2021-2022 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Harlem Campus)

[kiwi10]

For those that interviewed, would you mind sharing stats/ complete date?

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[vsook]

For those that interviewed, would you mind sharing stats/ complete date?

Submitted supplemental application on 08/23, application was acknowledged on 10/6. They email saying that it takes 4-6 weeks to process your supplemental application. GPA 3.3, MCAT 512.

 

[NonTrad001]

Interviewed Nov 8th. No reply yet. They gave us a range of 4-6 weeks during the pre-interview info session.

I received my response exactly 4 weeks and 1 day after I interviewed.

 

[elijahR]

My very first acceptance!!! Interviewed Nov 3rd.

 

[penguin097]

II invite this morning

 

[kiwi10]

II invite this morning

Congrats!!! Mind sharing complete date/ stats?

 

[penguin097]

Secondary submitted on 9/19, low MCAT

 

[elijahR]

Does anyone know if there is an accepted students group or Facebook group?

 

[Dr.MaddiGuddi]

@FueledByCoffee

Do accepted students get a list of things we need to prepare for school? - type of laptop etc
Also, do we receive any welcome packages from the school (just curious!)

Thanks in advance !

 

[MadeForSunnyDaze]

@FueledByCoffee

Do accepted students get a list of things we need to prepare for school? - type of laptop etc
Also, do we receive any welcome packages from the school (just curious!)

Thanks in advance !

So the IT department sends you the specifications with regard to what tech is needed for exams and whatnot. You can't take exams on iPads, but so many people use them. I personally do not, but you need to figure out what works for you. They do give us a little gift every year (it's been a crewneck hoodie the last two years, and last year we got a lunchbag and this year we got socks). Last year we also got a fabric mask.

Also I am fully co-signing everything my classmate has said. Definitely agree that it can be too easy to accidentally overextend. That said, you also need to find some joy, because medical school is a little soul-sucking no matter how you slice it. If anyone has specific questions, happy to answer them, but know we are entering our final exam period so between now and Dec. 16 will be a little nuts for us. Also, whoever @'d me earlier, what was it in regard to? Sorry I fell off the planet for a month, I think my notifications got turned off!

 

[FueledByCoffee]

@FueledByCoffee

Do accepted students get a list of things we need to prepare for school? - type of laptop etc
Also, do we receive any welcome packages from the school (just curious!)

Thanks in advance !

Seconding what @MadeForSunnyDaze said (HEY DUDE!). The welcome package was a nice treat and we also got a canvas bag along with everything already mentioned. I'd also like to add that there are some clubs that do merch sales and food-involved events so while admin doesn't give them out they're still nice pick-me-ups throughout the semester. Admin tries to do a pizza party every year around October to raise spirits too.

Also in response to what @elijahR said and @Dr.MaddiGuddi mentioned about the accepted students FB group - the SGA typically makes it sometime in the Spring semester once the shuffling has calmed down and applicants know where they're committed to. They periodically get a list from our admissions department and approve join requests based on that.

 

[MadeForSunnyDaze]

How do students handle the flipped classroom model? Do you feel like you learn the material better?

So I like it because I can learn on my own time and integrate additional resources as I see fit. The in-person clickers focus more on the high yield things, which is helpful come exam time. In second year only the OMM clickers are mandatory - the other courses use it as a barometer to see how well we understand the material and have quizzes on our Canvas pages for class that are our for-credit assignments.

Do I think that some of the material can easily be covered by Sketchy/BnB for second year? Yeah, absolutely. But Touro throws in enough random stuff from the slides that you do need to look at the in-house stuff, too.

First year it's basically in-house to death. A few of my classmates/previous years' students have made some killer Anki decks that handle the in house material well if you prefer smaller bites of information, but YMMV. Sorry for the month's delay in getting back to you!

 

[Dr.MaddiGuddi]

So the IT department sends you the specifications with regard to what tech is needed for exams and whatnot. You can't take exams on iPads, but so many people use them. I personally do not, but you need to figure out what works for you. They do give us a little gift every year (it's been a crewneck hoodie the last two years, and last year we got a lunchbag and this year we got socks). Last year we also got a fabric mask.

Also I am fully co-signing everything my classmate has said. Definitely agree that it can be too easy to accidentally overextend. That said, you also need to find some joy, because medical school is a little soul-sucking no matter how you slice it. If anyone has specific questions, happy to answer them, but know we are entering our final exam period so between now and Dec. 16 will be a little nuts for us. Also, whoever @'d me earlier, what was it in regard to? Sorry I fell off the planet for a month, I think my notifications got turned off!

