LECOM Post Bacc 2010-2011

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Thank you so much for all the feedback! I really appreciate it! I'm sure I will have more questions later on, so it is good to know that there are people out there willing to answer my questions!
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Do you think that it is best to live close to the main campus or the campus where the post bacc classes are? Is there any reason why it would be better to live near the main campus (cheaper rent, access to facilities that we will rely on frequently, etc.)
 
docdonny said:
Do you think that it is best to live close to the main campus or the campus where the post bacc classes are? Is there any reason why it would be better to live near the main campus (cheaper rent, access to facilities that we will rely on frequently, etc.)
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When I was in post-bac we were still at the main campus, but something to think about would be if you're planning to attend LECOM after post-bac. If so, despite the inconvenience of commuting to the bayfront campus, the convenience of having a closer apartment for medical school may win out. Also, it's closer to the wellness center (work-out facilities) and the library @ the main campus.
 
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Did it take anyone a while for their transcripts from their undergrad institution to be entered in their application. According to my school my transcripts were sent out on Feb.4th but in the admissions portal it still says Not Yet Recieved?


Thanks!
 
I would give someone a call in the admisssion department and ask them if they have received it. The same thing happened to me, sometimes they have things and just fail to update your status online. For me they lost my recs and I had to have them resent.
 
So I haven't taken the MCAT yet would that kill my application even if I have everything else?
 
For those that already applied, how long was your response to the essay question?
 
domoloft11 said:
For those that already applied, how long was your response to the essay question?
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I applied about a month ago and have already recieved my acceptance letter. My essay was 212 words, very brief and to the point. Said that I aspired to become a physician, wanted to do a post bacc that would give me the best odds of gaining admission to medical school and said why I specificially wanted to do a post bacc at a DO school (the normal BS)
 
Did you have to send in an official MCAT/transcript report?

I just finished my online application and it really doesn't say anything about either of those things. Also, does the "Required Letters and Credits" tab tell you how many letters they've received, and from whom? Thanks for your help.
 
domoloft11 said:
For those that already applied, how long was your response to the essay question?
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Mine was 481 words long. I basically introduced myself, explained I wanted to be a physician, how I would benefit to the program and what I can bring to the table.
 
when is the last date to apply to this program? Are programs like this for people who lack in one category of GPA/MCAT/ECs--the borderline students who didn't get into DO? Does this program accept students who have no real ECs, around 3.0 GPA with a mediocre MCAT?

Is the minimum 3.0 serious? Will they consider you if your GPA is like a 2.9?
 
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anotheremail said:
when is the last date to apply to this program? Are programs like this for people who lack in one category of GPA/MCAT/ECs--the borderline students who didn't get into DO? Does this program accept students who have no real ECs, around 3.0 GPA with a mediocre MCAT?

Is the minimum 3.0 serious? Will they consider you if your GPA is like a 2.9?
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The 3.0 GPA that everyone is referring to is once you are in the program you much maintain a 3.0 in order to be fully accepted into the medical school.
 
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Things have been rather busy and hectic as of late so replying to this thread may be rather infrequent as opposed to times before for prompt responses.

So like Pianoman said, there are advantages to living near the main campus (in millcreek). You'll be closer to the wellness center (http://www.lecomwellness.com/site/virtual_tour.html) as well as other perks such as Wegmans, other chain stores that you may want to go to, restuarants, etc. Rent will probably be a bit higher but you are paying for a "nicer" area. The big downside would obviously be commuting to Bayfront everyday.

I personally live in downtown near the bayfront campus in a very nice apartment complex but if things continue to work out, I'll be moving close to the main campus in July so it's really not a permanent choice that you need to make in where you're going to realistically live for the next 3 years.

Everything else seems to be answered already so if you have any more questions, just post them here or PM and I'll get to them when I can.
 
Who is the current coordinator for the post bac program? I just tried emailing Thomas ross at [email protected] and it did not go through.

My application got processed on February 16 and it is under review at the moment. They still haven't entered/received my recommendation letter, I just gotta keep calling them to find out if they received it at least. How long does it usually take to review the application. I have been checking the portal like 5 times every day haha.
 
hugh65 said:
Who is the current coordinator for the post bac program? I just tried emailing Thomas ross at [email protected] and it did not go through.

