Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 36% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did well.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
Based on the responses provided, the most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about an applicant's strengths and weaknesses, how they handle stress, conflicts they have faced and resolved, their leadership style and experiences, their views on osteopathic medicine, and summary of articles given during the interview. Applicants should also be prepared to discuss their motivations for pursuing medicine, their interest in osteopathic medicine, and any unique attributes or experiences not listed in their applications.
Seton Hill only has group interviews and they asked what is professionalism to you and give an example when you saw unprofessional behavior and had to react.
what is the importance of professionalism and how does dress code play into that, whats the impact of your appearance on your practice (or something like that)
The discussion begins off with general introductions then they dive into the specific questions the interviewers had in mind. There's a couple of scenario questions and some just based off of your experiences with osteopathy and medicine.
If you have any gaps in your application, as in a time you were not attending school, and I know that one of you specifically has a substantial one, explain what you did during this time.
Group interview: basic introductions, what was the most interesting thing I'd seen as a scribe? who is A.T. Still? How would you react if you caught someone cheating? If you had made a promise to work as an aid in a summer camp for children in need, and your friends asked if you would attend a medical mission trip instead, which would you choose and why?
New for Erie is MMI. We were given a NYT article to read prior, one question was about that, then there were the usual why DO, what else would you do, why should we accept you.
The group portion consisted of an initial introduction, what volunteering/research/etc have you done, and then discussion about a friend you suspect of cheating.
See above. Questions may vary between interviewers and may or may not be one you have read about here before. They want to see how you interact with one another as much as they listen to the content of your answer.
Standard interview style questions - greatest accomplishment, who has influenced you. Some new questions that haven't been mentioned here before. I think they are swapping in new questions because they want on the spot answers... and honestly, those answers really did represent the person better than their rehearsed ones.
Do you think the reimbursement system for physicians is upside down (i.e. should primary care physicians get more money than specialists?) (group question)
Should an individual who smokes or does not take care of what they eat receive the same type of healthcare as an individual who does not smoke or eats healthily?
are patients customers? -- be honest with this one, lot of horribly rehearsed answers in our group, and be able to respond to what others in the group have to say
Tell us about yourself intro?Professor that inspired you? Prof that was difficult and how you handled it? Do you feel that primary care is fairly compensated and how you feel about the short time they spend with their Pt's
Describe yourself, Accomplishment most proud of, 15-20 years in the future, How should a private practice deal with needing to increase the bottom line, do lazy fat, smokers deserve care and organ transplants.
There were 4 questions total they could ask and they asked each of us one of the 4. The above question, "What achievement are you most proud of?", "Describe a positive or negative interaction with a professor." and the last one is escaping me, but it wasn't outlandish.
1)Tell us about yourself. 2)Why Medicine?, Why D.O.?, Why LECOM? 3)What qualities does a good leader possess?, What leadership experiences have you had?, What style of leadership do you use?
4)What clinical experiences have you had?, Have you shadowed a D.O.? 5)Have you ever had a conflict with another person? 6)What are 3 strengths?, 7)What is one weakness?
8)How do you handle stress/stressful situations?, 9)What learning pathway would you choose, and why? (LECOM has 3+ learning pathways, look at their website for more details here).
tell me about yourself. why DO? health care experience. 3 positive words, 1 negative. how do you work in a team? what are the characteristics of a leader?
Basically they asked me the 9 basic questions listed on SDN but that's because I'm a typical applicant. they asked the non-traditional students other questions that are more specific.
1) Tell us about yourself or something interesting that was not on your application. 2) Why medicine, why DO, why LECOM? 3) What clinical experiences have you had? Have you shadowed a DO?
4) What makes a good leader, what leadership experiences have you had, what is your leadership style? 5) Tell me about a conflict you have had and how you handle conflicts. 6) What are three things your best friends would say are your strengths and what is one weakness?
"Which pathway are you interested in? and Why?" ; "How do you handle conflict?" ; "What is your clinical experience like?"
Same 9 they ask everyone except they skipped a few at the end because we spent too much time on the first few. Describe yourself. Passions in life. 3 words to describe yourself. 1 weakness.
How do you handle stress? If we called up your dad, what 3 words would he use to describe your strengths, 1 weakness? Leadership experience? Clinical experience? Why osteopathic medicine? Which pathway do you prefer and why? Tell us about a conflict that you had w/ someone and how you resolved it?
They were all from the previously-listed interview questions. They go down a list of questions. Interview was a 2-member panel. Not exactly sure how long it lasted, def. a little more than 30min, but depends on who interviews you. Some inteviewers talk more.
Tell me about yourself. Tell me about a time when you needed to use your communication skills. Tell me about a time you had a conflict (with anyone) and how you resolved it.
Use three words to describe your strenghts and one word to describe a weakness. Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician? Which pathway are you most interested in?
All on here but: Tell us about yourself, clinical experience, what do you do for stress relief, describe a conflict and how you resolved it, leadership experience, 3 strengths + 1 weakness, GPA and MCAT scores.
Why physician, osteopathy? What clinical experiences? What kind of leader? Strengths and weaknesses? Example of when group work is best? What volunteer work?
Apparently, they're not using the standard list of questions anymore. I, however, was asked those questions and only those. Thankfully, I prepared for those questions!
How do you handle stress? Describe a time when teams are the best way to handle a task. Describe a time when there was conflict in your life that you resolved.
(1) We looked through your file, is there anything else you want to tell us. (2) What got you into medicine and osteopathic medicine? (3) How do you handle stress?
(4) Has a conflict ever arisen, how did you deal with it etc. (5) When did you have to use communication skills? (6) Describe your strengths in single words or short phrases.
(7) What are some things you think you need to work on/improve/change (weaknesses)? (8) Tell us about your leadership roles/style. (9) They were going to ask something about a 'team approach' but I apparently answered it already in my previous response. (10) Describe clinical experiences. (11) Tell us about the article you read. (12) Do you have any questions for us?
how has your volunteer experiences influenced you? Leadership experience? When has teamwork worked better? How do you resolve conflict? How do you handle stress? Why Medicine? Why DO? Summarize article.
tell us something thats not in your file? why doctor? why DO? strengths/weaknesses? A positive and negative experience from my volunteer work in the ER? how do i deal with stress? how do i deal with conflict and ex.? a time when team work was more beneficial over having a leader?
Standard questions. Why DO? Why doctor? Strengths? Weakness? How do you deal with stress? Example of your leadership. How to deal with conflict? What do you do to relive stress? Summerize this article. (ez)
1) Tell us about something recent you have done or something you would like to elaborate on? 2) Why does the osteopathic field interest you? 3) Tell us about your healthcare experience 4) How do you handle stress and give an example?
8) Describe a time when your team work skills helped others 9) Summarize the article given to you at the beginning of the day 10) Explain your MCAT score? 11) Do you have any questions for us?
1) How is osteopathy wholistic? 2) Why medicine/why osteopathy? 3) Which learning pathway do you want and why? 4) Communication skills 5) example of how you handled a conflict
4. How do you handle stress, and give a specific example. 5. What communication skills do you have, please give an example. 6. What leadership positions have you had, describe your leadership style.
The standard ones: 1. Tell us something not in your file or if there is something you'd like to expand on. 2. Why are you interested in osteopathic medicine. 3. What medical experiences do you have?
Tell us about your leadership style, give examples? How do you deal with stress? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Explain a conflict and how you resolved it.
7) Talk to us about your leadership roles. How are you a leader and a team player? 8) Tell us about a conflict you have had, and how you resolved it. 9) Summarize article you just read [they give you this almost first thing in the morning, and it's easy]. 10) Any questions you have for us?
The standard quesitons 1) Tell us something that isn't in your file. 2) Why medicine? [this is standard, but they didn't ask me] 3) Why osteopathic medicine and how do you see it as being holistic and beneficial?
How you do handle stress?
Desribe a conflict and how you resolved it.
How do you study?
Why medicine, and why osteopathic medicine?
Give us an example of where you think osteopathy has its place in society.
Tell us about your leadership style and an example of a leadership role you have had.
Get involved in stuff early in your undergrad...again, have a story to tell.
Descirbe your leadership style and if you can, give and example of a leadership role. When is it better working in a group and give a specific example that you have seen. Summarize the article that you've read.
How do you handle stress and give us an example. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Name a time in your life where you faced conflict and how did u resolve it?
The same as everyone else wrote. They will just go down the list and ask you and grade your answers right then and there. Make sure you have examples ready
1) Tell us something that isn't in your file.
2) How do you handle stress?
3) Give us an example of when your communication skills helped you/someone else.
7) Talk to us about your leadership roles. How are you a leader and a team player? 8) Tell us about a conflict you have had, and how you resolved it. 9) Summarize article you just read. 10) Any questions you have for us?
Since I have no question to put here, let me just say that Erie is a good-sized town. They have all the major retailers and restaurants. I didn't see much in the way of locally owned placed but I"m sure they're there.
Tell us how you deal with stress and give us an example. (I answered: I like to read, work out and talk to my friends (gave an example of how I was stranded in Australia with no money and no contact to my family for three days) they said: I medical school you may not have time to do all those, so, tell us, what do you say to that.-->Sometimes you get interviewers like this that want to make sure the caliber of students they admit are high, so be prepared to have some of your questions thrown back in your face, dont get angry and just put an even answer out there (mine was: Im not in medicial school so I am uncertain of how much stress I would face. However, once I knew I would have to reassess my coping skills and do differnt things. Talking to medicial students, however, I have gotten the feelig that chaning all of your ways of dealing with stress is not a good plan. Also, from my pshychology background I know that doing anything that is unrelated to what is stressing you is a very effective coping skill, so, just sitting in my room, not reading, may help)
1) Tell us something about yourself that is not on your application. 2) How do you deal with stress? 3) Did you ever have a conflict in your life and how did you overcome it? 4) What are some weaknesses you see in yourself that you feel you should change? 5) What are some qualities you feel you posses? 6) What attracted you to osteopathy? Although they didn't ask me, I have been told by other students that they sometimes will ask you about your MCAT scores and maybe a low science grade. So be prepared. There were a couple more questions but I forget. The other posts have them. GOOD LUCK and be confident. You have been granted an interview. This means that they like what they see on paper, now just show them that's who you are.
What learning track do you like? Oh yeah, they make you choose by the end of the day the track you want, but if accepted, you can change it when you make your deposit. Switching between the three isn't too tough as long as there are availabilities and it's early in the semester.
1. Tell us something that isn't in your file.
2. How do you handle stress?
3. Give us an example of when your communication skills helped you/someone else
4. What was your hardest/most science heave semester and what classes did you have?
5. Why medicine? Why DO?
6. Talk to us about your leadership roles.
7. Tell us about a conflict you have had, and how you resolved it.
8. Strengths and weaknesses?
9. Summarize article about unnecessary medical tests, and how do you feel about it personally.
I think that is it, I might be forgetting something though.
How do you communicate? Give an example when your communication skills helped you and someone else. How do you handle stress? How do you handle conflict. What leadership skills do you have? Give an examle of when you were a good leader.
Every question required a specific example: Describe a conflict and how you handled it. How do you handle stress? What are your hobbies, personal interests?
Have you ever seen osteopathic medicine in action, if so in what cases? Is there a particular case you can think of in which your tratining as an osteopathic physician would benefit the patient more than allopathic medicine?
Please summarize the article that you read earlier. ****Note: This article is not hard!! They just want a brief overview! Some people in my interview group were taking notes and writing things down. Re-reading 3,4,5,... times. Don't worry about the article. It is very short and not hard to catch the main drift!!!
Look on this site, take the time to jot down all the unique question from at least 2 years and you will have all the questions asked. then you can review them
the infamous "dinner" question by dr. evans!! he threw it out just as we were wrapping things up and said that he generally likes to throw it in there with a lot of applicants.
Tell us about a conflict and how you resolved it. What is a better decision, one made by an individual or by a group? Who would I invite to a dinner party (3 people).
Tell us about your strengths and weaknesses. Tell us about a holistic experience you had. Summarize the article we had you read. Why do you want to be a doctor?
1. Tell us something about yourself that is not in your file?
2. What is your biggest strenght? What is your biggest weakness?
3. What experiences have you had with communications?
4. What is your leadership style and give us an example of when you feel you acted like a good leader.
5. Tell us a time when group work worked more favorably than working as an individual?
6. Tell us a time when you had to handle a conflict?
7. How do you handle stress and give us an example of a time when you effectively handled stress?
8. When did you first learn about osteopathy?
9. When in your life do you feel that an osteopathic approach would have been better than an allopathic approach?-In my case we had already gotten into a conversation about how my allopathic migraine treatment differed from that of my osteopathic neurologist so he just had me go into detail about what was different about their approach/treatment.
11. To get some logistics out of the way, we do instill a professional dress code, we place an emphasis on primary care, and you may need to do rotations out of state. Is this okay with you?
Why DO and not MD? How do you cope with stress? Give an example of a situation where you had a conflict with a person and how did you resolved it? What did you learn from volunteering? What did you learn from job shadowing a DO?
what to you is Osteo. medicine? and why osteo? have a good answer cuz you really want to tell them why you want to go into this field...why primary care...
All the questions posted on this site: strengths/weaknesses, how do you handle stress, example of stressful situation, expalin a conflict and how it was resolved, why DO, summarize the article (drug coated stent)...
Low science GPA, can you explain? I was working during my post-bacc but once I quit my grades went up to A's (I had brought my tests, but they didn't need to see them.
Why LECOM? I explained that while Erie is freezing and the breeding grounds for seasonal affective disorder patients, I was only interested in sunny Florida.
What are your strengths/weaknesses? Apparently, being critical of yourself is considered perfectionism, which is not a weakness in lecom's point of view. They wanted a "true character flaw."
Tell us about some of the leadership positions you have held, and how you fell you got your leadership qualities.
Is there any questions that you have for us? --This is great opportunity to impress the interviewers with your knowledge and desrie to learn about LECOM, OM, or anything else you are curious about that helps your and their decision.
Would you like us to know something about you that is not included in your file?
What that you have done in your undergrad work, volunteer work, and life has made you consider and strive toward a career in Osteopathic Medicine?
Why a DO? Tell us about your volunteer experiences. Tell us about the article you read. How do you deal with stress? A specific situation where you showed leadership.
Have some good questions for them. If you get stumped, I suggest, "how did you end up at LECOM" and then if that doesn't eat up enough time, ask some of the things they (don't) like about the school.
Tell me about the article you read. I am still trying to figure this whole thing out. I guess they are looking to see if you are answering the question with scientific terms, or with simple everyday wordage. I recall one of the interviewers shot a look to the other when I said "good cholesterol" instead of HDL.
Same questions everyone else had. How do you handle stress, describe a conflict and how you resolved it, why medicine (osteopathic especially), describe a leadership role you took...,etc.
What life experiences have led you to consider a career in osteopathic medicine? What can you tell us about yourself that isn't found in your application?
How do you study? What are your stress reliefs? Do you really think you can do those stress reliefs when you are in school? Have you ever been overwhelmed as a student and how did you get the work done. (easy for me as a grad student) How you your manage your time?
how do you handle stress? (as in do you do any activities to release stress.) do you think you will be able to handle the work of med school? how would your friends describe you?
please summarize the article you read before the interview.
The questions were just like last year's. The interviewers basically read down this list of questions.
tell me something you have been doing since you submitted your application. strengths/weaknesses. tell us an example of a stressful situation and how you dealt with it.
Tell us something about yourself that we don't know from your application, or elaborate on something that you did state in your application about yourself.
Why do you want to be a DO? Summarize the article that you read? Strength/weakness? Biggest obstacle/hardest thing in your life? Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
Tell us sth we don't know? (think of sth cool and impressive like creative writer or whatnot, like me didn't live in the same place first half or lived in Saudia Arabia)
Do you think you can handle the stress of medical school? How do you deal with conflict? Summarize the article you read prior to this interview (AIDS virus/mice article given to us during our in-brief).
Students said most interesting question asked at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed various topics such as community service, professionalism, ethical dilemmas, and personal attributes. While the questions were diverse, some respondents mentioned being part of an MMI format, possibly under a nondisclosure agreement, with questions ranging from hypothetical scenarios to personal reflections and ethical debates.
How are you currently serving your community, and how do you hope to serve patients and the community in your future osteopathic practice?
If a preceptor gave a student an evaluation of "unprofessional" due to their attire while everyone else gave excellent reviews, do you think it's okay to penalize the student?
We had a pretty solid discussion on COMLEX vs. USMLE. What people had heard about the differences, things like that. The question was asked by an interviewee.
If Marvin the Martian was to abduct you to put you into a mars zoo exhibit, in the process erasing all your memories except for one, what would that one be?
The attending on-call leaves the emergency room to have lunch and watch TV with instructions to call him if needed. While he is gone, a patient codes and a nurse resuscitates him. The attending returns and is upset that he wasn't paged. Who is in the wrong?
Why did you chose to volunteer outside of the U.S. when there are needy people within the U.S.? 5/7 people in my group had done some sort of international volunteering.
If I am a second generation slug, I don't work and haven't for years, I just drink all day and get my girlfriend pregnant because with every kid we have we get another check from the government. Do I have the same right to health care as everyone?
None of the questions were very "interesting" per se... So I'll just give you another example of what they asked me: What are three words that describe you?
What do your parents do? (They asked because when they asked question 2, I said I knew my parents would use words to describe how proud they were of me)
How will you transition into studying during medical school? (I have been out of undergrad for four years, and I've been working full-time during these years).
The interviewers are required to go down a list of 9 questions, listed below, so there's not as much flexibility as in other places. My interviewers said they liked my file and that my application pretty much answered all of those 9 questions and seemed like they'd rather talk about some of the stuff from my file, but they had to go through the question list and fill it out anyway. The only unexpected, and therefore interesting question, was how I wound up living in the city where I currently am.
They were all the same 9 questions that everyone else has listed. But they really tried to keep it conversational versus just asking 9 straight questions.
The dinner question...he told me he was going to describe a scenrio (me making dinner) and then ask me a question (3 people, dead or alive, to invite).
We see you have a lot of clincial experience, how do you think Osteopahic medicine is holistic and, give us a direct example from your life where you have seen this (Just a question that makes you think a lot, I was stumped for awhile).
The medical school curriculum is very science heavy and difficult. What was your most science heavy/hardest semester? This question isn't too interesting, but it wasn't one that I had seen on the SDN.
They had standard questions, although they asked me if there was anything new to tell them about myself..usually if you can think of something interesting, it helps!
The dinner question as posted previously. If I could take any 3 people to a dinner party, who would they be? Living, dead, or fictional. A random question they ask, so prepare in case. I prepared for that question and got it!
I think the most interesting question was along the lines of whats your weakness? I know this is a common question and posted on this website plenty of times but I just don't think I my answer was too too great, at least I didn't feel it was the best answer that would impress someone. so think of something good!!
If I was given the chance to choose 3 people to have at dinner, past or present, who would I choose? I thought this question was really interesting because it went beyond the scope of the usual interview questions.
Why would you come to Pennsylvania if you live in California? (The interviewer indicated that he had "lost three brothers" to CA and was curious as to why I would want to come to PA).
Q) Who do you like more John Elway or Dan Marino?
A) Elway all the way.
(I was joking around with one of my interviewers about the Dolphins and Broncos.)
We see everything about you-- every grade, every MCAT score, and even your personal statement. Now is your time to tell us something about yourself that we don't know... that's not on your application.
What do you want to improve on? At first I had answered communication skills, and the interviewers were like, no you communicate well, tell us another one
Since you are a fisherman did the walleye in Lake Erie influence your decision to apply to LECOM? (I'm a bass fisherman, so the walleye didn't interest me, but the proximity to the lake is always good)
Everyone in Erie knows what LECOM is...that one post is just totally off the wall. You probably weren't allowed to peek into the lecture hall because we were taking exams. The micro lab has been in use for the PBL and ISP students.
I was really only asked one question, tell me about yourself. As I brought up different topics I was asked to expound on a certain aspect. Ex. You stated you are a leader, explain one instance when you used your leadership ablilities.
If I would not have known this one ahead of time I don't know what I would have said.... Tell us about a situation in which you were faced with a conflict and how you dealt with it?
Earlier during the day, an admissions staff member had given us a scientific article to read on the benefits of increasing HDL. During the interview, I was asked to relay some information from that article. It wasn't hard, but I thought that it was a little strange that they would test our memorization skills during the interview.
We were given an article to read before we were called in to interview. The article was about 2 pages, not too diffcult to read, and at the end of the interview the last question was to summarize the article.
I just got though answering about a challenging sitation I had had as a paramedic and they then asked when have you had a conflict and how did you resove it? (seemed the same to me but made me think hard for an alternative response)
Nothing real interesting, we were asked questions from a form and given a little article that we had to summerize. I actually enjoyed my interview, the interviewer and I clicked, he got the form questions out of the way pretty fast and we just BS'ed for a while.
If I was organizing an event with another person, and that person wants to do things their way and I want to organize the event my way...what would I do?
How do justify catching a fish and bringing it in to its death with my desire to practice medicine and help heal humans? (after I tried to sputter out some answer, he told me he was only kidding)
Not really anything...I felt like they didn't ask anything that could give them a real sense of who I am. The questions are off a paper and the same for everyone.
Before the interviews started, the group of applications was asked to read a 2-page article on "AIDS virus utilization for blood-cell diseases in mice." Told we would be asked questions about the article in our interview. At the end of the interview, I was asked to summarize the article. I wasn't impressed with this technique.
Students said most difficult question asked at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including community service, personal accomplishments, healthcare problems, and handling non-compliant patients. While some encountered challenging ethical dilemmas and conflict resolution scenarios, others faced standard interview questions such as strengths and weaknesses. Notably, respondents did not highlight a specific trend in difficult questions, and the interview format did not appear to be an MMI based on the responses provided.
Anything else you want the admissions committee to know about you that is not reflected on your application?
The "tell me about yourself" question is so vague that I have trouble answering it, specifically knowing what details to include. However, I was asked a question regarding LECOM's dress code that went something like this: "A third year medical student's preceptor evaluated them in their clinical rotations, emphasizing that they were excellent in their work, but did not dress professionally, thus failing to adhere to the dress code. Should this student be punished?"
I don't think any of them were that difficult as long as you knew your application. It was, however, more stressful answering some of the questions in front of other interviewees.
All the questions were difficult because the interviewer insisted upon arguing each of our answers, telling us we were wrong, insulting us, and telling us how terrible we all were. Each question only had about 30 seconds to get an answer out before you were cut off. The goal was obviously to make us as stressed as possible. It worked.
If, as a physician, another doctor asks you to cover his patients, do you care for those patients with more, less, or equal importance in relation to your own patients?
One word to describe a weakness you might have. (I was angry with this question because when I answered with a word, they told me to give another one because lots of people say that. Okay, apparently I am not allowed to answer how I want to, that made me angry.)
"Tell us something that is not in your file" - Between my primary and secondary applications, I pretty much put everything interesting about me.
Out of the three people we interview today, let's say there are only two spots open; why do you deserve one of those spots over one of the other two people?
The set of "stress" questions because they kept asking for more and more info as if they were looking for a specific answer, and by the third time they mentioned that, I actually began to feel a bit stressed
Same as above, except that when I answered it the first time, the interviewers mentioned that all the other students had given the same answer. So what was another one?
I was pretty much aware of the questions there were going to ask, but they would often ask questions in response to my answers. Also, discussing the assey they give you was a little tricky, but the article is not diffucult, just don't give your opinions on the article. Just stick to a summary of the facts and keep it short.
When asked to describe an example of my leadership style, they specifically said ''and something besides summer camp'', which I've done a lot of and had planned to discuss, so I had to come up with something else on the fly. No problem, just a quick pause.
To how many other schools I had applied - This was the low point of my interview because I mentioned I had applied to Allopathic schools too, at which point they began asking about my Osteopathic motivation. But I recovered and they didn't seem to care too much.
None really. I was familiar with all possible questions as this is a standard format interview...everyone gets the same questions.
The only ? came from my file was to expalain my grades. My GPA/Time looks like a V, so I explained it shortly and we moved on.
Tell us 3 adjectives that describe your strengths and 1 adjective that describes a weakness. How would you overcome this weakness in a real patient situation?
If you knew you wanted to become a physician your whole life, please explain to me some of your prerequisite grades. I was totally prepared for this question and thought that I answered it well. The doctor that asked the question seemed to like my answer as well.
They did ask some very hard questions about my research. Ex "How is this made" "How would you do this experiment?" Not bad questions, but not ones that i was expecting to be asked for a DO only prog.
Give an example when you had to deal with a serious conflict, they wanted a lot of detail. Somehow my whole interview revolved around my extracurricular activites.
What are your strength and weaknesses? This is a loaded question that they always ask, be sure to have thought of a very good answer before the interview!
There were several, but mainly it was focused around my numbers so if you have a discrepancy with your MCAT score, GPA, or both, be prepared to discuss that with them debating your competancy to go to med school!
