University of North Texas (UNTHSC/TCOM) Discussion Thread 2012 - 2013

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New Year, New Thread!!! Discuss Away!!!

Hello,

This is my first post... I am considering TCOM this cycle.

For reference, these are some previous TCOM threads:

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2011-2012
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=815702

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2010-2011
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=738411

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2009-2010
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=650182

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2008-2009
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=525691

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2007-2008
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=452654
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=452646

does anyone know if they offer you an interview invite do they let you choose the interview date? for example if I'd like to submit asap but don't want to interview until august.

Originally Posted by Whiteshoes

does anyone know if they offer you an interview invite do they let you choose the interview date? for example if I'd like to submit asap but don't want to interview until august.

They're flexible if you have a serious conflict. You'd have to ask Caroline (Admissions) when/if she calls.

Originally Posted by Whiteshoes

does anyone know if they offer you an interview invite do they let you choose the interview date? for example if I'd like to submit asap but don't want to interview until august.

Pretty sure they don't start interviewing until August, or maybe in the very last week of July. I'm sure they'll work with you though.

Originally Posted by verandama

Hello,

This is my first post... I am considering TCOM this cycle.

For reference, these are some previous TCOM threads:

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2011-2012
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=815702

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2010-2011
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=738411

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2009-2010
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=650182

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2008-2009
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=525691

UNTHSC/TCOM Discussion Thread 2007-2008
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=452654
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=452646

welcome.. good list. come see the campus if you're in fw. we just had a nice graduation ceremony. commencement speaker was the president of the institute of medicine

1 - Does anyone know how TCOM notifies an applicant if there is a problem? Phone call? Email? Do they have a designated contact person for pre-meds?

2 - Is there a cutoff for each MCAT section? How about writing?

3 - Are they enforcing the DO LOR? Previous threads indicate TCOM never cared whether it's DO or MD.

4 - Does it make any difference if I take statistics now or later?

5 - If I get a secondary request, how much time do I have to reply to them?

Thanks for any information, insight, or guesses on these questions.

Originally Posted by greentrails

1 - Does anyone know how TCOM notifies an applicant if there is a problem? Phone call? Email? Do they have a designated contact person for pre-meds?

2 - Is there a cutoff for each MCAT section? How about writing?

3 - Are they enforcing the DO LOR? Previous threads indicate TCOM never cared whether it's DO or MD.

4 - Does it make any difference if I take statistics now or later?

5 - If I get a secondary request, how much time do I have to reply to them?

Thanks for any information, insight, or guesses on these questions.

tmdsas handles tcom applications. i'm sure tmdsas never calls people. if you get an interview invite, tcom does that by phone. not sure what you mean by contact person for premeds. all applicants are premeds

no official cutoff for mcat. i really believe they consider each application individually. there is a chance for an exceptional applicant with a low score. last fall somebody with a 19 got in. highest mcat was 42

that's correct you don't have to have an lor from a do. if you shadowed an md that's fine. they don't care if it's md or do. half of the physician staff here are md's anyway

stats is a new requirement. it looks like you can do it over the summer before school starts. just take it at a community college

secondary should be returned asap. the deadline is october, but as you know the early bird gets the worm

best of luck

Originally Posted by greentrails

1 - Does anyone know how TCOM notifies an applicant if there is a problem? Phone call? Email? Do they have a designated contact person for pre-meds?

2 - Is there a cutoff for each MCAT section? How about writing?

3 - Are they enforcing the DO LOR? Previous threads indicate TCOM never cared whether it's DO or MD.

4 - Does it make any difference if I take statistics now or later?

5 - If I get a secondary request, how much time do I have to reply to them?

Thanks for any information, insight, or guesses on these questions.

1. I don't know, but I know TMDSAS will send you a message on the TMDSAS application and you'll get an e-mail saying to check it.

2. Don't think there is a cutoff.

3. I have heard that the DO letter is very important. I would try to find a DO if you could. If you can't, I don't think it'll be that big of a deal since DOs are relatively hard to come by in comparison to MDs.

4. I took statistics in a community college after I graduated. You might want to indicate it on your planned coursework.

5. Everyone gets a secondary request. Earlier the better.

Thanks, guys. I called TMDSAS and they said to follow their web site. They have a system that generates emails automatically, but they said it's up to the applicant to take care of everything.

For the DO LOR, I have been shadowing an MD family doctor so I will have a good letter from her. I know she has a friend who is a DO. I'll ask her.

