.

Sure send them over via PM I’d like to see these folk who think dcom is great. But in the end I wish you luck Buyer beware. I’ve states the good and bad as have a dozen others on the forum and in general DO forum. Take it as you like. I already matched it’s not skin off my back. Not gonna send u my name tho lmao as far as I know u might be butt buddies with faculty

 

[skahler]

Of course it's 99% match when they're losing 20% of the class due to attrition. What they are doing here is criminal. They admit students they know will not make it and then give them the boot after getting a year's worth of tuition. PE pass rate is abysmal at 86% and has been low for years. They will not replace the course director. They now have two campuses and are sharing many of the faculty between campuses. It is not a school unfortunately. It's a business.

Oh not just a year's worth of tuition... it was 2 years in my case (and 5 years of my life flushed down the drain)

This school ruined my life.

Do not go to medical school if you are below typical GPA standards, I'm not joking. Abort Mission These schools are making people believe they have a chance when they absolutely do not.

The reality they *don't* tell you: If you fail out (which you have a *much* higher chance of doing so than you are being led to think), you end up in this spectacular land where now 4-5 years of your life have been flushed down the drain, you're out of energy, and you're overqualified and underexperienced. "Overqualified and underexperienced" -> sinusoidal work histories, bouncing off of jobs because they are too far below your ability level, and because they're the only ones you can get. It's a crazy phenomenon, and it's true. It's like being an unbalanced washing machine. No you can't become a PA or go to med school somewhere else, etc. You get One Shot, and your GPA is *the* determinant for whether or not you'll make it (forget MCAT scores). So if you're someone who has a great long term memory, but crap short-term memory (which makes it look like you're accelerating), and your science GPA is much lower than average, but your MCAT high, I'm not joking... *reconsider* your life choices NOW.

Do not throw everything at the wall!!!!!

This is my two cents for *anybody* who is at this stage in the game. You still have the choice to go into programs where you will be an "average student", or to get a master's in literally **anything in the entire world** before your student loans are stupidly maxed out (yep that option leaves the table as well)

I am telling you what NOBODY WILL TELL YOU - "Reality". Please heed my warnings, this is the real ****.

LMU-DCOM c/o 2016 (first expansion class from 160 to 240 seats): 176/242 graduates placed into residencies

LMU-DCOM 2019: + 160 seats, now over a 400+

"Physician shortage" stats:
Population: 0.7% population growth in the USA and declining
Med students: 3% growth per year SINCE 2002 with majority of expansions since 2008 re: D.O. boom (and still growing!!!!!)

The Great Physician Shortage is a lie to cover their asses for profiteering off the backs of young, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed students who are likely to bear the burden (see masochism -> going to med school) without making too much noise. The ones I know who got the shaft went out quietly.

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Edit: And just in case anyone's wondering! I've now lost my privileges to reply on this thread as a result of this single post (but apparently am able to edit this). That should give you all a hint!!! $$$$$ None of what I'm saying is untrue. Do you have a below average GPA? Then YOU ARE AT RISK WHEN YOU WALK IN THOSE DOORS, and they *cannot place everybody* but they're continuing to expand. Nobody should *ever* have to experience what I did as a result of for-profit education. My life was DEMOLISHED by these people.

I'm not just "one bitter guy on the internet", I talked to LOTS of other people who went through the same thing (you have to remember that 66 people *didn't make it* and we were all friends.

Don't believe me? Read through my post history. I was not a bitter guy when I went into med school. But I sure as h*** am now. Everybody trying to place the blame on me when in fact the med school system is made *exactly* this way, and they're all LYING to you!!!!! The 75% who make it easily trample over and drown out the voices of the 25% who are literally just trying to move on with their lives. Why do you think they take so many more people than they could ever place in residency spots? $$$$$ And the curve is set accordingly, because they *don't* have to report their graduation statistics (but they do have to report their residency placement rates, the great "scam").

THIS is the reality.

 

[Confuzzledmed]

Oh not just a year's worth of tuition... it was 2 years in my case (and 5 years of my life flushed down the drain)

This school ruined my life.

Do not go to medical school if you are below typical GPA standards, I'm not joking. Abort Mission These schools are making people believe they have a chance when they absolutely do not.

