Touro-CA MSMHS 2018-2019

[Cal_EMT]

I wonder how many spaces are left. For those who were accepted, do you guys know how many seats are still left in the program?

Last I heard there were still spots, but I have no idea how many

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[jamesr55]

Hi everyone. Debating whether or not I should come here. Can any current or former students comment on how well this program prepares you for actual medical school / board examinations like complex and usmle?

 

[Chromatic543]

Hi everyone. Debating whether or not I should come here. Can any current or former students comment on how well this program prepares you for actual medical school / board examinations like complex and usmle?

Have you been accepted?

 

[Cal_EMT]

Hi everyone. Debating whether or not I should come here. Can any current or former students comment on how well this program prepares you for actual medical school / board examinations like complex and usmle?

Read through the first couple pages of this thread. Then post specific questions if you still have any

 

[thoracentesis]

Hi everyone. Debating whether or not I should come here. Can any current or former students comment on how well this program prepares you for actual medical school / board examinations like complex and usmle?

I can't speak as a current or former masters student at touro, but Im currently a 2nd year at touro and I'm friends with a number of masters students. My thoughts are that aside from helping gain admission into med school, the masters program serves as a "head start" for med school for people who might struggle academically, as indicated by low GPA and/or MCAT. As far as preparing for med school? It will help to some extent, but at least among the former masters students I know that are in the DO program at touro, few are high performers in class, so although it's a "head start," don't expect to it to give you a much of an advantage over anyone.

As far as boards go, it gets complicated. Since touro is a DO school, it teaches towards COMLEX, so if you do well in class, you will generally be well prepared for COMLEX. USMLE on the other hand, touro does not teach to and whether or not you perform well on it is up to you and the preparation that you do on your own. Usually only the top 2/3 of students will take USMLE and scores will vary widely. The USMLE is a much more difficult exam than COMLEX, but unfortunately is the only way to be objectively judged on a level playing field with MDs. With regards to the masters program, It's pretty unlikely that the masters program will help you prepare or enhance your performance on boards in any way, since pathology is what comprises most of board exams and AFAIK, pathology is not covered at all in the masters program.

 

[Cal_EMT]

I can't speak as a current or former masters student at touro, but Im currently a 2nd year at touro and I'm friends with a number of masters students. My thoughts are that aside from helping gain admission into med school, the masters program serves as a "head start" for med school for people who might struggle academically, as indicated by low GPA and/or MCAT. As far as preparing for med school? It will help to some extent, but at least among the former masters students I know that are in the DO program at touro, few are high performers in class, so although it's a "head start," don't expect to it to give you a much of an advantage over anyone.

As far as boards go, it gets complicated. Since touro is a DO school, it teaches towards COMLEX, so if you do well in class, you will generally be well prepared for COMLEX. USMLE on the other hand, touro does not teach to and whether or not you perform well on it is up to you and the preparation that you do on your own. Usually only the top 2/3 of students will take USMLE and scores will vary widely. The USMLE is a much more difficult exam than COMLEX, but unfortunately is the only way to be objectively judged on a level playing field with MDs. With regards to the masters program, It's pretty unlikely that the masters program will help you prepare or enhance your performance on boards in any way, since pathology is what comprises most of board exams and AFAIK, pathology is not covered at all in the masters program.

I would add that there are former masters who are doing very well in the COM, but they were also the ones who did very well in the masters. Personally my GPA in the COM is about what it was in the masters. I feel like the masters classes did help prepare me quite a bit, although the content can be very different at times (we learn much more pathology in the COM and learn less detailed molecular bio). One of the best things I got from the program was learning how to study. It was also super helpful to still have all my Anki decks, so I was able to save a ton of time with that. I wouldn't think it would necessarily be any more of an advantage for boards, but I haven't taken them yet so it's hard to say. However, it may be helpful since board study would be your 3rd pass at the material that was covered in the masters.