I have a few more questions if you don't mind since I need more education on this:

6 - What is the focus on OMM at TCOM and clinical experience in general?

7 - How is OMM related to other courses, and what about courses that have MD professors teaching them?

8 - How about surgery? How does TCOM view surgery?

9 - What questions does TCOM ask in an interview that's different from the other schools?

Again, many thanks.

Originally Posted by greentrails

I have a few more questions if you don't mind since I need more education on this:

6 - What is the focus on OMM at TCOM and clinical experience in general?

There is no "focus" on OMM at TCOM. OMM is a stand-alone module. You just spend like 3 hours per week in OMM lab, and you're done.

There is extensive and early hands-on training in clinical skills - physical examination, interviewing techniques, differential diagnoses, etc. - starting with the 1st semester. Students are sent out to practice on real patients in preceptorships. The length and depth of this experience is valuable for 3rd/4rd year rotations. (There is no OMM in this.)

7 - How is OMM related to other courses, and what about courses that have MD professors teaching them?

OMM is not related to other courses. It's like taking PE.

8 - How about surgery? How does TCOM view surgery?

Well, the TCOM dean is a thoracic/vascular surgeon, and the president is married to an ENT surgeon. A TCOM grad was on TV recently: http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/6415

9 - What questions does TCOM ask in an interview that's different from the other schools?

There might be a generic question about osteopathic principles, otherwise it's similar in content. It's more like a conversation to gauge the applicant's fit and interest. BTW, TCOM uses a closed-file format i.e. the interviewer knows next to nothing about you beforehand (including your grades), so you will likely hear “Tell me about yourself."

Great, thank you so much for the clarification!!

I have a few questions about the secondary application.

When you put submit, does it submit just that page/tab or the whole secondary application.

I am not going to get my mcat score back until July, so I won't be able to complete the academic history on the secondary. Do I have to wait for my mcat score to submit the rest of my secondary? Can I submit a DO letter later but submit the rest of the secondary or do I have to wait until I get the letter to submit?

I haven't gotten that far yet, but looking at the instructions panel, it says if you hit Submit then no further changes can be made?

Originally Posted by rubisco88

I have a few questions about the secondary application.

When you put submit, does it submit just that page/tab or the whole secondary application.

I am not going to get my mcat score back until July, so I won't be able to complete the academic history on the secondary. Do I have to wait for my mcat score to submit the rest of my secondary? Can I submit a DO letter later but submit the rest of the secondary or do I have to wait until I get the letter to submit?

Submit it as early as possible and then send them the MCAT score when you get it. A lof of med school applicants start applying without having their final MCAT score in yet.

Question: I have submitted the secondary and I know you can check up on the status by logging into myUNT or something, but I can't seem to get to the right page.

I know my EUID and password, but I don't know where to log in. Maybe this is part of the secondary, to test my Interwebs skills.

Help?

I think it's this one?

https://my.unt.edu/psp/papd01/EMPLOY.../?tab=HS_GUEST

If you need additional help, the myHSC Accounts Administrator is available from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at 817-735-2231 or AccountsAdministrator@hsc.unt.edu.

Originally Posted by greentrails

I think it's this one?

https://my.unt.edu/psp/papd01/EMPLOY.../?tab=HS_GUEST

If you need additional help, the myHSC Accounts Administrator is available from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at 817-735-2231 or AccountsAdministrator@hsc.unt.edu.

Thanks for the reply

This is the one I thought too, and it may be the right place, but I can't seem to log in. I always get a system error...no matter how many times I reset my password or request my ID, it just gives a system error.

Did you get an e-mail from the schools with your pin and stuff so you could access the secondary? Or do you just create your own pin? I also have an EUID and was able to get to the secondary page.

Also, from what I recall last time I applied, their site is horribly user-unfriendly and very buggy. Not surprising that you're getting error pages. But if I recall correctly, if you can log in from that link greentails posted, there should be a tab called "HSC Admissions." From there, there appear to be two links in a box centered on the page titled "Application Status." I think that's your best bet.

If you're just getting the error when trying to logon to the page, try closing all your browsers and opening a different browser like Chrome and logging in.

Again, it's horribly buggy in my opinion.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by bigtruckguy3500

Did you get an e-mail from the schools with your pin and stuff so you could access the secondary? Or do you just create your own pin? I also have an EUID and was able to get to the secondary page.

Also, from what I recall last time I applied, their site is horribly user-unfriendly and very buggy. Not surprising that you're getting error pages. But if I recall correctly, if you can log in from that link greentails posted, there should be a tab called "HSC Admissions." From there, there appear to be two links in a box centered on the page titled "Application Status." I think that's your best bet.

