Main Campus: Erie, PA
Branch Campus: LECOM – Bradenton, FL
Additional Locations: Greensburg, PA; Elmira, NY

Mission Statement

The mission of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is to prepare students to become osteopathic physicians, pharmacy practitioners, and dentists through programs of excellence in education, research, clinical care, and community service to enhance the quality of life through improved health for all humanity. Serving as a guiding light and cornerstone in medical education and true to the core principles of its founders, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine has expanded its reach to include exceptional programs in graduate studies designed to provide scholars superlative education in the respective areas of study. The professional programs are dedicated to serve all students through innovative curriculum and the development of postdoctoral education and interprofessional experiences.

College Description

LECOM has grown to become the nation’s largest medical college with campuses in Erie, PA, Greensburg, PA, Bradenton, FL and Elmira, NY. LECOM offers a quality medical education at an affordable price with one of the lowest, private medical college tuitions.

LECOM is a leader in innovative, student-centered medical education with five learning pathways leading to a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree – Lecture Discussion, Problem-Based Learning, Directed Study and two three-year pathways: the Primary Care Scholars and the Accelerated Physician Assistant Pathway. The majority of LECOM graduates become primary care physicians who enter the fields of family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics or Ob/Gyn.

U.S. News & World Report ranks LECOM the top medical colleges for graduating primary care physicians. As a result of our outstanding tuition rates, our five unique pathway delivery models, and our high residency placement rates, LECOM is proud to be the most applied to Osteopathic Medical College in the United States.

Campus setting:
Erie, PA, Greensburg, PA, and Elmira, NY; Urban /Suburban

Year founded: 1992

Type: Private, non-profit

Accreditation:
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program Accreditation, College of Osteopathic Medicine The College of Osteopathic Medicine is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) of the American Osteopathic Association. LECOM is a member of Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation. CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.

Institutional affiliation:

• LECOM at Seton Hill (additional location)
• LECOM at Elmira (additional location)
• LECOM Bradenton (branch campus)
• LECOM School of Pharmacy
• LECOM School of Dental Medicine
• LECOM Graduate School of BioMedical Sciences
• LECOM School of Health Services Administration
• LECOM Health (Millcreek Community Hospital, Medical Associates of Erie, Corry Memorial Hospital, LECOM Senior Living Center & Communities, LECOM Health Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LifeWorks Erie, Visiting Nurses Association of Erie County
• John M. and Silvia Ferretti Medical Fitness and Wellness Center

Facilities:

LECOM has designed its campuses with the latest educational technology where each detail lends itself to the mission of teaching students how to care for patients. Lecture halls use smart classroom technology, and smaller classrooms provide ideal environments for small group study sessions.

In Erie, students learn in fully equipped anatomy and microbiology labs. Students receive Clinical Assessment Training with standardized patients in a working physician’s office. LECOM remains the only osteopathic medical school with its own teaching hospitals: Millcreek Community Hospital, Corry Memorial Hospital and Warren General Hospital. Students receive memberships at the LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center that is designed to focus on total well-being for students. LECOM at Seton Hill provides classrooms, labs, and student services on the campus of Seton Hill University near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 2020, LECOM added an additional location in Elmira NY along the New York southern tier. LECOM at Elmira provides students the opportunity of Problem Based Learning along with numerous clinical education opportunities in the 3rd and 4th year to serve the communities within the Southern Tier of New York. The LECOM Research Centers offer over 26,000 square feet of laboratory space for faculty and student-assisted research.

Student residence options:
LECOM does not provide campus housing. The college assists students in securing appropriate housing within a close walk or commute to campus.

2021-2022 Enrollment

• Total medical school enrollment: 2,495
• Total male: 1,224
• Total female: 1,268
• First-year enrollment: 314
• First-year male: 159
• First-year female: 154
• First-year in-state: 64
• First-year out-of-state: 250
• Total enrollment affiliate institutions: 4,387

LECOM offers its medical students a choice of student-centered pathways that match the learning styles of individual students. Five pathways are available in Erie: Lecture/Discussion (LDP), Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Directed Study (DSP), and two three-year osteopathic medical degree programs: the Primary Care Scholars (PCSP) and the Accelerated Physician Assistant (APAP) Pathways.

LECOM at Seton Hill offers the PBL pathway and the APAP pathway while LECOM at Elmira offers PBL. In years three and four, students complete clinical rotations at more than 90 hospitals and clinics throughout the United States, including regional clinical campuses in Pennsylvania, Florida, and New York.