Thank you for your response !! Do you know if Macs are ok? or would it be possible for you to show us the list from last year - you could PM me

 

[NonTrad001]

So I like it because I can learn on my own time and integrate additional resources as I see fit. The in-person clickers focus more on the high yield things, which is helpful come exam time. In second year only the OMM clickers are mandatory - the other courses use it as a barometer to see how well we understand the material and have quizzes on our Canvas pages for class that are our for-credit assignments.

Do I think that some of the material can easily be covered by Sketchy/BnB for second year? Yeah, absolutely. But Touro throws in enough random stuff from the slides that you do need to look at the in-house stuff, too.

First year it's basically in-house to death. A few of my classmates/previous years' students have made some killer Anki decks that handle the in house material well if you prefer smaller bites of information, but YMMV. Sorry for the month's delay in getting back to you!

No worries at all I really appreciate the insight, thank you!

 

[MadeForSunnyDaze]

Thank you for your response !! Do you know if Macs are ok? or would it be possible for you to show us the list from last year - you could PM me

Macs are totally fine. Most of my class has macs, I think. Ill copy and paste the specs here, but please keep in mind that it can change depending on how Examsoft's requirements change.

 

[NikeDunks]

Did you already submit your secondary ?

I submitted it that weekend.

 

[Bill Haas]

I submitted it that weekend.

Good Luck

 

[cdaniel]

Hey humans, current second-year at TouroCOM here. Wanted to offer my inbox in case y'all have any questions about the school. I know applying and being in limbo about the next 4+ years is super hard and I'll do what I can to provide prompt information that helps you make decisions. Good luck with the app cycle!

Protip: the admissions office is super receptive to emails asking about status updates. When I applied I emailed them to give an update on my activities and grades for my MS program and responded by offering me an interview. Also, they do good cop/bad cop style for interviews so be prepared for that. I felt like I completely bombed my interview but here I am. Remember they wouldn't be interviewing you if you didn't have something they want. Acknowledge your weaknesses in your application when they come up and try not to make excuses (I've heard from faculty that they specifically don't like that, barring COVID extenuating circumstances).

The curriculum is definitely tough since we aren't systems-based in the first year but it mellows out a bit in the second year. Obviously medical school isn't easy but the way it's designed does put extra pressure on students. We are letter-graded, as one of my peers has already mentioned in this thread - although it's hard for residency PDs to rank grades against strictly P/F curriculum. Unless you decide on a super competitive specialty it shouldn't affect your shot at residencies.

The students are the big plus for the school (I'll admit I'm biased there) but you'll find the majority of us will do what we can to help others succeed. The school does a good job for the most part of selecting people who are genuine and actually care about others and their community.

Hi there ! im currently scheduled for an interview at Touro and I just wanted to know any info you can give me about the schools major pros during your experience. I also wanted to know how extensive their rotations are and how you feel about your medical exposure thus far.

Thank you so much in advance!

 

[cdaniel]

I have been through the secondary and interview process. Recently was accepted and paid the deposit. If anyone has any questions about the process so far I would be happy to help. If anyone else is planning on attending I would love to connect. Slightly apprehensive about the flipped classroom model but both COMLEX pass rates and a residency placement of 100% for the last graduating class are highly encouraging.

Hi there is there any tips you can share About the interview? mine is next week and im trying to be as prepared as possible

 

[MadeForSunnyDaze]

Hi there is there any tips you can share About the interview? mine is next week and im trying to be as prepared as possible

So my classmate @FueledByCoffee detailed the essence of the interview in the long post that you quoted. It's good cop bad cop style (although some faculty are trash at bad cop so it's like... almost sweet that they're trying so hard to be mean and they can't manage it?), so be ready for one person to be super nice and the other one grilling you a little. A few of my classmates were grilled so hard they really thought they wouldn't get in. Don't let it rattle you, and own whatever shortcomings are on your app. Be a person, be polite, and be authentic.

Insofar as my personal pro/con list:

Pros:

1. Near family/loved ones/support system (I am from NY originally)
2. Living in the city is nice (although I am more of a country mouse, I am grateful for the experience)
   1. Secondary to that, there are tons of physicians to shadow if you put in the effort to go find opportunities. YMMV because of COVID restrictions right now.
3. I actually really enjoy the flipped classroom because barring mandatory things you can really use your time as you see fit
4. There are a lot of opportunities to get involved in the community/make your mark on campus/do stuff outside, but no one will hold your hand to make sure you do them. Touro treats us all like adults as far as accountability, etc.
5. The people - my classmates make the bad times good and the good times great. Despite any challenge that has cropped up, my class has been so cohesive and wonderful as far as helping one another and making sure we all get across the finish line.