The reality they *don't* tell you: If you fail out (which you have a *much* higher chance of doing so than you are being led to think), you end up in this spectacular land where now 4-5 years of your life have been flushed down the drain, you're out of energy, and you're overqualified and underexperienced. "Overqualified and underexperienced" -> sinusoidal work histories, bouncing off of jobs because they are too far below your ability level, and because they're the only ones you can get. It's a crazy phenomenon, and it's true. It's like being an unbalanced washing machine. No you can't become a PA or go to med school somewhere else, etc. You get One Shot, and your GPA is *the* determinant for whether or not you'll make it (forget MCAT scores). So if you're someone who has a great long term memory, but crap short-term memory (which makes it look like you're accelerating), and your science GPA is much lower than average, but your MCAT high, I'm not joking... *reconsider* your life choices NOW.

Do not throw everything at the wall!!!!!

This is my two cents for *anybody* who is at this stage in the game. You still have the choice to go into programs where you will be an "average student", or to get a master's in literally **anything in the entire world** before your student loans are stupidly maxed out (yep that option leaves the table as well)

I am telling you what NOBODY WILL TELL YOU - "Reality". Please heed my warnings, this is the real ****.

LMU-DCOM c/o 2016 (first expansion class from 160 to 240 seats): 176/242 graduates placed into residencies

LMU-DCOM 2019: + 160 seats, now over a 400+

"Physician shortage" stats:
Population: 0.7% population growth in the USA and declining
Med students: 3% growth per year SINCE 2002 with majority of expansions since 2008 re: D.O. boom (and still growing!!!!!)

The Great Physician Shortage is a lie to cover their asses for profiteering off the backs of young, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed students who are likely to bear the burden (see masochism -> going to med school) without making too much noise. The ones I know who got the shaft went out quietly.

I graduated from lmu ms program and agree a lot what is said . The ms program is also a joke and I don’t recommend but I survived and now have an acceptance to another school. (Thank goodness). This school is not great. I don’t even consider it an ok school. However if this school was my only acceptance I’d still come because my goal is to become a doctor. I’ve read your story and I sympathize with you but it’s not fair to make a statement that people with “below” gpa standards should not go to medical school. There are plenty of people who are underdogs who have been successful in med school. I get it . It sucks you were forced to withdraw . But you failed three classes . YOU were not as prepared for med school as you think you were . Based on your tweets you seem to be blaming LMU for ruining your life but they didn’t make you fail .... that’s on you . At the end of the day LMU is not a good school but they are not the reason for you failing and you hopping from thread to thread talking about how the physician shortage is not real is not ok and has nothing to do with your situation . There are plenty of communities who do not have enough primary care physicians and there are stats to prove it.

Anyways for incoming students expect a lot of bs when you start this program. LMU at the end of the day will get you into a residency program and that’s the goal. But don’t come into the school expecting great faculty , curriculum, and support. Just do what you have to do a put in your best effort in to pass your classes and boards. If you find yourself struggling there are a few faculty willing to help but expect to rely on online sources to help. If you do have other options heavily consider them and weigh out the pros and cons. If the school ends up being your best choice just try to do your very best to pass classes and eventually boards .

 

[Docdocec123]

I have a question for current 3rd or 4th years, as far as rotation sites go at DCOM, do you feel as though the exposure you received at your rotation sites prepare you for residency? I know many people say the sites are a mixed bag, but what exactly makes one site desirable and the others not so much?

 

[bogle8]

I have a question for current 3rd or 4th years, as far as rotation sites go at DCOM, do you feel as though the exposure you received at your rotation sites prepare you for residency? I know many people say the sites are a mixed bag, but what exactly makes one site desirable and the others not so much?

No most of them will not prepare you. You need to go to a site with residency programs in place. The Corinth MS site, the Somerset KY site. Maybe the Kingsport site. Others who can help chime in please.

 

[ccu_med]

No most of them will not prepare you. You need to go to a site with residency programs in place. The Corinth MS site, the Somerset KY site. Maybe the Kingsport site. Others who can help chime in please.

Hey, I really appreciate everyone’s comments who has matched already or is at the end of the program. I really personally understand frustration with graduate programs that don’t have the student’s best interest in mind.

All that aside, I would appreciate if you could comment on things that would be helpful to those who are already locked into attending this school. Your insight is invaluable and I would greatly appreciate you letting us know things to avoid or be wary of and what to do to get through. Much appreciation and feel free to PM me. We may not be able to make immediate changes but it you really care about making the problems better for future students, then I can be advocate for that because I plan on being very involved.