My application got processed on February 16 and it is under review at the moment. They still haven't entered/received my recommendation letter, I just gotta keep calling them to find out if they received it at least. How long does it usually take to review the application. I have been checking the portal like 5 times every day haha.
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A direct number to admission is 814-860-5172. will save you time from constantly calling yet never being able to get a hold of anyone.
 
Thank you, isn't that Tom Ross's number. I called and got forwarded to Regina's mailbox which was full unfortunately. Apparently Jamie has the week off. I called Dr. Kulesza ,who I think is the new LECOM post bac coordinator from what I saw on his page, and I left him a voicemail. I just wanna make sure that they received my recommendation letter, cuz it hasnt been entered into the portal yet. I dont want to delay my application just cuz they havent entered in my recommendation letter. But I am going to keep calling them and emailing them. I have everything else (official transcripts, MCAT, application) on the portal. My application is under review so hopefully I get my acceptance letter soon. :).
 
hugh65 said:
Thank you, isn't that Tom Ross's number. I called and got forwarded to Regina's mailbox which was full unfortunately. Apparently Jamie has the week off. I called Dr. Kulesza ,who I think is the new LECOM post bac coordinator from what I saw on his page, and I left him a voicemail. I just wanna make sure that they received my recommendation letter, cuz it hasnt been entered into the portal yet. I dont want to delay my application just cuz they havent entered in my recommendation letter. But I am going to keep calling them and emailing them. I have everything else (official transcripts, MCAT, application) on the portal. My application is under review so hopefully I get my acceptance letter soon. :).
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The exact same thing happened to me. They said they never received my rec letter and it held up my application for like a week. I ended up having to have my professor fax the letter directly to regina and she immediately updated my the portal. Keep calling and good luck.
 
Tom doesn't work for LECOM admissions anymore unfortunately, he's at the PNC investment branch in Erie.

As for the admissions go-between for the program, that would be Jamie Murphy. Amy is the admissions coordinator here at LECOM and takes care of that side of things for both Erie and Seton Hill campuses.

Dr. Kulezsa is actually the program director for the post-bacc/Masters as well as the director of anatomy at LECOM. I wouldn't call him about recieving letters as he has nothing to do with the admissions side of the school and is extremely busy running both the program as well as research/teaching the medical students.

If you are sure that your letters have been sent say by Interfolio, then just talk to either Regina or Jamie or anyone in admissions to retrieve them for you. Sometimes things get lost or misplaced.
 
Thank you guys for the info, I am going to keep calling. I am gonna try again tomorrow. If I dont get any responses from admissions by the end of the week, I am gonna ask my professor to fax it just to be on the safe side. What do you guys think? Do you guys think it is still early in the process? I submitted my application in the middle of january and it just got processed on the 16th and went to "application under review" on the 17th. Jamie is off for the week which sucks cuz he knows my situation. But its okay, I will keep trying.
 
also my professor said that he mailed the recommendation letter on February 7th to the mailing address that they posted on the main page: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Office of Admissions. I remember Jamie telling me that it takes time, but I just need to know if they received it and they physically have the letter.
 
1) When does the post bac class start? I have an internship/job at this lab and need start and end dates so I can tell them to what date I can work for.

2) Do we need a letter of rec for the application? If so, how many?
 
Postbac starts sometime in September and ends late April.

It should have letter requirements on the application?
 
Excellent, my portal just got updated, they have received all my letter requirements. How long does it take before it updates to "A decision has been made..."? I definitely hope I see you guys in the Fall.
 
I just submitted an application yesterday, but I was wondering if I needed to re-send my transcripts even if they should have them from applying to the DO program.
 
You do need to resend transcripts or talk to someone in admissions to transfer your AACOMAS stats over in the form of your MCAT score and transcripts.
 
jslo85 said:
You do need to resend transcripts or talk to someone in admissions to transfer your AACOMAS stats over in the form of your MCAT score and transcripts.
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Do you know what the deadline for the application is exactly? Would I have a chance this late if I submit my application, and they are able to gain access to my stats in AACOMAS from the DO application. MCAT 24 with a 3.5 general gpa but a 2.9 science gpa
 
Not sure when the deadline is but I assume it's around early June, it really depends on the number of accepted students to seats because of rolling admissions. They take in roughly 65 students.

You do have a good chance still applying now. If you wish them to access your DO app for your transcripts and MCAT, you need to speak with an admissions personnel, probably Jamie Murphy, and tell him specifically that you had applied to LECOM previously this cycle and would like those things transferred over.
 