DO/MHSA*
The LECOM Masters in Health Services Administration program (50 credit hours) provides students with the skills required to plan, direct, and lead medical and health service organizations as administrators in hospital or other acute and subacute healthcare facilities, public health care organizations, pharmacies and private practice groups. The knowledge gained from the MHSA program is essential for fiscal, planning and managerial work in healthcare organizations and the establishment and management of clinical practices. Delivered concurrently via on-line distance education in medical student’s third and fourth years.

DO/MPH*
The LECOM Masters in Public Health program (45 credit hours) is grounded in foundational public health knowledge. This includes administrative skills critical to improving and enhancing the health, health care, and well-being of individuals, families, and communities in North America by applying the philosophy of osteopathic medicine that seeks to treat the whole person mind, body and spirit. Delivered concurrently via on-line distance education in medical student’s third and fourth years.

DO/MSBS*
LECOM offers a research-focused curriculum concurrent with the DO program for students who desire a strong research background and/or are interested in a career as a physician-researcher. The MSBS program is a graduate level program for medical students that serves as a structured research experience. Through coursework, research design, laboratory experience and a comprehensive research project, the MSBS program will produce graduates qualified for clinical medicine able to develop independent research programs.

DO/MSMEd*
The MSMEd program is for current medical, pharmacy, and dental students, transitional rotating interns, off-cycle graduates, and international medical graduates who desire to strengthen their applications for residency by having a thesis-based research project, designated research mentor, and additional skill sets centered around helping health care providers and patients learn. Also, students will learn a unique set of skills to support success in residency.

DO/MSBE*
The LECOM Master of Science in Biomedical Ethics program (36 credit hours) will benefit future physicians seeking the mastery in biomedical & pharmacology ethics, health care compliance, patient-care management, risk management, and in medical research as well as palliative care and end-of-life care positions providing essential assistance to patients and their families. Delivered concurrently via on-line distance education in medical student’s third and fourth years.

DO/MS MCT*
The LECOM Master of Science in Medical Cannabinoid Therapeutics (MS MCT): The MS MCT program is delivered on-line and designed to prepare health professionals to contribute to population-based, culturally appropriate, and innovative approaches concerning the rapidly expanding medical cannabinoid therapeutic industry. The program builds upon foundational osteopathic principles and competencies focused on whole person care, mind, body, and spirit. The curriculum centers around the evolving medical cannabis policies, organizational management, environmental and occupational health, social and behavioral implications, pharmacokinetics, vertically integrated business systems, macro-economic, governing laws and regulations and ethical impacts. Students will also gain an understanding of the basic chemistry and efficacy of the current medical cannabinoid pharmacological industry. The M.S. MCT curriculum consists of 45 credits. There are 11 core courses, 16-week experiential discovery course completed through executive interviews and analysis (6 credits) and a 16-week master’s thesis or capstone project course (6 credits). Special focus on production, packaging, and dispensary delivery systems business structures of the Medical Cannabinoid industry within the United States and the world.

* Masters programs available through distance education. See lecom.edu for details

Master of Medical Science (MMS)
Applicants must earn an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college/university. The Master of Medical Science program is a 10-month, non-thesis degree program that prepares individuals for health science careers. The college admissions staff will guarantee an interview to students who successfully complete the LECOM MMS program and meet all other admissions standards and requirements.

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA)
Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A) – The D.H.A. program prepares health industry professionals to become innovative leaders and complex problem solvers. The degree program qualifies professionals to serve as college faculty members, preparing them to teach and perform interprofessional research focused on “the business of healthcare.”

Doctoral Program in Anatomy Education (DAE)
Doctoral Program in Anatomy Education (PhD) – A shortage of Anatomy Educators with advanced degrees in the United States has led to an increasing need for qualified educators to teach anatomical sciences at the undergraduate or doctoral level. As senior PhD faculty members move into administrative roles or retire, and the number of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools and physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs increase, the demand for Anatomy Educators will continue to grow demonstrating a definite need for Doctoral level Anatomy Educators. Despite these needs, there is a shortage of programs providing such doctoral-level training in anatomy education with only three programs in North America. These programs will not be able to keep pace with the need for PhD Anatomists. With such a shortage of appropriately trained faculty, the need for effective teaching is stronger than ever. LECOM Erie is proud to recognize this need and offer a Doctoral in Anatomy Education Program (DAE).

Doctoral Program in Medical Education (DME)
The DME program produces educator-scholar leaders in health professions education. It functions as an extension of the LECOM MSMEd Program to offer students additional training to more deeply explore medical education topics through coursework, practicums, and dissertation-level research. Graduates are highly knowledgeable and skillful medical education specialists who are well equipped to produce innovative research in medical education and improve the educational training of health care providers. The proposed program will provide graduate-level instruction in educational practice, educational research methodology and analysis, and administrative leadership. Students are required to complete online coursework, teaching practicums, and conduct original research in the field of medical education in the form of a written and publicly-defended dissertation.