 

[DO_Med_Student]

Hey, I really appreciate everyone’s comments who has matched already or is at the end of the program. I really personally understand frustration with graduate programs that don’t have the student’s best interest in mind.

All that aside, I would appreciate if you could comment on things that would be helpful to those who are already locked into attending this school. Your insight is invaluable and I would greatly appreciate you letting us know things to avoid or be wary of and what to do to get through. Much appreciation and feel free to PM me. We may not be able to make immediate changes but it you really care about making the problems better for future students, then I can be advocate for that because I plan on being very involved.

I totally agree with you. I see many "current students" only pointing at problems and frustrations. As an accepted student who will be attending DCOM, I would really appreciate posts from current students that talk about ways to improve those negative/downsides they mentioned. Things they wish they had done differently and ways they think the school could improve. They could mention things they did not like and ways those could be improved. By showing problems and ways you guys think those could be better/ improved, you will be helping not just me but all incoming students next semester. If I know where your frustrations are, and ways I could possibly improve those, I can advocate and maybe even help the school to fix those problems.
The way for you guys to help us is providing valuable insight and possible solutions for those problems. If we know your opinion on possible things that can be done to fix the mentioned problems (possible solutions), we can all make DCOM a better place and make our transition into medical school smoother and better. I believe we can use this thread to help future students like me by showing the problems and showing constructive ways to possibly solve those problems. Only throwing current problems and frustrations at us won't do any good for any of us and it definitely doesn't fix the problem. I believe I am speaking not just for myself, but for everyone who will be attending DCOM this upcoming semester. Thank you.

 

[ccu_med]

I totally agree with you. I see many "current students" only pointing at problems and frustrations. As an accepted student who will be attending DCOM, I would really appreciate posts from current students that talk about ways to improve those negative/downsides they mentioned. Things they wish they had done differently and ways they think the school could improve. They could mention things they did not like and ways those could be improved. By showing problems and ways you guys think those could be better/ improved, you will be helping not just me but all incoming students next semester. If I know where your frustrations are, and ways I could possibly improve those, I can advocate and maybe even help the school to fix those problems.
The way for you guys to help us is providing valuable insight and possible solutions for those problems. If we know your opinion on possible things that can be done to fix the mentioned problems (possible solutions), we can all make DCOM a better place and make our transition into medical school smoother and better. I believe we can use this thread to help future students like me by showing the problems and showing constructive ways to possibly solve those problems. Only throwing current problems and frustrations at us won't do any good for any of us and it definitely doesn't fix the problem. I believe I am speaking not just for myself, but for everyone who will be attending DCOM this upcoming semester. Thank you.

Can’t agree more, I am a non trad who has real life experience, has been through grad school, and plans on being heavily involved in SAA and SGA. Please arm me with some knowledge so I can do something.

 

[deleted1044893]

You are never really "locked in" unless you choose to. You can either throw away your deposit or risk throwing away a larger sum (your tuition). If you are in your 20s fix the weaknesses in your app and reapply. You have a better chance at doing that than trying to fix something that's been there for years. The school has been open for 13 years and seems like they still struggle with the same problem. You don't think many others before you tried to fix these problems? Why waste energy and effort to study medicine and advocate for something that is not likely going to change? These things are outside of your control. Its the schools own personal self-reflection to improve. They can't really improve when their mission is to make money. Like mentioned by others earlier, if you bet on yourself and do well you'll be a doctor but you are making it a lot harder on yourself to succeed (a lot harder than improving your app and applying again next cycle). It will not be fun, you will not enjoy the experience, it will be mentally and physically exhausting.