Hey all,


My little brother will be doing this program this year. I did it back in 2007, but so much has changed since then I don't really know what to tell him.

1. How did you guys get your MCAT on file/ portal....did you go thru AACOMAS or some other way?

2. Do you know if classes will be held at Bayfront or the main campus this year?

Thanks!
 
1. You can either submit them by mail or if he applied this cycle, you can ask an admissions guy to manually transfer them from his AACOMAS app to his pb application file.

2. It's at Bayfront
 
jslo85 said:
Not sure when the deadline is but I assume it's around early June, it really depends on the number of accepted students to seats because of rolling admissions. They take in roughly 65 students.

You do have a good chance still applying now. If you wish them to access your DO app for your transcripts and MCAT, you need to speak with an admissions personnel, probably Jamie Murphy, and tell him specifically that you had applied to LECOM previously this cycle and would like those things transferred over.
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Thanks so much for you response =). I am really glad there is a student doctor network where we can share our concerns and help each other:love:
 
Sure.

If anyone else has any questions about the post-bacc program here at LECOM or DO SMP programs or DO schools in general I'd be happy to answer them when time allows for it. I'll "try" to stay unbiased =)

Only one month and a couple weeks left before it ends for my class and I'll be matriculating into the class of 2015 at Erie so just PM me if needed.
 
jslo85 said:
Sure.

If anyone else has any questions about the post-bacc program here at LECOM or DO SMP programs or DO schools in general I'd be happy to answer them when time allows for it. I'll "try" to stay unbiased =)

Only one month and a couple weeks left before it ends for my class and I'll be matriculating into the class of 2015 at Erie so just PM me if needed.
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I just want to extend a public (SDN) thank you to jslo85 for being so helpful on this forum. LECOM should lower your tuition or something; you are most definitely an asset to SDN and somewhat of an unsung hero to us (hopefully) future LECOM med students. Well I'm singing!!! Thanks dude! :thumbup:
 
Dharma said:
I just want to extend a public (SDN) thank you to jslo85 for being so helpful on this forum. LECOM should lower your tuition or something; you are most definitely an asset to SDN and somewhat of an unsung hero to us (hopefully) future LECOM med students. Well I'm singing!!! Thanks dude! :thumbup:
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I second that....really appreciate all of your help
 
Hi everyone!

I am a current post bac student here at lecom. I believe it is very important for ALL students (rather its med or dental etc) to really weigh out their options. with that said, also note that whatever anyone says is purely based on their personal experience here and take it with a grain of salt.

I have regrets with this program. If i could change back time, i would have chosen my PCOM or VCOM acceptances. I had chosen LECOM simply because it was closer to home. The program itself is designed to give you a taste of med school. It WILL prepare you for med school, but it WILL NOT necesarily get you in one. Alot of us have felt like we are treated inferior to all other classes. we are given professors that are incompetent to teach, such as our biochem prof, who after failing over half the class on his exams, is now facing the board and is not allowed to teach. the sad thing about this whole fiasco was that WE as post baccs COMPLAINED about him, but since we were post baccs, noone cared. but the minute the med and pharm students complained, he was taken away.

Aside from that, we were taught microbio in a week and half right before finals. we had only one exam in micro which had over 100 questions (Same concept goes for viro and immuno), and basically if u failed that exam, u failed the class bc u had no chance of redeeming yourself even with the final which only had like 30 questions.

our stats are that the average GPA from fall semester was a 2.7. a good 40% of the students WILL NOT be getting in.

our last anatomy exam, 40% failed. 40% recieved a C. and only ONE person got an A (90.4%).

So, im here to share my experience. do not base your entire decision on it. obviously. but dont think its like the best program out there either. i can bet money on it, that u can find another post bac with better acceptance statisticss and better faculty that are more student oriented.

jslo has good info, but also realize, he is only ONE of hte 60 students. and not part of the majority who are failing.
 
autum said:
Hi everyone!

I am a current post bac student here at lecom. I believe it is very important for ALL students (rather its med or dental etc) to really weigh out their options. with that said, also note that whatever anyone says is purely based on their personal experience here and take it with a grain of salt.