 

[Saleemrodman1]

Anyone hear back yet? I wonder if/when they're going to send the next batch of acceptances

 

[Saleemrodman1]

I can't speak as a current or former masters student at touro, but Im currently a 2nd year at touro and I'm friends with a number of masters students. My thoughts are that aside from helping gain admission into med school, the masters program serves as a "head start" for med school for people who might struggle academically, as indicated by low GPA and/or MCAT. As far as preparing for med school? It will help to some extent, but at least among the former masters students I know that are in the DO program at touro, few are high performers in class, so although it's a "head start," don't expect to it to give you a much of an advantage over anyone.

As far as boards go, it gets complicated. Since touro is a DO school, it teaches towards COMLEX, so if you do well in class, you will generally be well prepared for COMLEX. USMLE on the other hand, touro does not teach to and whether or not you perform well on it is up to you and the preparation that you do on your own. Usually only the top 2/3 of students will take USMLE and scores will vary widely. The USMLE is a much more difficult exam than COMLEX, but unfortunately is the only way to be objectively judged on a level playing field with MDs. With regards to the masters program, It's pretty unlikely that the masters program will help you prepare or enhance your performance on boards in any way, since pathology is what comprises most of board exams and AFAIK, pathology is not covered at all in the masters program.

If one is going the DO route and wants to do Oncology, then would it be better to take USMLE in addition to COMLEX in order to match into Allopathic residencies?

 

[kus676]

If one is going the DO route and wants to do Oncology, then would it be better to take USMLE in addition to COMLEX in order to match into Allopathic residencies?

Yes

 

[Saleemrodman1]

hold out hope ch91. I applied super late last year (like June 2), but I heard back after a few weeks. But definitely make sure to have some contingency plans. Hopefully they will respond back to you soon!! people heard as late as the day before orientation. not ideal....but possible :/ bring some snacks for the journey.

When you applied, do you remember if there was a time when a batch of acceptances were sent out to waitlists?

 

[thoracentesis]

If one is going the DO route and wants to do Oncology, then would it be better to take USMLE in addition to COMLEX in order to match into Allopathic residencies?

Absolutely. The reason being that the equivalence between USMLE and COMLEX is difficult to establish. Since COMLEX is a much easier test than USMLE, program directors know that 50th percentile on COMLEX does not equal 50th percentile on USMLE. To give you an idea of what people score on USMLE vs COMLEX, JGME has a conversion formula for converting COMLEX to equivalent USMLE: Step 1  =  0.2392 × COMLEX-USA Level 1 + 82.563 (R2  =  0.69577). As you can see, the formula has quite a strong correlation, and anecdotally has held up quite well among people I know. To give you an idea, according to this formula, a 50th percentile COMLEX score is "converted" to about a 10th percentile USMLE. Although this formula exists, it is still vital to take USMLE because many residency program directors may not even use a conversion formula.

Because of this, it is very much necessary to take USMLE if you are considering a competitive residency like Oncology. Fortunately, among Touro CA students who take USMLE, the average is fairly high among DO schools. The class of 2019 had a 226 average, which is only 2-3 points below the MD average, and Touro CA's average has been steadily trending upward every single year.

 

[Cal_EMT]

When you applied, do you remember if there was a time when a batch of acceptances were sent out to waitlists?

I could be wrong, but I don't think they send out batch acceptances. That's not general how waitlist works.

 

[Saleemrodman1]

I could be wrong, but I don't think they send out batch acceptances. That's not general how waitlist works.

>.<

I wish they had a waitlist rank.

 

[SpaceDoctor8]

>.<

I wish they had a waitlist rank.

yes unfortunately the administrative side of the Master's program is a little more loosey-goosey if you catch my drift. so that means no batch acceptances and no waitlist rank. and generally lacking in communication. it is just a game of waiting and waiting and more waiting. hope you brought some popcorn my friend.