Cons:

1. No home base hospital for rotations
2. Facilities are not brand new, but that is partially due to the building existing pre-Touro and the school just moving in. That said, there is a gym, so I am a happy human.
3. Lectures can be really in-house oriented versus boards oriented and you will get tested on the in house stuff
4. There are labs, but research is something you also have to look for if you don't want to do bench work. Again - you will not be spoon fed, so if you want to work with a faculty member on something, ASK THEM.
5. We share a building with the pharmacy school, so real estate to study can get tight sometimes
6. Cost of living (NYC is PRICEY even with loans/living within your means

Not really sure what you meant by extensiveness of rotations? Unfortunately because Touro is not a university hospital system, we don't have a home base, so we're sort of flung around NY and NJ to hospitals that will take us. Additionally, not all the hospitals have every rotation, so there may be some commuting involved. That said, a lot of DO schools are like this. Can confirm UNECOM has a similar lottery system, with much farther sites.

Like many other things at Touro, medical exposure is something you have to look for. Our Med Sim faculty is awesome, but as far as real world experience like shadowing, working a marathon, etc., you will have a hard time if you want to be spoon fed. Being at the intersection of some of the most elite medical schools can be challenging, so a lot of opportunities are self-discovered and self-planned. If you find a faculty mentor early they can probably point you to colleagues or friends of theirs. The recent alumni are also trying to get more active so they're a formidable resource, too.

This is just my two cents, and every student feels differently. I feel like a lot of my cons are more emotional/personally nit-picky versus practical, so please take me with as many grains of salt as you see fit!

 

[FueledByCoffee]

Hi there ! im currently scheduled for an interview at Touro and I just wanted to know any info you can give me about the schools major pros during your experience. I also wanted to know how extensive their rotations are and how you feel about your medical exposure thus far.

Thank you so much in advance!

First off, good luck and best of skill with your interview! Second, this is my opinion and might not reflect my classmates or your potential experiences, also, especially with the timing of COVID my experience has been drastically different from other classes (we started in July 2020).

Major Pros

• The student body is the biggest positive in my opinion. We really try to help each other out when we can and sure, there are the gunners, but most of the people I've met are here for the right reasons and aren't out to get anyone. I wouldn't be the person I am today without the support of my peers.
• The flipped classroom model has given me the freedom to arrange my own schedule and tailor my learning experience to my style. I don't like going to class and find that I get distracted easily so having the opportunity to be at home and watch lectures on my own time was great. I know for others having the option to go to class and talk about the material kept them organized. Take a look at my other posts for an explanation of clickers/the grading scheme.
• Diversity. I come from a semi-rural homogenous area out of state so being in the center of the world in NYC has been really eye-opening and spurred tons of personal growth. There are all kinds of people here, which is also reflected in the class makeup. In my opinion, it'll help me empathize and treat my patients down the line.

I have a background in prehospital medicine (EMS), so I feel like I already had a lot of exposure coming into medical school. During the first year, you have OSCEs and labs that teach you the skills required to do physical assessments. Also, I found surprisingly that our OMM curriculum helped me learn anatomy and what a normal body feels like. During the second year, we have a class called Medical Simulation that teaches us the more procedural aspects of medicine (suturing, intubation, ultrasound, etc.), which I think does a good job of orienting those without past experience to tasks we will likely do on rotations. There is also an elective shadowing course that you can take advantage of where you basically get a P/F credit on your transcript for shadowing a local doc (you set it up, you choose the specialty, you set the hours). I took advantage of this and it really helped me during the harder times to refocus on why I chose this career.

There's a list of current rotation sites on the website that you can look at so I won't list them out. We are pretty spread out since NYC is densely packed with medical schools vying for sites. Basically, you can be in the city, just outside the city in Jersey, Long Island, Brooklyn, Staten Island, or further out in NY/NJ. While some people view that as a negative I think it's going to give me a chance to tailor my experience.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "extensive" in that question - in terms of education while on the wards, what rotations we do, variety of location, or some other quality? If you could clarify that would be great.

And I just realized one of my classmates beat me to answering your question but I'll still post this for you to have two opinions. Don't get rattled on your interview and stay composed when they do the good cop/bad cop routine. I cried in the bathroom afterward and still made it in (I'm soft tho, don't be scared). You got this!

 

[wilco19]

To those students who have been accepted, can you help explain the acceptance form // $2000 deposit? They use the word "binding" in their email which makes it seems like if we fill out the form and put down the deposit we are committing to the school? Just want to make sure I am not fully committing yet as I am waiting to hear back from other schools but def want to hold my spot. Any insight would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[cdaniel]

So my classmate @FueledByCoffee detailed the essence of the interview in the long post that you quoted. It's good cop bad cop style (although some faculty are trash at bad cop so it's like... almost sweet that they're trying so hard to be mean and they can't manage it?), so be ready for one person to be super nice and the other one grilling you a little. A few of my classmates were grilled so hard they really thought they wouldn't get in. Don't let it rattle you, and own whatever shortcomings are on your app. Be a person, be polite, and be authentic.