 

[wannadoctoritup]

Please don’t listen to this guys last comment. I’m a student here at Knox. We love it here, we are happy and supported. You will be fine! Why this guy is trying to scare you guys is beyond me. I am a first year and this year the faculty and staff has been receptive to us. It’s ridiculous to suggest that a student should throw away their opportunity to go to medical school just because of a bitter rando on the internet. And just as ridiculous to say that the school wants us to fail. I have not seen evidence of that NOT ONE BIT. I understand you want to put in your two cents, we all appreciate it, of course you should speak freely. But bashing incoming students like this is extremely telling of your character . @ccu_med @DO_Med_Student

 

[premed8218]

The advise from this people is “apply next cycle or don’t come here”. They are clearly not trying to help because if they were, they would try to give solutions to the problems. Everything can be changed, nothing is permanent. Future students or prospective students won’t get anything positive and constructive from this thread. I’ve only seen people complaining and complaining and complaining. Like come on people, if you really want to do something or help, show the problems and what can be done to make it better. Like it was mentioning before, only throwing problems at us aren’t doing any good. If your only advise is to tell future students to apply next cycle, you aren’t helping. Throwing an acceptance from a medical school away is ridiculous. I feel like there are people here trying to “throw people off” instead of helping. If that’s not the case, and only telling people to apply somewhere else, you aren’t contributing to anything and only causing more frustration. This just proves this forum sucks. Students come here to find advises and things that will help them succeed in medical school and what’s happening in this threat is honestly ridiculous.

 

[premed8218]

@PapaGuava you should really take a look to what is being said here. What do you think about all of this?

 

[PapaGuava]

Everyone has made their point regarding how they feel with everything and have beaten it to the death, so lets move on now.

For all those who have been accepted, enjoy your time off best you can and get ready for the grind of medical school. It isn't all bad, but it all comes down to how much you want to succeed as a student. One professor, or one issue, will not keep you from getting to where you want to be in the end.

 

[YeOleBoneWiz]

Vote in SGA members that will keep fire on the administrations butt to do as little dumb stuff as possible. There is your advice. Otherwise we do not really know what to say. The old adage used to be "brush boards do well in class, do good on rotations" but now that step 1 is going pass fail and comlex is likely to follow suit, we just do not know. Crush step 2 I guess, get research (good luck at DCOM) and do well in class. Nobody knows what the future holds for DO students since now the brightest hope (crushing step 1 to get invites at places that usually do not take DO) is out the window. You usually do not take step 2 until late third year so instead of previously know if you were competitive for XYZ specialty you don't find out until you have already signed up for auditions. Just know that step 1 going PF will make things harder in regard to competitive specialties coming from a DO school, especially a no name school with no connections anywhere decent like LMU DCOM.

Be ok with family med, IM, peds, ER, psych ladies and gents otherwise go MD. All the people who got ultra competitive residencies in my class crushed step 1, and now that that is out the window good luck standing out.

 

[premed8218]

Vote in SGA members that will keep fire on the administrations butt to do as little dumb stuff as possible. There is your advice. Otherwise we do not really know what to say. The old adage used to be "brush boards do well in class, do good on rotations" but now that step 1 is going pass fail and comlex is likely to follow suit, we just do not know. Crush step 2 I guess, get research (good luck at DCOM) and do well in class. Nobody knows what the future holds for DO students since now the brightest hope (crushing step 1 to get invites at places that usually do not take DO) is out the window. You usually do not take step 2 until late third year so instead of previously know if you were competitive for XYZ specialty you don't find out until you have already signed up for auditions. Just know that step 1 going PF will make things harder in regard to competitive specialties coming from a DO school, especially a no name school with no connections anywhere decent like LMU DCOM.

Be ok with family med, IM, peds, ER, psych ladies and gents otherwise go MD. All the people who got ultra competitive residencies in my class crushed step 1, and now that that is out the window good luck standing out.

It seems like you should have gone to an MD school. This seems to be more like your personal problem and some stuff you mentioned are problems for every DO medical school.

NOW....As it was mentioned before, can we PLEASE MOVE ON and actually help future students with constructive feedback and beneficial advice? Thank you.

 

[deleted1041468]

The effort you put into medical school is what you'll get down the road, meaning, if you study hard you will get into the residency you want, just like the people posting here mentioned they matched where they wanted. Medical school is hard and many things people say here happen in most medical schools. Usually, people who take their time to write in SDN are the ones that talk only about the negative side. DCOM has many positive things and also has many negatives, people only take their time to write the negative here. But anyway, people have their opinions. I would just tell people who're reading this to know they will face many problems like the ones that were mentioned here in basically any medical school. So, don't be put down over a few people who only look at the bad and not the good. "The cup is half full and not half empty". Again, if you put the time and have the commitment you will succeed at DCOM. There will always be people saying only the negative here, and almost never the good sides, so just take everything into consideration

Well I’ll say I faced a handful of problems going through medical school but none that weren’t easily managed. Definitely none like are being talked about on this thread from other students. Even the school I attended puts out school propaganda that’s only positive, any business does this. It’s best to listen to fourth year students. If it’s someone’s only acceptance take your chance and go. I would just be weary of what others say rather than arguing this or that and beating the dead horse twice.