 

[Saleemrodman1]

yes unfortunately the administrative side of the Master's program is a little more loosey-goosey if you catch my drift. so that means no batch acceptances and no waitlist rank. and generally lacking in communication. it is just a game of waiting and waiting and more waiting. hope you brought some popcorn my friend.

I have sparkling water....cases and cases...maybe that'll do

 

[Saleemrodman1]

Any words, friends?

 

[wannabedoc2000]

nope :/

 

[Pinkaquarius]

Nothing over here...

 

[AspiringK]

Just got accepted! Got a phone call from Director of Admissions.

Anyone else?

 

[Llneyugn]

Just got accepted! Got a phone call from Director of Admissions.

Anyone else?

I received a call today as well and was accepted!

 

[Pinkaquarius]

Just got accepted! Got a phone call from Director of Admissions.

Anyone else?

Yes! Was just accepted about 30 minutes ago!!

 

[premed498]

Has anyone who was accepted been able to find a textbook list? When should we expect to be notified the book list is finalized?

 

[BayAreaDoc]

Has anyone who was accepted been able to find a textbook list? When should we expect to be notified the book list is finalized?

You really wont need any required textbooks for the first (Fall) semester. Maybe Lippincott for Biochemistry to use as a back-up reference, but for the most part they provide amazing slides and study packets for you all to study off of. Anyone else can chime in, but I didn't use any textbooks myself for Fall semester. They test solely on their lecture slides and lecture packets. Physiology and Neuroscience classes are loaded with packets and great lecture slides that they test directly off of. (Especially Neuro)

In the spring the two anatomy books will be helpful, they will provide you with the syllabus before hand which will have the booklist you are looking for. Again, they test solely on their lecture slides and lecture packets.

If you're SUPER impatient and MUST have a book, you can look at the Touro Online Bookstore. Touro California Online Bookstore
In the drop down list input the following in the drop down lists --> Last Year's Fall 2017 or This year's Spring 2018 --> College of Osteopathic Medicine --> Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences --> select your courses that you are interested in looking up.

 

[mdn020]

Hi everyone! I was accepted to the program for this Fall 2018 as well. I have not taken my MCAT yet and will not be able to take the MCAT until after the program ends since it is very intensive during the school year. I plan to study after graduation, take the MCAT at end of June 2019, and apply for the 2020 cycle (apply in early July 2019). Assuming I meet the requirements of maintaining a 3.25 GPA in the program and get a MCAT score of >490, will Touro University still give me an interview at COM for the 2020 cycle?

Also, do you guys think that taking the MCAT at end of June 2019 is too late if I want to apply that cycle for potential admission to medical school for Fall 2020? In what month (July-August) is submitting apps considered too late in the cycle? Any help or insight on scheduling would help. Thanks so much!

 

[kus676]

Hi everyone! I was accepted to the program for this Fall 2018 as well. I have not taken my MCAT yet and will not be able to take the MCAT until after the program ends since it is very intensive during the school year. I plan to study after graduation, take the MCAT at end of June 2019, and apply for the 2020 cycle (apply in early July 2019). Assuming I meet the requirements of maintaining a 3.25 GPA in the program and get a MCAT score of >490, will Touro University still give me an interview at COM for the 2020 cycle?

Also, do you guys think that taking the MCAT at end of June 2019 is too late if I want to apply that cycle for potential admission to medical school for Fall 2020? In what month (July-August) is submitting apps considered too late in the cycle? Any help or insight on scheduling would help. Thanks so much!

I was actaully in your exact situatuon and im starting the COM this fall. As long as you meet the criteria for interview, you can move your guaranteed Interview to the next cycle. I took my MCAT the August after graduation and got my scores in September. I then applied and still received interviews. Ideally you would apply as soon as possible to maximize your chances, especially if your stats aren’t the best. As for Touro, applying a little later won’t really matter that much since ur interview is guaranteed. You’ll have your scores around late July early/August so you should be fine though.

 

[Cal_EMT]

Has anyone who was accepted been able to find a textbook list? When should we expect to be notified the book list is finalized?