Insofar as my personal pro/con list:

Pros:

1. Near family/loved ones/support system (I am from NY originally)
2. Living in the city is nice (although I am more of a country mouse, I am grateful for the experience)
   1. Secondary to that, there are tons of physicians to shadow if you put in the effort to go find opportunities. YMMV because of COVID restrictions right now.
3. I actually really enjoy the flipped classroom because barring mandatory things you can really use your time as you see fit
4. There are a lot of opportunities to get involved in the community/make your mark on campus/do stuff outside, but no one will hold your hand to make sure you do them. Touro treats us all like adults as far as accountability, etc.
5. The people - my classmates make the bad times good and the good times great. Despite any challenge that has cropped up, my class has been so cohesive and wonderful as far as helping one another and making sure we all get across the finish line.

Cons:

1. No home base hospital for rotations
2. Facilities are not brand new, but that is partially due to the building existing pre-Touro and the school just moving in. That said, there is a gym, so I am a happy human.
3. Lectures can be really in-house oriented versus boards oriented and you will get tested on the in house stuff
4. There are labs, but research is something you also have to look for if you don't want to do bench work. Again - you will not be spoon fed, so if you want to work with a faculty member on something, ASK THEM.
5. We share a building with the pharmacy school, so real estate to study can get tight sometimes
6. Cost of living (NYC is PRICEY even with loans/living within your means

Not really sure what you meant by extensiveness of rotations? Unfortunately because Touro is not a university hospital system, we don't have a home base, so we're sort of flung around NY and NJ to hospitals that will take us. Additionally, not all the hospitals have every rotation, so there may be some commuting involved. That said, a lot of DO schools are like this. Can confirm UNECOM has a similar lottery system, with much farther sites.

Like many other things at Touro, medical exposure is something you have to look for. Our Med Sim faculty is awesome, but as far as real world experience like shadowing, working a marathon, etc., you will have a hard time if you want to be spoon fed. Being at the intersection of some of the most elite medical schools can be challenging, so a lot of opportunities are self-discovered and self-planned. If you find a faculty mentor early they can probably point you to colleagues or friends of theirs. The recent alumni are also trying to get more active so they're a formidable resource, too.

This is just my two cents, and every student feels differently. I feel like a lot of my cons are more emotional/personally nit-picky versus practical, so please take me with as many grains of salt as you see fit!

Firstly I would like to thank you for your detailed response of both you and your classmate. You guys are awesome ! lol This response really did help me gauge what I was trying to figure out about the school because when I was doing some research on unique qualities of the school, the Harlem location specifically was harder to find information about rather than the Middleton location which is what I was really trying to figure out. With extensiveness of rotations I was referring to the amount of medical exposure you were able to gain from whatever rotations were available through touro but you pretty much answered my question so thank you !
I will take your opinion seriously because you took the time to respond to me so again thank you !

 

[cdaniel]

First off, good luck and best of skill with your interview! Second, this is my opinion and might not reflect my classmates or your potential experiences, also, especially with the timing of COVID my experience has been drastically different from other classes (we started in July 2020).

Major Pros

• The student body is the biggest positive in my opinion. We really try to help each other out when we can and sure, there are the gunners, but most of the people I've met are here for the right reasons and aren't out to get anyone. I wouldn't be the person I am today without the support of my peers.
• The flipped classroom model has given me the freedom to arrange my own schedule and tailor my learning experience to my style. I don't like going to class and find that I get distracted easily so having the opportunity to be at home and watch lectures on my own time was great. I know for others having the option to go to class and talk about the material kept them organized. Take a look at my other posts for an explanation of clickers/the grading scheme.
• Diversity. I come from a semi-rural homogenous area out of state so being in the center of the world in NYC has been really eye-opening and spurred tons of personal growth. There are all kinds of people here, which is also reflected in the class makeup. In my opinion, it'll help me empathize and treat my patients down the line.

I have a background in prehospital medicine (EMS), so I feel like I already had a lot of exposure coming into medical school. During the first year, you have OSCEs and labs that teach you the skills required to do physical assessments. Also, I found surprisingly that our OMM curriculum helped me learn anatomy and what a normal body feels like. During the second year, we have a class called Medical Simulation that teaches us the more procedural aspects of medicine (suturing, intubation, ultrasound, etc.), which I think does a good job of orienting those without past experience to tasks we will likely do on rotations. There is also an elective shadowing course that you can take advantage of where you basically get a P/F credit on your transcript for shadowing a local doc (you set it up, you choose the specialty, you set the hours). I took advantage of this and it really helped me during the harder times to refocus on why I chose this career.