 

[YeOleBoneWiz]

It seems like you should have gone to an MD school. This seems to be more like your personal problem and some stuff you mentioned are problems for every DO medical school.

NOW....As it was mentioned before, can we PLEASE MOVE ON and actually help future students with constructive feedback and beneficial advice? Thank you.

What? How is this a personal problem? Some future students asked for advice and I provided it. I think you have said to everyone in this thread that you disagree with that they have a personal problem. If you read anywhere on the forum a strong step 1 was the foothold for any DO student. And now that is going to be gone for 2024. you are correct it is not a dcom specific problem but again. They asked for advice. They got it. And you didn’t like it so now you say it’s my personal problem. Typical premed mentality.
Also I was able to match in something other than what it stated above, Nontheless it will be more difficult now that step 1 is PF, so even if you are the most excellent test taker, it doesn’t really matter.

 

[futureneuro7]

I just got on here to see if anyone is still getting II, not to experience WWIII. There are some good things and bad things about every program. Get over it, complain to your friends, and put your nose to the grind.

 

[maachettha]

Has anyone see any movement on the wait list?

 

[Xaos]

I reached out to a couple people in Admissions and according to them, the class is not full, they are pulling from the wait list as they can but as previously announced, they will probably not do so in bulk until May. Knoxville is probably full after the latest round of offers, but they will still pull from the waitlist as spots open up. Harrogate still has space. Everything is delayed because of COVID. All of LMU is on a skeleton crew, but staff might be back on campus later this week. If you’re waiting on the wait list, it might be sometime in May, but they also accept people off of the wait list in June and even July. It sucks. Sorry.

Because I can’t help myself, I'm boxing up the rest of my opinion for ease of scrolling past and ignoring. Please PM me if you have any questions about anything I say next or want more info. But to accepted and incoming students; do not give up your only acceptance to medical school. Do not panic about coming here. You will be okay. I don’t work for LMU or DCOM and I'm not a medical student but I know a lot of people who work at LMU, go to DCOM, and have graduated. I also worked advising pre-med students for awhile, and still do so occasionally; I know med students, residents, and attending from medical schools from every region and tier in the country, and some international/Caribbean.

Universities are businesses with an ultimate goal to be profitable. New programs, more students, increasing class sizes, raising tuition, the norm of student loans, the expectation of a college education, a decrease in personal responsibility, and budget cuts are trending nationally across higher education. It sucks.

Medical school sucks. Period. Doesn't matter where you go - it's a much higher workload with more personal responsibility, higher stakes, higher risks, and higher costs. It's long, it's hard, and as a reward for the hundreds of dollars you've spent, you get 3+ years of working borderline criminally long hours for peanuts. As a reward for that, you get to start paying your loans back! If you don't want to be a doctor, don't. The money, the prestige, the approval of others, isn't going to be worth it if you don't want it. And it'll just leave you bitter.

But let's go back to medical school. Hundreds of people drop out every year after spending tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars that they don't have, and still more go through the whole process and don't match. It's unlikely that this will happen to you; but it could. What would you do if it did? Is that possibility worth the risk for you?

In addition to sharing the ultimate goal of being profitable, medical schools have these fun mission statements. DCOM is a large osteopathic medical school in the middle of nowhere, and it wants to produce primary care physicians and family medicine docs for rural Appalachia. Not interested? Okay, plenty of people match elsewhere in other fields - but you're going to have to try a little bit harder to make your goals happen. They're not prepping you for neurosurgery at Hopkins because that's what you want to do. They're trying to make things better for their community by pumping out more decent physicians. It's not the highest bar; if you want to aim higher, do it.

Don't come into it expecting the school to give you anything but an opportunity. No one is going to be holding your hand or making sure you're watching lecture. Get off the damn internet, stop comparing you and your program to others, and put your nose to the grindstone. Pop your head up every now and then to make sure you're going the right direction, but do something.