I have regrets with this program. If i could change back time, i would have chosen my PCOM or VCOM acceptances. I had chosen LECOM simply because it was closer to home. The program itself is designed to give you a taste of med school. It WILL prepare you for med school, but it WILL NOT necesarily get you in one. Alot of us have felt like we are treated inferior to all other classes. we are given professors that are incompetent to teach, such as our biochem prof, who after failing over half the class on his exams, is now facing the board and is not allowed to teach. the sad thing about this whole fiasco was that WE as post baccs COMPLAINED about him, but since we were post baccs, noone cared. but the minute the med and pharm students complained, he was taken away.

Aside from that, we were taught microbio in a week and half right before finals. we had only one exam in micro which had over 100 questions (Same concept goes for viro and immuno), and basically if u failed that exam, u failed the class bc u had no chance of redeeming yourself even with the final which only had like 30 questions.

our stats are that the average GPA from fall semester was a 2.7. a good 40% of the students WILL NOT be getting in.

our last anatomy exam, 40% failed. 40% recieved a C. and only ONE person got an A (90.4%).

So, im here to share my experience. do not base your entire decision on it. obviously. but dont think its like the best program out there either. i can bet money on it, that u can find another post bac with better acceptance statisticss and better faculty that are more student oriented.

jslo has good info, but also realize, he is only ONE of hte 60 students. and not part of the majority who are failing.
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So There are no guarantees and the program weeds out those who probably don't belong in Med school. Understood. I'm game.
 
Any other students in the program who may be reading this thread want to comment on what was just said.
 
"weed people out that dont belong in med school"? really? no.
in our class, i would say with the exception of probably 2 people, everyone is capable of getting through medical school. this program is supposed to help you, not hinder you. we have ppl with MCATs over 30. and we also have ppl with GPA's over 3.7. but their application is lacking in one way or another. all these ppl are intelligent. i know of atleast 2 ppl that know they arent going to be getting into lecom the following year that already got accepted to another med school. the messed up part is that alot of ppl have left their jobs, have moved their entire family, wife and kids, and they come here to just find out that this program is run like a family-owned business. everyone in the administration is related and they will not take responsibility for their actions. an ideal example that i have ALREADY presented was the biochem prof., he is being fired after bringing students GPA's down by a whole letter grade or two. and since we dont have plus or minuses, u drop from an A to a C pretty damn quickly.

with all that said, i did not say look upon my post as ur decision making factor. this program is good for those students that no other post bac would accept or students that simply love erie (not sure why..) or know the owners of the school (that will get u far). as for the other students out there who have other acceptances, they really should look into those other programs.

but do not be naive and think that "ooohhh im gonna go to lecom bc their acceptance rate into their med program is 98%", bc its not. its more like 60 some percent for THIS year. last year was different. and next year will be different.

Goodluck.
 
Alright. I was reluctant to reply to autum's first post because I agree with most of her points and I felt strongly that it was something that "belonged" in this thread as another valid viewpoint. But at the same time, there are a few clarifications that should be elaborated on and since someone asked above, i'll share my own personal thoughts on her concerns (valid points imo).

autum said:
Hi everyone!

I am a current post bac student here at lecom. I believe it is very important for ALL students (rather its med or dental etc) to really weigh out their options. with that said, also note that whatever anyone says is purely based on their personal experience here and take it with a grain of salt.

I have regrets with this program. If i could change back time, i would have chosen my PCOM or VCOM acceptances. I had chosen LECOM simply because it was closer to home. The program itself is designed to give you a taste of med school. It WILL prepare you for med school, but it WILL NOT necesarily get you in one. Alot of us have felt like we are treated inferior to all other classes. we are given professors that are incompetent to teach, such as our biochem prof, who after failing over half the class on his exams, is now facing the board and is not allowed to teach. the sad thing about this whole fiasco was that WE as post baccs COMPLAINED about him, but since we were post baccs, noone cared. but the minute the med and pharm students complained, he was taken away.

Aside from that, we were taught microbio in a week and half right before finals. we had only one exam in micro which had over 100 questions (Same concept goes for viro and immuno), and basically if u failed that exam, u failed the class bc u had no chance of redeeming yourself even with the final which only had like 30 questions.

our stats are that the average GPA from fall semester was a 2.7. a good 40% of the students WILL NOT be getting in.

our last anatomy exam, 40% failed. 40% recieved a C. and only ONE person got an A (90.4%).