Doctoral Program in Microbiology Education (DME)
The Doctoral Program in Medical Microbiology Education (DME) is designed to prepare students to become teaching faculty at the undergraduate and graduate level. With the increasing number of new allopathic and osteopathic medical schools and other advanced medical degree programs, such as physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs, opening in the United States, a larger number of teaching faculty will be needed. Most new graduates of doctoral microbiology and/or immunology programs are well versed in their specific area of research and have a detailed background and experience in laboratory techniques and analysis of data; however, these programs do not emphasize the breadth of teaching in medical microbiology. The DME will address this need by focusing on the educational aspects of medical microbiology in a variety of curricula.

Doctoral Program in Pharmacy Education (DPE)
The Doctoral Program in Pharmacy Education (DPE) features an innovative curriculum designed to train students in pharmaceutical and clinical sciences, pedagogical principles, and scholarship of teaching and learning. Students will complete laboratory-based, lecture-based, and online coursework in pharmaceutics, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacotherapeutics, drug information, and educational theory; as well as teaching practicums, journal clubs, and educational research. Graduates will be adept in delivery of pharmaceutical and clinical sciences content utilizing a variety of curricular techniques.

Admissions Process

Applicants submit a primary application to AACOMAS which collates materials, computes grades, and transmits standardized information to LECOM. Applicants are required to submit either a single letter of recommendation from a pre-professional committee or two letters from undergraduate or graduate college/university science professors. When complete, applicants receive a personalized email from LECOM inviting them to complete a web-based Supplemental Application. LECOM’s Academic Index Score (AIS) is an alternative to the MCAT – In place of the MCAT applicants may use an AIS, a calculation based on the applicant’s overall GPA, from undergraduate and graduate school, and SAT / ACT scores from high school. Accordingly, LECOM recognizes diversity of backgrounds in applicants, while scores on standard tests do not solely relate to becoming a great physician. Utilizing the AIS contributes to our ability to provide a holistic review of applicants. Following receipt of all necessary documentation, the application is reviewed by Admissions Committee members to evaluate candidates for those who are suitably matched to the ISLOs of professionalism, osteopathic philosophy, and discipline knowledge. Candidates that meet these criteria are invited to complete a virtual interview. Following the interview, the Admissions Committee conducts a second review of the applicant-submitted information and interview evaluations. Applicants who have demonstrated to the Committee that they are qualified for admission are extended an offer of acceptance to the College of Medicine.

Application Information

• Primary application service: AACOMAS
• Earliest application submission date: Opening Date of AACOMAS (5/4/2022)
• Primary application deadline: 4/1/2023
• Supplemental application deadline: 4/1/2023
• Submission timing for best consideration:
  Applicants are encouraged to submit their AACOMAS application materials early to ensure consideration for an interview. Applicants should submit applications no later than four weeks prior to the deadline.

First-Year Class Matriculants’ Selection Factors

LECOM seeks candidates who exemplify the LECOM mission to prepare students to become competent osteopathic physicians who partner with their patients on the pathway to health and well-being. Applicants should not only demonstrate success in their science courses, but also have proven themselves as well-rounded individuals who have been successful overall in their academic careers. LECOM is also looking for students who meet the ethical and professional standards that the public expects of high-quality health care professionals and who demonstrate an interest in community service and leadership. LECOM encourages applicants to learn more about the profession by getting to know an osteopathic physician. Receiving exposure to the osteopathic profession will enhance awareness of the osteopathic medical philosophy. Working with a physician will prepare the applicant for the required admissions interview.

International students (non-U.S. citizens or temporary residents) considered: Yes.
International students (non-U.S. citizens or non-permanent residents) will be considered on an individual basis. Non-U.S. citizens must provide documentation verifying that sufficient funds are available in a U.S. bank to cover all expenses to complete the entire program at LECOM and submit World Education Services (WES) transcript evaluations for all non-U.S. coursework. Additional requirements and information are available by contacting the Admissions Office.