If you're just getting the error when trying to logon to the page, try closing all your browsers and opening a different browser like Chrome and logging in.

Again, it's horribly buggy in my opinion.

Good luck!

thank you for this...great explanation here. I did end up having to use a different browser. And I agree, the website feels like its still being built! Oh well, I have access now, so thanks.

I'm an incoming OMS-I at TCOM. If you have any questions about the application process, I'll try to answer them.


UNTHSC-TCOM Class of 2016

Just clarifying...you don't get an EUID until they process your TMDSAS and email it to you right?

Originally Posted by ZND

Just clarifying...you don't get an EUID until they process your TMDSAS and email it to you right?

That was my experience...

So about how long after you got the "TMDSAS transmitted to schools" email did you start getting emails from the schools? I'm two weeks out and the only acknowledgement I've gotten is from Tech-El Paso.

I'm also a new applicant. I attend a small college, so small that we don't have a premed advisor .
I was looking for TCOM information in the other osteopathic forums and didn't find much until I saw this thread and the above post (the one with the links). Many thanks to that poster!
Best of luck to us all, wherever we may end up.....

TMDSAS is flooded with apps this time of year. But it shouldn't take too long.

Class of 2015 here, feel free to ask anything. Everything I think has been spot on so don't have much to add except for the fact that I don't approve the thread title. Been on here for years and the the University of North Texas thing is awkward.

Originally Posted by slammer922

Class of 2015 here, feel free to ask anything. Everything I think has been spot on so don't have much to add except for the fact that I don't approve the thread title. Been on here for years and the the University of North Texas thing is awkward.

I agree with you. Can they still change it back?

Hi, I think we should keep the U of North Texas b/c the initials are already in the title, and I don't know schools by initials.

Question about the doctor LOR, is that required (preferably from DO but if not at least from an MD)? I only have professor/TA letters and no doctor letters.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Latuza

Hi, I think we should keep the U of North Texas b/c the initials are already in the title, and I don't know schools by initials.

Question about the doctor LOR, is that required (preferably from DO but if not at least from an MD)? I only have professor/TA letters and no doctor letters.

Thank you.

The letter from a doctor was not required last application cycle and I only had letters from undergrad and graduate professors, but having a doctor (either DO or MD) can only benefit your application if they are able to write good and specific things about you, about your character, and about your potential. However I wouldn’t utilize a TA as a letter writer. I think a letter has more clout when it comes from a professor who has had more experience teaching, a degree candidate is not as good a reference as someone with an actual degree. You should have the TA write the letter and have the professor co-sign it. That way you get the credentials of the professor plus the benefit of a detailed letter written by someone who can indicate they have worked/taught you and know your character/ability.

Originally Posted by TexasDocGibby

The letter from a doctor was not required last application cycle and I only had letters from undergrad and graduate professors, but having a doctor (either DO or MD) can only benefit your application if they are able to write good and specific things about you, about your character, and about your potential. However I wouldn’t utilize a TA as a letter writer. I think a letter has more clout when it comes from a professor who has had more experience teaching, a degree candidate is not as good a reference as someone with an actual degree. You should have the TA write the letter and have the professor co-sign it. That way you get the credentials of the professor plus the benefit of a detailed letter written by someone who can indicate they have worked/taught you and know your character/ability.

Yeah, I have all my TA letters except 1 cosigned by professors, because the TAs know me more intimately and about my performance in lab classes. I will definitely look to see if I can obtain a doctor's letter, but it will take some time, and don't have that at this point, so just want to see if I would be disqualified from applying.

do you know if other Texas med schools require or prefer to see a doctor's letter? On TMDSAS they said the schools only want 2 letters from science professors, and only 1 extra letter will be forwarded to schools, so the doctor or other letters would need to be mailed to each school individually? Thank you very much.

I think the important thing is that whoever writes the letters can convey the fact that you have the qualities necessary to succeed as a doctor. If your intro to psychology prof can do that, then maybe he's a better choice than the orthopod that you shadowed for 2 hours that one time. Just my .02

But as to your actual question, I don't know. None of the TMDSAS schools require them though.

Originally Posted by Latuza

Yeah, I have all my TA letters except 1 cosigned by professors, because the TAs know me more intimately and about my performance in lab classes. I will definitely look to see if I can obtain a doctor's letter, but it will take some time, and don't have that at this point, so just want to see if I would be disqualified from applying.

do you know if other Texas med schools require or prefer to see a doctor's letter? On TMDSAS they said the schools only want 2 letters from science professors, and only 1 extra letter will be forwarded to schools, so the doctor or other letters would need to be mailed to each school individually? Thank you very much.