There's a list of current rotation sites on the website that you can look at so I won't list them out. We are pretty spread out since NYC is densely packed with medical schools vying for sites. Basically, you can be in the city, just outside the city in Jersey, Long Island, Brooklyn, Staten Island, or further out in NY/NJ. While some people view that as a negative I think it's going to give me a chance to tailor my experience.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "extensive" in that question - in terms of education while on the wards, what rotations we do, variety of location, or some other quality? If you could clarify that would be great.

And I just realized one of my classmates beat me to answering your question but I'll still post this for you to have two opinions. Don't get rattled on your interview and stay composed when they do the good cop/bad cop routine. I cried in the bathroom afterward and still made it in (I'm soft tho, don't be scared). You got this!

Firstly I would like to thank you for your detailed response of both you and your classmate. You guys are awesome ! lol. Along with your classmates response, your response really did help me understand more about Touro. I was just worried about finding unique qualities of the Harlem location specifically because it was harder to find information about this location as compared to the Middleton location. With extensiveness I was referring to the amount of medical exposure you were able to gain from whatever rotations were available through touro.
As a sidebar, Is the "flipped-classroom" idea similar to directed study but with available lectures for you to study with whenever you find fit???
Again, I thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me about the school because I really wanted to have strong points to provide to the interviewers about "why touro" rather than the typical responses that most people would say about the school.
P.S. a few tears dont ever heart nobody ! im sensitive too so I'm sure ill do the same too ! LOL

 

[FueledByCoffee]

Firstly I would like to thank you for your detailed response of both you and your classmate. You guys are awesome ! lol. Along with your classmates response, your response really did help me understand more about Touro. I was just worried about finding unique qualities of the Harlem location specifically because it was harder to find information about this location as compared to the Middleton location. With extensiveness I was referring to the amount of medical exposure you were able to gain from whatever rotations were available through touro.
As a sidebar, Is the "flipped-classroom" idea similar to directed study but with available lectures for you to study with whenever you find fit???
Again, I thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me about the school because I really wanted to have strong points to provide to the interviewers about "why touro" rather than the typical responses that most people would say about the school.
P.S. a few tears dont ever heart nobody ! im sensitive too so I'm sure ill do the same too ! LOL

We haven't been on rotations yet since we're second years but I did live with a third-year during my first year and she said that it's highly dependent on which rotation site you get in the lottery system. If you have an idea of which kind of specialty you want to go into (more procedural vs. not) that helps when you make your ranking.

In regards to the flipped classroom for first year: Each week classes will have a set of lectures online that you're expected to watch/know the material for, and in class you'll have clicker questions where they test your knowledge and expound on the higher-yield topics. Some people just read the powerpoints or used other materials to augment their studying. Copy/Pasted from my other comment: Classes are technically not required (except labs and special sessions), but there is a component of your grade assigned to in-person clickers. Usually, it's ~5-10% of your final grade in a class. I know a lot of people who didn't go to class because they felt that the extra self-study they did could offset the missed points, but I personally went to class to get the clicker points and just did other work while there if I felt like I was already solid on the material.

During the second year, most classes (except for labs) are completely optional and we have Canvas quizzes to make sure we're keeping up with the material. I think it strikes a good balance between self-directed and traditional lecture style.

 

[cdaniel]

We haven't been on rotations yet since we're second years but I did live with a third-year during my first year and she said that it's highly dependent on which rotation site you get in the lottery system. If you have an idea of which kind of specialty you want to go into (more procedural vs. not) that helps when you make your ranking.

In regards to the flipped classroom for first year: Each week classes will have a set of lectures online that you're expected to watch/know the material for, and in class you'll have clicker questions where they test your knowledge and expound on the higher-yield topics. Some people just read the powerpoints or used other materials to augment their studying. Copy/Pasted from my other comment: Classes are technically not required (except labs and special sessions), but there is a component of your grade assigned to in-person clickers. Usually, it's ~5-10% of your final grade in a class. I know a lot of people who didn't go to class because they felt that the extra self-study they did could offset the missed points, but I personally went to class to get the clicker points and just did other work while there if I felt like I was already solid on the material.

During the second year, most classes (except for labs) are completely optional and we have Canvas quizzes to make sure we're keeping up with the material. I think it strikes a good balance between self-directed and traditional lecture style.

Ahh! okay thank you so much again for all of your help !!!! This was very informative and I'm very grateful !

 

[Dr.MaddiGuddi]

@FueledByCoffee and @MadeForSunnyDaze

First of all, thank you so much for your detailed answers on the forum! So very helpful, and your help just gives us an idea of the kind of students that are attending the school, so thank you again for your time.