So, im here to share my experience. do not base your entire decision on it. obviously. but dont think its like the best program out there either. i can bet money on it, that u can find another post bac with better acceptance statisticss and better faculty that are more student oriented.

jslo has good info, but also realize, he is only ONE of hte 60 students. and not part of the majority who are failing.
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I'm not sure how much research or information each one of you have done in looking at special masters type programs, but they are not to be used liberally. Generally speaking, these programs (DO or MD) are used to correct a severe deficit in your application (usually GPA) in a short amount of time (1 year usually) by providing a chance to prove your academic capabilites against a medical school curriculum. The blade cuts both ways. For students like me and other classmates who had a torrid UG gpa and a plethora of units under our belt that prevented any realistic timeline of improving it through taking additional UG science classes, this was an efficient option provided we do well. For all students who aren't successful in the program, you just nailed your coffin shut. You just demonstrated that you just aren't fit to handle medical school coursework by your subpar performance in a "practice run".

Autum is right on both accounts that this program will prepare you for medical school and we did have somewhat of a catastrophic incident a particular biochem professor which resulted in a large majority of the class recieving a C or lower (me included). What I do disagree with is that we had the same exact professors as the medical students. Yes we experienced him first since physio and biochem were taught to us while MS1s were still on anatomy and embryo but they had his tests for the sections he was responsible for as well. On the subject of microbiology, the scheduling was brutal and similar to last year's class, there were several students who recieved a failing grade after the first test and could not recover. It's unfortunate that the scheduling still hasn't improved despite general complaints of this from past years but imo, the blame cannot be placed solely on the program itself but that the students should shoulder heavy responsibility for the grade they recieved.

i can bet money on it, that u can find another post bac with better acceptance statisticss and better faculty that are more student oriented.
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Statistics are misleading and can be interpreted subjectively depending on which way you look at it. But I will say that I'm willing to bet money as well that you won't find another SMP out there that's willing to openly state that they'll accept any of the students in their program with a certain GPA and a certain MCAT outside of LECOM (DO), TU-NY (DO), Temple (MD). There is a significant difference between being guaranteed an interview meeting certain requirements and being given a conditional acceptance meeting certain requirements. It's what makes LECOM's post-bacc program unique imho.


autum said:
"weed people out that dont belong in med school"? really? no.
in our class, i would say with the exception of probably 2 people, everyone is capable of getting through medical school. this program is supposed to help you, not hinder you. we have ppl with MCATs over 30. and we also have ppl with GPA's over 3.7. but their application is lacking in one way or another. all these ppl are intelligent. i know of atleast 2 ppl that know they arent going to be getting into lecom the following year that already got accepted to another med school. the messed up part is that alot of ppl have left their jobs, have moved their entire family, wife and kids, and they come here to just find out that this program is run like a family-owned business. everyone in the administration is related and they will not take responsibility for their actions. an ideal example that i have ALREADY presented was the biochem prof., he is being fired after bringing students GPA's down by a whole letter grade or two. and since we dont have plus or minuses, u drop from an A to a C pretty damn quickly.

with all that said, i did not say look upon my post as ur decision making factor. this program is good for those students that no other post bac would accept or students that simply love erie (not sure why..) or know the owners of the school (that will get u far). as for the other students out there who have other acceptances, they really should look into those other programs.

but do not be naive and think that "ooohhh im gonna go to lecom bc their acceptance rate into their med program is 98%", bc its not. its more like 60 some percent for THIS year. last year was different. and next year will be different.

Goodluck.
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Autum's absolutely right that stats shouldn't be held as the golden standard. Compared to previous years, our class' performance is unfortunately underwhelming and whether that is due to the negative impact of our biochem grades or whatever else can be debatable. It's just like match lists for residency, highly misleading if you look too deep into it. They sound great for publicity, but the only concrete factor that you can derive from seeing one is that such and such program was open to taking a student from this school. We have no knowledge of their board scores (his/her app in this scenario) or who he/she knew for connections, but that the program took him. Same thing for this program, you just know that LECOM has been open to the idea of taking back in X% of their students.

