Several. I noticed an anti-LECOM sentiment in numerous SDN posts before starting the PostBac program, but disregarded them as the frustrations 0f bitter or unsuccessful students. During orientation we were introduced to campus police / security. They make sure to let you know they are fully-certified peace officers for Pennsylvania and can & will arrest you if necessary. Wasn't planning to commit any crimes, but thanks for the heads up? A few days into the program, I was called into a meeting with a member of the faculty / administration as they had received a complaint about my driving on school grounds. Apparently one of the officers had observed me committing a "California stop" at one of the stop signs - that is, I made a complete stop... but not for a long enough period of time. I thought this was bizarre. If I had committed an infraction (they said I didn't), I should have been issued a citation. Instead, they wanted me to be aware that I was being watched. I tried to dismiss it as simply a tactic to ensure new students are aware of their actions and didn't give it a second thought.
Some weeks into the program, we were subject to a presentation to remind us that we ought not to be getting drunk and acting foolishly. A student in another program did so and was dismissed, although the details we were given were vague. A few weeks later, we had a presentation on - I kid you not - hygiene. We were reminded to shower and use deodorant daily, and dress in appropriate attire per school uniform regulations.
I'm not a fan of their admissions process or how their admissions office does business. The secondary is simply a fee submission and the interview is a group. Those factors taken together suggest the school really doesn't care who they're getting to fill their spots. Furthermore, the admissions office is a bit of a black hole with the number of applications they receive, and it remains to be seen if they'll have enough spots for all the PostBacs. Also, the administration has structured the second semester to extend the period between exams, effectively making some of the exams considerably more difficult than others for no clear reason. Example: our last exam covered a four-week period compared to the normal two weeks. The exam was 41 pages long and took nearly 5 hours to complete. The class average hovered just above failing.
Please don't get the impression I am anti-LECOM. The issues I've mentioned are peculiar at best and unsettling at worst, but they are by no means deal-breakers when taken alone. My overall experience has been positive and I have learned a lot. The school graduates a high number of D.O.s annually and that doesn't happen by chance. There are several passionate, well-informed professors and the PostBac program doesn't ask much of you.
My primary reason for not continuing to attend LECOM this fall is Erie. I'm from a much more populous area and Erie is simply not my kind of town. The winter is long and the area's infrastructure is uninspiring - sidewalks can hardly be found in neighborhoods and potholes are a prominent feature. There's no real draw to the area aside from tick-infested Presque Isle (which is beautiful in the summer) and much of Erie is economically depressed with empty factories littering downtown. Additionally, I had to consider population density. The greater Erie area has maybe 200k people with just 100k of those living in Erie proper or the immediate surrounding area, thus local employment and training opportunities are negatively impacted. I have a family and don't want to have to move from state to state throughout my education and early medical career. Erie strikes me as a city that really shouldn't be a city at all, although much of its issues won't apply to the average PostBac (if you don't have a family).
So, I'm moving to Indianapolis at the end of the semester. I've visited several times and really enjoy it there. I'll get the benefits of four distinct seasons (something my hometown lacks), and access to rural communities while maintaining the benefits of a large city. Perhaps I won't get off the MUCOM alternate list, but I'll live in Indy just as well. I am certain, though, that I won't be attending LECOM. Hopefully I've answered your question fairly and I'm happy to answer any others you have.