I wanted to ask about possible scholarship opportunities. Getting nervous about the cost of attendance and NYC is expensive in general. I've put in my deposit and I'm pretty set on attending Touro, but now I have to think ahead about student loans...

 

[2022studentdoctor]

No problem, here to help. First year was definitely rough. To give you a little background I graduated with an engineering degree in 2018 and completed a non-science master's in 2020 before matriculating. I was also an EMT for several 911 services and did disaster response. I took on a bunch of leadership positions in the first year which sucked a lot of my time away, so my experience may not exactly reflect the general student body. I know a current first year in the thread said that they stayed up until 1-2 AM studying every day but that was definitely not the case for me (I'm an in-bed by 11, wake up at 7 type of person) and I still finished the year with a competitive GPA (I think that individual also had kids and was a couple of years out of school based on their post Hx).

Academics/Curriculum: Overall, the exam schedule is tough. October is the worst month historically. In the first year, you have individual classes (physio, biochem, OMM, anatomy, etc.) and each class makes its own exams. Just because of the volume of material you end up having some exams a week apart and rarely an exam on Monday and one on Friday of the same week. It was really important to not fall behind or else you end up "exam-chasing," meaning that you just study for the next exam without doing material for any other class. Sometimes I had to take an L on an exam because life got busy, but you have 3 exams in most classes so it doesn't spell disaster if you do fine on the other two.

Classes are technically not required (except labs and special sessions), but there is a component of your grade assigned to in-person clickers. Usually, it's ~5-10% of your final grade in a class. I know a lot of people who didn't go to class because they felt that the extra self-study they did could offset the missed points, but I personally went to class to get the clicker points and just did other work while there if I felt like I was already solid on the material. Since a large portion of the student body went through Touro's M.S. program where they took 1st year classes it's easy to think you're doing poorly. I tried to remind myself that I'm comparing myself to people who are taking their second pass at the course and that helped my imposter syndrome/anxiety.

Living in NY: I'm not from NY so moving here was an adjustment, especially with the pandemic. I like where I'm living, although I'm not in Harlem. Commuting isn't such a big deal for me since I just do Anki on the subway. It was new not having a car but you can get anything you need in the city and most of the people I know didn't have trouble finding housing if they were realistic about the real estate market.

Extracurriculars: As I said, I took on leadership positions before I had my feet wet with classes. I wouldn't recommend doing this if you are looking into a hyper-competitive specialty since it definitely took time and affected how much of my mental energy could go to studying. There are plenty of clubs and opportunities to pad your resume in the second year. I know a lot of my classmates also did research around NY in the summer between M1/M2. It's a bit challenging to find research opportunities since we aren't affiliated with a particular hospital system or huge academic center, but it's there if you're willing to search for it.

Overall, I think I'm being prepared well for my career in medicine. We had great board scores this year and I'm not worried about Step 1 (since it's P/F now). There were lows for sure, but I think that I overextended myself and it would have happened regardless of where I went for school based on what my friends at other institutions have told me. Your question was very broad but I hope that I answered it adequately - let me know if you'd like to know more specifics!

Hello,

I am in upcoming Class of 2022. Is Columbus Circle Area a good area to live, if I am next to Express lines A and D? I will start apartment hunting soon in the area. Any suggestions from you guys?

Thanks

 

[MadeForSunnyDaze]

@FueledByCoffee and @MadeForSunnyDaze

First of all, thank you so much for your detailed answers on the forum! So very helpful, and your help just gives us an idea of the kind of students that are attending the school, so thank you again for your time.

I wanted to ask about possible scholarship opportunities. Getting nervous about the cost of attendance and NYC is expensive in general. I've put in my deposit and I'm pretty set on attending Touro, but now I have to think ahead about student loans...

Anytime! We're both happy to help. So I am definitely not the person to ask about this because I have loans up the wazoo. Touro has a running list of scholarships they have that students can apply for. I do not think merit-based aid is offered (I can double check that though, but I am almost 100% positive), nor is there any sort of in-state tuition. There are also so many outside scholarships you can try to apply for based on interests, nationality/ethnic background, etc., which can be found by just Googling after them.

DO Scholarships

TouroCOM Osteopathic Medical School students apply for—and receive—thousands of dollars in internal and external scholarships every year. Whether through the military, medical foundations, or independent organizations, the funding is there. Apply for it.

tourocom.touro.edu

In short, medical school is expensive. Most folks end up with loans at the end of it. That being said, there are so many loan forgiveness programs (Public Service Loan Forgiveness, HPSP/Military Service, working in a rural area, etc.), or you can just live below your means for the first few years as a resident/attending and pay them off somewhat quickly. I would not let the idea of debt preclude you from attending - we all get loans that cover the full COA. I also have a work-study job that allows me a little extra income as I did not take out the full sum of loans for the year. That, and I am fortunate enough to have a spouse with income at the moment which gives me some cushion. But if you have more personal questions, I am happy to answer via DM.