After answering what the weakest point of my application was, they asked me how I would be able to handle my "weakness" in a real patient situation.
This had to do with a story I told them (as part of my answer to another question) and they followed it up with asking me how I would test the results/effectiveness of an antibiotic versus a home remedy.
Tell us something about yourself... it was hard to know where to start and what they wanted to hear... but once I started then that got the ball rolling for them to jump in and ask more questions.
Tell us something about yourself that isn't in your application. That is hard because your application includes your entire life history so what else is left.
Tell us about yourself, something that's not in your application. I found it hard to decifer what I should and should not mention about my life up until this point. I threw in a very short funny story, which helped me relax.
the interview was laid back and relaxed. Dr. King and Dr. Kreuger interviewed me and I had listened to a presentation earlier by Dr. Kreuger. Great guy by the way. He noted that I was paying close attention and relating to what he was saying during the interview. during the presentation I was seated the furthest on the table so he is a keen observer and heads up the PBL program at this school. don't get on his bad side, he was cracking jokes every now and then.
None were really difficult. But if I had to choose I would say when they asked "How have my volunteer experiences prepared me for a profession as a DO?"
What have you observed from a doctor that makes you want to be a doctor - I don't know, it was worded weird and to me was a dumb question... I dont' know
Are you applying to a D.O. school because MD schools wouldn't look favorably at your X.X GPA and XX MCAT. (they are fine numbers by the way, and the MD schools I'm applying to didn't have a problem with them.)
None really- standard stuff. I think that everyone got asked the same questions. My interviewers had a sheet of questions that they were running through and checking off as we went along.
None were difficult which was scary because they asked such general questions. I thought to myself, "Am I here because you want me or is this a formality (of the ten of us, you already know whos the more likely candidates for acceptance)."
A response to the question regarding personal strengths and weaknesses requires tact in order to avoid portraying yourself as overly egotistical on one extreme or too weak on the other.
Other than the weaknesses you have given me. They could also be considered strengths, please give me another weakness that has could not be considered a strength. (I said I procrastinate too much...dang that discover health channel and the internet)
Nothing difficult if you research this site and review your file/the school's website. However, they do ask you to "tell us about yourself...something not in your file"
Name strengths and weaknesses. Although a relative easy question you don't want to sound over-zealous or cocky nor do you want to sound as if you are helpless child when describing yourself. That was the most difficult thing for me.
Not really anything too challenging. I think all interviewees recieve that same set of questions. Oh-any be prepared to read a short article which you will summarize during your interview. nothing to stress about, but I found it to be odd.
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by reviewing SDN interview feedback, practicing mock interviews, researching the school's website, and studying common interview questions. Many also focused on understanding osteopathic medicine principles and ensuring familiarity with their application materials.
I googled practice interview questions and watched several YouTube videos for how to go about answering them. I wrote down key components I wanted to include in each practice question... well honestly, I only had time to focus on getting down the details I wanted to include in the more common interview questions, including, "Tell me about yourself.", "Why medicine?", "Why osteopathic medicine/D.O.?", "Why us (LECOM)?", "Explain your greatest strength/weakness."
read sdn and prepared my answer to the introduction question... "name, where youre from, undergrad, clinical experience, experience with DO (how you were exposed and why you like it), one thing on your bucket list.
I made sure that my suit fit, my shoes were shined, and my hair trimmed. I studied a bunch of interview questions that I read about on here, agonizing about which historical figures to invite to dinner and what three adjectives best described me... of course, they didn't ask a single question for which I had prepared. I ended up having to answer on the spot, and I think that worked well for me. We will see.
SDN questions in my pocket, memorized my strength answers and my leadership quality answers and basically spent alot of time talking to myself on my 9 hour drive and in the hotel room. Got 7 good hours of sleep.
4th interview, 3rd osteo interview so I knew the procedure. Printed out CIB, SDN Pro/Cons, SDN interview feedback and schools notes, AAMCOS and secondaries. Drove into Erie the day before interview. Reviewed some materials and feedback the day before interview, drove past school and built my mental map, see the campus, surprised by health center and clinic!! Paid attention to news (esp medical), develop questions. Check with hotel for driver to campus.
Mock interview with a physician, used SDN interview feedback to come up with examples before the interview, read as many pages as possible on the LECOM website, and re-read the DO handbook from AACOM.
Read through a lot of these interview feedback questions and printed them out. Wrote down answers to about 9 of the FAQ and then just practiced my answers.
mock interview (grilling style) with the GF, read the feedback of Erie interviews on sdn, read some medical mystery novels, 2 issues of Newsweek, shadowed a DO and surgeon, looked up ethical issues...
I drove six hours with five strangers from the Philly airport to Erie, because US Airways cancelled my flight. Apparently there's been crazier stories! The interview was very relaxed.
Looked over application. Read through their course book that was on their website. Looked over school mission and volunteer opportunities. Practiced questions.
Skimmed the 152 page curriculum guide to LECOM. Read the DO's by Norman Gevitz. Talked with friends on how their interviews went when they interviewd there two years ago. Studied the LECOM magazine. Studied the ten questions they posted up for LAST YEAR.
LECOM has standard interview questions that can be found on SDN. Find them and KNOW them! They are your whole interview essentially, with some minor detours due to the natural flow of conversation.
SDN interview feedback section (They have a set 8-10 questions they ask every interviewer), read up about the school, talked to a friend who's an MS1 at LECOM, read over my file and essays.
Planned out answers for 9 questions:
1) Tell us something that isn't in your file. Tell us about something you have recently done or something you would like to elaborate on.
2) Tell us about your healthcare experience.
2) Why medicine?
3) Why osteopathic medicine and how do you see it as being holistic and beneficial?
4) How do you handle stress? Give an example.
5) Give us an example of when your communications skills helped you/someone else.
6) 3 Strengths and 1 Weakness.
7) Talk to us about your leadership roles. How are you a leader and a team player?
8) Tell us about a conflict you have had, and how you resolved it.
9) Which learning pathway do you want and why?
Not Asked) What do you think about family practice?
Read SDN interview feedback for the past 2 years, reviewed the LECOM website, re-read my personal statement and secondary responses, and prepared a brief outline about my responses to the nine questions so I wouldn't be caught totally off guard.
Mock interview with pre-med committee and prepared answers for all possible questions.
It's good to have examples, and if you acn tell it in a story, even better.
Read SDN, reflected on a previous interview and determined how I thought I could answer questions better. I didn't write answers down and memorize them though, I didn't want to sound rehersed.
Made a list of each unique question posted on this site and reviewed. Mock interviews, scanned journals and national newspapers and discussed them with others.
Working at a teaching hospital, I took the time to collect interview tips from individuals that have already completed the task. I also took the time to research the school and the program that they had to offer.
sdn, application essays, I think I was too prepared and that's how I became overly anxious...my advice: relax, and don't stress yourself out the day before.
Read all of the recent SDN entries and realized that the questions asked seem to be very repetitive, went over my application and my research, read LECOM website, read about osteopathic medicine on AACOM website
I went over my application, reviewed past research work I had done, and went through many of the questions posted on this web site (this helped the most!)
I read this web site, did practice interviews, and reviewed my application. READ all the interview questions it is so helpful. If you know the answers to the questions everyone has posted here then you will do fine. Don't be nervous.
2 mock interviews at career center at school, going over questions with family, read about school through internet, med school books, and going over my file
Reviewed LECOM's website, my application, many different Osteopathic Medicine websites, this website (SDN) and wrote out answers to all the questions posted on this site, just so I wasn't stumbling over things to talk about.
sdn.com (wrote out answers to the questions that were posted on this page -- all of the questions that I was asked during my interview had been posted on this site), interwiew workshop, reviewed LECOM app
Talked with friends who already went nto their interviews their, this website, reviewed my application materials as well as information from the school.
I talked to classmates who interviewed at LECOM, and I looked over this website. I also typed out my responses to the questions I thought they might ask.
Read website, re-read my application, emailed a friend at the school about the format, thought about my responses to possible questions (ie. possible weaknesses in my application).
Applicants were positively impressed by the friendliness and professionalism of the staff, faculty, and students, the cleanliness and modernity of the facilities, the variety of curriculum pathways offered, the low tuition costs, the emphasis on creating a supportive and inclusive environment, the focus on student success and high board pass rates, the early clinical experiences, the opportunities for rotations and international electives, and the overall welcoming atmosphere of the schools. Many also appreciated the location of the campuses and the community feel of the schools. Suggestions included more transparency about the curriculum, more information on specific programs or pathways, and continued efforts to enhance the student experience.
Cutting travel costs by having the interview virtual and by having a Zoom prep session beforehand.
They have great stats (board scores & residency match), also sounds like you can do rotations (3rd & 4th year) in a variety of places, so you don't have to live in Erie for all 4 years if you don't want to. I also like their different pathways and if I went there I would hope to do the PBL pathway.
The physician who presented PBL, the vice president, financial aid presenter, students who we ate lunch with and gave us a tour, the beautiful campus and facilities
The staff are great! Every one of them that we got to meet is superb. We also got to experience a PBL session ourselves first hand which was very fun. At Bradenton, we only got to watch a PBL session, not experience one ourselves. It makes you feel like a medical student. Also, the campus is incredibly beautiful.
Almost everything. The pathways are great. I might love everything about a school, but if it only offered PBL, I would have to pass on it. I picked Erie over Seton Hill campus because of the range of options with regard to learning style. I'm also excited about the 3 year primary care scholars program. The interview was much more relaxed than I'd expected. I appreciated that the presentations addressed "negatives" about the school and the area. They are very upfront about inclement weather, the dress code, etc. I honestly appreciate the dress code. It won't be a lot of fun to comply with, but I do expect to have to dress that way for the rest of my career. May as well become comfortable with it now.
The school is cheap, and the interview day was nice. Admissions committee stuck closely on schedule. Passing rates are very good, even with such a large class size.
laid back non-competitive, students know their faculty, PBL means more time for studying and extracurriculars, ability to go all over country for clinical years
I did almost a 180 (in a positive way) on the school and Erie itself. I really really like both the area and the school. It was just a very comfortable atmosphere for me.
Facilities and variety of curricula choices. The school actually seems committed to the student's success. You get a free membership to a beautiful gym with three pools, racquetball courts, and a lot of machines.
96% first attempt pass rate on first step of COMLEX, Amazing Wellness Center, choice of curriculum pathways, reasonable tuition. I also thought it was really clever to give all the interviewees a flash drive with LECOM info on it. Saves paper and is a gift we can re-use! Nice!
Unique curricular pathways, PCSP, low tuition, high pass rate on boards, affiliated with teaching hospital, international rotations, primary care mentorship program, low cost of living
As long as you pass your board exams LECOM will basically get you a residency after you graduate if you are unable to find one for yourself. The people are really friendly and they have an awesome gym!
really nice facility; i actually like the dress code because it gives off a professional vibe about the place, like you arent in high school anymore!
amazing health/wellness center.
Completely no stress interview and was very relaxed.... almost to relaxed. Seemed interested in what you had to say, and seemed very impressed with responses. Great board scores, cheap living, cheap tuition, and bigger city than i thought. Great athletic facility (just wish the med builiding was as welcoming)
Very professional atmosphere (almost to a fault actually).
The PBL/ Masters/ PostBacc bayfront campus. Beautiful. Seek it out. Not on the official tour.
The Health and Wellness Center is AWESOME. Amy is fabulous. Dress code is okay. Lots of housing close to campus. PBL pathway mock session was actually pretty fun.
The interview was highly relaxed even in the group format. I'm not sure but it may be an attempt to see who would do better on PBL. I also loved the Wellness Center tour.
Facilities were great, Wellness Center is very modern and integrates clinical medicine along with physical fitness. Very receptive to students opinions and progress.
Very professional atmosphere, everyone there seemed like they really wanted to be there. Friendly staff who seemed interested in getting to know me. You get the feeling that everyone here really wants you to succeed. Dr. Moore is a great guy. The new fitness center is amazing. The different pathways you can choose is a bonus
PBL (LOVED LECOM-Brad's PBL experience!) lecture isn't very appealing since most students tend to focus on ppt anyway. PBL focuses your reading that you have to do anyway. Very clean...no "chompers" snacking away when you are trying to pay attention to a lecture. Matches, board performance (rate, and guessing an outstanding avg). Concern of PBL testing and what happens when you don't understand your reading. You can attend lecture if you're interested/don't understand PBL topic, but it won't match your current progress - That's still a huge + in my book though). Occasionally I would like an explanation of a difficult concept...PBL doesn't seem to offer that unless you seek a professor out - LECOM-Erie has other outlets. Campus has more than one building (unlike LECOM-Brad). CLINIC!!! Health center! Dean...down to earth...awesome, straightforward guy! Great library. Very affordable. Housing nice, affordable, and quiet.
Professionalism of the school, friendly environment, excellent residency match list, facilities, reputation in medical community, student-centered, 4 pathways for unique learning approaches
The school is really interested in who you are as a person, you aren't just a score to them. My interviewers gave me positive feedback, and we had a good conversation, so that really relaxed me.
The pathways - honestly one of the main reasons to go to LECOM. The library is a nice size and there are actually BOOKS. The low tuition and cafe with food - not just vending machines. The high pass rate on the boards, and large selection on the clinical rotations. The faculty has an open door policy. This was super important to me coming from a research school. Although some faculty do conduct research, their number one priority is YOU and to teach.You have clinical exposure in your second semester of your first year.
Everyone was very nice and the building was very clean. I actually like the idea of a dress code for the school, it makes it a more professional setting. If you didn't end of getting into med school you would probably end up in a job that would require you to dress up anyway.
The atmosphere of the school, the faculty really care about their students and are willing to do almost anything to help them. They have high pass-rates on the boards, yet never said a thing to brag about it. Their learning pathways show how they will compromise with students. The dress code. Family-oriented city.
All the different learning pathways. They have their own hospital. They have a brand new Fitness and Wellness Center opening up in Jan 09 which looks really nice. Cheap tuition and living expenses.
most of the facilities, international opportunities, having an affiliated hospital (ununsual for a DO school), the new athletic center, and the gift bag I found at the hotel from LECOM.
They really want to get to know you so that's why it's closed file. They were very receptive to students and open about everything. Also, there is free parking on campus.
The people at the school. Admissions staff was great, really outgoing and fun. Professor gave us a tour which was impressive that he would take the time out to give a bunch of interviewees the time of day. I think overall great ppl at this school. I also think they prepare you for the boards. The professors seem to care how the students do. They monitor your performance which is great.
school was modern, clean. There is a mandatory shirt and tie dress code, so the atmosphere was very professional. The staff was friendly. The interview day was relaxed and the interview itself was conversational. I was pleasantly surprised by how big Erie is, and the weather was not too cold ( I come from the west coast). Also, LECOM owns their own hospital.
The admissions office is really nice and outgoing. My hotel was upgraded and I received a care package. Everyone was extremely nice and the location is something I'm looking for.
Students enjoyed school for the most part. Housing is nice and affordable around the area. The facilities are nice and faculty really work with students.
Very clean, professional, nice building, everything is new and well kept, very secure building, everyone is SUPER nice, they gave me slippers with bears dressed as doctors on them, cost, good faculty reviews
The mock PBL session was great: if you're unsure whether PBL is right for you, this session will be very helpful. Dr. Moore is super nice: he seemed genuinely happy that all us interviewees were there and was more than willing to answer any questions we had. Students from LDP and PCSP talking about their experiences was helpful too. The tour of LECOM and Erie was fun - the beaches at Presque Isle are gorgeous!
Nice students, nice people, nice location, great programs, and awesome facilities. This is going to be one really cool school to attend next year. I was surprised time and time again. I won't spoil them.
The mock PBL session is a blast! They brought in an actual instructor to work us through a case study.
The admissions guy, Dr. Moore, is a really nice guy. Call him!
Definitely not as isolated as I was expecting based on various SDN posts -- there's tons of places to live nearby, and within 10 minute drive are so many places to eat, shop, go to the movies etc.
Dr. Wise's great humor. I have to say the man is great asset to the LECOM community. There whole faculty was very upbeat and supportive. Wellness Center
The admissions staff, interviewers, and students are super friendly and happy. They make you feel really comfortable. Their facilities are also pretty awesome.
The process was laid back and everyone was very friendly. They made it clear that they wanted us to be ourselves. Our credentials had gotten us there and now they wanted to know about our personality.
Everyone was SO nice! LECOM has great pathways for different styles of learning. The school is in a gorgeous location. The mandatory professional dress-code makes everyone look nice. Building was in great shape and labs were big!
The interviewers were willing to share personal opinions of how they viewed their own roles at LECOM. Also, we had a chance to have lunch alongside other MS1 and MS2 students and could observe their activities and demeanor. Everyone seem happy and some were even asking us questions....
-Building is only about 15 years old
-The lectures are on powerpoint
-The desks are actually big enough for a laptop and technology is well integrated
-Cheap living
-Low tuition, scholarships if your MCAT is high enough
-You only have to stay in Erie for 2 years. You can do your rotations elsewhere.
The campus and the people. The fact that they took the time to answer ALL my questions (and I had a lot...). Also, that I had the opportunity to sit in on a lecture.
the curriculum options with PBL and IDP. the facilities seemed nice and clean but it's just 1 building, and classes are mainly down 1 hallway. My interviewers seems really nice and were really trying to get to know me and not bust my balls.
Many say Dr. Wise is an excellent public speaker; it's true. He's charismatic, knows how to sell the school, and is clearly a good businessman. Some stats that seemed interesting: 91-96% first time pass on the boards over the recent 5 years, 98% attrition rate (much higher than other schools), very cheap tuition and cost of living, Erie is actually not a tiny city, LECOM pharmacy program is the #1 in the country for # of applications (I'd guess because they have a 3-year program and still get great passing rates). After attending several other interviews, I found LECOM to be the best. Everything ran smoothly, the speakers were not dull, and they went the extra mile to make sure you enjoyed the day. For example, some students stayed after to sit through a lecture or hear from PBL professors about the pathway.
The staff was kind. Its neat that they also have a pharmacy program )in the same building); the facilities are adequate, a good number of rotation sites in Erie, cheap housing, cheap tuition (in comparison to other private DO schools), 3 learning pathways
The 3 learning pathways are great; you don't have to sit in lecture for 8hrs a day if you don't want to. The tuition is cheap:$26,000. Dr. Wise went out of his way to make additional arrangements for students to visit labs, sit in on classes, meet with requested staff at the end of the interview day.
I really like the school and the area that it's in. I thought the presenters were funny and kept things moving along as we waited to be called for individual interviews. It seems to me that the school is very focused on the student's success. % of students passing the boards on the first try. The expansions of the school. I like the idea of a dress code- I think it'll make sure everyone is ready to go in the morning instead of groggy and half asleep. (Of course I say that now...)
The presentation of the school was very well done. The student we ate lunch with was nice and very helpful. Building seemed ok. Different pathways a plus.
* the three different study tracks are amazing (regular lectures 8am-5pm, problem based learning, and guided independent study).
* The new Primary Care Scholars Program is reall cool - starting in fall 2007, it's a track where folks committed to primary care can graduate in 3 years instead of 4 (Saving ~$50,000 in debt) by shortening vacations and eliminating the electives/selectives of 3rd/4th yr rotations to hone in on needed primary care skills.
* There are some merit scholarships everyone is considered for automatically based on GPA&MCAT.
* ability to do international rotations
* first time board pass rate of 94-98%
* Presque Isle is a national park about 10 minutes from campus that is gorgeous - woods and sandy beaches along Lake Erie.
* low cost of living.
* they said that even though there is a lot of moving around 3rd/4th yr for rotations, many of their sites provide stipends to defray the cost so the travel is less of a big deal financially.
Facilities...very state of the art. The people were all very nice, welcoming. 3 learning pathways...these are only offered at one other school and they are great options.
Since the school is newer, the facilities are very nice. The staff was very welcoming and nice as well. The students who gave the tour were honest and were willing to ask any question we had. It is also nice that there are 3 different learning pathways to choose from so you can pick what works best for you.
The dress code, how nice everyone was, the interviewers strongly stressed trying to get everyone to relax and be yourself throughout the whole interview day
Everyone was extremely frinedly at LECOM and in Erie, the facilities were good, they said next year anatomy lab will be a combination of prosection and disection (it used to be only prosection), and I love love love the learning pathways and the primary scholars program
1. The staff: very nice, all smiles, Dr. Wise was great - very honest approach to selling the school
2.The facilities: everything very clean, lots of windows, lots of free parking, nice cafeteria.
3.The learning pathways: LECOM truly caters to their students' learning preferences(gotta love that!!)
Erie is so beautiful! Any store you might ever need is on one street (Peach Street). They have a great downtown area and the peninsula on Lake Erie sounds like it is a great place to spend time in the summer. Wish I had more time to visit it!
Everyone was really friendly and helpful. My interviewers were actually human and the interview was not an intimidating experience at all.
Dr. Wise rocked, by the way.
Everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly. The facilities were all very nice and new. The school works very hard to make sure that all of their students do well in classes and on boards.
The staff and faculty was extremely friendly and inviting. Dr.Weiss who spoke at our interview stressed how important it was that we recognize that we are interviewing them just as they are interviewing us. I was also impressed by the mandatory dress code. We are all going to be medical professionals so why not start dressing professional now during our learning.?
How the schools administration and faculty seem to really pull for their students- regarding financial aid, housing, keeping grades up and stress level down.- Also, COMLEX scores seem to be consistently high.
The school is perfect for me. Moderately priced housing, nice people, no parking issue in the school, one building with everything in it, the area is actually a really nice 'small city'.
Many people make Erie out to be a little podunk town out in the middle of the prarie. Totally the opposite! The school was new and clean, students and faculty were very nice, overall pretty laid back attitude.
The area is gorgeous. The weather was perfect, in the 50s, clear and sunny. You MUST take the drive around the peninsula. It's about 15 miles long, you can't get lost, and the trees are in full autumn bloom. It's incredible.
The faculty seems awesome. They were extremely nice, and seemed very interested in the students. The students themselves seemed to be happy and enjoying life.
The school looked very new, and students looked generally happy. The students we had lunch with seemed happy there, and said that students are very encouraging towards each other.
The kindness of the staff, students, and interviewers as well as the cleanliness of the building. I also liked how the students must dress up for class because it really looks professional.
After reading the entries on this site, I was prepared for the worst...but it wasn't bad at all. Erie is actually very beautiful and it sounds like they know what they are doing with the dress code rule - it helps prepare students for their internships and jobs.
The student guide really was enthusiastic about the school and explained to us in detail about everything. Also, the student was completely honest with us and I really appreciated that.
Also, your mother/father can join you when going on the medical school tour before the interviews start.
The school is nice, Erie is a bigger city with a small town feel, so there seems like there is a lot to do. It's a clean school with a lot of students.
Everyone was very friendly. I heard rumors that people here were very anti-social but it is the complete opposite. I felt very welcome. The facilities are also extremely clean.
It's a realitively new facility, so it was nice and shiny (yes, that matters to me!). I found out prosections weren't as bad as I thought they were. The tuition is unbelievable low, even for out of staters.
The location. Sure it was 17 degrees, but Erie is bigger than I thought it was and had a reasonable amount of stuff to do. I'm going to med school to learn. Oh, and the cost of living is REALLY cheap.
I liked how organized everything seemed. The presentations were really informative, and the staff in general was really really nice. Also, even though the campus is wired, there are dataports everywhere. I like the different learning pathways available.
The school is very technologically advanced. All of the lecture halls have laptop stations w/ internet access, Iliked the note service idea, and I also liked the general niceness of all of the people whom I met while i was at the school.
The facility, professionalism, three educational tracks to meet your personal learning style, students all very excited, a sense of welcoming and very prepared/organized presentation from start to finish of interview day.
The facility is AWESOME!! Being a newly constructed school (Bradenton campus) everything is top shelf! The tour was impressive, the facility and view from campus are great.
The school is very compact. I went to a big undergrad college and so I really appreciate not having to run from one side of campus to the other. The staff was very nice too.
The staff was wonderful! Very nice and open to answering any questions we had. I interviewed for the Bradenton campus and I was HIGHLY impressed by all the faculty and students I met on my visit. It is an amazing school in a beautiful new building and it was very exciting!
The friendliness of the students and admissions staff, how impeccably CLEAN and SAFE LECOM seems (even the anatomy lab didn't smell!), how professionally the school is run - from the dress code to the punctuality of the interview day, the reasonably low tuition (compared to some other schools) and affordable living cost in Erie, and the surplus of options as to which pathway to take to pursue a medical education based on your own particular learning style (LDP, PBL, ISP). Also, there is a decent amount of shopping in Erie, which was surprising to me.
The school is small, close-knit, very modern and IMPECCABLY clean. The faculty and students I met were very friendly and made me feel welcome. The cost of living in Erie is also relatively low.
The welcoming, caring, and down to earth admissions staff and faculty. The med students were so friendly and only had positive things to say about the school.
That the residents of Bradenton are very excited and honored to have the medical school there. They like meeting the students and knowing that these students will be future doctors.