It really is unfortunate that many classmates won't be getting in and a couple particular situations have really hit close to home for me. At the same time, this is what this program was meant to do: provide a difficult curriculum and test whether students can sink or swim in an experiment simulating medical school. To me, it's highly unrealistic and idealistic to think hey, i'm going to pay 12,500 dollars into this program, chill for a year and get into medical school. If you talk to any of the students who did achieve a 3.0, the # of hours each of us spent studying is variable but I think I can safely say we all worked like hell for it. It sucks that many didn't make it and biochem certainly worked against us, but we all had the "clean slate" going into this program. We had the same lectures, same textbooks, same test questions, and the same opportunities to seek faculty assistance for help understanding the material. 22 of us from last year made a 3.0 and above, the rest didn't. That is all fact. Maybe extensive science background helped you might think? I know of several students with non-traditional backgrounds in that group of 22 and those with graduate degrees in anatomy or physiology that aren't apart of it. Point I'm trying to make is, we were all treated more or less the same yet some excelled and others didn't so the only practical thing I attribute that to is how much effort the individual put in.

The last thing I wanted to say was, that no one really knows for absolute certainty whether "grass is really greener on the other side". I know friends who are attending allopathic and osteopathic SMPs around the nation and there are plusses and negatives. There are plenty of things we don't know about such as whether the exact material and test questions are identical. For instance Touro NV can say they took back 70% or so of their students from their last year's pb class. That's great but take into consideration that TU-NV had 7 students total, 5 which made it in. The students accepted last year back into LECOM is 4x the TU-NV class size alone. Or you can look at PCOM where students do late interviews in March or April for spots on the waiting list where 20-28 students make it in each year from 1st and second yr combined. A student in AZCOM's MA has told me that they only interview students with a 3.5+ with expectations that only those with a 3.7+ should matriculate.

LECOM has it's faults no doubt about that. If you are deadset on going down the SMP route, you should make your decision based on the factors you hold most important. In medical school application, it's hard to find a guarantee which is why LECOM's conditional acceptance is (in my eyes) so valuable.

My 2 cents.
 
Thanks for BOTH perspectives. Much appreciated. That said, I'll be ready to attack this thing come September.
 
Dharma said:
Thanks for BOTH perspectives. Much appreciated. That said, I'll be ready to attack this thing come September.
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im in the program, and this is the mentality you should have coming in here. willing to study day and night if you have to. if you don't have that mentality, your are wasting 13k-20k, ruining your transcript for life, and wasting a year of life while you freeze your butt off. there is ppl here with wife and kids living off of financial aids as much as they are close to me and it hurts me to say it, they are not going to make it. if you are laid back and you wanna study like you have been study up until now(or else you wouldn't be here in the first place) i can guarantee you this program will only bury your application further, but if you want to start to change things and want to fight for it and have an attidude that you have something to prove to medical schools then your on the right track. and as for what jslo and autum said they are both correct this program has flaws, and its not fare at all times, but if you keep your head down and know the slides front to back, back to front(and there is alot of them) you have a chance. you have to take every test as if your life depends on it.

p.s this is my opinion please don't p.m me arguing whether I'm right or your right. i can really careless.
 
I am also a current post bacc at LECOM, and have already received my acceptance letter for next year. I am a big fan of LECOM, and would have to agree that this program will help immensely if you are willing to put in the effort. My recommendation is from day one put in your full effort, it will pay off. It was a ton of work, but completely worth it. Just focus on getting into medical school, you will be fine.
 
yes, work hard means to pay attention in class, and not read and post on sdn.
 
So I guess that it spread around some parts of my class about this thread during today's path lecture.

Don't listen to "neagrach" haha, he's an anomaly in the way he studies and yet does well in his tests. None of us really understands how he does it but hey whatever works for him. But really, putting in the effort and not losing motivation will make the difference. You guys are really that close to entering medical school that the time you put in from start to finish will be worth it when you recieve the acceptance letter.
 
Yea I wouldnt pay attention to a word neagra says. He truly is an anomaly.

I guess I'll add my experience with this program and give you what I think are the pros and cons.

First of all, be prepared to work harder than you have ever worked in your life in this program. I personally feel we've learned more in 6 months here than I did as a double major at a fairly reputable university in 4 years. With that being said, as hard and as challenging as this program has been it has been extremely beneficial in helping change my study habits and my mentality for medical school. This program will definitely help survive and dominate your first year of medical school. The challenge is completing the program and maintaining their requirements to get in.