 

[MadeForSunnyDaze]

Hello,

I am in upcoming Class of 2022. Is Columbus Circle Area a good area to live, if I am next to Express lines A and D? I will start apartment hunting soon in the area. Any suggestions from you guys?

Thanks

Clarifying: are you entering in 2022 and graduating 2026?

I personally opted to live in Harlem because it gave my spouse ease of commute to work, and an easy enough walk to school for me. A lot of my peers do commute. I will say that I love Columbus Circle, especially during this time of year, but I cannot speak to the living situation in the area. Keep in mind that a commute will still be extra time to factor into your day. I also get motion sickness if I look down too long while in a moving vehicle/on a train, so productively using commute time to study would be challenging for me.

The nearest train lines to school are the 1/2/3 over on 125th and Lenox, and the A/C/B/D over on 125th and St. Nicholas.

Also, for anyone moving in from out of state, make sure you look at No Fee listings for apartments ONLY, or a realtor will in fact try and get a fee out of you for literally just unlocking the door to show you an apartment. Legally, you aren't on the hook unless you sign paperwork making them your broker as well/agreeing to a fee, but it can be "standard practice", and realtors can be pushy, so just be careful.

 

[mdgirl82121]

Hi! Is the faculty interview open file or closed file? Also, any advice for the OMM discussion on the presentation day?

 

[MateoGM416]

Hey humans, current second-year at TouroCOM here. Wanted to offer my inbox in case y'all have any questions about the school. I know applying and being in limbo about the next 4+ years is super hard and I'll do what I can to provide prompt information that helps you make decisions. Good luck with the app cycle!

Could I PM you some questions about Touro?

 

[Dr.MaddiGuddi]

Hi! Is the faculty interview open file or closed file? Also, any advice for the OMM discussion on the presentation day?

Open file, they referenced my personal statement and specific activities I have done. They also asked for me to further expand on my experiences.
They will give you a brief overview of what OMM is and how it is a very helpful skill to know and master as a DO. It is discussion-based, so they ask a few questions about people's own experiences and if they can contribute. Def try to speak up and get yourself out there if you can

 

[FueledByCoffee]

Could I PM you some questions about Touro?

Sure, hit up my inbox!

 

[FueledByCoffee]

Hello,

I am in upcoming Class of 2022. Is Columbus Circle Area a good area to live, if I am next to Express lines A and D? I will start apartment hunting soon in the area. Any suggestions from you guys?

Thanks

I personally don't live in that area, but I know a couple of my classmates lived down in Hell's Kitchen and they found the commute doable. It's a decent area, although most people live either in Harlem or the UWS because of the ease of access to school and the overall vibe. I wouldn't recommend living on the UES just because you'd have to take a bus up there or go crosstown and catch the subway - it's doable but takes 20 minutes some days and an hour on others. Definitely get yourself oriented to renting laws in the area so that realtors/brokers don't pull a fast one on you. Good luck!!

 

[FueledByCoffee]

@FueledByCoffee and @MadeForSunnyDaze

First of all, thank you so much for your detailed answers on the forum! So very helpful, and your help just gives us an idea of the kind of students that are attending the school, so thank you again for your time.

I wanted to ask about possible scholarship opportunities. Getting nervous about the cost of attendance and NYC is expensive in general. I've put in my deposit and I'm pretty set on attending Touro, but now I have to think ahead about student loans...

This is a good place to start if you haven't seen it yet. At the beginning of orientation they do a seminar on financial aid and loans that might give you some clarification on how things work. I know debt can be crushing. Before I matriculated I had an offer for the military's HPSP, which I turned down after crunching the numbers vs. loans and seeing that at 12 years out of school I'd be in essentially the same place. At the end of the day try to get as many scholarships as possible and I'd recommend that as an accepted student you reach out to the financial aid office to get more guidance ([email protected]).

 

[Dr.MaddiGuddi]

Could you guys tell us about the exam schedule at Touro and the format ? Also correct me if im wrong but classes are only three days a week and do you know when classes usually end (is it 8-5pm?). Thank you so much again !

@MadeForSunnyDaze @FueledByCoffee

 

[craz]

What does IA mean

 

[jd2000]

Is there an accepted FB page?

 

[Bill Haas]

What does IA mean

Interview Attended

 

[JDpreMD]

Anyone interview on 11/3 and not hear back yet?