I mostly agree with Teekz, but I had to heavily use to biochem book (I was one of 3 or 4 people in my class who hadn't taken biochem previously). I felt that although the lectures were decent, I sometimes needed more information to really understand the material. I also occasionally used the physio book.

As for spring semester, yes, you will need the anatomy book. He expects you to read it and unless they changed it after my class, there are theory exam questions based on it.

You should be able to find used copies of them on Amazon or ebay for pretty cheap.

 

[sograndofyou]

Hi there,

I got accepted into this program. I was wondering if anyone knows if this program will make us look better (obviously getting a high GPA) when applying to MD schools. Also, if there is anyone who already finished the program with a strong GPA that got into any MD schools besides DO schools. They could share their success. Just curious.

 

[CAPTCHA]

Hi everyone, new to the forum but I have been lurking in the background for awhile now. Got a call earlier this afternoon confirming my acceptance. However, I have come to a conundrum. Provided orientation is in approximately two weeks, I need to find some type of housing. How have you guys gotten housing and if so, is anyone looking for a roommate?

 

[Cal_EMT]

Hi there,

I got accepted into this program. I was wondering if anyone knows if this program will make us look better (obviously getting a high GPA) when applying to MD schools. Also, if there is anyone who already finished the program with a strong GPA that got into any MD schools besides DO schools. They could share their success. Just curious.

Go read the first couple of pages of this thread. A few different people have commented about that

 

[Cal_EMT]

Hi everyone, new to the forum but I have been lurking in the background for awhile now. Got a call earlier this afternoon confirming my acceptance. However, I have come to a conundrum. Provided orientation is in approximately two weeks, I need to find some type of housing. How have you guys gotten housing and if so, is anyone looking for a roommate?

Not the best place to find a roommate. There's a FB group for you guys where you can talk to other people in your class. Message me if you need the link for it

 

[CAPTCHA]

Not the best place to find a roommate. There's a FB group for you guys where you can talk to other people in your class. Message me if you need the link for it

That would be great, I wasn't given a whole lot of notice but by lurking I see sometimes they don't send notifications until the day prior to orientation.

 

[Cal_EMT]

That would be great, I wasn't given a whole lot of notice but by lurking I see sometimes they don't send notifications until the day prior to orientation.

They have been sending out acceptances all summer, but yeah, sometimes people get in off the waitlist super late

 

[Cal_EMT]

Hi there,

I got accepted into this program. I was wondering if anyone knows if this program will make us look better (obviously getting a high GPA) when applying to MD schools. Also, if there is anyone who already finished the program with a strong GPA that got into any MD schools besides DO schools. They could share their success. Just curious.

oh i read that wrong and missed the MD part, sorry. I don't know of anyone who has chosen to go to an MD school after the program. A lot of people choose to do this program because they're already wanting to go to a DO school, or they end up decided they want to go the DO route after getting more exposure to it. I'm sure at least a couple of people from years previous to mine have gotten in to an MD school, but I don't know of anyone specifically. I can't imagine that it would be disadvantageous, if that's what you were wondering.

 

[kus676]

Hi there,

I got accepted into this program. I was wondering if anyone knows if this program will make us look better (obviously getting a high GPA) when applying to MD schools. Also, if there is anyone who already finished the program with a strong GPA that got into any MD schools besides DO schools. They could share their success. Just curious.

They told us one got into Davis a few years before us, but the program really gives u the best chance of getting into Touro. Many MD schools actaully have their own masters programs, so I would imagine thay their smp would matter more to them. A masters degree from Touro would probably have the same effect on MD schools as any smp other than their own.

 

[BayAreaDoc]

Hi there,

I got accepted into this program. I was wondering if anyone knows if this program will make us look better (obviously getting a high GPA) when applying to MD schools. Also, if there is anyone who already finished the program with a strong GPA that got into any MD schools besides DO schools. They could share their success. Just curious.