They were extremely organized, kind, and interested in the person (in the interview). They realized that there is more to being a doctor than simply your GPA and MCATs. I did not feel that welcomed at PCOM. Also, they have an awesome anatomy lab.
The bottom line is that LECOM-Bradenton will make good physicians. From day one you are in lecture for 4 hours and then have 4 hours to work on case studies in small groups with a faculty member. As they mentioned at the interview, by the time you hit your third and fourth year rotations the thought process when diagnosing and treating patients will be second nature and LECOM students have traditionally had to teach 3rd and 4th year students from different DO/MD programs what to do! In addition, by examing case studies constantly, you are always reviewing biochem, anatomy, physio, genetics etc. which eventually leads to beautiful board scores! :)
You are videotaped using REAL patients! Not actors! :)
The school is small so you won't feel like a number.
The students were insanely happy and the faculty was wonderful. I really got the sense that everyone who was there (faculty/admissions) really wanted to be there and were truely happy.
All the equipment is brand new and the area is absolutely gorgeous!
Florida has a huge cancer research facility that LECOM-Bradenton may be able to work with in the future and they just built a gorgeous new hospital right off of Lakewood.
Board pass rate is REALLY high, so they must be doing something right. Good facilities, clinical experience first year, TONS of hospitals to do rotations at, tuition, and students were really nice. Prosection, yeah I said it. Why spend half of dissection time picking fat away, when you can already have it done for you?
Every faculty member was really excited to be there. The weather was absolutely perfect. The building is brand new (although this is the reason the walls are so stark....they're working on it)
I really enjoyed learning more about the PBL pathway; I think that it is very unique and shows that the school has an interest in provinding me with an alternative learning style
The facilities were new and very clean. The labs were set up well to accomadate large classes. Also I found out that 5 professors are in lab with you, one to a bench so there is plenty of time and access to professors if you want help. Also the school will help fix your laptop if there is something wrong with it (they'll work on it at the school or send it out for you).
the building is beautiful! the area was very nice and the staff was also very pleasant. AND they've got alligators in the lake behind the school! being from up north, i was shocked!
The students and staff were incredibly helpful and friendly. They were all genuinely excited to have all 15 of us there. Everything is brand new and high tech. The interviewers I met with were amazing.
The registrar. I met him after my interview because my boyfriend has a charming way about him to draw people to him. He was very nice and wanted to meet with me once I got out, and offered me an open door to ask questions and call him anytime. The faculty in general seemed very encouraging and excited about each student.
beautiful and hi tech campus. everything was spotless, makes you feel like you're at NASA or some place where highly confidential stuff is going on. really really nice facilities. designed to hold 600 ppl but since class of 2009 is going to be their 2nd class, there will be plenty of room for everyone and more than enough time to look at their plasticized cadavers and real cadavers.
Everyone is really nice and friendly. Even though you paraded around the school and feel like a freshman again, many of the students wished us good luck.
The town. I like the size of the town...I realize that it is cold there most of the year. However, there are some very nice indoor gyms where you can entertain yourself during the cold season ...there are plenty of places to go shopping and a lot of nice restaurants. Lots of good rotation sites, high pass rates on the COMLEX, lots of students on military scholarhips. Additionally, the cost of living is really cheap there.
The school is brand new. The faculty interviewers were unbelieveably knowledgeable. The new school is in Florida, where I've lived before and like. The one interviewer told me that my application was "a pleasure to read" because it was so different.
I liked the school - the dress code isn't bad at all - the no food rule I agree with but the no water I think is pushing it - their reasoning is just that they don't want anything to damage their "technological" equipment....
the professionalism of the school, yes there is a dress code but it isn't that bad and women have more leeway so its ok, i can deal with the no food/drink policy--the school looks brand new, the faculty were amazing and very friendly, LECOM ambassadors were very informative, and the presentations on fin aid, housing and everything else was thorough and I learned a lot.
How the school is always looking to improve any and every aspect of it. Also, the students were easy going and they all said that the teachers are very approachable.
I was impressed with the technical aspects of the school. The facilities were very modern and up to date, as were the lecture halls. I was also impressed with the friendly conversational tone of the interview process. Dr. Evans, Dr. Moradi, and Dr. Richards were a pleasure to speak with and offered a lot of good information about the school.
The other applicants there with me - everyone was very nice. It seemed like a cool, intelligent group that I'd enjoy being in school with for 4 years. Also, the PBL pathway, along with location, is what seals LECOM-FL as my first choice.
The interviewers were very frank, friendly, and informative. They answered my specific questions about the new campus, which was very helpful. After being accepted, I called the Bradenton office to ask about more details. Dr. --- kindly returned my call and gave me more information. Some of other interviewees were very mature and extremely friendly. It would be nice to study with them in the coming year.
The facilities were nice, fairly technologically oriented. They will be moving half the staff for the new FL campus from PA. The head of the PBL program will be running Bradenton.
I was suprised how much I loved Erie, and the people. Everybody was so nice and postive about their experiences and time in Erie and at LECOM. I really like the 3 different learning pathway posibilities.
Very clean. The students and faculty I talked with like their school. Bradenton FL campus is very nice, in a great area, and larger in person than it looks in the pictures. Learning options, ie independent study, problem based learning, and lecture. (As for some of you complainers who are going to school there, relax, you chose to go there, just leave if you think it's ruining your life.)
The people who interviewed me seemed honestly interested to find out about me. Although they did ask me pointed questions, my responses elicited stories from them about their experiences in research. The student ambassadors that you meet at lunch will answer your questions honestly.
The city was bigger than I thought, clinical experience starts in the first year. The way any of my doubts were removed during the interview. There is prosection, it was explained to me and doesnt seem like it will be that much different. The different pathways of learning, and what to expect.
The dress code impresses me because it shows me that they are concerned about training professional doctors. I was also impressed with the different pathways. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Everyone is professional and a highly qualified faculty.
Everything. Everyone appeared very professional (dress code), buidlings were brand new, faculty were genuinely interested in finding out who you are and how they can help to achieve your goals. Very high board passing rate in this school.
I thought that the technology in the school was great. I liked that you were required to have a laptop because you knew that the school was in the 21st Century. The different pathways was great. The students, faculty, and facilities were all great
Facilities, nice admin, happy students, rigorous work ethic emphasized. They seem to be determined to create good doctors (not money driven). Faculty and staff very supportive of current students. Many many rotation sites.
I thought that the facilities were very nice. The school seems to be evolving in terms of figuring out what works and what doesn't which I see as a good thing. (example: moving from disecting to prosecting)
I liked their early clinical experience opportunities. It was nice that they gave students a choice of learning style- 3 different pathways.I thought that the school had a very polished feel and the facilities were rather nice. Also, the students were really nice and friendly. The faculty were also very warm to me. It seemed that the students were really involved with the community, which I think is great. Erie is a much larger city than I had expected.
Tons of stuff...nice location, safe area, cheap housing, this school really strives hard to make you a great doc, this school loves its country (unlike some liberal colleges)
List: Very new school, costs aren't out of control, good 3rd and 4th year opportunities, clinical experiences in the 1st year!, teachers open office hours, seemed to have a lot of responsible students, nice vacation times, and a lot more items.
During lunch, we had two very frank 2nd yr med students who told us exactly what to expect at LECOM. They answered my questions honestly. I like the fact that they have three learning pathways and they start patient contact early (first year second semester). LECOM's really big on community service.
The generosity of all the students and faculty. All the students overly expressed how helpful the faculty are and how willing to help and concerned they all are. The same appears to be true of the students also.
The facilities, the faculty, and the 'no nonesense' approach that the school takes towards education. The school was founded to produce well-trained physicians and that is what it does.
the clubs and the choice of learning pathway...LECOM is one of the only schools that offers the three pathways (Lecture, independent, and problem-based)
Very nice building and classrooms, nice area, Erie is very affordable, and the students I talked to were very happy there. For some of them, LECOM was a safety school and the only med school that they got into, but they love it there and don't feel like they have settled for less. One student even told me that if he knew how great it would be at LECOM, he would have saved a lot of money and not have applied to so many other school.
The interview was very relaxed, I felt that my interviewers just really wanted to get to know me. I was excited to find that LECOM will be opening a campus in Florida next fall!
teh interviewers were really nice...it's not too stressful. The school is very disciplined which i think is good in a way because it gets you ready for the real world
the school has a guaranteed loan program that can give u a max of $179,000. dude, NICE! I was expecting to get a loan from the bank and this saves me the trouble.
The staff and interviewers were very friendly and warm. The school is brand new and very clean. The interview was not intimidating at all, and the interviewers were very encouraging and interested.
very nice faculty, students, and staff. Nice, modern, clean building. Lots of technology. Ability to travel to rotation sites during 3 and 4th years - the hospitals you rotate at pay your room and board. They also have international rotations in countries all over the world.
Friendly students and staff, newer facilities (and will continue to grow), many different rotation affiliations and LECOM connections (great opportunity to travel), emphasis on primary care while allowing further training/insight into specialties as well, choices of 3-learning pathways (impressive), cheap cost of living, preceptorships starting in MS1
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions related to the lack of personalization in the interview process, feeling like just a number, the school's strict policies on dress code and attendance, the impersonal and sterile environment of the campus, limited student interaction, location concerns such as the weather and area, lack of access to facilities or information, and dissatisfaction with the staff and student attitudes. Suggestions include improving personal interactions, easing strict policies, enhancing campus atmosphere, enhancing student involvement, and addressing concerns about location and facilities.
They seem to be promoting themselves as a school as opposed to getting to know me as a candidate.
the asynchronous style is really impersonal, and it feels like the questions they ask are more "essay questions" than questions about me as a student/person
It was very CASPER-part2 and did not feel like they were interested in getting to know me, since they did not have any member of their staff interact with applicants invited for interviews. It felt like I was just a number honestly and did not do anything for me in terms of getting to know the professors and faculty at the school or the school itself. It was a very, obvious one-sided type of experience.
Disappointed that I couldn't speak with faculty or student--hated the time restriction and the lack of human interaction. Felt like the interview did now let people know who I am. Also major technical difficulties and took a lot longer than the 20 minutes they said it would (due to technical difficulties and really long upload time between video responses).
Strict dress code, no food or water outside the cafeteria or cafe (meaning no water during lectures), lecture is mandatory, you're graded on a letter scale.
Their over-emphasis on professionalism. I read some comments about this before going and thought maybe it just wasn't a good fit for those people, but now I think they may be right. I don't mind the professional dress code, but they don't allow food or drinks anywhere outside of the cafeteria. That means no WATER during class or in the library!
There was a long presentation before we broke into a group interview. The group interview, I believe, was way too long. Then, they have you all back in the same larger conference room and call you in smaller group for your two-on-one interview. Waiting for the individual interview made no sense to me, but I know they only had a few people who were doing the interviews.
Airport security at the front desk, a couple answers from admissions officers that did not really answer the question, building felt dark with not a lot of windows or decorations
The school seemed very worried about the residency merger. The dean did not seem to have any good answers regarding how they were going to overcome this problem. Also hinted at losing some rotation sites.
The group interview was more going around one by one answering the questions rather than an open discussion as we were led to believe. The lack of knowledge of staff/students regarding the clinical years, rotation opportunities, etc.
The dress code: not that they have one but the rationale. They say it promotes professionalism that you wear a shirt and tie. However, I have seen plenty people in business casual and formal that are total schmucks. It seems unnecessary to me, a school can promote professionalism through different modes but I think dress code is ineffective.
the optional individual interview ( i signed up for it because everyone else did and i ended up with two serious ass old guys but they only asked two questions and they were easy)
The campus did not have an anatomy lab. They make a strong argument saying you can be successful without one, and back it up with their strong board scores, but I would still prefer one. Also, the actual campus at Seton Hill is kind of in the basement of Seton Hill university.
The facilities - the anatomy lab did not seem very modern and appeared somewhat unclean. Must wear business casual even to dissections. Dirty looking white coats for public use in anatomy lab. Students seemed unenthusiastic. Winters sound terrible. Unimpressed with town of Erie.
A couple of the questions asked during the interview had different answers when asked to different people (i.e. interviewer/tour guide/dean/current student).
Mandatory attendance and assigned seating for LDP pathway students. No water/coffee allowed in lecture halls. Small cafeteria that is packed with students. Excessive security at the entrance.
Everything. I felt like they had zero interest in applicants as individuals and were more interested in selling the school. It felt like one of those bad presentations for buying a timeshare.
The school seems very militant (and I'm in the military) and unfeeling. Everything is gray (the walls the floors the desks), armed police at the front, no beverages even water in lecture, and lectures aren't recorded. I understand that the school is trying to prepare you for being a professional, but I think there's a line between fostering professionals and treating students like children.
Lack of focus on research, very rule-oriented (though aspects of this I think are good, it just worries me somewhat), pathways were not well explained. They send decision letters through USPS. Why must schools do this??
In addition to typical complaints about the school (excessive amount of armed security, dress code, no water in lecture hall), I was put off by the fact that no one could elaborate on the research opportunities in the school despite the emphasis they placed on the fact that they had research building.
Lots of rules, bureaucracy. Mark DSP as your first choice if you don't want to deal with 8 hours of lecture every day and still want to learn anatomy with a cadaver (something PBL doesn't allow for).
The attitudes of some of the other candidates. There were a few mumbled complaints about the strictness of the school's rules. I hope that they will seek acceptances elsewhere, rather than coming here and whining about things that were made very clear to them from the start. Also, winter in Erie is going to be rough. The gray walls are a bit drab, and coupled with the snow, it could be a recipe for depression. I noticed some current students wearing outrageous shirt/tie color combinations, and I attribute that in part to a desperate need for color.
The group interview sucked. You have very few chances to show the interviewers who you are. The group ethical discussion questions were too easy, so it was hard to really add anything. The area was nice, but Erie gets pounded by snow every year. Dress code for lectures seems silly. All text books are now e-text
bare minimum resources, no cadaver lab for PBL at Seton Hill, very thirsty (no food or drink), not enough focus on real life exposure to patients care in first and second year, not all students seem happy
This school is really sloppy. Even the students and admissions staff had a hard time describing the different pathways and how they worked in a concise, coherent manner. Very disappointed. Also, I found it to be a bit unnerving that everything in the building is gray. Carpet, tiles, walls, tables.... everything is gray, save a few paitings on the walls in the main hallways. Also, on our tour, the electricity went out (while students were taking exams) and it was utter chaos. Not sure how I feel about this school now.
Dress clothes in anatomy lab, how it is just one building with not alot of facilities in it (at least that we could see) and that other parts of LECOM were several miles away.
Rules placed on students (assigned seats, dress code, no food/drink). Meanwhile, this is the only school that allows an Independent Study Pathway... seems contradictory.
Lunch was terrible - pizza and iceberg lettuce salad. I didn't like the group interview format. Also, the day ran an entire hour over what the schedule stated. No opportunity for patient contact during first two years, either.
No drinks allowed in lecture, it's far away from eastern NY, dress code, lecture 8am-5pm which is mandatory. But honestly, these things just make it more professional of a school (not the distance though, it's still faaaar away!)
If you take lecture based learning you are required to go to all classes even if you already know the material that is going to be presented really well. They don't have a sim lab either.
Student interaction was not as impressive because it seemed like they either did not know they were supposed to be there or they were just not passionate enough. I wanted to talk to some PBL students, but they were not present. Also, I wished the students had done the tour; it would have been more lively and realistic as they actually use the facilities.
the city is kind of eh. but then again, who will have time in med school to be going out all the time? I think erie has enough stuff to do when you need a break, but its still kind of a small town by my standards
Though I like the fact closed interviews hide the numbers, the 4 questions or so they ask really doesn't get to know you as a person and you feel like you end up just repeated your AACOMAS, which they obviously look at. Definitely wasn't an interaction or conversation, just question and answer session bc they just ask then write down your answer. Personally I would rather have a challenging questions about that really tells about you, and not the mickey-mouse ones that took 15 mins. Just overall felt like I didn't get much out of it.
Lack of input from current PBL students. Also, no ISP or PCSP students of whom to ask questions. I had to seek this out on my own.
East side Erie, oh so blighted.
It seemed rigid and very controlled. Very business-like. It may have been because of the dress code or the fact that it is only a professional school and no undergrads were milling around.
The only thing that was slightly negative about the entire interview was that it was a single interview with two interviewers which lasted maybe 20 minutes and felt kinda rushed. I would doubt that they could honestly judge a person as being a fit or not for their school based on 20 minutes.
I'm a bit nervous about not being allowed to even have water anywhere on campus except the cafeteria... seems a bit much... I understand no food, and even uncovered containers, but not even water? I mean, we are grown-ups...
I didn't like being asked to rank our pathway preferences without knowing very much about Seton Hill. It seemed like a big decision to make with insufficient information.
The fact that PBL doesn't take place at the main campus and that the different pathways seem to be so isolated. Also, we couldn't get a good feel for the bay building or Seton Hill.
Alphabetical assigned seating in the Lecture/Discussion Pathway (My last name starts with a Y, which means I would always be in the back row). They also want a $1500 deposit to reserve your seat within 30 days of acceptance.
The strict rules: dress code and no food/drink outside of the cafeteria. I've heard that you get use to it, but personally I like going to class in sweats on occasion. Not a big fan of studying in dress clothes. And I get thirsty a lot (um yeah..)
Stupid, but it bugged me: Does Erie salt its roads at all? Buffalo gets about the same amount of snow, but wow....every side street was SOLID ICE! I'm fine in any climate (family in Buffalo and went to undergrad in Rochester) but ice on their roads was a huge surprise...
PBL rooms were dissappointing - 2 tables pushed together with a sliding divider btwn rooms. LECOM-Brad rooms were designed for PBL and it showed! (But how much time are you really spending on campus doing PBL anyway?) Lecture halls - snow white walls - blah. Internet disabled during lecture (or during lecture halls?) because they saw ppl not paying attention during class. I wanted to setup a VPN to my home computer in case something happens to my laptop...no go at Erie. "AT Still doesn't meet the dress code".
Current students didn't seem to have any better choices of programs when they were applying.
Indep Study books are not available to PBL students (and PBL students didn't seem to want them anyway), but the Indep guy seemed to really like them. Interviewer x 2 degrading another school in the region for ~ .5 minutes during interview. No cadaver lab for PBL unless afterhours or applying for paid position during the summer (how competitive are the positions?). I really understand their motivation for low cost tuition, but I think that tuition could be useful to improve some aspects (esp the PBL rooms and lecture halls)
No drinks/food allowed outside caf (which is very small), the library is really small, no cadaver lab for PBL (but you can use the lab after hours), dress code would be a pain with how much it snows there. The man at the front desk at my hotel told me that Erie got something like 150 ft of snow?!
The interviews ran late and two of us were given a 4 minute tour where we literally ran through the building as the tourguide pointed things out. Not cool. The students I encountered in passing (not the ones who came in to talk to us) did not seem happy.... that was a downer.
The building is kinda blah on the inside. EVERYTHING is gray, the furniture, the walls, the floor, the furniture .... how hard would it be to through a coat of paint of ANY COLOR on the walls???
Not that techy, would be nice to see smart boards in the PBL rooms.
Basically the building feels very sterile.. I applied to the PBL program so this shouldn't be a huge issue for me but if i was going to sit there M-F from 8-5 i might get depressed !
Students didn't seem very academically serious. Dress code is enforced vigorously (and they won't even let you wear scrubs!). No food or drink allowed anywhere in the building (except for the cafeteria). Despite the fact that you're paying tens of thousands in tuition to go there, you can't even enter many parts of the building as a student (including the atrium!?!).
the Tour guide sucked; the school limits your access to students; students seemed unhappy/angry; Please note adcom: if you want to impress your school you have to have someone EXCITED about the school to give a tour.
dress code, no food/drink policy, the feel of being in a office more than a school. Just overall seemed very uptight and rigid. Small anatomy lab, PBL-moving towards VR anatomy instead of using actual bodies. Fitness center and student center both miles from the classroom building
Opportunity, I guess? Erie isn't Philidelphia, so the clinical experience you assume isn't as great as it is in bigger cities. Poor coordination somewhat, since the PBL mock session was cancelled and some of the classrooms (ANATOMY) were locked during the school tour.
Having a dress code in the middle of a snowy and muddy city. Interviewers were kinda distant, hadnt read my file even though they were given the chance to, and seemed like they wanted to get outta their for lunch hour.
Its only one building, but I dont think its that big of a deal. Not sure how strong are there residencies. They didnt really tell us what kind of residencies the students have done. THey told us the hospitals they were affiliated with, but not much info about the kind of residencies.
The interviews actually could have been a little longer. Short amount of time to make a great impression. The library closes at 11, and the school closes at 12.
Didn't get to do the mock PBL as nobody was around to do it. We went through a quick one for about 10 minutes but people had to leave for their interviews.
Anatomy lab is prossection. Inaccessibility to the Atrium. Students should get this for studying purposes. Also, scrubs should be allowed in anatomy lab. If I go here, I will be buying a dress shirt, slacks, and tie from Walmart or the Sal*Val to use.
The people that interviewed me didn't have specific questions to ask me. They spent most of the time thinking of questions or talking about the school.
I didn't see any human patient simulators and they didn't talk about the use of standardized patients. Do they have these?
The interview was a bit like an interrogation. They kept trying to talk me out of my answers.
Predictable interview, MD interviewer for a DO school (WTF?), decentralized campus, felt more like a business than a school, apparently hard to get to now that I have tried it, strict dress code, no food or drinks allowed ANYWHERE, mixed reviews about school/administration, farthest away, maybe winter since about a dozen people mentioned the "lake effect" and said there would be a few feet of snow from October to March
The size of the campus. I thought there would be more buildings and a larger campus but almost all of the classrooms and labs are in one building. There are other facilities but they are a drive away from the main campus
How students are not allowed to enter the atrium. Thankfully, our student tour guides sneaked us in, and, especially on a sunny day, the atrium is absolutely beautiful.
1. I knew they have a dress code, and it really did not bother me until I saw the school, students and faculty. They say that students have to dress professionally in order to develop professionalism, but...faculty on other hand did not look and behave professional to me. I saw several professors with diamonds in their ears (I do not mind men wear jewelry, but not chunks of diamonds, yak!). And constant cheesy jokes from heads of department, lots of jokes about alcohol. I came from pretty unique city in US which has lots famous attractions, and when one of the head of department met me and learned that I am from that city, he immediately remembered that they make good beer...One of the student who interviewed with me was constantly picked on regarding his girl friend who came with him and was waiting for him downstairs. Is this professional? Maybe they tried really hard to be friendly...I don't know.
2. School looks too sterile, almost like you are at the hospital. Hallways are very long and narrow. They have no lounges for students to relax and hang out at. Work out area is tiny and dark.
2. I asked if we can see some of their technology, simulators. The tour guide replied that they have one, but it is on the 4th or 5th floor and nobody can go there.
3. Attendance is mandatory, are we applying to med school or high school?
4. The school is practically is one building and huge parking lot, no cozy areas around it to study outside, to have a picnic and so on.
5. Dr. Wise mentioned that the school is like one big family and everybody knows everything about everybody.
6. The whole day was not very informative. We sat a lot in one conference room and listened to Dr. Wise about curriculum.
7. One of the students who were having lunch with us, said that when they signed up to meet with prospective students they were giving some text to memorize and mention it during conversation with us. Ha..., how about just honest opinion coming straight from the students?
8. Students seemed too busy to stop by and talk to us and just to be friendly; maybe they were too busy thinking what shirt and tie they have to wear tomorrow. I am not exaggerating about ties. All guys have to wears ties and dress shirts, and I saw lots of girls wearing hills and skirts.
8. The tour was very lame.
The students seem unhappy with the administration. They say that the administration does not listen to their suggestions/concerns and that they are left in the dark about many aspects of their education and clinical rotations. Also, Erie is kind of a boring, small town.
Strict dress code, more cameras in building than a casino, strict attendance policy, students seemed indifferent, crappy free lunch, associated hospital is very small, 4 groups of 4 people per cadaver
Nothing. The process was streamline and efficient. The staff was optimistic about us and tried to convey a real interest in us as people. Dr. Wise was amazing!
-One of my interviewers was not friendly at all. I think she disliked me because I spoke to her on the phone when LECOM lost my application and I was upset. I guess she already had a negative impression of me.
-Mandatory attendance and dress code...it's not high school anymore!
-I heard some pretty negative things from people who go to LECOM, like how the Dean came into lecture one day just to yell at them.
-Erie is kind of a depressing town. It's snowy and cold and the student who ate lunch with us said they hardly ever plow the roads because the city is broke.
-Research opportunities are limited.
the dress code, students seemed unhappy, the bitter cold weather with mounds of snow everywhere. I also asked about the dress code IN the anatomy lab and you have to keep your dress code while doing your cadaver disection... They have to wear ties and slacks while they cut up bodies!? not allowed to drink water outside of the cafeteria (no water in classrooms), the presenter for the day kept on mentioning ''the other osteopathic school in pennsylvania'' as an exceptional school which i thought was kind of weird.