If you have multiple options that you are considering, make a pro-con list of things that make sense to you, call each school, ask to talk to current students or graduates, take everything you read on the internet, good and bad, with a healthy heap of salt, and pick a school. If you're applying, maybe make sure you'd be willing to go to a school for four years before throwing hundreds of dollars down the drain by applying. If you fell in love with another school at the interview and you didn't get in there, or you wanted to go MD and you're settling, it sucks. But move on. Embrace the reality. Do what you can with what you've got. If you like DCOM and you think you'd be happy there, good. Go there. But be prepared to fight for what you want, because it's hard no matter what.

 

[YeOleBoneWiz]

I reached out to a couple people in Admissions and according to them, the class is not full, they are pulling from the wait list as they can but as previously announced, they will probably not do so in bulk until May. Knoxville is probably full after the latest round of offers, but they will still pull from the waitlist as spots open up. Harrogate still has space. Everything is delayed because of COVID. All of LMU is on a skeleton crew, but staff might be back on campus later this week. If you’re waiting on the wait list, it might be sometime in May, but they also accept people off of the wait list in June and even July. It sucks. Sorry.

Because I can’t help myself, I'm boxing up the rest of my opinion for ease of scrolling past and ignoring. Please PM me if you have any questions about anything I say next or want more info. But to accepted and incoming students; do not give up your only acceptance to medical school. Do not panic about coming here. You will be okay. I don’t work for LMU or DCOM and I'm not a medical student but I know a lot of people who work at LMU, go to DCOM, and have graduated. I also worked advising pre-med students for awhile, and still do so occasionally; I know med students, residents, and attending from medical schools from every region and tier in the country, and some international/Caribbean.

Good post, and as with every business we are allowed to provide our review. DCOM gets 1/5 stars from me. I would not turn it down if it was my one acceptance either, that is 200k+ attending salary down the drain.

Edit; Maybe 1.5-2 since I think overall the class thought first year was well taught with mostly supportive instructors and we were rather lax on OMM requirements throughout. I have heard of some other osteopathic schools literally keeping people in OMM lab four hours per week which is insanity since most of it is pseudoscience non sense.

 

[smol9877]

Does anyone know where I can find a residency match list for LMU-DCOM? Present or past. I know LMU gives us a map. I’m more interested in the number of students going into each residency.

 

[FutureBoneDoc95]

Does anyone know where I can find a residency match list for LMU-DCOM? Present or past. I know LMU gives us a map. I’m more interested in the number of students going into each residency.

Link to past years match list: Student Outcomes | Lincoln Memorial University

This year's match is attached. Not on the website.

 

[premedmommyx2]

Good post, and as with every business we are allowed to provide our review. DCOM gets 1/5 stars from me. I would not turn it down if it was my one acceptance either, that is 200k+ attending salary down the drain.

Edit; Maybe 1.5-2 since I think overall the class thought first year was well taught with mostly supportive instructors and we were rather lax on OMM requirements throughout. I have heard of some other osteopathic schools literally keeping people in OMM lab four hours per week which is insanity since most of it is pseudoscience non sense.

Does second year get that much worse?! Y’all are scaring me over here!

 

[premed8218]

Link to past years match list: Student Outcomes | Lincoln Memorial University

This year's match is attached. Not on the website.

That's a pretty good list for 2020.

 

[YeOleBoneWiz]

Does second year get that much worse?! Y’all are scaring me over here!

It’s somewhat harder but I just felt like overall the clinical instructors were not that great compared to basic sciences. They have changed since I have been there so it may be better. They also have started buying Uworld for students which is a big deal instead of Combank.
I think more people fail our second year but if you do well first year or even if you do average you will be OK.

 

[YeOleBoneWiz]

That's a pretty good list for 2020.

That's a pretty good list for 2020.

It is but it’s hard to tell what a good match is. What people want doesn’t always equal best looking match to an outsider. There are people on the list that went fm and IM and peds that were better students and high boards than I and several others who aren’t doing primary care but just by looking at the list one might not be all that impressed with their matches. But it’s what they wanted

 

[premed8218]

It is but it’s hard to tell what a good match is. What people want doesn’t always equal best looking match to an outsider. There are people on the list that went fm and IM and peds that were better students and high boards than I and several others who aren’t doing primary care but just by looking at the list one might not be all that impressed with their matches. But it’s what they wanted

I agree with you. If you don't mind me asking, which specialty did you match?