 

[FueledByCoffee]

Could you guys tell us about the exam schedule at Touro and the format ? Also correct me if im wrong but classes are only three days a week and do you know when classes usually end (is it 8-5pm?). Thank you so much again !

@MadeForSunnyDaze @FueledByCoffee

Classes are usually Tuesday-Thursday and done by 5 PM. The class is split into two groups to do labs so that gives you a bit of variability with your start times. It could be 10 AM or 9 AM. Monday and Friday are reserved for exam days unless we have to shuffle due to the Jewish holidays (still have 2 days "off" just different days).
The exam schedule is pretty hectic and in my opinion, that's the biggest challenge I faced during first year before we switch to blocks in second year. I'll see if I can PM you a breakdown if I can find what I made last year. During October you can expect to have maybe two weeks where you have two exams/week. One on Monday and another one on Friday. Although it sucks, we all made it through and I met my core group of friends during that time with the late-night study sessions.

 

[craz]

Anyone interview on 11/3 and not hear back yet?

I interviewed 11/8, i haven't heard back, delay could be due to thanksgiving break

 

[kiwi10]

Any recent II?

 

[Lolaaa]

Open file, they referenced my personal statement and specific activities I have done. They also asked for me to further expand on my experiences.
They will give you a brief overview of what OMM is and how it is a very helpful skill to know and master as a DO. It is discussion-based, so they ask a few questions about people's own experiences and if they can contribute. Def try to speak up and get yourself out there if you can

hi! do you mind sharing what other topics were discussed on the presentation day other than OMM if any? also does anybody know if they posted the virtual open house they did this year? for some reason I can't find it anywhere

 

[Dr.MaddiGuddi]

hi! do you mind sharing what other topics were discussed on the presentation day other than OMM if any? also does anybody know if they posted the virtual open house they did this year? for some reason I can't find it anywhere

They showed us a lot of videos about the school. There were 2 QA sessions one with the deans and one with current students. Then we had the OMM discussion last. The OMM discussion really isn't anything crazy, just trying to familiarize students. I probably participated once in the discussion and that was it. I would also say, try to prepare at least one q for each of the QA. It just shows that you are interested and enthusiastic about being there.

Hope this helps

 

[Lolaaa]

They showed us a lot of videos about the school. There were 2 QA sessions one with the deans and one with current students. Then we had the OMM discussion last. The OMM discussion really isn't anything crazy, just trying to familiarize students. I probably participated once in the discussion and that was it. I would also say, try to prepare at least one q for each of the QA. It just shows that you are interested and enthusiastic about being there.

Hope this helps

Yes that was really helpful! thank you!!

 

[MadeForSunnyDaze]

Could you guys tell us about the exam schedule at Touro and the format ? Also correct me if im wrong but classes are only three days a week and do you know when classes usually end (is it 8-5pm?). Thank you so much again !

@MadeForSunnyDaze @FueledByCoffee

This will be my last reply until close to Christmas for finals and post-finals unwinding reasons - nothing personal to anyone, just gotta take care of business, and I will respond when I free up.

Your exams are either on Monday or Friday and usually in the morning. Usually you have only one exam per week, - with a practical for Anatomy exams, and sometimes an OMM practical or OSCE in the same week. October is tough because you end up with bookending exams (Monday and Friday of the same week, or a Friday exam followed by a Monday a few days later), and this chaos sort of takes you into November. They are all multiple choice exams (except OSCEs and practicals of course). Classes are typically TWTh, except if there is a mid-week Jewish holiday, wherein the schedule may be adjusted accordingly to afford you all class time/make room for an exam. This semester class ran 9-4 on T and Th and 8-5 on Wednesday.

Finals week is two weeks with exams pretty much every other day M W F.

Each class has 3-4 exams (I think Physical Diagnosis may only have two). I would advise doing your best to do well on the earlier ones so that if you have to take any strategic lower grades later in the semester, you can do so without worrying too severely.

Let me know if I missed anything or if you need me to elaborate!

 

[smilespeace1234]

To those students who have been accepted, can you help explain the acceptance form // $2000 deposit? They use the word "binding" in their email which makes it seems like if we fill out the form and put down the deposit we are committing to the school? Just want to make sure I am not fully committing yet as I am waiting to hear back from other schools but def want to hold my spot. Any insight would be appreciated, thanks!

^^ someone please answer! I have the same question

 

[smilespeace1234]

To those students who have been accepted, can you help explain the acceptance form // $2000 deposit? They use the word "binding" in their email which makes it seems like if we fill out the form and put down the deposit we are committing to the school? Just want to make sure I am not fully committing yet as I am waiting to hear back from other schools but def want to hold my spot. Any insight would be appreciated, thanks!

^^^ I have this same question!! Someone help please