I was surprised that family was not particularly welcome. When I arrived at 7:45 with my husband, they had him go sit in the cafe until everything was over. The only thing he was welcome to participate in was the tour at the end (about 12:45). So my husband just left and came back around noon. I don't know about you, but my husband's input into where I go to medical school is a factor on my choice. The other school I interviewed at was very encouraging of family to come along for the day of the interview and the only time we were apart was for the 20-30 minutes I was in my interview.
The students who we had lunch with were LDP and talked about ISP and PBL, but clearly didn't know much about them. They said some things that contradicted what we heard earlier and likely weren't true. Two female students outside of the OMT lab giggled to themselves when we walked by and whispered ''don't come here.''
The anatomy lab has 4-5 students per cadaver. The rotation options are very limited. Eight inches of snow dropped on the town the night before my interview.
Erie is a pretty dreary town, but on the up side you're only there for the first two years. They try tobe very impartial during the interviews, so they don't react to anything you say. It's hard to be relaxed when you're talking to two stones.
The person speaking to us told us he'd be honest with us and give us some reasons why not to attend the school. I respect that, but I felt he focused on it for too long rather than the many positive aspects of the school.
Some of the medical students angst about the dress code and mandatory attendance. C'mon, without the mandatory attendance the board scores probably wouldn't be as good as they are, and you're becoming a professional sooner or later you're gonna have to start dressing like one.
* They have a preceptor and standardized patient (actors) program, but they only have one of the computer/mechanical patient simulators compared to, say, the 6 they have at KCUMB. We didn't even get to see it on the tour, or any rooms to practice clinical skills, though maybe they exist.
* the attendance policy, which feels like junior high. their explanation is that statistically, people who come to class do better than people who don't and they are committed to making sure you do well. ok. but still sounds like middle school to me.
* the dress code - this is NOT just ''no jeans or t-shirts, but scrubs or khakis are ok''. Men must be wearing a tie to step foot in the building, women must be in less-specified ''professional and not-clubby'' dress. Their explanation is that it gets you in the habit of being professional and forces you to wake up enough before class to get it together. I still hate it.
* Lunch was not very substantial.
* 5-6 people to a cadaver instead of 4.
* the newer admissions staff person they had doing many of the presentations and tour was really horrible - boring and poorly informed and unaware of what potential students are interested in. I wish Dr. Wise had given the entire presentation.
* in the cafeteria, almost all the ~30 tables had only men sitting together or only women sitting together. I saw ~ 3 tables with both. Again, is this middle school?
Dress code. There is someone who monitors the dress code. Mandatory attendance. And the only nice students were the ones who had lunch with us. No other students said ''hi'' or were friendly, like at other schools. The interview consisted of one guy talking for 3 hours, and was extremely boring. We didn't really get to socialize with other students or interviewees (I enjoyed this part at the other interviews). We looked through apt guides at apts. And he talked down the area surrounding the school. Very disappointing.
The school ''campus'' is a single building. There is a dress code enforced whenever you step foot into the building as well as an attendance policy. Six students are assigned to a cadaver (versus 4 at most other schools). The entire building is not wireless, but they are working on that. No food or drink outside of the cafeteria. The building closes at 11:30pm. Students made it sounds like there wasn't much clinical exposure/practice in the 1st two years.
Everything. The students were not very friendly and the admissions staff member who presented was told just that morning that she was talking with us. Lastly, the tour guide did not have access to a bunch of the rooms, so at first the tour was looking at a bunch of doors.
1. The students: these guys were not very friendly. None of them said hello to my group, they just stared at us and made comments amongst themselves followed by childish giggling (I found this very rude).They also seemed cold and unenthusiastic about being medical students.
2. Library: They and don't allow any drinking or eating, and close at 11pm.
The location of the school is kind of strange. It is in an area of small businesses and homes and there is a big empty field across the street. The school seems a bit out of place there. Also, the tour was pulled together last minute and didn't show us much. Supposedly a second year student was supposed to give the tour but couldn't because of a class conflict so we got a pinch hitter who was nice and entertaining but not really sure where he was going or what to show us.
At first, I thought the town was a bit lame, but then we (my wife and I) got to know some locals and felt more comfortable. I didn't find anything negative about the visit.
The campus is just one building. The students didn't seem too enthusiastic about the school. The building is beautiful but so sterile and the walls are blank. You are required to dress up every day and you must buy a laptop to attend the school. Class is from 8am to 5pm every day if you decide to go that route.
Obviously noone likes a dress code and strict "no food and drink" policies, but these are good enough reasons to totally shut out LECOM as a choice for med school.
The school and the atmosphere seemed a lot like high school to me. Everyone was traveling around in packs. At noon the lunch room/study hall was packed. It was just weird, I guess. Also, the lunch orders were incorrect. I'm not sure how it's possible to mess up box lunches for 3 out of 13 people.
Dress code and attendence policy. Plus the interview is done by a sheet of paper to standerdize all the of the questions (makes it easier to prepare but also makes you able to give more about yourself).
Dress code (but the students didn't seem to mind)- I like the freedom to be able to bum around in sweatpants and flip flops when I feel like it-
Also, the anatomy lab had no windows, and the bodies are prosected.
No one was that impressive, as far as wanting to motivate me to come to the school. It was pretty much like, "school will be hard, Erie has its charming points, and you'll be a doctor in the end." I just didn't feel I learned anything about the school I hadn't seen on the website or with SDN.
Erie is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. The town was dead. Then again, if I'm going to be studying 12 hours a day, that doesn't really matter all that much.
Nothing really about the school negatively impressed me. This is a professional school so having a dress code and mandatory attendance to class should not come to a suprise to people (referring to those who seemed to take this negatively).
The words students/staff used to describe the school..."sterile", "crappy", "kinda like a catholic junior high school" (in reference to the strictness of the school). I couldn't believe things like that we're coming out of their mouth!
Also the one building and the location was pretty rough.
And the swiping to get in and out of rooms in the building seemed really odd to me.
I really have a problem with the dress code. I could live with it, but since I got accepted into my first choice school, I'm glad I don't have to deal with it. Also, the students weren't as friendly as the ones at my other interviews. They seemed like they "had" to be there and were just biding their time, until they could leave.
Students seemed a bit dazed and confused, no sense of "family" or commaraderie between each other. Everyone seemed to do their own thing and mind thier own business (didn't see ppl in the hallways even getting into random conversations.)
I would have liked to have more interactions with students, particularly 1st years. Both the guide and 2 students at lunch were 2nd years. Also, not sure how I feel about only one building and that classrooms are not wireless (they do have ethernet ports at all seats though).
I don't like that you have to swipe your card for almost every door. I wanted some match information, but it's not readily available. The dress code and mandatory attendance, prosected cadavers, and the general location. Also, I prefer block schedules, but it seems MS2's have exams almost every week.
There are security cameras everywhere! I also did not like the manditory attendence policy. At this stage in the game, I don't feel that students should have to be made to come to class.
did not offer anything to eat in the morning although i'd already eaten breakfast, interviews were rather short, unorganized question/answer session with a students wife-she wasn't even a student!, people here didn't seem really proud of their school
Manditory attendance and dress code, but hay its not so bad. If you want to attend a great med school just get dressed and be on time....our patients would appreicate it too...
It was a long day, especially at the end when the students talked. They were really cool, but it was the end of the day, no one had questions for them but they felt the need to keep on talking for an hour before they let us go.
Nothing really, but I thought my interviewers didn't like me because they were very stoic but I think it was because they had to be like that. I got accepted so I guess I was over-reacting.
Nothing really. There was a period during the interview, which lasted from 9am until 1pm, where all of the students being interviewed had to wait for everyone to finish interviewing. I went first around 9:30am, so I sat around talking with other students until 1pm. Although, we did tour the school and talk to med students and staff, it just wasn't very organized. On the up side, I talked with several other interviewee's and now we are friends and keep in touch via email!
First of all, the 6+ inches of "lake-effect" snow that fell the night before my interview, making it all the more difficult to travel there! I guess this was to give me the complete "dreary Erie" experience. Towards the end of the interview, it got so bad out that we couldn't see further than ~5 feet out the window, and everyone was worried as to how they would get home. As for the school, they don't have wireless internet like the Bradenton campus yet, and no immediate plans to acquire it. No food anywhere in the building except for the cafeteria, which also serves as the "student lounge" and a multi-purpose room for speakers sometimes. It wasn't very comfortable, just standard tables and chairs, so it's hard to imagine being able to "lounge" there. But they do have Starbucks coffee.
1)cadavers are already dissected. 2) cameras watching you everywhere you go. 3) food/water not allowed in the classrooms. 4) formal attire requirement.
40% of students are married and they have a spouse support group! I was one of two undergrads in my interview group (and most LECOM students are in their upper 20s it seemed.) No research, cadavers are already dissected, and the school is so new that it does not have a reputation yet.
someone was heating up chicken or something while we were in the conference room so i started to get really hungry. other than that....it was a great experience.
The school's sterility. Since it has just opened (2004), the building is still being renovated. While it is a beautiful school, it lacks the character of older schools.
It seems that the building is really in the middle of nowhere...but you are assured that the complex is REALLY new and that the developed and exciting cities (Tampa, Sarasota)are close by.
First off, they do not provide lunch (a few snacks) so eat big before you come!!! You end up having alot of downtime while the others are interviewing despite the library tour and Colleens super great stories.
Unless they hide dead bodies in other parts of the school, there were only 2 full cadavers in the anatomy lab, which was the nicest smelling anatomy lab I have ever been in by the way.
They don't have anywhere close by campus to eat but they are working on their food selection on campus.
It would make me feel better if they were a bit more established, but after visiting the campus I have a lot more faith that LECOM-Bradenton has a well defined track and will produce stellar physicians.
Alligators live in ponds all over the area, including behind the school. There are no signs and no fences/gates around the lakes so they are free to roam around and eat whatever they want! Scary!
Also, after exams, Apple Bee's seems to be the place of choice to go party. :/
The area from the little that I saw, does not seem to be very racially diverse but everyone was super nice.
The only thing that really turned me off was a comment that one of my interviewers said. Since I live in Ohio, I applied to the MD schools here also, and one of my interviewers asked me "Since your MCAT score is a bit lower than MD standards, and your probably not going to get accepted at any of them, is that why you applied to DO schools?" Not only was that a wrong assumption and inappropriate, but I was totally offended.
Didn't get to see much of the school since the dorrs were locked. Didn't get to sit in on a lecture. Too many people interviewing at once. Not very personal. Interview was scripted.
A lot. They have lots of rules...dress code, take attendance at all classes, no food or drinks outside of cafeteria, and class is from 8-5 (about) everyday. The school is ONE building. It is a huge building, but it does not have a lot of windows, the "campus" does not have green spaces, the walls are white with no color. Very sterile building. Library is very small. Rotations are set up by the student and after talking to a 4th year student, she says this is very difficult and the school does not help all that much. Because they are a new school they do not have an alumni network. During the entire visit, we only met with 2 students and they talked about how much studying they did...
I did not like that the cadavers were already disected and labeled. How do you learn from this? Also, the building was more like a dungeon because everything was gray. It was rather drab and depressing.
The school is one building..woah, talk about a "campus". It's small. The school isn't a place you'll be unless you have to be there..there's no room anyways. The town is lacking and will defiitely need some effort to get used to. The interview was alright, straight from paper and the article to read the exact same it's been from years before.
it's a really small place with big classes ---200 a class and the way they treat you like babies....take attendance, yell if not wearing dress code, etc
Nothing really...I had to wait from 9-11am. My interview was the last one at 11am which was kinda whack. I get impatient easily so the wait kinda went on and on....
The students, not many talked to us, I think we were able to talk to four students the whoel time, and for ambassadors of their school they did seem very enthusiastic to help us out
The area was very "back-woodsy" something I could not deal with. However, I was applying for the Bradenton campus so that did not concern me.
You could definetly tell that the student that ate lunch with us could not give his true feelings since he gave the same exact scripted answers as the admissions people. The interview was very general and the interviewers didn't even care about my experiences (hospital training, undergrad research, etc.)It seemed like they didn't even want to be there.
well, the library is too small. The building is not too organized. The faculty always seem to be not very caring. There is a use of a very selfish approach in their recruitment. They tend to keep people on hold just waiting and waiting to hear from them regarding rejections/acceptance. Very slow admission process and extremely inefficient. They need to respect the applicant's timelines more.
Erie. Eww. Thankfully the new school is not there. The giant cross hanging on a chain around the interviewer's neck (I'm talking three by four inches here) Considering I wrote about having an abortion when I was 18 in my personal statement, I was pretty sad to see that, but stoked when I heard he hadn't read my personal statement! :' )
Dress code, and the fact that you have to electronically let yourself into the building and other rooms in the school. Ties and shirts (for men) in anatomy lab. They don't disect real cadavers, they use previously disected plasticized cadavers.
The interview itself. One person was somewhat responsive, the other just looked up to ask questions. The have a form that they follow, so they would look up to ask the question and as soon as I would start talking they would start writing... My entire interview was maybe 15 minutes - and when we were heading back I mentioned to my interviewer that I was surprised it was so short and they responded with "well we have a lot of people to see today and we are running behind." I thought that was very rude - I flew across the country and spent hundreds of dollars for them to give me ten minutes....
The rules regarding dress code, mandatory attendance, and food negatively impressed me. Some of the staff members were not overly friendly either. The library and cafeteria clearly need some attention, both are extremely inadequate in my opinion. The tour did not include seeing the anatomy lab :(
when i first arrived, it was not as friendly as I wanted. The town has nothing to do and seems very boring and the weather was dreary. They had cameras everywhere and they seemed very serious about THEIR rules that you have to abide by. I was not 100% sure about if I wanted lecture based and problem based learning style and they make you turn in what you think you want to do.
Erie SUCKS. I've travelled a lot, and I've honestly never seen such a dreary, gross, boring place. If the FL campus wasn't opening I would NOT be considering LECOM.
No discount on the tuition fees for Florida residents...
They had little info of Bradenton campus except the interviewers. Also somebody from the admission office sounded too harsh on the $1500 deposit and acceptance to PBL pathway. I think it was not what she said but how she said. I didn't think it was a good idea to interview some while others were listening to financial aids or watching the Erie video.
Found out through students that the place is a wreck with problems concerning administration. The school is owned by a brother and sister (who also own half the town) that are never there (they are the Dean's). Several students were upset with things that had gone on. They honestly said that they didn't feel like the 'top dogs' cared about any of the students, only about prestige and how much money they were making. They did say most of the teachers were nice, but not the greatest in general. Many are foriegn and you can't understand them supposedly..? The Anatomy Lab is sup-par. Very poor ventilation system.
Snow, snow, snow, snow, ice, snow. Dress code (Sieg Heil!). Cameras that are everywhere. Fortunately, I was accepted to the Bradenton campus (I didn't even consider Erie for a second). The Bradenton campus is quite nice, in a good area (though next to a high school). I visited down there and took some pics and walked around (which I would suggest to anybody considering the campus). I still don't like the dress code, but I will probably bend the rules a bit. :>
Another thing that caught my attention is that one of the students told us that the school was adding extra board review course because the pass rate was not as high as most schools (couple points lower on average). They never told us the actual pass rate. Oh, and finally, the food plain sucks (lets hope they work on that for the new school).
There are only a few things I didn't like about LECOM, and they aren't major complaints. One, the gym is somewhat pathetic, but they do have many off-campus gyms you can join. Two, the cafeteria is also pathetic, but bringing my own lunch is no problem at all. Three, I don't like the fact that you cannot choose the learning pathway you want, they put in one they think you should be in.
if this was the only school i got into, im not even sure i would go. its that bad. for one, its in erie. i liked nothing about that town or the surrounding area, and i came in not expecting much. the school is in an old telephone company building. its pretty much this building then a little parking lot. smaller than my high school. right next to the school is a factory and then next to that is a trailer park. the dress code is still retarded. some will say it prepares you for the future but i think i know how to dress well, so i dont need someone to make me practice every day. no food or drink rule is stupid. i dont even know why that is in effect. mandatory attendance sucks. also, this school is expanding to a campus in florida, but yet they do nothing to make this campus any better. also, i was talking to a few people from the area, and they had never even heard of the school. trust me guys, you can do better. a few of the student there who did the little info session at lunch flat out told me they were unhappy and that this school was their only choice. thats sad.
They told us the total snow fall for the previous winter was 150 inches. The cafeteria has a very small selection... I didnt find that many problems with the school, and thus I am resorting to weather and food as my answer to this question.
I do not like the dress code rule. I don't mind dressing up in an professional setting but I learn best when I am comforatable. I also do not like the building hours (closes at 11pm).
Okay, everyone has said "dreary erie," and it can be- it's cold, windy, and the plane ride into the airport was an experience I will never forget. But it's a fairly spread out northeastern town with all the basics. Everyone seems very friendly.
Too many rules. I felt like the staff/faculty treat their students like they are in high school. Attendance at class is mandatory, dress code, no food/drink in lecture rooms. We are paying money to attend and have obviously handled the independence through college, why go back to childish rules?
I didn't like that the school was just this small squat building sitting all by itself. The library was kind of small too. Also they apparently have this new way of doing anatomy dissection. During the summer some second year students come in and do the dissecting, and the first year students then, during the year, work with an already dissected cadaver. What a poor way to learn.
The con of the 3 separate learning pathways is that once you pick one and they start teaching the sections separately, it seems that you are locked into that pathway regardless of whether you are happy with your choice or not.During the tour, we did not get to see the anatomy lab, which was sort of a bummer. I was NOT down with no food or drink policy (except in the cafeteria). I thought that was a little militant. I had been approached by a staff member to throw my drink away when I was in the lobby area so I know that the policy is enforced. I wasn't too happy with the dress code either although the students appeared very professional. There was some lack of available information from the admissions staff. Erie is pretty cold too!
Where to begin. The interviewers were unresponsive, most everyone in my group agreed with this. HARSH dress code. I sat in a room for about two hours just babbling about nothing waiting for my turn to be interviewed. The town is horrifying.
The town sucked big time. I mean come on who wants to live in a hick town. And Also, before getting into the school you will see a sign that says...: WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" and this was a new thing for me to see.
They should have had a mock session of each of the three learning pathways. You dont dissect first year, you prosect. The dress code-- but the second years pointed out that this was to our benefit when we start residencies and rotations.The cafeteria lady was rude. The tour was conducted by a staff member and she practically read of the sheet. Ther gym and hours are pathetic.
The tour was given by a staff member who works in Student Affairs but practically read off of a sheet the entire tour. It would have been more fulfilling for the tour to be given by students or at least someone who knew what they were showing and seemed interested. Also the cafeteria had hot dogs and chips for their main entree. The only alternatives were salads( which most had meat with them). This might not sound so bad but for the vegetarians who may be reading this, you feel my pain. I was able to get a small regular salad, but the cafeteria lady seemed extremely disgruntled.
Although I understand the reasoning behind the rule (new facilities with high tech equipment), I believe that the school should ease up on the no beverage in lecture hall policy.
Fitness room had very nice equipment, but it had no windows and I really wonder how many students use it because everyone lives off campus. We got a free lunch, but the cafeteria serves only sandwiches and salads, and the day of my interview only had tuna and egg salad sandwiches...
Dress code, no food in classrooms, sterile environment, cafeteria was not so much so as it was a sales point for brought in food. Also the students did not seem happy or positive in any way. Our student guide was nice but a little non enthuasic about being there. The biggest for me was the fact first year students did NOT get to cut in anatomy but only the second years did. First years get to observe the previously cut body.
kind of felt like a boarding school. The dress code is a drag, especially for the guys. One student told us that one guy got into trouble for not wearing his tie when he was studying in the lounge before class! She also said you're not supposed to wear scrubs during anatomy lab. What in the heck are you supposed to wear, a tuxedo? I think they're kind of missing the point with the dress code business. Oh, and Erie is definetly not the glamour capital of North America. But you're only there for 2 years.
dress code, channging rotation sites every 6 weeks, library is very small..no places to study...location in small neighborhood area...no restaurants or places to go..and the uptighness over keeping the school clean and brand new
The staff and faculty seem very detached from the student body. It felt very institutionalized and cold. Too many rules and restricitions, it felt like a military school, very regemented. Small school, only one building. Dress code, guys have to be in a shirt and tie everyday for class. Can't switch pathways once you start if you find that yours doesn't work well for you you're in big trouble. The town seemed really run-down.
Nothing to do in Erie; the snow; They don't offer alot of variety in the food in the cafeteria. Alot of students/ faculty/ staff bring their home-prepared food.
Look, i asked some questions that may have been a little agressive, like why dont you incorporate priblem based learning into your curriculum. THey got upset and one guy spazzed on me during the nterview. LOL..anyways.i guess you know what happened
LECOM's pathetic attempt for an exercise gym, 10 eliptical machines and treadmills and 1 all inclusive bowflex type machine that didn't impress me at all.
Very sterile atmosphere, unfriendly staff and interviewers (other people said their interviewers were great),not very established programs and affiliations
Only one building across from factory
No eating in lecture halls (coffee!(
No cafeteria/diner open regular hours for study--everything in Erie seems to close at 1800!
New facility was very sterile. Plain white walls and white tile, nothing on the walls. Too clean. Can't have drinks and food outside the cafeteria. Mandatory attendance and dress code. They really don't have any great study areas, simply only the small library or the cafeteria, most students study at home. Lectures keep you in class nearly 8 to 5 every day. Board pass rate is simply the national averge: 92%.
Applicants commonly wished they had known about the short preparation time for answers, the relaxed and low-stress nature of the interview, the specific interview formats (group and individual), the focus on the Erie campus, the optional PBL session, and the need for comfortable shoes due to multiple stairs. They also suggested being prepared for various pathways, the airport shuttle service, the closed-file interview style, and the need for early decision planning.
30 seconds is not a lot of time to prepare answers when they ask for answers to be "clear, insightful, and complete".
I mean, the questions... lol... but it wasn't that bad. It helped that I did the CASPER before this interview because that honestly prepared me fairly well.
I wish I would have known that early interviews like my own gave the opportunity for an early decision plan. They kind of spring it on you last minute and you don't have quality time to think about it.
i thought i wouldn't be nervous at all, but i was a little shaky answering the first question probably due to nerves but after that first question i calmed down a lot... so i wish i could have found a way to stay calm from the beginning
This interview is nothing to be stressed about. Most of the questions are opinion based, not about your qualifications or selling yourself. Don't be arrogant because you'll stand out in a bad way.
Don't bother preparing for specific interview questions... you will waste a lot of time preparing for things you will never be asked. Just be able to speak intelligently about who you are and why you are doing thing this. They really are just trying to get to know you.
They had breakfast food and coffee which was great. Lunch isn't really lunch. The interview truly is very casual and it's nice to be in a room with other candidates.
That we were going to have to make a decision regarding which pathway we wanted on the spot. There was a presentation about PBL that was a pretty big reality check, so it threw me off a bit.
They would not focus on how they were different from medical schools and other DO schools. Almost all the students I spoke with applied to both and it would have been nice to hear propaganda about how DO is better.
I wish i had known to rent a car! I came a couple days early and spent a day looking around the city- definitley need a car if you are going to do that- the bus doesnt really go everywhere you want (and you dont want to be walking miles and miles in the winter!!!!!!!!!!)
I was set, but I prepared. Read everything on the website, get to Erie early and dry run to the school, and avoid the East side.
It is likely to impress you negatively.
You can't go in the front doors, park in the back and enter there. I wish I knew they were going to change the interview format. You have to choose your pathway before you attend the PBL session.
Apparently the Day's Inn offered a shuttle to and from airport and school. I wouldn't have rented a car if I knew that and could have saved some money.
That the PBL practice session would extend past 1:00. I wanted to stay and participate but had to catch a flight and would have booked a later flight time if I had known.
Usual LECOM backdoor entrance. Erie is NOT the same as Bradenton. Climate is one thing, but Erie and Brad was like comparing grapefruit and oranges - both fruit, both tasty, but one didn't have the pop that the other one had, imho
Comfort Inn was fine (free wifi), but the ties with the indoor pool world got me a little nervous...I was just down the hall from the entrance, but it was quiet!! Comfort Inn provides a shuttle where they drop you off right at the backdoor, no charge. Left at 7:30 after booking with the desk. I think others stayed at the Marriot next door (check for free wifi).
They ask for your hotel info because they send you a care package.
There's no modesty in medicine. The tour guide took the applicants (mostly females) into the men's locker room while they were stripping down to their underwear. Then, they took us into the OPP lab where again everyone was half naked.
That US Airways is a horrible airline (DO NOT USE THEM), that getting to an from Erie is ridiculous, that an MD would be interviewing me for a DO school (again, WTF?)
How low key the interview would be, and how I shouldn't have been too anxious about it. Although the interviewers will generally keep poker faces, they genuinely want to get to know you.
They have you read an article which they ask you about at the end of the interview. It wasn't a hard read just a little surprising that they make you do that.
