LMU-DCOM Discussion Thread 2009-2010

[Styria]

The hard drive is 142 GB, but I think half of it is reserved as a backup. I'm out of room.

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[DoctorDoLots]

All right, DoctorDoLots! Congratulations!

Thanks! Congrats to you too!!

As for the computers, something that might help those interested would be any info regarding brand (IBM, etc) or model number. Then they can look up the specific specs. I would assume the model is different for each entering class though.

 

[UTdoc2be]

I don't really post on here very often at all, but I was accepted last week! I interviewed on 2/2. Congrats to all the others accepted!

 

[Master Deep]

Thanks everyone. Looks like the computer will be decent. I was just hoping we didn't get the 1.4 ghz models. I think they r 12" screens. I remember seeing them on the tour and they were really small. Definitely not a 13".

 

[FltmedicTN]

Congrats DoctorDoLot and UTdoc!! Friday of each week I enjoy watching everyone post their acceptances on here! Reminds me of when I got my call in late Oct.
Very Happy for everyone!
DCOM class of 2014!

 

[DoctorDoLots]

Congrats DoctorDoLot and UTdoc!! Friday of each week I enjoy watching everyone post their acceptances on here! Reminds me of when I got my call in late Oct.
Very Happy for everyone!
DCOM class of 2014!

Thanks! And I'm sure I will be doing the same. For some reason, SDN and Facebook are becoming addicting for me again.

 

[hotnachos]

i got the call on friday!!! just waiting for my letter....

 

[cSquared117]

i got the call on friday!!! just waiting for my letter....

Congrats, hotnachos!!

 

[mimi2kul]

i wonder if they are still inviting for interview. have not seen any mai wether i have been rejected or on hold. probably their class is already full.

 

[Styria]

DCOM doesn't skimp on the tablets. They have some Microsoft-related problems, but they're good quality.

 

[mimi2kul]

i called and am on pre-interview hold

 

[cSquared117]

i called and am on pre-interview hold

Sorry to hear that, mimi!

 

[maroonstripes]

Hi gals,

I was wondering if anyone's looking for a housemate to share an apartment with. I have an inkling on where I want to live but it's a two bedroom apartment and it'd be great to have a housemate.

PM me if you're interested.

Thanks!

 

[premed1231]

Hey everyone!

I'm scared of the drive from the airport to the school, is it bad? Is anyone interviewing on March 8th? Maybe we can go together!

 

[adam91385]

Can any current students give me an idea as to when funds are provided during the school year. The wife and I are trying to plan things out accordingly. Any info would be appreciated. Congrats to all that have been accepted as of late.

 

[123880]

Can any current students give me an idea as to when funds are provided during the school year. The wife and I are trying to plan things out accordingly. Any info would be appreciated. Congrats to all that have been accepted as of late.

It's going to be difficult to say with certainty until we get into next semester. The school has changed its guarantor, using FFELP (I think that's the federal gov't guarantor program-the direct lending?). So there is a possibility there may be something different.

Money goes out in 2 installments, at the beginning of each semester. My personal advice would be to try to be able to get through the first 2 full weeks of the semester without tuition $. Some classmates may disagree but given personal experience and what I know from other people, there can more of a hiccup here than I ever experienced in undergrad. And, from what I can tell, that hiccup lay firmly in Sallie Mae's lap. From everything I've looked at, the school did what they were supposed to.

From a disbursement guideline (for those with direct deposit), when the school says the money will be in your account between Friday and Tuesday, do yourself a favor. Don't count on the money being there until Tuesday. If you absolutely, positively need your money on the day they disburse and don't want to take the chance that it won't arrive until Tuesday, don't sign up for DD. Be advised though, that most of the bigger banks are not located anywhere close by. You will be driving at least 45 minutes to get to your bank.

Hope this helps.

 

[mountainousmed]

Sorry, it's been a minute since I've been on here. To those of you from the 1/26 interview cohort, I was that guy sitting in the back corner (close to the refreshments) who did his bachelors and masters at ETSU. I was wearing a black suit with green shirt and tie (you know, that exceedingly "suave" looking guy ).

Just a thought...has anyone considered that staying in the Holiday Inn Express the night before interviews presents an unfair advantage over those who did NOT stay in a Holiday Inn Express? I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I was feeling really, really friggin' smart when it came to the interviews .

 

[jcrewtriathlete]

It's going to be difficult to say with certainty until we get into next semester. The school has changed its guarantor, using FFELP (I think that's the federal gov't guarantor program-the direct lending?). So there is a possibility there may be something different.