No, not having a letter from a physician will not disqualify you from any school in Texas. My pre-med advisor explained to me that sending more than just the three letters is frowned upon at some schools and others won’t accept them. If you have a MD/DO letter I would send it as my third letter to TMDSAS. So I would proceed with caution and pick three evaluators that are able to give the most concise letter about your qualifications and potential for becoming a medical profession instead of five to six mediocre letters.

Originally Posted by TexasDocGibby

No, not having a letter from a physician will not disqualify you from any school in Texas. My pre-med advisor explained to me that sending more than just the three letters is frowned upon at some schools and others won’t accept them. If you have a MD/DO letter I would send it as my third letter to TMDSAS. So I would proceed with caution and pick three evaluators that are able to give the most concise letter about your qualifications and potential for becoming a medical profession instead of five to six mediocre letters.

I see, great points, thanks! I would send my 3 best letters.

Anybody know if not sending your evaluation form with the LOR will hurt your chances in any way? I can't reach the doctor I shadowed for to complete the form, but I have a great letter from him on Interfolio. Should I just send the letter from Interfolio w/o accompanying evaluation form?
Any input appreciated.

Originally Posted by kmulo

Anybody know if not sending your evaluation form with the LOR will hurt your chances in any way? I can't reach the doctor I shadowed for to complete the form, but I have a great letter from him on Interfolio. Should I just send the letter from Interfolio w/o accompanying evaluation form?
Any input appreciated.

There's an evaluation form? Not sure if this is new but there were no eval forms during my app process. So sorry I can't answer ur question.


As for the title. TCOM is all u need to know, not north texas. Maybe I'm old school.

Just got my email from TCOM with EUID instructions.

Just an FYI for new folks: The degree-granting institution is UNTHSC, so physician directories at hospitals, schools and state medical boards tend to list TCOM graduates as "DO, University of North Texas Health Science Center."

Originally Posted by ZND

Just got my email from TCOM with EUID instructions.

+1, I received mine yesterday.

Yeah, it looks like their site is up and running!

Does anyone know when interviews begin for TCOM?

First date last year was late July. They get it rolling pretty quick

Originally Posted by Ashh

+1, I received mine yesterday.

I got mines but every time I try using it to log in i get this error message

This application has experienced an error.

Access is not currently available.
Scheduled maintenance times are:
Tuesday 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Thursday 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Saturday 7:00 pm until noon Sunday

Is anyone else experiencing the same issue?

No, I completed my app and never saw anything. It went pretty smoothly for me.

Hoping for a call soon -

Originally Posted by AtlasCarraway

First date last year was late July. They get it rolling pretty quick

great thanks!

Sorry but I'm really confused. What is this whole evaluator part of the secondary application? I already have a general letter of recommendation from a DO being sent to TCOM through TMDSAS. Do I put that person's information in this field?

Also I just took my MCAT but I don't have the score back yet. Does anyone know what I should put in the field asking for MCAT scores? This is my retake so I put my previous score and date, then I put this upcoming date but left all the scores blank. Does that seem fine?

Originally Posted by Saf1

Also I just took my MCAT but I don't have the score back yet. Does anyone know what I should put in the field asking for MCAT scores? This is my retake so I put my previous score and date, then I put this upcoming date but left all the scores blank. Does that seem fine?

Yup. Can't put scores if you don't have them. Just update w planned test date and that's it, update the schools when u get them in

Originally Posted by Saf1

Sorry but I'm really confused. What is this whole evaluator part of the secondary application? I already have a general letter of recommendation from a DO being sent to TCOM through TMDSAS. Do I put that person's information in this field?

Ya someone else mentioned this, I don't remember this being on my secondary during our app cycle but if it was I prob left it blank. If all else fails call admissions they rock and answering all questions.

I am surprised that my admission status page is as shown below, is this for real?

You have been invited for an interview.

Academic Institution

Term

Academic Career

Program

Application Number

Application Date

* UNT Health Science Center
Fall 2013 Medical Term
Osteopathic Medical School
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

06/12/2012
This application is Complete.
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Phone: 800 535 TCOM
Contact: TCOMAdmissions@unthsc.edu

Mine says: "Your application has been received. Please check your "to do" list for any outstanding items."

When did you submit?