Research opportunities are a bit difficult to break into, unless you have some prior experience in the lab or field. Need to be proactive and driven if you want to make a name for yourself; nothing is 'offered', just mentioned.
i talked to several students outside of the interview day (i went to erie 1 day early) and ALL of the students i talked to were jaded and disenfranchised by the school's administration and their rules... many of which are enforced to the 'T' and for no real substantial reason.
Also, i didn't know the school has such a high first time COMLEX pass rate (something in the mid-upper 90's)
Do not let airlines take your carry-on luggage to check. They lost all of my luggage and I had to go to Wal-Mart at midnight the night before my interview to but EVERYTHING (including a suit). Guard your luggage with your life!
I wise I knew more about the pathways ahead of time. Here is an overview from what I gathered:
LDP - You're in class 8-4 almost every day. Some days are half-days, maybe, and sometimes you might get a day off before an exam. MS-1s have exams every Monday and MS-2s have exams every Friday. Some students didn't like being on campus for 8 hours and then coming home and trying to study, work out, do errands, etc. Lecture attendance is mandatory so you can't just skip lectures to study at home. Students do group studying outside of lectures, especially before exams. Supposedly, 10 or 11 of the professors who teach LDP write questions for the boards.
IDP - You get module packets for each section, such as immunology. You buy the book for it, read the book, and cover all the topics they give you. There are tests about every 3 weeks and bigger modules, like cardiology, are split into 2 exams. So, it is up to you to do time-management and read what you need to read before the exam. IDP meets on-campus every Wednesday for an hour or two after OMT lab. Wednesday is ''dress-down'' day too. Some IDP students get into groups after a week of studying to quiz each other, some do it all alone, and the IDP professors are almost always available to organize a session. For example, if the IDP students are having trouble with blood gases they will put together an ad-hoc lecture in a small room. You also have access to all of the LDP powerpoints (but won't really have time to read them) and can attend LDP lectures. So, if the book doesn't show enough radiology images you can just go to the lecture by looking at the LDP schedule online. Also, the first 12 or 15 weeks (don't remember the number) of MS-1 are anatomy/histology so you have to be on campus. A lot of the focus is on the boards and the exams are in board-format. They only accept about 30 (?) students to this program. Many of the students are non-traditional, especially those with prior significant clinical experience like nurses, chiropractors, working EMTs/Medics, pharmacists, etc. It's a great program also if you have family obligations.
PBL - This is the most non-structured of the pathways. MS-1 is taught by basic science professors and MS-2 is taught by clinical professors. You get modules and information to read for the upcoming session. There is a quiz at the end of each case study that covered the information, but the quiz is only to see that you're not falling behind and it doesn't get graded. The quiz is a question done by each of the 8 or so students and you're given your 1/8th of the reading to make a question from; the question has to be in board-format. You meet in your group and have a case. One student is the patient, another the scribe, another the doctor. The doctor is suppose to lead the entire case and others are suppose to participate. You get peer-reviewed on your participation, which some students might find annoying. You really learn how to take a detailed history which is suppose to make students very prepared for rotations. There are 3 exams per semester and that is your entire grade. They only accept about 40 (?) students to this program.
PCSP - There is an LDP and ISP version of this and I'm not sure on the details. It is an accelerated program based on Ohio's (?) program, which has shown great results. They had to make a proposal and talk in front of the AOA to pass the program and it is definitely not a short-cut. It is very intense and they only take 6 students. This is the first year they are doing it but again it's based on another program so I wouldn't be too worried about it. Instead of 10 week summer breaks, you get 2 week breaks. You also do the minimum number or rotations and they are specific to family practice and general internal medicine. There is an agreement that you sign saying you will do a primary care residency, otherwise you owe them that 4th year or tuition.
They say that there is no statistically significant difference between the pathways or they wouldn't offer them. However, they hinted that IDL and PBL do better on the boards overall. The programs are selective compared to LDP so they mentioned that might be a reason why they do better. Something else they said was students with > 3.0 GPA in med school have 100% pass rate on step 1 and step 2 of the boards. To me, this fact along with the 98% attrition rate are great. It means if you get in, you have a 98% chance of graduating in 4 years and won't be stuck with $200k in debt and no degree. Also, if you do reasonably well (> 3.0 GPA) you will absolutely graduate. For a school that people seem to rip on because of their low GPA/MCAT, they sure are having great success with their students. Lastly, they are expanding their (small) research program. However, their mission is to train primary care physicians. Their focus is teaching/education but the opportunity to research is definitely there.
There are a lot of negetive postings on SDN about the interview day and the school. I found almost all the alegations to be untrue when I visited. The dress code really isn't that strict, the assigned seating is for purposes of taking attendance and yuo're allowed to switch if you wan to sit somewhere else, the students seemed to be happy. The school puts in a lot of effort to make sure you succeed on the boards. A Kaplan review course included in tuition, and everyone is given 6 weeks to take the course and prepare.
The set up here is interviews first, then tour later. The day started at 8 and I was interviewed with the first round of people at 9:15, which surprised me a little, since I hadn't had coffee.
I got this info from earlier SDN posts, but just remember: go in the back door of the building; they have coffee but no breakfast for you, fill up on your own beforehand; be prepared to read and summarize a 1 page associated press article on a medical topic; the interviewers have to mostly stick to their script, so don't take it personally if they don't get conversational with you; it'll take 3-4 weeks for them to tell you whether you're accepted/wait listed/rejected.
They have you read an article while you're sitting in the room waiting to be interviewed and then ask you to summarize it during the interview - I hadn't seen this posted on any LECOM interview feedbacks.
I didn't realize the Primary Care Scholars program had two pathways to it, lecture and ISP. I want ISP so I had counted it out. Then I had to make up my mind quickly. They ask you to rank your preference of pathways before you go to lunch. Oh, and there's no food offered until lunch time. No bagels or anything, so eat breakfast ahead of time. My stomach was growling.
The students at other schools where I've interviewed were friendly,welcoming and seeked the opportunity to answer questions. I wish I would have known not to expect that from LECOM students.
Nothing. It was all pretty straight forward. They do have a new program option that lets you graduate in three years for primary care specialties. They will tell you all about it when you interview there.
Demographics of town...
Peach St. runs N/S and is parallel to State St. which cuts the town into E/W. East is pretty ghetto and West is the better side of town. I like to know this kind of info when I go to foreign places.
How nice the inside of the school was, how professional they make u feel (first impression of course...I don't know how I'd feel going there though), and the area is better than I expected.
That you aren't allowed to have ANY unexcused absences. You must have a note for every one. I'm not one to miss class, but if I have a day that I just need to sleep in, I should be able to.
On a positive note, I learned that even though Anatomy lab is prosection, you have the opportunity to take dissection between your first and second year if you so choose. Also, the article review is done at the end of your interview...I had almost been lulled in to forgetting that part of the interview.
I basically knew everything before going in--dress code, attendance policy, school is actually one building, etc. so there were no new discoveries for me. I did find out during my interview that one of my interviewers did his Ph.D. work at my undergraduate university so we talked about that for a little.
I wish that I would have known how dry my interviewers were going to be before I went. I read on this site, that all of the staff conducting the interviews was really nice and cracked jokes to put you at ease. Well, that was not my experiece at all. My interviewers were very monotone and not too outgoing. I am a very outgoing person and i had a hard ime being as serious as i thought they wanted me to be.
I was prepared for a small boom town go bust. Actually, it was a large wonderfully cultural town with much to offer. I took an extra day to just site see!
Ate a better breakfast!
When you answer a question the trio breaks out into a mad dash of scribbling your answers and checking boxes on a triplicate carbon sheet!
The ARTICLE.. I mean I knew it was coming, but even if you get 10 questions and you think they are done filling out the sheet, they will ask you about the article, so keep on your toes about that!
That I would do so well in the interview so I shouldn't worry so much. EVERY question I was asked can be found on this website, just read the postings and make notes of the most commonly asked questions.
I was stressing out about the article, but when I got there, the article was more like something you would see in a magazine, a super baby version of a real journal article.
They are huge on working as a team so try to tailor your experiences to demonstrate how great of a team player you are.
That they have you read an article before the interview and then ask you a question about it (I didn't take advantage of this web-site, but it wasn't difficult at all).
That parents could come on the tour with us. I sent mine to that casino in NY that's a hour away. I thought it would've been cool for them to see everything, but they probably would've opted to go gamble anyway.
that it's a difficult school to get to. i actually had to tell the cab driver where to go to get there because it was so new and in a remote are that he didnt know where it was. also dont expect lots of convenient transportation if u are coming from out of state. only 2 cab companies i knew of and i honestly didnt see one bus (although we did pass a couple of bus stop signs) i highly recommend renting a car at the airport or you'll spend tons 'o cash on cabs during the interview!
I wish I would have known that there is a strict dress code and attendance policy. I also wish I had known that anatomy lab consists of prosection instead of disection.
I discovered that the school, as a whole, was not very friendly. None of the students really talked to the interviewees; it seemed as though they thought they were better than us.
The fact that there is no accomadation during the interview time for people who have accompanied you. They don't even let them into the main room where they present information which would be helpful since you miss info when they take you out for your interview.
That they only used the secondary application to ask interview questions. Surprisingly, they didn't have any of my letters or anything before hand...got lost in the mail so I had to re-send everything.
I didn't know that we were interviewing for both the Bradenton and Erie campus. I was under the impression that I was being interviewed for Bradenton, but they asked us to write down which campus we would like to attend, or be considered for both.
Nothing really, although I was suprised to learn that the school uses prosected cadavers for the anatomy class. I'm from a relatively small town in PA and went to school in a small town in NC, but Erie is pretty small it seems.
that it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be up north in the snow. They make you read an article before the interview and summarize it during the interview.
Nothing really. The no food/drinks rule sucks, but knowing it beforehand wouldn't have changed anything. LECOM-FL is my first choice regardless because of location and PBL.
The second year students spent a couple of months only for the COMPLEX I preparation to make sure the good results. The different pathways are just different learning styles and no single pathway gave the negative outcome when they took COMPLEX I. Some student told us that the prosection is beneficial unless you want to become a surgeon. When she was a freshman, they still did disections, and she had to spend a long time in just taking out fats. They offer a summer session for disections if you want to learn more, but it is not free. They also offer summer courses for OMM, and in this case school pays for it. In terms of OMM, LECOM takes it seriously but doesn't impose you if you are not interested in it. The result of COMPLEX I for most students was excellent so far in anatomy and pretty bad in pharmacology (they said they were working on it). They expect a plenty of rotation sites around the new campus so students in Florida don't have to move to other states during the 3rd and 4th years. They also expect more housing coming up around the new campus.
That Erie is a damn cold place. I mean DAMN cold. I'm from Florida, and I have a very high tolerance for cold as far as Floridians go, but Erie was too much for me. Its too bad they can't interview for the Bradenton campus in Florida, but they probably will in the future. Also, the FL school will be starting a month after the Erie school because of the construction. They say that they will make up some of the time, but it is likely that the first year in FL won't be as long as the PA school. Also, the FL school is not as small as it seems in the pics (its actually three stories).
I dreaded this interview as it was my first interview ever. I wish I had known ahead of time that the interview would be so friendly and personable. They really DID just want to get to know me on a personal level. I was way too stressed out and nervous going into this thing, I thought I would choke. But it was completely stress-free, and the interview commitee I got was very nice and funny, friendly. So, if you have an interview coming up and you're really stressed out and nervous, almost scared, just remember that they are nice people that want you at their school... so go in there and impress them by just being yourself.
Notice of admission will take two to three weeks from the Wednesday (admissions committe) after the interview. You have 30 days from notice of admission to accept and pay $1,500 check or bank draft. No credit cards.
That Erie is not as cold as I was led to believe. The LECOM admissions officers pointed out that they liked to see suits that were not black, (despite what interview counselors generally tell you.) My advice, if you can, wear a suit of a color other than black. The admissions officers responded very favorably to that. :-)
I'm glad I went, but the interview did little more than convince me that I don't want to be there. But hey, that's an important part of interviewing at several schools. Even if you know that there's ONE school that you're set on attending, it's good to know what else you passed up on a first-hand basis.
Erie is a nice town. I would have cancelled if I had been accepted at another program earlier. After seeing the school, I am sitting on an acceptance to wait on Erie.
The interviewers just really want to get to know you. They aren't out to get you like at other interviews. Just be yourself. It really isn't that stressful.
If you are accepted there, you have to pay a $1500 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit to hold your place! It goes toward tuition if you choose to go there but what if you were between a couple of schools and had to wait. That is absurd and, quite honestly, seems like it's taking advantage of the applicants. None of the other schools I've interviewed with (allopathic) have this requirement.
The building, the food, and people. I mean you got to be desperate to want to go to school and be a D.O., And if you have other options then go elsewhere.
This was my first medical school interview and it quickly became obvious to me that the interviewers were not there to intimidate me, but it was their intention to get to know me better to ensure that I wasn't just applying to medical school on a whim. If your motivation for becoming an osteopathic physician is sincere, and if you understand the foundational differences between osteopathic and allopathic medicine, the interview is not a big deal at all.
in the anatomy class the students prosect instead of dissecting...ok I know what you're thinking...I like to cut things up too, but I took anatomy and believe me it's a huge time-saver not to have to trim off all the fat!
Dreary Erie is right. It is a typical, a bit run down, northern town. It was slightly grey outside and the admissions people said " isn't it a great day today?" I come from Florida, Tennessee, and Califorina where there is blue skies a lot. This made me cring thinking of the "normal" weather there and the 170 inches of snow. OY
Be mindful of your actions at all times because i think the admissions folks do have their eyes on you and are watching your interactions within the group.
If you interview during the winter, it's going to be freezing, freezing, and freezing. I think the town would be perfect during the spring and summer, though. Also, PA requires the 1-year D.O. internship to be licensed as a D.O. You're paid somewhere in the 30-50K range, and that's basically a whole year of training you've already had. So, D.O.'s add one year to the regular M.D. residency, in essence, if they practice in Pennsylvania or Florida.
the school uses its fron as a reception area and makes its med students go through the back door. the town is in the middle of egypt and the interviewers start stuttering when asked any questions that they feel uncomfortable answering
Applicants generally found the interview experience at LECOM to be informative and inviting. They appreciated the friendly and laid-back atmosphere, the informative presentations, and the opportunity to interact with current students. Some noted the structured format of the interview questions and the lack of enthusiasm from some tour guides as areas for improvement. Overall, they expressed a mix of positive and neutral feelings towards the school, highlighting its affordable cost of living, strong academic programs, and friendly faculty and staff.
Did not deter this school from being near top of my list but I did not like the interview format.
Overall, my stress for this interview was low because I knew I was only being evaluated on my 5 minute video and would have time to prepare my responses. I thought some of the rules were strange, but not something I couldn't live with. I was waitlisted but will be applying again.
The Previous SDN comments and questions were spot on. To clarify, you and 20+ candidates would be interviewed that day. LECOM interviews via group interviews that last about an hour and a 2 - on - 1 (where two faculty members interview you) that lasts about 8-10 mins. Facility is really nice though there's not much to do outside of campus. Strict but cheap (financially) private school with great stats if interested in primary care. Research is a bit scarce compared to other schools. Interview day is very relaxed, never had a group interview before but it's pretty easy when everyone contributes to the conversation. Individual interview is just two questions without the possibility to ask questions unless in the larger group - try to be as personal as possible here because you don't have the opportunity any other time in the day.
Great school, very friendly faculty, students, and fellow applicants. Don't knock it til you go. Also, if you have time after your interview I recommend going to Presque Isle State Park its is gorgeous and there are beaches!
Overall a decent interview day. Very laid-back and welcoming atmosphere. When you arrive you'll go through security and check in then be directed to a small room with maybe 10 other students. An administrator introduces herself and leads the group up to the room where the info session takes place, where there were probably 40-50 students total. There is a group interview with about 6 other students and 2 interviewers, followed by an individual interview with 2 interviewers (may be same as first 2 or different). The group interview was closed-file, wasn't clear if the individual interview was. They'll tell you the individual interview is "optional" but no one skips out on it for obvious reasons. Overall I felt good about the interview day just wasn't super impressed by the school. The 2 students we spoke to didn't seem that enthusiastic but maybe it was an especially stressful time of year.
I loved the staff, and the students we met seemed very nice. I wish that the actual medical school had a bit more to show for itself physically (buildings and things like that.) But Seton Hill University seems very nice. I wish there was an anatomy lab, but their board scores say that you don't need it. I think I would love do very well in the PBL curriculum though, so I could overlook not having an anatomy lab.
I felt there were both positive and negative aspects to this program. I loved the idea of problem based learning in a group setting, allowing for unique approach to clinical education and less time in-class. Did not like that there are no dissections for PBL. Students seemed to have somewhat of a low morale. Anatomy lab needs some serious renovations. Did not mind business casual dress but felt that it was unnecessary and silly to require that during dissections. The town of Erie had a lot of strip malls and was so-so. Great outdoor experiences and beautiful park at Presque Isle!
I have confidence that LECOM will provide me with the necessary education to pass my boards and graduate with a DO degree, but other than that there isn't really much appealing about this particular school.
You may not have a lot of fun at this school, but my overall impression was that anyone who goes here will be trained into an excellent physician. In addition, the cost of living is low in Erie and everyone said it is a very safe city.
This school is NOT for everyone. People don't take its downsides seriously enough, or they treat it as a "safety school," and end up disappointed with their experience because they would have been happier somewhere else. It provides an excellent education, and it will be a great fit for the people who are genuinely attracted to it. If it isn't for you, please don't waste a seat that could have gone to someone who would love it there.
The school is relatively affordable and very structured. Campus is small and compact, which has its pros and cons. I was not really "wowed," but not disappointed by what I saw on campus. The group interview left a bad taste in my mouth but was otherwise a good interview day.
Overall, I directly was asked 3 questions during the interview. I felt that I answered themt o the best of my ability, but I don't know if I had enought opportunities to represent myself.
LECOM is a great school. The rules are pretty strict, and the LDP students seemed visibly more tired and generally unenthusiastic. That being said, the education seemed quite good and the location was close to housing, hospitals, and is nice and quite so you can focus on studying. I would like to see them record lectures for students and provide more DSP spots.
its hard to argue with the results they get... yes, it's a 'business' as some say about it. you're there to get a D.O. degree, they prepare you well from what I can tell. They have their system of how they prepare you, its not for everyone, but its hard to disagree with their 1st time pass rates
Even though I was nervous about the group interview format, I know that I did well and had a good time getting to hear everyone else's thoughts. This school just seems a bit unorganized to me and I'm not sure that it's a great fit.
The airport is ridiculously tiny and there is never anyone there so do not show up more than an hour before. The city is really spread out so either rent a car or be prepared to spent upwards of $40 on cabs. Get ready to have a relaxed day and enjoy getting to know the other students. Good luck!!
I was very impressed by the facilities and the curricula. The day was too long, though. I also did not like the group interviews. We each only answered two questions during the interview.I had so much more to say! I really loved the surrounding area which is very suburban bordering on rural almost.
Park in the back and enter through the back entrance, which is technically the only entrance to the school (the atrium, or front, is off-limits). Use SDN, all of the questions are on here and in this format (the 8-9 question list is accurate!). Other than that, don't be nervous, everyone here is wonderful and is not trying to grill you! They never even look at your file so they truly wish to know you as a person, not as a student statistic! That, to me, speaks volumes!
The whole interview process was well ran and gave the impression that the school do care a lot about the students, and want to help them succeed no matter what. I really enjoyed and learned many useful information about LECOM, which I could use to make a decision. The only down side of the interview process were the student representatives.
The nonchalant nature of the interview was the exact opposite of the sterile/rigid environment the high-school like school with lecture halls gives off, which I thought was kind of odd. The building is nicer and bigger than I originally thought. The OMM classroom is sweet, and the lecture room isn't bad but just the feel of the school gives a wierd vibe due to the lack of color/places to sit and talk with students. Like I said it feels kind of like a mental institution mixed with a jail. The activity center is really cool and very very nice and would look forward to use it. The student panel was great, and the PBL mock session were both very very helpful (though I just can't do the PBL w/o real cadavers). School was a top choice, but moved down on the list after visit.
Great board scores and residency placement, but I am not sure if Erie and PBL are for me. People are very nice. It is a lot cheaper and that is a big plus.
You CANNOT put down a deposit both at Erie and Bradenton if you get accepted to both, even though they have different admissions offices and processes, apparently because they are the same name, you can't claim a seat at both locations.
All-in-all, I really liked the school and the faculty I was introduced to. Dr. James Moore gave honest answers to our questions regarding positives and negatives of the school and made it a very enjoyable experience.
LECOM seems very professional, as a medical school should... The staff seems very friendly for the most part... Students seem to enjoy themselves... Wish I was allowed to drink water... Not sure how to survive without coffee either... Erie has a small town feel and is really cute... I think it will be a good environment for studying... housing is cheap... Thank God they plow during the winter!
The school is very nice and professional (how I imagined a medical school would be). Despite the criticisms of the dress code and food policy, these aren't really factors I find detrimental to how I view the school.
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the school; I was slightly surprised to learn that it was practically all in a single building (except for some of the research laboratories and the bayfront building for PBL students)
I was pleased, for the most part, with the entire process. The day went smoothly for me, and I really feel I did the best I possibly could have given the circumstances.
The interview was stress free and actually kind of fun. Everyone at the school was positive and straightforward about the school. The rules (dress code/ no food and drink) create a professional atmosphere that I really liked.
Low-stress interview.
I interviewed at both LECOM-Brad (1st) and LECOM-Erie (2nd) about 2 months apart. I was tremendously impressed with PBL (see +/-'s). The rules, etc, didn't bother me...I'll know what to wear and I don't have to worry about someone slipping coffee all of my highlighted books. I really liked LECOM-Brad and I could see myself doing very well. LECOM-Erie on the other hand was on a different level. Brad was designed for PBL and it showed...at Erie, they just had a 2 table setup with sliding dividers between rooms! LECOM-Brad was warm, efficient, and focused, nurturing admin. LECOM-Erie had a totally different feel - cold, efficient, scattered, overbearing admin. LECOM-Brad != LECOM-Erie
Overall, I went in curious since I was blown away by Bradenton. I loved PBL and could see myself remembering patients and content better with PBL (I can still remember the PBL case at both Bradenton and Erie, but I struggle to remember the biochem from 3 hours ago...). I hope to practice in PA and I have ext family in Buffalo. Nevertheless, I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, there are A LOT of positives: Campus resources don't matter very much, especially when doing PBL), rotations in 10 days for IOS and OOStaters, outstanding match rates and board scores, the clinic (better clinical skills!), health center to de-stress, great affiliation with what sounds to be top-notch programs in Ohio, admin concerned with the future and image of the school (not lazy), IDP books are probably attainable, quiet/affordable region to hunker down and study. But I didn't feel I would be a great fit for LECOM-Erie. It's a great program with disadvantages that many schools also suffer from, but just not for me....PBL is very appealing though!! The fallback to lecture is a huge plus if PBL just doesn't work out for you...you have an "out" at LECOM-Erie
Erie has everything a person needs (malls, grocery stores, restaurants, bars, recreation) but the school itself is pretty small. It's just one building with 5 floors and you share it with pharmacy students. On the flip side though, if money is tight, this school would be a very good choice. If they sell you on PBL, you can go to Seton Hill in Greensburg, PA where they will matriculate 100 PBL students starting this fall (as of now, PBL in Erie is full).
be interested in the presentation, ask questions to show you're interest. It's ok to ask questions you already know the answer to...maybe you'll get another perspective!
LECOM gets a bad wrap on here - some of it may very well be warranted, this is NOT the school for everyone. I have known people who have gone through and they have been happy with their education - its what you make of it. Research their board scores, clinical sites, and residency placements and you will be impressed.
However, i do think the building could use some updating - after interviewing at VCOM and seeing their kick ass facilities i was a little disappointed in LECOM - but i should explain i was only disappointed with the BUILDING NOT the education i feel i would get here.
They are opening a new location at Seton Hill, just an FYI there will be NO cadaver lab for they PBL students at Erie or Seton Hill. HOWEVER, if you are at Erie you can access the cadaver labs to study, Seton Hill they may let you go into the PA labs there but that remains to be seen. But you can always drive up to Erie, as you still have full access to the Erie campus even though you are in Seton Hill.
Overall, i really like the school, the pathways - were else will you find a med school with 4 different ways to learn medicine?!? I would recommend checking the school out if you get an interview and don't let all the SDN hate get you down :)
at end of interview day it was very disorganized, no one told us how the admissions committee will meet. None of the applicants seemed really interested in school. Not a very warm environment and interviewers were overly demanding
A very professional school that is really forward thinking. Seemed like the school is run very much like a business cutting out all the unnecessary and also trying new things.