Money goes out in 2 installments, at the beginning of each semester. My personal advice would be to try to be able to get through the first 2 full weeks of the semester without tuition $. Some classmates may disagree but given personal experience and what I know from other people, there can more of a hiccup here than I ever experienced in undergrad. And, from what I can tell, that hiccup lay firmly in Sallie Mae's lap. From everything I've looked at, the school did what they were supposed to.

From a disbursement guideline (for those with direct deposit), when the school says the money will be in your account between Friday and Tuesday, do yourself a favor. Don't count on the money being there until Tuesday. If you absolutely, positively need your money on the day they disburse and don't want to take the chance that it won't arrive until Tuesday, don't sign up for DD. Be advised though, that most of the bigger banks are not located anywhere close by. You will be driving at least 45 minutes to get to your bank.

Hope this helps.

i definitely agree with vols. a few of my friends were stuck waiting on money for at least a couple days after the announced disbursement date; Pat Peace was great about forwarding some money for immediate use if needed for rent etc, but saving up a bit before you get here is a good idea.

i've borrowed directly from federal funds before, it's pretty much the same on our end from what i can tell. and i think the interest rates should be the same. you fill in your fafsa, report if you want the full amt, get your money, return what you don't want to owe. the Financial Aid office here makes it so painless it almost feels like it's really your money.

 

[123880]

i definitely agree with vols. a few of my friends were stuck waiting on money for at least a couple days after the announced disbursement date; Pat Peace was great about forwarding some money for immediate use if needed for rent etc, but saving up a bit before you get here is a good idea.

i've borrowed directly from federal funds before, it's pretty much the same on our end from what i can tell. and i think the interest rates should be the same. you fill in your fafsa, report if you want the full amt, get your money, return what you don't want to owe. the Financial Aid office here makes it so painless it almost feels like it's really your money.

Or monopoly money.


Another piece of advice I would give is regarding a budget. Please realize that if you rent an apt or house, you will likely need to budget year-round bills. It's super easy in the fall to think 'I have all of this money' and go on a spending spree. Try to have some left over at the end of the fall semester. This will help for 2 reasons.

If there is a hiccup in the spring disbursement, you won't be panicking waiting on funds to come out. Also, while the semester length is the same for fall and spring unless you're getting a job, you'll need stretch your spring funds to cover the summer too. That's kind of a big deal when you're talking rent, utilities, insurance, food, etc. So having some left over from the fall semester would be a relief in stretching dollars.

/gets off soapbox

 

[nascardoc]

There have been requests for a Pros/Cons for DCOM, over on the Osteopathic page.....just wanted to let you guys know I posted one over there for your reading pleasure. Hope it helps.

 

[Irishfan]

There have been requests for a Pros/Cons for DCOM, over on the Osteopathic page.....just wanted to let you guys know I posted one over there for your reading pleasure. Hope it helps.

Thanks for doing that....excellent pros/cons list.

 

[quynhhuong]

Hey everyone!

I'm scared of the drive from the airport to the school, is it bad? Is anyone interviewing on March 8th? Maybe we can go together!

The drive isn't that bad at all. If you have a GPS or a direction printed out from google map, you won't get lost. There's couple of turns you need to make and the rest of the 1.2 hrs is pretty much straight to the hotel/school. Most of it is 1 lane, sometimes they have 2 lanes out for some people who wanna pass then merge into 1. That's pretty much it!
I think the reason it takes too long is that the speed limit is only 45-55mph.

 

[christine121]

I completed mid January, how long did it take to hear back about an interview? Will they let me know even if I'm rejected? Are they only waitlisting now or still accepting?

 

[NPEMTIV]

There have been requests for a Pros/Cons for DCOM, over on the Osteopathic page.....just wanted to let you guys know I posted one over there for your reading pleasure. Hope it helps.

What makes you so qualified?!





(disclaimer: the above comment is sarcasm..)

 

[nascardoc]

What makes you so qualified?!





(disclaimer: the above comment is sarcasm..)

 

[Irishfan]

I completed mid January, how long did it take to hear back about an interview? Will they let me know even if I'm rejected? Are they only waitlisting now or still accepting?

I was completed in November and offered an interview a few days after that.

 

[adam91385]

Or monopoly money.


Another piece of advice I would give is regarding a budget. Please realize that if you rent an apt or house, you will likely need to budget year-round bills. It's super easy in the fall to think 'I have all of this money' and go on a spending spree. Try to have some left over at the end of the fall semester. This will help for 2 reasons.