International students enrolled in the last two academic cycles: 4

MCAT

• Oldest MCAT considered: 7/1/2019
• Accept September 2022 MCAT scores: Yes
• Accept January 2023 MCAT scores: Yes

Accepted Sources for Letters of Recommendation

• AACOMAS
• Email
• Interfolio
• Paper

Supplemental Application

• Supplemental application required? Yes
• Earliest supplemental application submission date: 7/1/2022
• Supplemental application deadline: 4/1/2023
• Supplemental application requirements:
  Qualified applicants will be notified to complete an online supplemental application and must submit the application fee at that time. LECOM requires a letter of recommendation from a premedical or pre-health committee or two letters from science professors from the applicant’s undergraduate or graduate institution. MCAT Scores are considered; in lieu of MCAT Scores, LECOM may use an Academic Index Score that uses undergraduate and graduate GPAs in a formula calculation with ACT and/or SAT Critical Reading and Math scores. Interviews are offered based on completion of the supplemental application.
• Fee waiver available: Yes, receipt of AACOMAS fee waiver
• Supplemental application sent to the following prospective students:
  Screened applicants: Must have a 2.7 or higher overall GPA and either a 497 or better MCAT taken within the past three years or an Academic Index Score (AIS) of 110 or higher. The AIS is calculated using ACT or SAT with overall post-secondary GPA. An applicant who does not meet the MCAT requirement or who has not taken the exam may enter the ACT or SAT scores to use the AIS to qualify for the supplemental application. The student must follow up with official documentation.
• Supplemental application fee: $50, non-refundable

Interview Format

LECOM uses a rolling admissions cycle and schedules applicant information sessions from July through April of the application year. Applicants are invited to attend a virtual information session and are given the opportunity to submit a recorded video interview. Applicants can choose on the supplemental application which LECOM campus session to attend.

LECOM Erie, LECOM at Seton Hill and LECOM at Elmira each hold virtual information sessions with attendees eligible to attend any one of the respective campuses. Applicants will receive information about the curricular pathways available at LECOM, financial aid resources and procedures, research opportunities, clinical rotation sites, and residency programs affiliated with LECOM. After the session, applicants use instructions sent via email to submit a recorded video interview which is reviewed by the admissions committee.

Science Courses

Required:

• Biology/Zoology, 8 semester hours with lab
• Organic Chemistry, 8* semester hours with lab
• Inorganic Chemistry, 8 semester hours with lab
• Physics, 4 semester hours with lab

*May substitute 3 credits of biochemistry for 4 credits of organic chemistry.

Recommended:

• Biochemistry, 3 semester hours
• Genetics, 3 semester hours
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Microbiology

Non-Science Courses

Required:

• College English, 6 semester hours
• Behavioral Sciences, 6 semester hours

Applicants will be requested to submit necessary matriculation documents, including a deposit, according to the following schedule:

• Those accepted July 1 through November 17 will have 30 days (December 17).
• Those accepted December 17 through April 30 will have 14 days
• Those accepted after May 1 will be asked for an immediate deposit and a response by email.
•  After May 15 of the year of matriculation, each medical college may implement college-specific procedures for accepted students who hold one or more seats at other medical colleges.
• Maximum Time for Applicant to Accept Offer: 30 days
• Earliest acceptance date: 8/1/2022
• Latest acceptance date: 7/30/2023
• Deferred entrance requests considered: Yes, only if military deployment
• Orientation / start date for first-year students: 7/24/2023

Early Decision Program

• Early Decision Program (EDP) Offered: Yes
• EDP Available For: Both In-State and Out-of-State Residents
• EDP Application Due Date: 8/1/2022
• EDP Applications Submitted to:
  Students who interview with LECOM prior to September 15th are given the option of receiving a decision sooner than December 15th. The student must sign a documents that gives LECOM permission to issue a decision which would result in a deposit that is due earlier in the cycle. Aside from the Early Decision students, LECOM follows the schedule of the traffic guidelines the remainder of the admissions cycle.
• EDP Supplemental Materials Due: 8/15/2022
• Date EDP Applicants Notified: 10/1/2022

Tuition and Fees

• 2021-22 annual resident tuition: $37,000
• 2021-22 annual non-resident tuition: $37,000
• 2021-22 annual resident fees: $900
• 2021-22 annual non-resident fees: $900
• 2021-22 annual health insurance fee: $4,178
• Fees include:
  • Student Activities
  • Technology (not computer)
  • Curricular Fee
  • Board Prep
• Estimated annual room, board, books and living costs: $24,929
• Average 2021 graduate indebtedness: $221,471

Deposit

• Amount of deposit to hold place in class: $1,500, non-refundable
• Additional deposit amount: $500, refundable only in the event of military deployment
• Deposit applied to tuition: Yes

Financial Aid

• Financial Aid Website
• Enrolled students with federal financial aid: 83%
• Scholarships: Yes
• Average scholarship/grant: $2,679

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine LECOM

Address:
1858 W. Grandview Blvd.
Erie, PA 16509
Main Phone: (814) 866-6641

LECOM at Seton Hill
20 Seton Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601
Main Phone: (724) 552-2880

LECOM at Elmira
1 LECOM Place
Elmira, NY 14901
Main Phone: (607) 795-8037

Admissions office
Email: admissions@lecom.edu
Phone: (814) 866-6641