The school is pretty clean. They enforce the dress code and food rule. They do have a little care package with slippers for you. It's pretty school. They are very interested in getting to know you and the day went by relatively quick. :)
Better than I expected. I heard the school was only one building but it seems state of the art and modern feeling. The people seemd to care. One major plus was the cheap tuition and very low cost of living. We were told that students cannot take food anywhere in the building outside of the cafeteria, but that was so they didnt have to spend more moeny on cleaning and maintenance staff and that really helps with bringing the tuition down...so that was something that impressed me. Also, a lot of ppl on SDN complain about the location of Erie. The winter sucks and its not exactly a major social scene but they do have downtown and there are lot of restaurants, and I talk to a student and they all go out once a week to a bar after exams. I also found out in the summer Erie is a tourist attraction because the weather is great and people go to the beaches and there are lots of festivals in the summer. So I dont think the location is as bad as people have made it out to be, and the students also mentioned that the crime rate is very low and some ppl even leave their doors unlocked...so overall I wouldnt mind coming here, my only concern is the residencies.
Very positive overall. Friendly staff, I liked the city. I think people give the location a bad rap because the school is randomly in suburbia, but the town extends far beyond the campus.
Overall the interview date was good. Met some awesome people and went around town of Erie. The cost of living is very reasonable compared to California!
Think it went well, no major screwups and had good answers to questions (at least they seemed good to me, I could have sounded like a complete jackass for all I know)
This school is clearly not for everyone. MAKE SURE YOU ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS. Talk to everyone.
Dr. Moore is really nice and chill. You get a great/friendly reception from everyone there. It's a good school; I'm just on the fence right now. I need to visit some other places to be sure about it.
The 9 questions previously posted on SDN and the article reading exercise are no longer part of the interview. Instead, I had one interview with a three-member interview panel. After awhile, the interview felt more like a conversation. The people of Erie are very friendly. Everyone from my taxi driver to the hotel staff was congratulating me on receiving an interview and were more than willing to tell me about the greatness of Erie. Also, stay at the Residence Inn if you can: if you don't have a car during the trip, they provide free shuttles to LECOM and to the airport.
The people here are realy polite so it is necessary to keep the answers short. I ran my mouth too long at times, but they will just sit back and listen. I kept waiting for any sign for them to speak up, but they keep good poker faces.
This was my first interview. I really liked these people. Highly recommend anyone to check it out if they have a chance.
Also, everyone talks to you like you have been already accepted. Even the hotel staff said congratulations like I was already accepted.
Will have to answer similiar sounding questions at both two-on-one interviews.
It was excellent and went very smoothly. There is an article to read but it is so easy. It is the last question asked in the interview, I totally forgot about it. I would really consider going to this school if I get accepted.
I did not feel very comfortable at the school. Everything seemed to be very controled by the staff. Students too in them selves. So far this school is at the bottom of my list. (I have seen KCUMB, PCOM, DMU)
Really good day. Sat in conference room for awhile with various speakers. Were given article to read and remember. Got called out individually for interviews -- had read on SDN that the interview is like talking to two stones, but completely not the case -- more speakers. Lunch in the cafe was awkward because everyone knows you are interviewing and gawks/giggles/whispers etc. Two students sat with us and answered questions then took us on tour of building. End of a good day.
Day started at 7:45 was talked to by a professor about the school, then more professors talking about the pathways.. interviews started, but presentations kept going on through interviews.. then I had a tour while others were still interviewing.. then financial aid and some other stuff.. finally when everybody was done interviewing they talked about the new wellness center and we had lunch and were done. got done at 12:30
Had a great experience. Sat around for 2 hours listening to what goes on and the four pathways, then interviewed, and finished up with financial aid and closing remarks. Lunch then tour and meet and great with faculty if wanted. Overall very standard, Small group size, we had 8. Do not be afraid to ask questions in the beginning session. Dr. Bell is very helpful and nice and will answer any and all questions truthfully about LECOM and the area. Take advantage of the time.
had a very positive experience. Was first interview and left feeling like it went well. Expected interviewers to be fairly unresponsive, but was not the case. Overall, enjoyed the day, and was impressed with the school and their attitude towards students. Was asked 9 questions from form, but they were catered to my experiences. Not necessarily harder, but gave me a chance to give specific examples.
sit in conference room hear intro from clinical dean, go around the room and hear about everyone else, presentation on the learning pathways, you have to pick a learning pathway that day. The interviews are in the morning. They give presentations all morning and when you are called for your interview you leave and miss that part of the presentation but all the info is in your folder so you dont really miss anything. They basically read the packets to you which seems dumb. You have lunch with students after the interview. There were some awkward moments of scilence, I suggest you come with a LOT of questions. Dont ask questions during the presentation, save them for the interview and lunch so u have something to talk about. THere is also a dress code at the school.
All of the admissions staff did a really nice job in making us feel welcome and reassuring us that they weren't there to make us nervous. That put me at ease. My interviewers were very nice, however the questions they asked were supposed to be conversation starters, but it was more they ask a question, i respond, they nod and write something down. No real conversation took place so i'm not sure how good of a predictor those questions are at figuring out what type of person i am.
The day was very relaxed. The first part of the morning consisted of discussion about the different learning pathways. Interviews started about 9ish and were followed by discussions on financial aid. There was lunch and a tour in the afternoon.
The day was very stress free. The day began in the conference room where we had a few people talk to us about the school, pathways, ect. About 9ish, we went for our interviews, which involved the standard questions. After the interview, more individuals came to speak with us about financial aid, the school and whatnot. We then had lunch and a tour.
It was really laid back, the admissions ppl and professors were really cool. I like the learning pathway options. Dont like the strict dresscode or the seating assignments. It was nice, the place is pretty but i dont think i could ever live there. Also really low cost of living and tuition is really low too which is nice. Overall, i like the school but its not in my top choices.
I can honestly say that I was impressed. My other choice was PCOM, and I wasn't sure how to decide until I looked at the numbers (number of elective/selective choices, cost of education, living expenses, number of topics taught, number of hours for OPP/OMM, number of students who got one of their top three choices of residencies). They are also ranked as matching one of the highest number of specialties among DO schools.
I got there around 7:45. The presentations started around 8 and lasted until about noon. They called us out for interviews during this time as well. Then we got sandwiches for lunch and a tour. The whole day was pretty standard and unfortunately they didn't seem to go out of their way to make it fun like they do at some other schools.
interesting day. very cold.. chilling to the bone. weird regulations and rules. sad looking students. nice building but small (no real campus). nice interviewers (standard interview questions), respectable 1st and 2nd year curriculum option. 3rd and 4th year i hear students have to be nomadic (for the best affiliations). overall, interesting to say the least... and definitely not on the top of my wish list.
I hate interviewing, because I hate telling people ''what they want to hear'', but this wasn't too bad. I found out later that the faculty I had for my interview don't have the best reputations on campus, but they still seemed friendly. The students and graduates of LECOM I had spoke with seemed surprised that the interviewers I had were nice. I don't know if that is good or bad. Over and over you read in these feedbacks that the faculty and staff are nice, I wonder if they just put on a show for interview day. But I don't know. I have actually spent quite a bit of time up there and there are quite a few genuinely nice people there.
This was my first interview and I don't think anything else could have gone wrong. My luggage was lost the night before the interview and they had the wrong folder throughout my whole interview, but all in all I guess it was fine because I got accepted!!
The facilities are excellent, the pathway options are great, the professors are excellent, and the cost of school/living is cheap. I'm surprised more students don't talk about this school.
The interview day started at 8AM. There were presentations on PBL. Then they gave us a short article to read and told us they would ask us to summarize it during the interview. Dr White kept us entertained for most of the day and talked about the school, the town, the various pathways, and had everyone introduce themselves. There was also a financial aid presentation. During this time People were taken to their interviews. Most panels had two interviewers to one interviewee and one panel had three interviewers to one interviewee. Once everyone had interviewed they asked us to rank our pathway preferences. Then we went to Lunch where two students answered our questions. Following lunch, one of the students gave us a tour of the facilities. She was very informative. The day ended at 1 PM.
The faculty of LECOM was great. They were friendly from the get-go, and Dr. Wise made the experience comfortable and enjoyable. Lunch was nothing special, but probably what you'd be eating for the next two years. Plus the students who ate lunch with us answered a lot of questions we wouldn't have asked the staff. The tour after lunch was informative, but not very enthusiastic.
All-in-all, it was a good day. Out before 2pm.
It was very, very, very boring. Seriously, the interviewers stuck to the nine questions like crazy glue- they literally read the questions off their sheets and had spaces to write my answers down as I spoke. I felt that I could have written down the answers myself and mailed the form in- why did I have to come all the way to Erie for that one sheet of questions?? I don't think this interview method is a good way to get to know students- its easy to memorize the kinds of answers they want to hear and spew them out during the interview.
I left this interview unchallenged and with a sense that LECOM is too stiff of a school. I got in, but I am probably going to pass.
You'll get there in the morning, I'd recommend getting there about 7:45. Behind the school there's a big parking lot and you'll go in the 2 main doors facing the lot. They'll take you upstairs to this big conference room where you'll get different presenations. Then around 9-9:15 one person from each of the 2 person interview teams (there were 4 teams the day I was interviewed) will come in and call your name and take you to an interview room, where they'll ask you the 10 questions on this site. Then you go back upstairs and the presentations continue until everyone has been interviewed. After the interviews you'll go down to lunch where you can talk with some LECOM students. Lastly you end the day with a tour of the facility.
I was impressed with the overall experiece. The interview day isn't as structured as it is at other schcools, but they do make special accomodations if you feel you want to know more about something in particular. It nice that they ask everyone the same 9 questions, because you can prepare for them.
I feel it was a positive experience, I was nervous but they seemed to try to discourage that as much as possible and it was a relaxed setting. The article to summarize wasn't difficult. Thumbs up from me.
I think the interview was ok. They asked the ''9'' questions in the order I studied them so it was not too stressful. They were neutral through out the interview which I hate since I can not read them and can not tell how well I am doing. (Typical med school interview)
Overall pretty good, faculty was nice, coffee was served (no breakfast) and the presentations were repetetive as expected. Facilities are nice, there are pros and cons to having everything in one building (it snows a lot so not leaving is great) dress code is okay, people get used to it. But i don't know how I will be able to get through morning class sans coffee!
I was the first to interview. I wasn't nervous because I knew which questions they would ask. They were very pleasant. Very easy interview if you prepare your answers beforehand.
It was exactly as people have said in the past. Lots of time spent hearing all about the learning pathways and financial matters. The interviews were earlier than I expected (around 9am) and we barely had time to talk with other interviewers. But all in all, it was really laid back and the people all seem nice.
We spent almost the entire day in the conference room getting to know each other and listening to presentations. One-by-one we were pulled out for our interviews. There were 3 different groups doing interviews that day. After our interviews we had lunch in the cafeteria w/ 2nd yr PBL & LDP students and then went on a tour given by an ISP student. All in all it was a good day. I got accepted so it couln't be all that bad. ;0)
It was a good experience overall. One of my interviewers happened to be an M.D., and second guessed all of my responses toward why osteopathy! He assumed I meant that some aspects didn't apply to allopathy as well. It was a kick in the junk, and hopefully he was only doing it to put me in a stressful situation! They make it as pleasant as possible, and it is a great school. I hope all turns out well
Arrived at 8am to a conference room - the day was over by 1pm. We spent about an hour listening to information about the various tracks and general intro to Erie, then starting at 9:15 talking about less-critical subjects began and we were pulled out of the group in turn for our individual interviews with two interviewers and the same standard set of 9 questions. We were all together again in the room for the financial aid presentation and final questions. Dr. Wise was entertaining and very forthright about the pluses and minuses about the school and Erie. The assistant admissions staff person who talked to us for a long time was horribly uninformative. Around noon we went to the cafeteria and had a meager lunch with two 2nd year student ambassadors, then had a tour around the building that finished at 1pm. At that point we were free to go, but they were also very very willing to set up meetings with the heads of the different learning tracks or departments, or to let us sit in on one of the lecture classes that was meeting that day, or basically give us any more information we wanted to personalize the day.
All in all, positive. It does get a little boring sitting in the room for 3 hours straight. Also, it seemed the admissions staff/faculty was self depracating to the point where they were almost under-selling the school.
The interview was very nice and low stress. While the interviewers were reading a set of questions, they were willing to just chat before and after the interview. Everyone I met was very kind and made the interview go smooth (even though I got there a couple minutes late). Overall a good experience.
I arrived, was put in a room with other interviewees. The first speaker told us about the Primary Care Scholars Program, and was humorous. The second speaker spoke from 8:30-lunch (12ish), with the two 15-minute sessions from Fin. Aid & Activities. We were called for our interviews. My interviewees were not very friendly, nor did they have a sense of humor. It didn't appear that they had any idea of who I was or what I had done (my file was nowhere in sight). I was asked the standard 9 questions that were not personal, and I didn't feel they received a good idea of who I was. I was disappointed with the mandatory dress code and attendance. I like freedom, and at this point in our career, I think it should be allowed. I was basically put off from this school because of the interview. Very disappointing. The school is very good, and has flexibility in learning.
People were very nice, facilities impressive, cost of living cheap, and although they are strict in some respects (dress code, eating), they seem to be vey willing to work with you in areas such as clinical rotations in the third and forth years. Overall positive experience, I was impressed with the school and its reputaion will only get batter in the coming years.
The day itself was very informative and I ended up liking the school more than I did before the interview day. The other applicants that I interviewed with were very friendly as were the M1's that gave the tour and the rest of the students we encountered were nice too. Be ready to pick what learning pathway you want upon interview.
The entire day was very relaxing and I wasn't nervous at all. We sat in the same room for 3.5 hours where they talked about a lot of things and not in a very orderly manner. Basicly we were briefed a lot on how to interview and how friendly the interviewers were. the other bad thing was that each individual was pulled out at a different time to go to their interview, but when you left for your interview you were missing some of the informational talks. I missed the entire speech on finacial aid. Thankfully I had already interviewed at another school so the speech is pretty much the same.
On the interview itself we had so much fun, cracking jokes the whole time. The whole interview day was nice took, but I was beat because I hadn't slept in two days because of flight delays and some nerves. But I got accepted so it's all good. EVERYONE IN ERIE IS SO NICE! I guess it's the midwestern influence.
Overall it was a pretty good experience - it was my first interview and everyone was great and friendly and tried to get us to relax. The interviewers just had a conversation with me and asked me questions along the way.
Overall a great experience, very laid back as far as interviews go. They put you at ease. I can't add much to what other people have written already. They ask everyone the same nine questions more or less. Everyone is very friendly and puts you at ease. Dr. Wise is hilarious and very open about LECOM's pluses and minuses (snow). The students are all really friendly and laid back, tell you whatever you want to know. LECOM is definately my #1 pick.
After the interview, I am convinced that upon completion of the program I would be well prepared to make a contribution to the medical field. I do have some concerns about how I would fit in with the students(I'm much more energetic).
It was a very stereotypical interview. They gave us a little article to read and then half an hour later, during the actual interview, they asked us to summarize what we had read. The questions were so cardboard-like; no personality to them. The facilities were pretty standard, nothing special. The tour guide didn't show up so Dr. Wise showed us around instead. I left the interview with a one-word summary of my feelings in my head: eh.
The interview was very low key. I felt that I was having a conversation with the panel most of the time, rather than being grilled. It was a very pleasant morning, and the faculty were helpful in discussing the three learning pathways
The interview was really laid back and the people I interviewed with were really great. They were all smiles and cracking jokes the whole time, etc... Be prepared to read an article that you have to summarize at the end of your interview. But dont stress about it.... it was a high school level read and the summary can be done in four sentences or less if you want. The group I was in talked most of the time we were supposed to be reading it.
When I arrived I sat in a room with the other interviewees and then some guy came in to talk to us. We then went on the tour of the school. After the tour they took us into this conference room and gave us information on various things like financial aid and housing. During this time we were called back one by one for our interviews. Afterwards we had lunch with two med students.
Very nice. It was very informal and since I had answers prepared for every possible question it felt like I could take my time and we had a conversation about each question. It seemed to go quite well and I would be very surprised if I do not get accepted.
The doctors who interviewed me and the admissions staff made me feel very comfortable. First we gathered in a room and a doctor and student talked with us. Then we went on a tour of the building. After that, we sat in a room while Elaine Morse from admissions talked to us about the school and the Erie area. During that time we got called out one by one for interviews. Once the interviews were done, we ate lunch and talked to two students in the ISP track. Overall, I thought my interview went extremely well. The three doctors were joking around with me and I felt comfortable talking to them.
This was my first interview and I felt that it went very smoothly. I was not sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by the "conversation" rather than a strict question list from my interviewers.
Overall the experience was positive. I was very comfortable with my interviewers and you could tell they put a lot of effort into "selling" you their school.
The whole experience was very laid back. Our presentor was very good at keeping the interviewees calm and relaxed. Also, he was very interested in impressing us just as much as we were there to impress them.
I was interviewed by a factuality member, and alumni who practices family medicine in the area. They were very friendly, and kept the interview very open and stress free. All the questions were from a prepared list, so there weren’t any surprises.
We gathered in a room before we recieved the tour, if you have been to the discover lecom day it's pretty much the same tour. then we went to a confrence room with dr. wise, he was hilarious. calmed your nerves quite a bit. we listented to him speak about the school and erie and while that was going on the interview panels pulled us for the interview, i was first, made me more nervous i think. the interview itself was standard, i think i did well but it was hard to judge their reception to the answers to the questions. then we ate lunch with two of the students.
started off very nervous, but turned calm within an hour, Dr. Wise did very well to calm the nerves of all students... there were three interview groups, each with a panel of 2-3 professors (D.O./ Ph.D./ M.D.).
Okay, I will tryo to remember all the questions. They ask from a list of 9 questions and just read straight through them. They rate you 0-5 on a sheet and wrtie notes about your answers. It was really laid-back.
1. Tell us something about yourself that isn't in your file already.
2. Tell us about a time where communication has had a powerful effect in some aspect of your life.
3. What are your strengths and your weaknesses?
4. How did you learn about Osteopathic medicine and why are you pursuing it?
5. What kind of experience do you have with DOs?
6. What learning pathway would be best for you and why?
7. How do you handle stress?
8. Talk about some leadership roles you've had.
9. Talk about and describe some times of conflict in your life. How did you handle it, what did you do?
Inteview was pretty laid back. The holistic example question threw me off. I may have a lot of clinical experience, but saying that I saw a physician talk to a patient and put their hand on their shoulder didn't seem to cut it for them, they wanted an example of when giving medicine was not the only solution. One of the guys was the head of the PBL and was very hard to read, he was the one that threw in the "specific" portion to the question. Overall though, I think I did pretty good and it was my first interview. The questions come from a sheet, so be prepared, they will ask all of you the SAME questions and not go into anymore detail.
We arrived at the school at about 8. They gave each us a name tag and we went into a waiting room where we were able to talk and get to know each other. A first year student then entered and gave us a tour. We met with a couple of the professors and went into the room where Dr. Weiss would go over the imformation regarding the school and one by one they would pull us out of the room for our interviews. On a side note it is essential that you make good eye contact with everyone iin the staff and faculty and even the other interviewees. Smile and ask questions. Act like you are interested and that you want to go there. Believe me it works. I didn't think my inter view went that well. My panel consisted of two Ph.D's and a D.O. The D.O. seemed very friendly and receptive to my answers but the two Ph.D's looked very stoic and nonresponsive to my answers. I thought it could have gone alot better but thankfully I got in. It was because I asked questions about the school and some of the classes in the cirriculum. I made eye contact with each of the interviewers as I spoke. I also smiled and was very corgile and friendly but at the same time confident.
We went in and sat with a professor until everyone arrived. We then went on a tour with the professor and a student, and went into a conference room around 830am. We sat in this room and listened to the registrar talk until 1130, and they called us out 1 by 1 for interviews. The registrar was nice, but it was a long time to just sit there, it definitely could have been shortened. We then had lunch with 2 students and a woman from admissions. The students seemed a little rehearsed, and a little too involved. I would have preferred to meet with the a more average student.
Low stress, friendly atmosphere. There were some presentations early on, and then we interviewed (there were three different panels going on at the same time). Afterwards, more presentations and a lunch with students. Then we were free!
Everyone was very kind and excited about their school- it's a very new, clean, and organized building. You hear back about their decision roughly four weeks after you interview.
Organized, laid-back interview. They ask you nine questions that are standardized for each interview, and they're honest fair questions. The people are friendly too.
Got there a little before 8. Talked to some other interviewees, a professor, and a student prior to a tour. Afterwards, we were given a presentation while everyone was called out individually for interviews. Once everyone was done, ate lunch with some students and then left!
I showed up a little before 8am, and the other candidates were sitting with Dr Buck, just chatting. The student giving the tour arrived, and we commenced the tour. This was opposite from my other interviews; they were done with the tour at the end. Yes, it's only one building, and yes, that's a downside. They say they're expanding, but there's nothing coming in the near future. Dr Buck came on the tour with us, which he said was the first time he had done so. The anatomy lab uses prosected cadavers, so there's no hands-on gross anatomy work unless you prep cadavers the next summer for incoming classes. So basically, you only look at anatomy--not impressive. They use the cadavers for 2 years too, so they're pretty ratty by the end. After the tour, Dr Wise sat us down in their conference room, and from 8:45am until noon, you stay there. Dr Wise is pretty blunt, which is good. He tells it like it is with LECOM, good or bad. I appreciate that in a guy that you met 10 minutes ago. I was the first called for interviews, and the summarization of the article was not bad (almost a formality at the end of the interview). The interviews were stiff at first, perhaps still waking up as I was, but loosened up as the interview progressed. By the end we were joking around. They gave me AMPLE time to ask questions at the end, which again, I appreciated. After that, back to Dr Wise. I missed a good chunk of what he presented, so that was a downer. Financial Aid was next, and the woman from their office was very thorough and helpful. Next, lunch in the cafeteria with two students. The Admissions Director sat in on this, too, which was odd. You could tell the students were on edge with her present. I don't feel like they were able to talk to us as they should with her across the table. She was nice, but still... Both students were on the Ind. Learning Track, switched from Lecture. Yes, dress code sucks, but they said they got used to it. The PBL students are apparently very loyal to the program as well. Lunch was over by 12:20, and we were free to go. I spent the rest of the afternoon driving around town until my flight out. The driving tour in the packet they give is quite good. The school wasn't bad, I just wasn't sparked in my interest to come here. It didn't "jump off the page" at me. The town itself was a pleasant surprise, though.
This was my first interview, so I was a bit nervous. Overall, though, I think it went pretty well. The tourguide wasn't particularly enthusiastic, but she was informative. I really liked the admissions staff that gave presentations, etc. Dr. Wise (sp?) was great, kept reminding us that we already had the grades and MCAT scores, that they already knew we were smart enough, they just wanted to know if we were a good fit for the school now. They pull people out of the large group presentations for the individual interviews, which is distracting, in addition to meaning that some applicants didn't get the important information on financial aid and such. But it was a positive experience overall. Every single question really is already listed on SDN. So read up, have examples, and you'll be fine!
Dr. Wise gave the presentations and was a very welcoming, up beat, humorous guy which helped calm nerves pre-interview. The applicants talked to get to know each other more and the presentation started as we, one by one, were called back from the interview. The interview took place on another floor and was for the most part laid back. I was interviewed by 3 people, a D.O., M.D, and a PhD. The Phd seemed neutral but welcoming, I felt like I clicked with the M.D. (as much as one can in such a short amount of time). The D.O. was nice but had a hard time reading his non-verbal cues as far as how I thought I was doing at the interview. I was asked almost every question posted on this site except for the "Dinner" question and "What do you see yourself doing in 10 years."
The interview was easy. I was a little nervous, but once I got talking, I settled down. I had two very nice and encouraging interviewers, and one who didn't seem very interested. I tried to focus on the "nice" ones, and didn't let him bother me.
Arrive and go on a tour with student, go up to a conference room to listen to a talk by admissions, individual interviews with three faculty while talk was going on, back to hear about financial aid, then lunch with students. Long day, but informative I guess.
I interviewed with a panel of 2 PhD's and 1 DO. They made me feel at ease and I ended up enjoying the process. While you are in your interview, others are going through orientation.
same as what other students have written, and i guess it depends on which panel of interviewers you get, I got Dr. Evans and some biochem professor, I was surprised Dr. Evans didn't even ask me the "who would you invite to dinner question" and the guy has no expression on his face what so ever, so I was kind of worried because I wasn't sure how well I did, and I felt my panel really didn't get a chance to know me, they just basically said, ok we have 10 questions and we would like you to answer them, even though it felt more like 20 questions!!but i am glad to say i did get in and will be attending this fall
I arrived a little before 8am where I was greeted by admissions staff and was escorted into a small room where other students were. There ended up being 12 of us in all. A ISP student came and gave us a tour of the facility. She was positive, but lacked the enthusiam desired in a tour guide. We were then taken to a big conference room where we listened to a bunch of presentations headed by Dr. Wise, who did a good job in keeping the mood light. We read an article that we would be asked to summarize in the interview. AS we continued with presentations, we were called out one-by-one by interviewers in a random fashion. The interview was pretty laid back, and the interviewers I had were very friendly and I was able to relax. Afterwards we went to lunch and talked to current students about LECOM and its pathways. We were done by 12:30pm
Meet in a room with the other students, take a tour, wait in a conference room where you introduce yourselves to each other, read an article for like 15 minutes, there's presentations about Erie, financial aid, etc. while students are taken out of the room one at a time to have their interviews, have lunch in the cafeteria with some current students, and that's it.