If there is a hiccup in the spring disbursement, you won't be panicking waiting on funds to come out. Also, while the semester length is the same for fall and spring unless you're getting a job, you'll need stretch your spring funds to cover the summer too. That's kind of a big deal when you're talking rent, utilities, insurance, food, etc. So having some left over from the fall semester would be a relief in stretching dollars.

/gets off soapbox

Thanks for the information. I appreciate it. C you in July.

Adam

 

[quynhhuong]

I completed mid January, how long did it take to hear back about an interview? Will they let me know even if I'm rejected? Are they only waitlisting now or still accepting?

you should call them or shoot them an email to see what's going on 'cause if the school is interested in you, they should invite you to an interview several days after your file is complete. Ask them what you could do to improve your application and a LOI is not bad at all at this point.

 

[jcrewtriathlete]

I completed mid January, how long did it take to hear back about an interview? Will they let me know even if I'm rejected? Are they only waitlisting now or still accepting?

an informal poll of some friends tells me that most of us were called within a week of completing our secondaries. buuut there are plenty of ppl who got an invite after a longer wait. just in case, i'd call Admissions and ask Janette if anything is missing. that'd be a great excuse (if your file is complete) to find out if your file is due for review. they are still accepting, from what i can tell - i was accepted around this time last year, and there are still interviews scheduled through April. a letter of intent/interest is probably not gonna hurt you at this point. good luck!

 

[christine121]

I called all of the schools like a huge stalker and they all said I was still being reviewed...

 

[CopToEM]

I called all of the schools like a huge stalker and they all said I was still being reviewed...

Hang in there! If you've been complete at all schools for over a month the general consensus across SDN has been to send a well thought out letter of intent. I would certainly update them on any steps you've taken since applying that might be of interest and discuss with them why the school is a great fit for you.

Plenty of people have indicated, even in this thread, that they feel their LOI is what moved them from review to accepted status.

 

[danznchandee16]

i have an interview at LMU this coming tuesday! can't wait to see the school and meet the students and faculty. i really hope that the class is not full yet dut to it being so late in the app process. does anyone know whether the class is full yet?

 

[123880]

They're still interviewing for open seats.

 

[Tinman85225]

Congrats, hotnachos!!

Congrats to everyone who has been recently accepted! Best of luck to those interviewing in the next few weeks. You will love the DCOM campus and the staff is so friendly and helpful!

 

[danznchandee16]

how long is the "short walking tour" of campus? do i really need to bring a pair of different shoes? just wondering, thanks!

 

[jcrewtriathlete]

how long is the "short walking tour" of campus? do i really need to bring a pair of different shoes? just wondering, thanks!

plan on a ~20-25 minute tour of one large building with four floors. you'll be shown the first floor lecture halls, second floor anat lab/opp lab/locker room/break rooms, third floor sim lab, and whatever else your tour guides show you. it's not a lot of walking, just a fair amount of standing. Bob will take you on a bus tour of the rest of the campus, and you'll be driven down to lunch with the second years. your call on the shoes, but i used a pair of two inch heels that didn't kill my feet the whole day bc i didn't want to have to carry around a spare pair all day.

 

[CopToEM]

how long is the "short walking tour" of campus? do i really need to bring a pair of different shoes? just wondering, thanks!

It's not that bad. You will have to go up and down the steps so plan accordingly for that. My girlfriend wore heels and had no problems.

 

[robbinblue458]

congrats to all of you. wow looks like my chance of getting in this app cycle is getting smaller and smaller each day. lmu is still waiting on my mcat score which will be released this tuesday. congrats to all who have made it through this grueling application cycle. you guys are truly living the dream

 

[DOCbaby]

Accepted today!

 

[cSquared117]

Accepted today!

Congratulations, DOCbaby!

 

[rxrj]

Hello everyone,

Congratulations to all those applicants accepted!

This is my first post, I interview on the 9th and am very excited. DCOM looks like such a great school. I have been reading posts over the last month or so and most comments about the school are positive. I can't wait to get to Harrogate, it looks like a great fit.

Are there any non-traditional students out there ie - a bit older than the norm, with families - wife, kids ?

Cheers, I look forward to meeting everyone at the pizza night.

 

[cSquared117]

I'm highly interested in working with the Latino population, and I'd like to know if there are any opportunities near Harrogate to work with Latinos/Hispanics. Could a current DCOM student fill me in?