 

[premedmommyx2]

It’s somewhat harder but I just felt like overall the clinical instructors were not that great compared to basic sciences. They have changed since I have been there so it may be better. They also have started buying Uworld for students which is a big deal instead of Combank.
I think more people fail our second year but if you do well first year or even if you do average you will be OK.

That makes sense. They just gave us Kaplan and Picmonic last month. Com bank is good until I think August. Hopefully it’ll help! Our admin in Knox seem to be more receptive than harrogate

 

[YeOleBoneWiz]

That makes sense. They just gave us Kaplan and Picmonic last month. Com bank is good until I think August. Hopefully it’ll help! Our admin in Knox seem to be more receptive than harrogate

Dang we didn’t get any of that lol. All we Got was combank. At least they are trying to listen. We had to pay out of pocket for everything. So you can see why our class almost as a whole despises the place.

 

[YeOleBoneWiz]

I agree with you. If you don't mind me asking, which specialty did you match?

Not one of those but since so few matches into the others besides fm im peds I can’t say out of staying anonymous

 

[maabuait]

Should I continue hoping for an interview invite if I sent my secondary on March 30, 2020? I know it was LITERALLY the day before their deadline, but I took a chance. Anyone in a similar situation? Please SOS and TY!

 

[premed8218]

Should I continue hoping for an interview invite if I sent my secondary on March 30, 2020? I know it was LITERALLY the day before their deadline, but I took a chance. Anyone in a similar situation? Please SOS and TY!

That’s very late, but if you have EXCELLENT stats you might have a chance. But I think it would be hard at this point.

 

[maachettha]

LMU extended their date to April 16th, 2020 for submitting secondaries. You might have a chance.

 

[Djmanifestdestiny]

Received an II today for 4/24

 

[prayigetaccepted]

Any notices of acceptance today? Specifically from 4/9 interview date?

 

[CouchAthlete]

Any notices of acceptance today? Specifically from 4/9 interview date?

Not that I’m aware of...I continue anxiously waiting for something

 

[Fireman T]

Most students use Federal Direct Unsubsidized/Stafford loans for the maximum amount (around 42k I think), and then if you have decent credit, most people use Federal Graduate Plus loans for the rest (but requires a credit check). Most people tend to take out the full cost of attendance (~54k tuition and fees + 28k housing/living expenses) because there are a lot of first-year expenses (moving, deposits, supplies, etc) and (unless things change from the current year) you can return a certain amount back through the financial aid office with no penalty until like November. Your federal loans go straight to the school and are refunded to you once at the beginning of each semester in two lump sums.

If you are not eligible for federal loans, there are a lot of private loans out there, but most of the people I know are on federal loans so I don't know about those. If you're eligible for federal loans but you have poor credit, you may be able to get the Stafford loans, but not the Grad Plus loans, and you'll probably still want to look at private loans.

Hit up DCOM financial aid for a decent (though the numbers are a bit dated) idea of the those loan program, if you have circumstances that might be special or for more detailed questions.

Housing was talked about several times, your best bet is to clarify harrogate vs knoxville and use the search bar to search the thread. For harrogate (maybe for knoxville now too?) there is a DCOM housing page on Facebook that landlords post regularly on.

Thanks that was awesome advice!!

 

[maabuait]

Received an II today for 4/24

That's awesome, congrats!

 

[Fireman T]

Just a quick question what grades do you need after acceptance like how low can you go before the school will retract your letter?

 

[NontraditionalEMS]

Received an II today for 4/24

Congrats on your II! Hopefully, it will be a pretty chill online one. Would you mind sharing or PMing your stats and IS/OOS?

 

[premed8218]

Just a quick question what grades do you need after acceptance like how low can you go before the school will retract your letter?

I’m not sure the exact grade, but I remember reading that if your performance goes down a lot they have the right to withdraw your acceptance. Just finish the semester strong and you won’t have any problem....by strong I mean a “B“ or above

 

[premed8218]

Congrats on your II! Hopefully, it will be a pretty chill online one. Would you mind sharing or PMing your stats and IS/OOS?

Wait, the interviews are being online???

 

[Djmanifestdestiny]

Wait, the interviews are being online???

Yes they said the interview would be conducted on Zoom.