P.S - I'm happy to say I was accepted and will be attending LECOM this year! You can do it - don't give up!!
Basically the same as everyone else has posted -- they take you on a tour and then you sit and wait for them to call you. You have the interview and then go back and listen until it is lunch time
First, got to the school and was put in a room filled with all of the other people being interviewed. We waited until everyone showed up (11 total) and then we moved to the upstairs conference room. We then talked to Elaine Morse (lady you had to call in to when you accepted your interview) and she was asking all of us random questions to help us feel more at ease. We filled out some paper work while waiting for the interviews to start. We had to pick between the three pathways and sign our name. She also passed out an article for us to read and summarize at the time of our interview. It was very straight forward and is NOT worth stressing about. The interviews started late by about half hour. I was the first interview up to bat which was a plus because I could relax afterwards. I came back from my interview after 30-35 minutes and listened to a wife of a student talk about her husband's experience with LECOM. Also listened to financial aid and housing presentations. After everyone was done interviewing we went down to the cafeteria and sat at different tables with current med students. The med student that was at our table was very honest as well. You probably have read previous posts about the cafeteria food and you can believe what you want. No, it's not going to be a luxurious meal, but it's decent. And the cafeteria lady isn't "evil" either as some other applicant suggested. Once we were done eating, we were free to leave or explore the medical school more.
It was an interesting interview experince. I didn't know what to expect because it was my first interview. But, you get a tour of the building, and then they give you an information session during which time they pull you out for the interviews. It was nerve-wrecking waiting for your name to get called. But you can read the article they give you and find a way to summurize it and tie it into something relevant in your life or have some sort of an opinion on it. The interviewers tried to be neutral but I felt rushed through my interview. While I was answering questions, the interveiwers would basically tell me that they had heard enough and needed to move onto the next question. After the interview, they give you lunch (which was horrible) and you get ot talk to students about their gripes and likes of the school. Most of the students I talk to, seems like they were just trying to get through it. No one seems friendly in the hallways either.
Defintely a positive experience. first wait. next tour. third get to know the info of the school. then read an article, which you'll be asked to summarize in the interview (no biggie, but good to have opinions to discuss on it ). As info session continues, you get pulled out randomly. Lunch and talk to a student.
I arrived at the school a little before 8 and went in and received a nametag. We sat in a conference room and chatted amongst ourselves until the student tour guide came and got us. Then we toured the school. Then we sat in a conference room and listened to a bunch of different informaitonal type things while each person got pulled out of the room to interview. After that we had lunch with a few students and then left.
As a whole this was a great experience. LECOM was the last school on my list before the interview, but now it's right at the top. The area is nice, the people are friendly and the board passing rate is pretty high. If I am accepted this is probably where I will go to school.
The orientation part is a little boring. They get a little long-winded and over-emphasize alot of points. But overall it was fine. I didn't mind the "come grab you" as your listening to the orientation, like other people have complained about. Lunch did suck though.
I came into the interview process not expecting to like this place much, now it is on top of my list. If you don't mind the cold there is tons of stuff to do when it is warm. The clinical rotations send you all over the place, including Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Clevelend if you would like. I just wish I had done better on the interview. I feel like I didn't present myself as well as I could have, and wiffed a couple of questions that I had time to prepare for.
you begin at 8am, meet all the other people, get your name badge.
then you go on a tour of the school led by a student. then go to a really nice conference room where you begin the discussion about financial aide, the city, the school everything you need and want to know. in the midst of this all you read an article and people are pulled out for interviews. after they are all done you go to lunch and talk to students. then you leave
We had a financial aid seminar and during the seminar they would come and take the students for interviews. Then a tour and lunch. There was one interviewer who was just staring at me through the whole interview obviously there for intimidation...dont let it get to you. Good experience. Its cold in Lake Erie.
The interview was very organized and well set up. All f the information that we were given was very informative and useful. However, lunch had some things to be desired. Be sure to eat a good breakfast before your interview, because you cannot count on the lunch to fill you up!
the interviews were rather short and i was somewhat disappointed in them. the school is very nice, clean, and professional. however, with all of us being in the same room together in the morning with nobody from the admission's staff there, it was kinda nerve wrecking considering it was my first interview. three interview panels and there were supposed to be 3 people in mine but one didn't show up. u get called in a random order which makes it frustrating. there was nothing to eat in the morning and the lunch was so-so.
It was very very cold. I stayed at the Hampton Inn North. This hotel was really nice but it was far from the school and anything to do. Because of the severe weather, I flew in a day early. I had nothing to do. It was a $20 cab ride to Millcreek Mall. It was $12 to the school. $16 from the school to the airport. Make sure to keep cash on you or try to find accomadations that are closer.
We all met in a room first thing in the morning. No coffee, no donuts, no coordinator. Just a bunch of nervous students. Make sure to eat breakfast.
We then took a tour of the school, led by a nice girl, not a student, but was married to a student. She was very easy to talk to and helped me relax as much as I could.
We then listened to a financial aid talk and a talk about the city. No audiovisual or powerpoint or anything.....just listening to people give a memorized spiel. I found my thoughts drifting off. They then called us out, one after another, in no particular order. I found myself wondering if we were going in order of importance. I then looked at my provided pamphlet and realized that there were three different interviewing panels, with three different interviewers in each. I hoped and hoped for the smiley guy (DO) in a white coat, but...much to my dismay, I got the unfriendly bunch. I was led to a room with no windows. The three interviewers (all men) sat on one side of the table, and I on the other. Be prepared to have them ask you the standard set of questions. They don't respond readily since they are busy writing comments on your responses. Luckily, there was one interviewer that had a sense of humor and tried to ease the tension.
Afterward the interviews, they provided lunch. During lunch we were able to speak with two students. They bashed the dress code. Very nice and funny.
Overall, a very stressful experience. Don't believe all the comments that are posted. Be prepared for an unwelcoming bunch. Don't get me wrong, they are not mean, they just seem indifferent.
More of a discussion then a firing line. Laid back, conversational, and rather enjoyable. Its been awhile but I still hope to get accepted.
The questions are standardized, read from a sheet.
The day went off without a single hitch, the tour was prompt and indepth. The information that was provided about both the school and the surrounding area was more then appropriate. The interview itself was great, the interviewers were personable and made me feel comfortable. The interview was open file, and the interviewers had taken the time to review my file and asked very appropriate questions regarding my back ground.
This interview was at LECOM Bradenton in Florida. It was my first so I was nervous. I had Dr. Coty and Dr. King and they were awesome. I've been told that they call these two frick and frack. They mostly asked me about my hobbies and background, how i handle stress, my experience with group work...etc. They were cracking jokes the whole time and they really made me feel at ease. It was more like a converstaion rather than an interview. Pray that you get these guys!!
Overall, I think it was a very positive experience. It was my first interview and I thought I bombed it. The other interviewees were nice, and the staff kept us entertained. I personally thought the interview was a lot more stressful than the other people I asked.
The admissions staff were caring and did their best to ease our nerves before our interview. I did not expect to see eleven other candidates at the session. Overall, it was a positive experience and I am proud to say that I was accepted.
It was great. Everyone welcomed us into the new facility and even though it was still under minor construction, everyone was in great spirits and I am proud to say that I have been accepted and I look forward to begining my journey as a physician here at LECOM Bradenton!
I became more concerned about the bad weather on the morning of my interview than the interview itself, which in retrospect may have been a good thing because it got my mind off being nervous. I decided to go there and just be myself, because I've determined that's who I'm best at being, and that would allow them to get the correct first impression of me aside from what's on paper. I arrived 10 minutes early and met Elaine the admissions counselor, who gave me my name badge and told me to go wait in a room for the other interviewees to arrive. Once all 10 of us were there (5 other people cancelled) we went on a tour of the school (only one building) with a second-year student who was in the ISP pathway. After the half-hour tour, we were taken to the conference room and Elaine spoke to us about the school and Erie in general. She also gave us an article to read about bone marrow testing for breast cancer patients, which she explained we may be asked about during the interview. Promptly 45min later, the interviews began and we were each called out one-by-one by three different panels of 3 interviewers each. I was called out second, and had an eclectic panel of a lawyer(?)- man, an MD-internist - woman, and a PhD-physiology teacher - man. I was taken to a little white room with a table and four chairs, which kind of made me feel like I was being questioned for murder or something. But the interviewers made me feel comfortable and explained that I shouldn't be concerned that they will be writing everything I say down, because they need to show my responses to the admissions committee. They also told me they had a list of questions which they proceeded to ask me one at a time, taking turns. All of the questions were personality-based and had nothing to do with my file, so I felt the opportunity to explain myself to them, and give them an idea about the type of person I am and who I want to become, which may not have fully come across on paper. After most of the questions were answered, the lawyer ran down a list of expectations at LECOM; such as the dress code (men - shirt and tie, women - business casual), and the fact that one of LECOM's aims is to create primary care physicians. Finally, they asked me to summarize the article I read, and then I was done. Back in the conference room, we heard presentations about financial aid, viewed a video promoting the city of Erie, and spoke to the wife of a fourth-year student to gain the spouse's perspective. After everyone finished interviewing, we went for lunch in the cafeteria with two second-year students in the PBL program and were able to ask them questions. Finally, we finished and were able to fully concern ourselves as to how we were getting home in all that snow. Oh yeah, one of the students said they hadn't seen the sun in three weeks.
The atmosphere of LECOM is that of a small-town school and they are not afraid to show it; this seems like the kind of place for students who are not keen on huge campuses and thousands of students mingling about. The interview itself was straightforward; my best advice to anyone preparing for an interview at this school is to simply be yourself, be human, be passionate about your future medical career and don't try to be more than you are. This was my strategy and I got accepted. If it worked for me, I don't see why it would not work for others.
The interview itself is not stressful...honestly, they have a sheet that they ask you questions directly from - nothing out of the ordinary. My interviewers were really nice and I had something strange in common with the one. Even though I got in here I just don't think it's a good fit for me and I didn't get a good vibe when I was there - it seemed like most people were not happy and went to LECOM as a last resort.
I think that as long as you are confident going into the interview you will do fine, and the stress will be minimized just focus on why you want to do osteopathic medicine and what makes you the best candidate
started with a really quick tour that i wish was a little longer but we got to see just about everything we needed to see in the building. then we sat in a conference room and listened to a presentation while one by one interviewees were called out by interviewers. then lunch then go home. everyone was really friendly and seemed excited to be there. some people don't like the scripted nature of the interview but i feel that lecom is all about organization and professionalism and keeping things very structured reflects what lecom is about.
just make sure to read EVERY post here and you'll know every question that you will see.
(LECOM-BRADENTON) Overall, a great experience. Everyone was so helpful and very proud of the school and the program. Seems to be in a smaller town, but I get the feeling that there is a strong link with the community and with the other students.
This interview is at LECOM-Bradenton, not LECOM in Pennsylvania so be careful when reading the interview feedback on this site. There is a special "surprise" called a case study that they will give you to read and analyze. You'll be asked to summarize it and if you give a satisfactory summary they might have to ask you questions... like a possible diagnose or interpretation of the lab results/tests. If you do a good job and they are happy with what you have to say then they go on to the next interview question. Our case study was on Obesity in Women (w/ link to heart disease and diabetes type II). The time they take to accept/reject you varies... some people get accepted a week later, some interviewed in September and are still waiting, and some get a letter a month later.
I arrived about 45 minutes early to the interview. You enter in the rear of the building, not the front, so be aware. Everyone was very friendly at the door. They had a small table with two people there handing out name tags and welcoming you. I then was asked to take a seat in a waiting room and waited for the other interviewees to show up. There were about 10-12 of them. Once everyone arrived, we took a tour of the building, which took about 25-30 minutes. Ask a few questions during the interview in hope that you can expand on that question in your interview. (You will need at least 2 or 3 good questions to ask them at the end of your interview to show them that you care and know something about their school). After the tour we were taken to a large conference room and sat down. We were given an article to read and later summarize (if asked), which was one a controversial test done for floating cancerous cells in the bone marrow. We were then given presentations on financial aid, housing, and things to do in Erie. During this time, the interview panels would come in and take someone out to interview them. This time was well spent because the school was promoting themselves. At other schools, they just make you sit for a few hours and do nothing. At least you are learning more about the place. After your interview, you will wait until everyone else is finished and the presentations are over. At that time, you will all go have lunch and meet with students at LECOM. It is all over after that. The day is very relaxed and you’re in a friendly atmosphere.
I interviewed at the Bradenton campus. If I get in, I will def attend this school! I know I will flourish here based on my learning style and finally learning in a smaller setting.
Interviews:
Like I mentioned before, they are huge on working as a team. I was interviewed by Dr. Krueger(PhD) and Dr. Glinski(D.O.)and they were extremely friendly and nice, and even laughed a few times during my interview! In particular, they will make comments on your answers such as "great!, that's really good!, excellent!" but did not get off topic despite all the juicy lead ins I tried to throw in. They did not mention anything off my file, no questions at all on MCAT/GPA. I know others who had different interviewers really got off topic and talked about random cravings and how if you rub the stem of a mint leave, it feels like a box and not circular, which I have yet to try.
The article:
You will all have the same article (10 min's to read it, it won't hurt to jot down a few numbers) but what is key is to not just summarize, but think about how this problem has affected you or will as a future physician. Start off by talking about the main issue, the mechanism they are proposing and then make it persona. For example, if your article mentions that 25% of women with a median age of 20 in a cohort developed early signs of CHF, talk about how scary it is that 1/4 of your friends can suffer from this! How aggressively you will need to treat obesity, why has obesity became such a big problem with a limited amount of healthy choices and working parents, etc. or how the fact that the data disproportionately affects a particular race will impact your patient population and the type of outreach that is necessary. They didn't ask me any further questions about the article. You will be asked about the article last so be prepared, they asked everyone.
Transportation:
Most interviewees rented cars but if you are under 25, goodluck trying to find a company that will rent to you. There are only two taxi companies in the area and no one knows where LECOM is but they do know where Lakewood High School is, which is just a few block before LECOM. If you are driving there, there is no sign for Route 70 but it is the only light you will hit after making a left onto Lakewood Ranch. I highly recommend staying at the Comfort Suites (this is the place listed on your interview invitation). For $75 you get a huge room, gym, walking distance restaurants, pool, and breakfast.
If you fly on Delta Song, they don't give you meals, but they are nice enough to allow you to purchase over priced mediocore meals so pick something up at the airport ;)
My interview was at the main campus. It was very, very laid back. I probably interviewed with the most personable people at the school. It was actually a fun interview. The interviewers seem genuinely interested in getting to know me. If you interview here (or anywhere for that matter), just remember to be yourself.
Overall the interview was great. You get there and go to a room and wait for everyone else to arrive, go on tour, then are brought to a giant conference room where you wait to be called for your interview. I was one of the first to go in, and the wait after my interview was LONG. The good thing is that they tried to entertain us the entire time, so it wasnt like we just sat there and stared at eachother. They covered financial aid better than any school I've been to so far.
Overall, it was a great experience. It was my first interview, so I didn't know what to expect. But, the faculty members made it as comfortable for us as possible. The interview was more conversational with no surprising questions except for the one above.
Very positive, everyone there seems to care. This was at the Bradenton campus, beautiful weather and beautiful campus. Both the interviewers were great and so was all of the staff.
Not very friendly people. We didn't get to know anybody and the whole day was completely impersonal. The school is a little big for me. Lunch wasn't so great either. I just didn't feel very welcomed.
Arrive at 8 then tour with a 2nd year student. After the tour we sat in a conference room and learned a bit about Erie and the school. You read an article (ours was on HDL and LDL cholesterol) and are pulled out for your interview. After everyone finishes, lunch and then leave.
There was a group of about 15 of us, first we took a tour with a student and then we sat in a conference room and discussed aspects of the Erie area and the school. One by one we would be called out to be interviewed. There were 3 different panels of interviewers so there were usually 3 of us out at a time.
I feel that this school is very professional and would prepare me for my future. However they seem to be very strict. The school has all of the most advanced technology and really insists on keeping up with this. The facilities were very nice. It was also nice that the campus is very small. I really loved Erie and the feel of the community. I believe that I could live there and be really happy. I wish that the interview had been arranged a little better. I felt that the interview was way to standard.
Overall, I was highly impressed by this school and the program that is offered. It was hard to wait 2.5 hours to interview, however, the librarian took us on a tour and answered all of our questions, which helped pass some of the time. Every question I read about on this website was asked in the interview!
The atmosphere on campus is definitely lacking. It seems almost as if it's painful for anyone to crack a smile. Everything was very scripted, from the presentations to the interviews. I did not feel like the interviewers were trying to get to know me as a person. It appeared that they were going through the motions, and nothing more. Sitting in the interviewing room was very uncomfortable because they just bombard you with questions as they went in a continuous circle from this interviewer to that interviewer. I'm almost positive everyone was asked the same questions from the same sheets. Overall, I was not impressed.
This was my first interview so it was different. It was a great experience and I genuinely like my interview but the panel style interview is different. They are big on teamwork and the interview questions focus on this.
Overall, good learning experience. It wasn't difficult and I think I did well. The school is okay, would take some getting used to but med school is med school, it's what you make of it.
It was a good experience, and my first interview. they put you in a room with like 9 others and pick out one by one which takes like 3 hours...so this was a long one. the lunch was not good.
great great experience. I felt that this is a great campus, bradenton is a great area and is part of this huge developmental master plan. the community is sparse right now but a lot of stuff is going to be built soon. the bldg is brand new and everything is state of the art. the pbl approach, they stress this, is the only approach used..so if you're not interested in it, then don't even apply. great ppl, great faculty, great everything...if i get in, I would certainly attend
Tour followed by time in the conference room, then students were called out for interviews, the interview itself wasn't too stressful, then lunch with unenthusiastic students
I applied only to the FL campus. It is a beautiful area & the school was really clean & bright. The day began at 8am and a professor came in to talk about the PBL plan. It was a very informative lecture. The interviews began at 9. The interviewers were really friendly and really listened to what I had to say. I was happy that I was not asked about my academic history or my MCAT score. They seemed to truly want to get to know me. It was a good experience and was not as frightening as I thought it would be.
I had a very good interview experience, besides being sick at the time. The interviewers were very up front about the questions, and did not try and put me on the spot. It was a very relaxed atmosphere.
Everyone is very helpful. I had all of my questions answered before I left. The facility is pretty up to date technologically. Erie had great weather while I was there. Most of all, this experience was not as stressful as I had expected. In fact, once I got to LECOM for some reason I wasn't nervous at all. My advice is to read the postings on this website and you won't run into anything unexpected.
I wish it was a little more personal. there was only about 15 of us. They could have gotten to know us better. the usual, tour, fin aid, programs, lunch. Make sure you know how to memorize. They give you an article to read and you need to summarize it in the interview. Know what the article means in terms of how a doctor would use the information, not just memorizing the article.
got there at 8am. had a tour of building. got summarized on pathways and financial aid while we took turns interviewing. and then had lunch with 2nd year students. got out around 1pm. overall it was ok, erie is kind of sad and some students suggested we go elsewhere.
In all I would have to say that the whole interview and application process experienced was both eye opening and educational. I must say though that as I was preparing for this endeavor I utilized and valued some opinions which I was exposed to on this public forum (SDN). In addition I must say that having been exposed to interview opportunities at both MD and DO schools I chose LECOM due to a wide range of factors up to and including demo and geo-graphics...every school I was exposed to had pro's and con's depending on your medical school expectations. However, being a health care professional already (RN, ICU/ER), who has chosen to always practice in educational institutions, I have come to the conclusion that a medical school education is like that of any other formal instructional institution and the value and worth come from within the student theselves...not the facilities...not the weather...not the night life...not the residency opportunites...or the networking availabilities. Ultimately we are there to get a quality education for the benefit of our future pateints, not the glorification of a particular institution...based on it's name's sake or tradition of perceived excellence. I was accepted to LECOM and have decided to attend...It was not my only option...it was just the best option for me at this time...it was not MD vs DO...North vs South...East vs West...It was about the best decision and fit for me now and for the next four years...Some of the "best" can produce the worst...and some of the "worst" can produce the best. So choose wisely...and hope and pray you chose correctly...
Overall a very good experience. They were prepared and organized. The food was just fine in the cafeteria and the interviewers were generally concerned with my application. They had a list of questions that they ask each interviewee, however they did ask me specific questions about my file. The town was nice and there are plenty of things to do there. The video that was shown during down time was very informative and did an excellent job of selling Erie. Additionally they are opening a new campus in Brandeton, Florida which is near Tampa and it is an awesome facility. I have been on several interviews and this school was very impressive. After reading the previous postings I was considering not going to the interview... I am glad that I did...from my experiences at the interview and with talking to other students it appears that LECOM is producing some very competent physicians. I believe that the Bradenton campus is going to be very impressive and that the students there will have a excellent opportunities.
I had a wonderful time. I was so nervous originally because my last interview went terribly. When I stepped into the interview room my mouth went completely dry, but after a few minutes everything was ok. The interviewers really put me at ease. Others have said there was a little good cop bad cop, but I didnt see it. I quess it depends on who you get. It was either the interviewers or the fact that I was better prepared. You recieve a lot of information on the day of the interview. I made the mistake of trying to remember it all and found it impossible. Erie was actually warm when I had my interview, however I heard this is not a common occurance. I really liked the school and the area. I don't know much about the Florida campus but I have heard great things.
It wasn't that great. Not very friendly interviewers. I wish that their admission process was faster than this. It's April and they are still interviewing? Are all schools like that or what? This is kind of ridiculous.
Get there at 8 am. Go on a tour, which is nice as everything is brand new (8 yrs). Sit in a conference room, talk to the admissions girl from S. Dakota who is really sweet. Sit through this long-ass presentation about stuff you should have thought about long before applying (like ... cost, how to fill out a FAFSA, living with roommates, studying a lot). Finally get called into a room with two interviewers who ask you the same ten questions they ask everyone else. Get to ask them questions at the end. Talk about science for a bit. They definitely try to good-cop/bad-cop you. Don't get flustered or your
Get there at 8 am. Go on a tour, which is nice as everything is brand new (8 yrs). Sit in a conference room, talk to the admissions girl from S. Dakota who is really sweet. Sit through this long-ass presentation about stuff you should have thought about long before applying (like ... cost, how to fill out a FAFSA, living with roommates, studying a lot). Finally get called into a room with two interviewers who ask you the same ten questions they ask everyone else. Get to ask them questions at the end. Talk about science for a bit. They definitely try to good-cop/bad-cop you. Don't get flustered or freaked out by the dead-man-walking stare from the bad cop ... they are actually really nice people.
The school has all new facilities since you went there and a new campus in Florida.
Don't post stupid stuff like that in the place for interview feedback - not only is it in the wrong place, but it's useless, misinformed, and misleading.
The interview went great. Everyone was really open and friendly, including the other students I interviewed with. I got accepted to the bradenton campus. For those of you who haven't been, it is in a great area, and only 15 min. from the beach! Great places to live as well. The faculty in bradenton are extremely helpful.
This isn't the place for comments such as the above - that's what the forum is for. I recommend visiting the forum for lots of information on the Bradenton campus and anything else medschool related. Having said that, I also will be attending LECOM-Bradenton and have been a Bradenton resident for 22 years. My name is (nicedream) on the forums - you can PM me or get my email address from there.
Hello, if anybody has a question about Bradenton campus, I am happy to help you. I will be one of the first students at Florida campus in 2004. I live in Florida and visited Bradenton twice. My e-mail address is:
[email protected]
Very friendly. Interviewer even told me a joke when he escorted me back to the conference room. Perhaps, because I was too serious during the interview. Nice gesture, anyways. Interview was very well organized and handled. I got answers to all the my questions. I live in western NY, close to Erie, so I can comment about the weather. I am used to it. However, other applicants in my group did not complain about the weather either. LECOM is a top choice for me.
I think LECOM is a very good school. I like that it has a ton of hospitals in many different states to pick from for your 3rd and 4th year rotations. Erie is definitely not like a Philadelphia, NYC, or other big cities, but I really don't mind that. Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh are all about 1 1/2 hours away so if you felt the need to go escape and do something fun in a big city atmosphere, you can do that. I don't mind the dress code policy at all. If the dress code is the reason you wouldn't want to go to LECOM, then that's very shallow thinking. I also don't mind cold weather.