Thanks!

 

[Dr JN]

For those that are interested in the general response times:

Invitation: 2/17/10
Interview:2/22/10
Acceptance Call:3/1/10

LMU-DCOM 2014

 

[prionsRbad]

I'm highly interested in working with the Latino population, and I'd like to know if there are any opportunities near Harrogate to work with Latinos/Hispanics. Could a current DCOM student fill me in?

Thanks!

Well, first off, you're not really going to have time to "help" a specific community during your 1st year . . . you'll be way too busy with school. There is not much time for volunteering at free clinics and that sort of thing (that's what you do before med school). I don't know if you've visited Harrogate, but there is NOT a whole lot of diversity up here.

To answer your question, there is not a predominant Latino/Hispanic population in Harrogate (there are no Hispanic clinics or La Raza organizations up here). However, you can gear your 3rd and 4th year rotations towards areas with specific underserved populations, if you choose.

Hope that helps! Good Luck!

 

[nascardoc]

I'm highly interested in working with the Latino population, and I'd like to know if there are any opportunities near Harrogate to work with Latinos/Hispanics. Could a current DCOM student fill me in?

Thanks!

Morristown, TN which is about an hour from DCOM has a fairly large population of hispanics. You might be able to do something there.

 

[matrica]

On another thread somebody posted the passing rate for Comlex at LMU. It was 80-81%.
True story? any comment?
Thanks

 

[Styria]

On another thread somebody posted the passing rate for Comlex at LMU. It was 80-81%.
True story? any comment?
Thanks

The AOA doesn't permit inaugural classes' board scores to be released. That's per the dean and also the accreditation committee's recent visit. It's hard to tell what numbers are rumors vs actually stated by the faculty. The second years are more in tune with this since their own boards are looming. There are different counts too, first time pass rate, what percent of the class had passed after X tries.

You need to remember the point of view of the faculty and profession. When you start a new medical school, there's a fear that the students you'll get are those who could not get in anywhere else. Now, I know some people from 2011 who chose DCOM over other, established schools, but the fact remains that inaugural classes are a different population from everyone else taking COMLEX. They don't have a class ahead of them to warn what topics are harder or to give study tips or first-semester tutoring. Releasing first-time board scores would cause people to generalize them to the wrong population. DCOM's first board scores were average for a new medical school.

They could tell us what they need to work on, though. The weak points on the boards were infectious diseases and pharmacology. They started improving both with my class and made our lectures available to the current second years to watch on Mediasite as part of their board prep. They hired more microbiology faculty and we had four times more virology lectures, plus mycology and parasitology. They also hired a great pharmacist who organized what UT gave us for pharm via satelite (still under contract) and told them what the curriculum would be for their lectures. These additions were somewhat overwhelming in MFM II, and the second part of fixing this will be to revamp both MFM I and II for your class. So you'll see immunology a lot earlier than we did and it will have more time to sink in.

They also told us that the board scores corresponded well with how people did on their exams at DCOM. This frightened some in my class. It annoyed some second years who feel like they're being taught stuff they won't need. On my part, I passed up a school and waited another year because I don't want to be taught "to the boards." So extra information is fine with me. DCOM wants its students to pass the boards, but also teaches you what they think is important beyond that. Some second years are sacrificing points on their exam scores to study for the boards instead. They'll have to let you know how that strategy works out. It worked for some in the inaugural class, but it's just like any other study method - not everyone learns well the same way.

One other thing: people who memorized powerpoint slides did poorly on the boards. You need to go for understanding instead. That's the only way you'll be able to apply what you've learned to all the new material that comes along.

 

[HopefulDoc1984]

On another thread somebody posted the passing rate for Comlex at LMU. It was 80-81%.
True story? any comment?
Thanks

i just read a post in the pre-osteo forum that lists all the DO schools and it said DCOM was 90-91%.

from what i have heard here at school, 93% of the class of 2013 passed.

 

[123880]

i just read a post in the pre-osteo forum that lists all the DO schools and it said DCOM was 90-91%.

from what i have heard here at school, 93% of the class of 2013 passed.

c/o 2013 hasn't taken boards. Next up to take COMLEX is c/0 2012.

 

[nascardoc]

COMLEX pass rate was 93% for my class. Overall, I am happy with that because we are the first class. Like the previous poster said, we didn't have anyone above us to ask questions, who had previous experience, or give us advice. I felt DCOM did a good job at preparing for boards...yes there were weakspots and those are being or have been fixed for the classes below us.