Pros:
1. There are very few programs in this country that will guarantee you a spot in medical school during the current medical cycle based upon your performance in your program. Getting a 3.0 and 22 MCAT will get you in for sure. If you were like me, where you had a significant deficiency in your application (science gpa...) then this is a quick remedy for that situation. Other programs may help bolster your resume, but there is no set timetable on when your file will be cleaned up enough for when medical schools will consider you.

2. The professional atmosphere: I hated every aspect of the LECOM'S dress code, mandatory attendance, etc... BUT throughout the year, it has helped transform me into a much much better student. I came from a very large public university where when I wasn't skipping classes, I was strolling in late wearing sweatpants and sleeping in the back. LECOM holds you accountable for even walking in 10 seconds late. Eventually, this will help discipline you and this will translate to your study habits as well.

3. Preparation for medical school: M1 students we've talked to say that their post bacc experience made their first year in med school a piece of cake. Our exams are VERY similar to what they will see and if end up going to LECOM you'll probably see test questions recycled from the same professors you've already had. It is very challenging, but it will make your life easier in the future.

4. Interview: More like a meet and greet. If you have the grades, you'll be in.

CONS:
There are quite a few cons but most of them are petty and you can definitely work your way around them if you are willing to put in the time and effort.

1. The professors: Yes, it is true as posted above that we are treated as inferior students. And we have had quite a few professors that hold us to the same standards as their med students but do not teach or respect us in the same manner. However, there are still several professors and faculty that you can seek out to help you navigate your way through but you have to seek their help.

2. The MCAT: I don't have an issue with the MCAT because I personally feel a 22 is very generous to get into a medical school. However, there were many students accepted who had to retake the MCAT during the program and quite a few who werent able to achieve that stat. I can't imagine trying to balance our coursework and trying to take it. I would highly recommend having that requirement taken care of before the program.

3. The GPA and credit hour distribution: This was what I thought was the biggest flaw in this program. A 3.0 is no easy task to maintain in this program. The way the credit hours are distributed puts a heavy weight on classes such as anatomy or physiology in which the vast majority will not get A's. Furthermore, you are given only 15 hours of credit per semester when you are essentially doing 20-25 hours.

Furthermore, our exams are 3-4 hours long (no breaks) and will have a multitude of subjects on each exam. This ends up making each exam a make or break. Unfortunately, 2-3 poor exams during the year can derail your progress. We also have questions that are similar if not the same as those given to the MS1's. This means that while the M1's do not have to maintain a 3.0 throughout the year, as a post bacc student with similar exams, you do.

Keep in mind that LECOM is a school that prides itself on board scores. What makes the exam questions so challenging is that they are based upon comlex questions and these are the same ones you will receive as a post bacc student. Do not come into this program expecting to memorize and regurgitate (Except for Dr. Stevens and Hussein). Instead, be prepared to critically think and utilize the Board Review and USMLE practice books to get comfortable with the test material.

So the best thing to realize when you come into this program is that it can make or break you. If you have significant deficiencies and need a quick fix, this is your program. If you have minor deficiencies, then consider courses elsewhere as the program could potentially hurt your file more than help it.

I myself am sitting on the border of that gpa requirement, but I know that no matter how difficult this program is, it ultimately falls upon the student to get those requirements. It is still a business for them and they cannot have everyone get in, so you unfortunately will see friends you have made throughout the year not progress into the medical school. But in the end you will be a better student and MUCH better prepared for medical school.

Oh and Erie weather sucks and the number of attractive females is pretty low.

Good luck!
 
neagrach said:
im also in the program currently. just received acceptance to lecom bradenton. good program, work hard and you will get in.

And also, our biochem prof. did not get fired. he is still here and doing PBL.
Click to expand...

Actually, the biochem prof is currently under review. Probably not fired, but well on his way. He is not allowed to teach LDP, which is the majority of the seat--> SO CLEARLY, he is not fit to teach in a lecture oriented setting (which, IRONICALLY, is what post bac is taught as :) )

Also I would like to point out that that biochem prof was not allowed to write any of our final questions.

Anyways, i rather not take part in this petty SDN drama. I just came here to state my opinion bc it is an open forum. And the incoming students deserve the right to know all opinions. if you disagree, thats fine. thats your opinion, so no need to blast others view points just bc they dont agree with yours.

Also, chances are, most likely i will be getting in since my gpa is right on the border- but that doesnt mean that i need to agree with everything lecom does. there are serious flaws and students should take responsibility, but so does the school.
 
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