I really liked the school, the town, and the people. But the actual interview was ridiculous. It was ten minutes long and they didn't seem to care at all - I was disappointed...
this was my most fun interview experience...my host was the nicest person ever and made sure that i was exposed to everything erie could offer, interviewers were amazing and enthusiastic about the education that students receive at LECOM and they really wanted to connect with you and really listened to what you were saying, it was like hanging out with friends laughing, and the article we had to read was about bone marrow testing,I met a lot of cool people who were all interesting and although it snows a lot, its not too bad
I have to say that I was pretty anxious going into the school that day since it was my first interview. My interivew never turned into a conversation unfortunately, but I did answers the questions well. I enjoyed the area, people, and cheap cost of living. I recommend bringing a profession type folder and some paper to write down facts about the article they give you. Make sure you are active throughout day by asking questions or whatever, do not just sit there. Just be yourself during the interview--if humor is not part of you, do not try to tell lots of jokes. I just received my acceptance letter and will be attending.
The interview experience was terrific. Later in the day after my interview I had the opportunity to share some humor and laughs with my interview panel. I was also impressed with the fact an interview made a special trip to the conference room to ensure I had his card. Overall the school seems like it has the right idea, but in my opinion some of the rules seem a little strict. Nonetheless, it appears you'll get a great medical education.
My experience was great, I was impressed with everything LECOM has to offer. The faculty seems great and very caring. My interviewers were great too, if you get Dr. Evans and Mrs. Latimer as your interviewers, make them laugh and you'll be fine. I was completely myself (funny) and they seemed to eat it up. Most people are so up tight during their interviews that they dont give themselves a chance. Try to make it as casually conversational as you can. Answer the questions properly but try to have a story to go along with it that lets them get to know the real you better! This interview day kept LECOM as my top choice for med school. I received my acceptance to the Bradenton campus 2 days ago and very graciously accepted the offer as soon as I could. And that is without even seeing the campus yet or the surrounding towns in Florida. True, I am a little skeptical about this, so if anybody out there has any information that could help me out (FL housing info, town info, or anything else)... please let me know. Good luck to all the applicants and hopefully we'll see each other in Florida this September.
It was a great experience... My advice.. if you have have the potentials.. and believe in yourself and your capabilities.. don't stress too much about this interview... it's straight forward about YOU as a person.. your credentials... and your life... so make sure to have self-exploration before you go there...
the interview was very casual. I spent most of the time laughing at the jokes the interviewers were making. I just got my acceptance letter yesterday. If you want to start med school this fall i would recomend applying to the florida campus they still have a lot of seats open. And as far as i know once u get in you can move back to the erie campus.
I interviewed in February and was accepted to the Bradenton campus. Most of negative talk on here seems related to the town of Erie, and the administration of the school there. I just want to point out that a brand new campus is opening in the Fall in Florida in a beautiful location; being a new school, though related to LECOM, it will have a different atmosphere. I agree that Erie is god-awful; but if schools are reflections of the environments around them, then the school in Bradenton should be bright, airy, and a great place to study and live. Don't let the bad talk about Erie sway you from applying to LECOM - there's another option.
I did not walk in there or out of there really being sure if i liked the school, the faculty the town, etc. I dont like that once you decide on the pathway there is no CHANGE. i did not like the food for lunch-no one did. the school was very boring and not exciting
Overall, pretty decent. The people were nice, LECOM came off as professional, all learning pathways were interesting, school looked really nice, informative
One of my three interviewers was extremely nice and responsive - the other two people basically sat there with blank stares, and didn't really smile much or respond to my answers. The interview consists of ten questions read off of a sheet of paper. The one guy seemed to make some effort to make the interview more than that, becoming somewhat converstional at times; the other two, however, simply went down the list. I left the interview having no clue how I did because of the complete lack of feedback. Turns out I was accepted - would have been nice to hear a "good job" or something.
Everything was pretty much as I expected. There was no tricky question. I was a little nervous only because I am very new in the US and not totally fluent in English. I am accepted and chose to study at Bradenton. There are many uncertainties about the new campus, and I am hoping the program will have good qualities. The main reason I chose LECOM is the location--very close to my home, and, what a nice environment!--and the fact they seem to offer a type of DO program I've been looking for. There was another DO program I was accepted to and I really liked, but it is in north, and I just didn't want to move too far.
It was very pleasant. I had an admissions staff member and an MD of all people. I had to very diplomatically say that I went the DO route because I thought that most MD's are jerks (obviously not in those words and he must have thought along the same lines to be teaching at a DO school). The airport is TINY. Reminds me of the Daytona Beach Regional Airport of 20 years ago. At all of the gates except 1 or 2, you walk out to the plane.
This experience was one of the best and reassuring things I've ever done in my life. It was great. It started out with a tour, then an overview of Erie, the learning pathways, financial aid, and housing in Erie (very cheap living). Half hour interviews were done between 9:00 and 11:45 am, then lunch with a student from each of the learning pathways, which was very informative.
True, the school building is very small, but it doesn't have to be huge to be a great school. I am praying to God that I get into LECOM, either Erie or Bradenton, it doesn't matter. One person interviewing with us was from Bradenton and said it was a great place to live, and would be a great place to go to med school. Every person I met was nice as hell to all of us, and acted like they really did want us there. Not nearly as stressful as I would have thought, and I left Erie with a great impression of the town and of LECOM. Hopefully I get in!
Short tour by student at 8:00. Overview of school, policies, and learning pathways by admissions staff. Given 10 to 15 minutes to read an article on breast cancer research (level you would read in TIME or Newsweek). Called out for half hour interviews. The 10 of us were interviewed individually by 2 or 3 faculty members. Financial aid overview. Lunch with student ambassadors.
Overall, I was very impressed with the experience and wouldn't have them change anything. Everybody was nice from the moment you walk in the door there is someone there to great you. If you read over the responses on sdn you'll be fine. All of the questions on here are exactly what is asked of you on interview day. Also, don't expect the HDL/LDL article, they switch it up on you with others. Don't forget that they give you an article for about 5 mins. and then the interviewers will ask you to summarize it.
Hey all. I am a med student here at LECOM. I can honestly say there are pros & cons about this school. Positives: you have 3 different pathways of learning. You can either sit in class (8-5)-LDP,work in small groups (they meet 3x/wk 2h ea)-PBL or ISP (here's the book, see you at the final exam). Even if you have trouble with academics, they don't boot you out right away, unlike other schools.We do get to slip in food in class or in other areas of the building. Dress code is actually good after seeing what other students would wear without the dress code. Negatives: the other med student is right,it is run by a family. There are surveillance cameras almost everywhere to make sure u don't bring food (you can get around it).It sucks we have to dress up just go to school to study in the library. OMM lab is so subjective & instructors are so disorganized. Library is so tiny,this isn't a campus feeling here. The weather & the town isn't so great & ppl who come from warm states & cities are taking sometime to adjust. Yeah, ppl complain about the snow & the cold. If you come from a warm state, may I suggest our Florida campus for you. But it's a good way not to get distracted from your studies.
We received a different article to read (not HDL/LDL), and they asked about it in the interview. All in all, I enjoyed my interview. Try to be as collected, and calm as possible!
Listen up people..I am currently a second year student here at LECOM. If you have other options other than LECOM take them. You honestly aren't getting your money's worth here. They have a lot of bogus fees that you pay for. There is no freedom at the school. To be honest the school is run by the Mafia (its a family run school). Teachers hate the curriculum but have no power to make changes. Some of the profs are good and some suck. The facilities are horrible (i miss my undergrad). Library, study rooms, cafteria, exercise facility, all are horrible. The school is literally a cold school. The dress code thing isn't strictly followed as the year progresses, especially in the winter. Guys can get away with just wearing sweaters. You will see food in the classrooms, just have to be discrete about it. Mandatory attendence...yeah right, i should be at class now. The interview was a joke, so don't worry about it.
I ranked the interview as positive, only because it was better than I expected. Given the choice, there's no way in heck I'd go there, but I can understand if someone would want to be isolated from distractions in a small town, so I won't talk sh-t.
a tour in the morning, followed by a sitdown talk with admissions people, follwed by an atricle they give you to read (my advise is to get some good info from it cuz they ask you to summarize it in the interview portion), interviews, lunch with MS2's
This place left me with a good feeling all around. I don't have a great feeling about the prospect of the independent study tract, but hopefully I'll be in one of the other two. The students seems happy with the program, and on top of that I ran into an MSIII from Drexel on the flight out. She had had positive things to say about the LECOM students she was rotating with at local hospitals in Penn. The board passing seem as competitive as some of the other top schools I've interviewed which is reassuring.
Reading up on this webpage many people make the school sound scary. Mandatory attendance, dress code (ties required daily). After interviewing I realized you have to wear a tie everyday as a doctor, and during your rotation and residency. They are just getting you adjusted for that. Mandatory attendance... thats not really a bad thing. While most people spent about 20 minutes in their interview, I spent about 40. If you have questions / comments share them and you will find the staff are really nice and usually will be able to make you see things in a way you had not prior to the interview.
The day began with a tour and then we had to sit in this room and watch a movie about Erie and listen to some presentations. Randomly people got called out for their interviews, but no one knew what order or time we were going. I anticipated my name being called everytime the door opened and didn't end up interviewing until last (11:30). This is why I thought the interview process was stressful. I also missed the finacial aid presention when I was in my interview. All of the questions in the interview are read directly off of a piece of paper and the same as what everyone is saying on this site. The admissions person told us that One interviewer is supposed to be the "mean one" and one is the "nice one." SO don't be worried if one does most of the talkinig and the other writes stuff on the paper the entire time. After the interview we had lunch with other students.
The day began with a tour of the facilities. Our tour guide was a second year student that was very nice and helpful. We were taken to a confrence room where we talked about the school policies and different pathways. We were given an article to read. Make sure that you take a note or two and remember a few facts. They will ask you about the article so have a few specific details about the article. They will be impressed with that. We watched a video about Erie. The day ended with lunch with three second year students that can answer any questions you might have about the different pathways, applications, or medical school. I was very impressed with the school. I have since been accepted and am excited about attending LECOM.
The interview experience was low stress and was helpful in my research to pursue a school which fit ME. Although the interview questions were read from a prepared question form, I felt the questions were appropriate and stimulated further conversation on both sides of the table.
we started promptly on time and were given a tour by a second year student. then we went into a conferece room and were given an article to read mine was about cholestrol. then we began talking about LECOM and the pathways. then the interviews began. each person was escorted by some one of the interview panel. once the interviews were finished we had lunch with students which was helpful because they were able to answer all of the questions give us the real scoop. overall i was very impressed and the school is very nice and there things to do in erie.
LECOM interview was the most professional presentation among all schools. Financial Aid information session was very helpful, Erie film was nice to see, and it was truly impressive.
Very formal in presentation (questions read from a prepped sheet), but fairly relaxed. Same comments as previous posts. Also, when they give you an article to read, take notes.
I had a great time at LECOM. Of course Erie is nothing too great, but I'm pretty indifferent to that sort of thing. It's only 4 years, and the school seems worth going to despite the city of Erie. Overall, they did a great job at covering all aspects of questions you may have.
The students that I met were great, but I felt bad for them for having to deal with such a stiff environment. The interview was with three people asking various questions off a sheet of paper and no conversational feedback...wake up, Erie, find a better way to get to know your applicants. I hope they read this site so they can revamp their process. It is a good school despite their lost touch with reality.
Overall, I had a really pleasant experience with LECOM. The students and faculty are super friendly and open and that made up for a lot of the cons that I listed. Personally, I could take the dress code, but I couldn't take the no food or drink policy... I would just keel over if I didn't have my morning cup o' joe everyday!
An impressive medical school, very new facilities, quality professors, nice students that aren't stuck up (or so it seems), reasonable costs. Overall "above average" impression, esp with compared to schools in philly.
Basically, I really liked this school. The location isn't intercity, which is not my style. It is a little more suburban or very lightly urban. The school is very professional and seems to have their act together. The students and admin. tried hard to make everyone feel comfortable and stress-free
I went there two days before the interview to get a chance to "experience" Lake Erie, hmmm yes well there really isn't anything there to experience. Sat around doing nothing for about two hours waiting to be interviewed. Others and I were asking questions about what the chances are of us getting in, how many people they interview vs. how many get in, and the representative wouldn't tell us anything. She just said she didn't have those numbers. Finally though, they started to show a video about the town, when suddenly I was called for my interview. The video was something I actually wanted to see, since I'm not from around there! The interview was fine, even though the three interviewers were totally unresponsive unitl they asked me about my MCAT scores. Lunch was horrible, I am a vegetarian/don't eat cheese, they had absolutely nothing I could eat!
Overall, I like LECOM, the atmosphere is very proffesional, but laid back at the same time. Everyone was extremely helpful and seemed to get along with eachother. The city of Erie isnt that bad. A little worried about the snow...
To every con, I seem to justify it with a pro probablly evident in my entry. This was my first interview and the kids I interviewd with were awesome. When the first interviewer came in, he remarked, "This is a smiling bunch of kids." I think they observe your behavior with each other. Elaine Morris provided a lot of info about LECOM and the town itself. Pay attention even if your nervous about the interiew so you can ask the panel questions about what you heard. I dont know what to compare this expereince to given I haven't had any others yet.
There is only one building, so if you're used to a "campus" there isn't one here. The building is all white and it seemed as if no one went to school there. There is a dress code, but it allows you to accumulate all the dress attire you will need as a physician and makes you feel like you're accomplishing something.I was also able to stay with students that attend the med school, so it gave me a very different perspective than if I had just stayed in a hotel and left immediately after. So, if possible, arrange to stay with a student.
My interview was extremely laid back! I wasn't even asked why D.O., or anything about my research! As long as you have good letters of rec. you should be fine.
I really enjoyed my interview at LECOM. I felt that LECOM truly strives to select mature individuals who are confident in the path they have chosen, and who are ready to devote themselves wholeheartedly to study. This school has an excellent curriculum and provides its students with all of the tools necessary to become competent physicians, especially in the area of primary care. My wife and I both found the area to be nice with plenty of shopping and restaurants (Old Navy, Olive Garden, Applebees, etc.), and the cost of living is inexpensive. Erie is middle class suburb USA. We had read some of the postings here that portray a 'dreary Erie' so we didn't have very high expectations. But when we arrived we were pleasantly surprised with what we found, especially with the 70-degree October weather (which we think was a fluke)! There is actually quite a bit of new development in the area, especially right around the school.
Overall it was a very relaxed informal interview...very low stress...everybody is really nice and I can't wait to find out if I'm going there :)Just know yourself inside and out and you will be fine.
This was not the school for me. The staff was friendly but when the best thing about the area you can say is that it is 1.5 hours to buffalo, 2 to pittsburgh, and 1.5 to cleveland thats a sad state to me. The airport had 3!!! terminals. I flew in on a prop plane if that gives you an ideal on the size of the airport. The different pathways were kind of cool but if you are interested in Sarasota for thier new branch campus you must do PBL. The school was clean but it seemed a bit to sterile and rule based for me. Some people thrive in this, not me.
This interview was very kick-back/low stress. The other interviewees were very sociable, and the faculty and students at the school were very helpful and open when answering our questions. Don't worry!!
Erie is really not that bad of a place, depending upon where you are from and what you are used to. It is centrally located to a number of metropolitan areas (Columbus, Pittsburgh)and it is near Canada and beautiful upstate NY.
I'm really glad that I got in else where. The school was just too opressive for my tastes. I think that the school does prepare you for the boards and will help you becomeing a compatent physican, however I dont think that anyone will have much fun doing that at this school.
The interview was good. I'm currently a student here. So if you have any questions feel free to write and I'm also selling furniture. [email protected]
I just wanna ask other students who interviewed at lecom if they have heard anything at all. It seems that they are very slow at responding with a decision. Its been more than a month and they have not made a decision on my file yet...
All in all the interview wasn't bad at all...the people were nice that i was interviewing with. The town doesnt have much to do, which i think is good so you could concentrate and wont be too distracted. The interview was a standardized procedure, they just read off of a sheet.
The schedule was complete with tour of the building, financial aid presentation, packet of info, interview, and lunch w/a 2nd yr student. The cost of living is low so rent & etc would be quite reasonable. You have to have a car.
You also have to get a laptop that meets certain specs and buy disability insurance on top of health/medical coverage. The deposit is $1500. My group was told that the Admissions Committee meets every Wed and that they're a week behind in processing apps. We also were told that they're interviewing an extra month (April) this year. Decisions should mail out in about 1 month.
About what I expected. The article they ask you to summarize is another test, it seems like. Mine was about the value of exercise, since drugs do not lower all forms of cholesterol that cause heart risk.
Overall, I was very impressed by LECOM. The area is nice, and the cost of living is fairly inexpensive. I think that I would like to attend school here.
Overall, I liked LECOM more than I thought I would. The people in my interview group were very cool. One of the other interviewees suggested that it would have been fun to get together and go out before the interview. I agree. LECOM is going to be opening a new campus in Tampa, FL next year which is going to be a class of 150 people all on the PBL pathway. This means that they'll have more clinical rotation sites in FL, which is a good thing. Aside from the fact that there was the boarding school feel to the place, I liked it. I think that if you were in the PBL pathway (on campus 15 hours a week) it would be a great place to go to school. Being there 35 hours a week (the LD pathway) is something else all together.
You have a group of 10-15 prospective students...you go on a tour and then wait in a conference room to get called for the interview. In this room, you watch a movie on Erie, learn about LECOM, and have a presentation on financial aid. Once you get called, you are escorted by one of the interviewers to the room. Here you sit in front of them and they simply talk to you for about 25 minutes. My interviewers seemed sincere and were jovial during the interview. After everyone in the group has gone, you eat (free lunch) with the students in the group and 1st and 2nd year med. students (if you so choose).
Overall, the interview day was very laid back. The actual interview was very short, so once it was over, I was really relaxed. Everyone seemed very nice and helpful. The building was very nice with a lot of new technology. If you don't mind cold weather and snow, it's a great school!
Overall, the experience was extremely laid back. If you interview there, you have nothing to worry about. Erie is nice for a small midwestern town, just what you would expect. The people appear to be nice, but many seem to be pursuing DO degree as a result of a career change.
Erie's kind of a drab place, but it has everything you would ever need, and its really affordable. The LECOM building is really nice and new, and all of the staff are really really friendly and helpful. The learning pathways are great options, but its unfortunate that you get locked into one once you matriculate. It seems like a really great program which is only going to get better. Overall, I have a really good feeling about LECOM. The interview itself was really low stress. The interviewers really seemed like they wanted to get to know you and were really personable. The only thing i thought was a real negative was the lack of diversity in the students and the faculty. Besides the questions i posted below, they asked me to tell them about anything that wasn't in my file i thought would make me a better applicant, and how i thought i would handle the stress of medical school. Good luck!
The whole day is pretty well organized and structured. Your group of about 10 starts a tour of the campus/building at about 8am. The tour ends in a conference room where the guide talkes about the learning pathways and school policies. This time is very informal and you're free to ask whatever questions you have. The guide isn't at all involved in the decision process. At 9:15 interviews start. There are three panels consisting of three interviewers. You know ahead of time which panel will be interviewing you, but you don't know the order. Mine wasn't alphabeticle. One of the interviewers comes to get you and takes you to a room where the other two are waiting. If you do your homework the actual interview isn't bad at all. The panel has sheets in front of them, and just go down a standardized list of questions, each person taking a turn asking. Other then the questions listed I had: Why DO? Describe a leadership role? Can you handle stress of med-school? What led you to want to be a Dr? They also ask you to summarize a short article that you read in the conference room. Mine was about gene therapy. After the interview you hear a presentation concerning financial aid. Then it's off to the cafeteria for a free lunch and time to talk with a couple of current students. Our group was done at 12:30. All in all it was a pretty good and unstressful day. Some of the questions asked of other interviewees weren't asked of me, but they are all posted by others who have been to LECOM. My best advice is to research and write down all the questions posted and think about each one. Being prepared for the questions makes a huge difference. One question that was asked of someone that I hadn't seen before was "what 3 people, living or dead (only one relateve) would you invite over for dinner"? Good luck.
Green912
I was not at all impressed with this program. The school is tiny, it has only one building. The town seemed unsafe and run-down. The staff was cold and very detached from the students. The students seemed unhappy, very few smiles.
Great people and facilities. Students seemed really friendly. The interview was very low stress. They really make you feel comfortable. They just want to know more about you. Don't stress!!
It was good. Interviewers were friendly. The tour was ok. Diverse group of students, however, I think alot of the students start around 24-25 yrs. old.
Was a good practice interview.
School is crappy: no doctors to come in and speak on their specialty, you share a cadavar with other groups (don't do all of dissecting), dress code, no food or drink allowed anywhere but the cafeteria...yeah, you spend all day at school and then all night studying only to have to dress up the next morning and not have your coffee. whatever!
Overall, the admissions staff and students were friendly and helpful. However, I didn't like Erie all that much. I think its mostly because of the dreary weather and kind of desolate location. If you are used to sunshine, then this place is not for you. Also, I'm used to being around large, cosmopolitan cities and this town can't even compare.
Do not go to this school if you like to eat or drink during lecure and are most comfortable in sweat pants or jeans or even khakis and a collared shirt. That's right, MEN MUST WEAR TIES AND DRESS PANTS AND LADIES MUST WEAR SLACKS OR SKIRT, BUT NOT TOO SHORT OR YOU"LL BE SENT HOME. This is null and void when in labs though. No food allowed anywhere except in the cafeteria. You are required to purchase a laptop computer. Most people seemed older and in career changes versus other schools where I interviewed, such as PCOM High School with all the children there. This place has good intentions if you plan on studying 24/7 and not relaxing because the city of Erie is not exactly paradise.
Everyone had the same questions thrown at them - give example of conflict - how you dealt with it - how do you deal with stress. And prior to the interview we were all given a 2-page reading and asked to summarize it at the end of the interview. My interviewers were very nice. The tour was given by a staff member, who was very nice, but I would have preferred a tour with a student. The school seems rather strict - mandatory attendance and a dress code, and no food/drink in lecture and library! Wired ethernet ports in lecture and library, which is destined to become a standard I'm predicitng. Cost of living is cheap for this part of the US, but there seems to be nothing to do here. Three different learning pathways, which is impressive.
I was very impressed with the school and faculty. Although Erie is known for the snow and drab days it is very pretty and relaxful during the spring-fall months. The interview was not too stressful. The new facilities although plain are still impressive and with the multitude of affiliations to other hospitals and organizations the school will continue to grow in many different ways
I really enjoyed interview. It seemed fairly laid back. A tour was given, followed by presentation interviews. Lunch with Med student, complete. I would have liked to see lecture, talk to more students, and more faculty. However, the "gut" feeling is I really like LECOM. I will go there if accepted. I really liked the faculty that interviewed me.
The interview process was very professional and organized, with lots of time to ask all sorts of questions of staff, as well as a free lunch with students to ask them more questions. The school is also very proud of their three different learning pathways, which give students more options than just the same old lecture style they received in high school.
They use a standard interview questionare. All students are asked the same questions. The interviewers were friendly and stuck to the script, nothing out of left field. After the standard questions were asked, the topic was mostly the local area and things to do on your "off" time.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office should improve responsiveness to emails and inquiries, provide more personalized and informative interview experiences, and offer clearer communication throughout the application process. They also recommend updating the interview format, enhancing transparency about the decision timeline, and providing more information about campus life and student opportunities.
I emailed the office multiple times about a technical issue and they never got back to me. It was incredibly frustrating. Working on responsiveness would be helpful!
The admissions office needs to be honest with their interview to decision time frame. I also did not think the informational session was useful since there 25+ students all asking questions at the same time. The “pop quiz” activity was also ridiculous.
Change the interview format. Extend an "olive branch" to applicants to at least appear to be interested in getting to know them on a personal level and value their experience getting to know at least one member of the faculty.
More clear instruction on AIS scoring and sending ACT score if you choose tho do that way. Also it took over 4 weeks for me to receive a decision and I just wish I had more communication. Whenever I emailed them they were very nice and responded quickly.
Talk more about the other campuses, discuss the different pathways and the pros and cons to them. Also send post interview status updates via email instead of post mail. The online portal can be confusing.
The admissions representative seemed to lack a lot of knowledge regarding the school and just read off of the powerpoint. It gave a negative impression since the representative seemed to know very little about the program and information she was presenting. It was the one negative of the interview day.
Add student extracurricular opportunities to the website :) I would love to hear more about community, getting involved, and social opportunities since the campus is kind of isolated.
If possible, please consider having a Saturday option for interviews. Many of the current students had to leave early during lunch to attend classes/labs, and questions were cut short because of it.
Please respond to phone calls and emails in a timely manner. I spent a week trying to contact someone in admissions and never received a call back or email.
Present more information on the Erie area. Of the 37 students interviewing only 2 were from PA and none were from Erie so we all were clueless. What to do, where to live, and other information would have been helpful.
Stop the group interviews - with applicants only getting to answer two questions during the entire interview it isn't really giving you enough information about the candidates background and motivations.
Be more time efficient. My interview group did not get to hear about everything LECOM offers and did not have enough time to address all our questions. Also my schedule ended up being much different than the tentative schedule they sent me.