One master's student from this past year's class ended up going to UC Riverside, another decided Caribbean MD, and 3+ others are only applying to MD schools this/next year (they haven't taken their MCATs yet) because they weren't feeling the DO vibe after getting exposure. To each their own though, Touro gives you a great opportunity to REALLY learn about Osteopathic Medicine (not just what you've read about or a couple time shadow a DO experience) but so so many opportunities. Its a very OMM heavy and Osteopathic Principle heavy school. Almost everyone who applied got into TUCOM from last year's class. 3 of them who received interviews went elsewhere (to other DO schools, one of them TUNCOM). 1 already got accepted to a DO school in the Fall and just wanted to finish up the program for "fun" and academic enrichment haha

TLDR; What Kus said, the master's program gives you an advantage to go to Touro and makes you look really good for other DO schools (its a reputable master's program, with a hardcore curriculum). There aren't any studies that the school has done internally to show how many people went to MD schools from the Master's program, but its possible. But I don't know why you would want to, Osteopathic Medicine is so interesting and useful to use in clinical care. #DOBiased

 

[Cal_EMT]

One master's student from this past year's class ended up going to UC Riverside, another decided Caribbean MD, and 3+ others are only applying to MD schools this/next year (they haven't taken their MCATs yet) because they weren't feeling the DO vibe after getting exposure. To each their own though, Touro gives you a great opportunity to REALLY learn about Osteopathic Medicine (not just what you've read about or a couple time shadow a DO experience) but so so many opportunities. Its a very OMM heavy and Osteopathic Principle heavy school. Almost everyone who applied got into TUCOM from last year's class. 3 of them who received interviews went elsewhere (to other DO schools, one of them TUNCOM). 1 already got accepted to a DO school in the Fall and just wanted to finish up the program for "fun" and academic enrichment haha

TLDR; What Kus said, the master's program gives you an advantage to go to Touro and makes you look really good for other DO schools (its a reputable master's program, with a hardcore curriculum). There aren't any studies that the school has done internally to show how many people went to MD schools from the Master's program, but its possible. But I don't know why you would want to, Osteopathic Medicine is so interesting and useful to use in clinical care. #DOBiased

Ooh you're right, I totally forgot someone from my class chose to go to a Caribbean MD school. I believe he got in to Touro too, but not totally sure on that. As Dr Miller will surely mention to you, the masters program looks really good to Touro, but other schools may just see it as another masters and not know how heavily to weight it in your application. But that being said, it's still good prep for any med school.

 

[individuality]

I would not recommend my worst enemy to come to this school. Touro CA loses rotation paperwork regularly so be prepared to lose your rotation sites. The Anatomy lab manager (Dr. Bruce Silverman) stares at the female student’s chests when they speak to him or are nearby, so be ready to objectified when you are paying to actually be in a professional learning environment. The Anatomy professor (Dr. David J. Elliott) continually says unprofessional statements as well as stories and inappropriately touches students in front of the class. The Immunology professor (Dr. Evan Hermel) commonly says racist and sexist comments to students as well as colleagues, who will then attempt to justify this by his son’s adoption story. The Neuroscience professor (Dr. Barbara Puder) only favors white males in her course, if you are a minority and a woman, then good luck. Dr. Barbara Puder also has mood swings which will impact the grading scheme and your overall course grade. They do not comply with California law regulations, therefore if you are owed funds from financial aid they were alter the dates in the system, so that they keep the funds. Lastly, Touro CA does not value honesty nor speaking up for yourself, they want conformity, not individuality. If you are wiling to give up your morals, ethics and who are, to get to where you want to be professionally, then this is the place for you.

 

[thoracentesis]

I would not recommend my worst enemy to come to this school. Touro CA loses rotation paperwork regularly so be prepared to lose your rotation sites. The Anatomy lab manager (Dr. Bruce Silverman) stares at the female student’s chests when they speak to him or are nearby, so be ready to objectified when you are paying to actually be in a professional learning environment. The Anatomy professor (Dr. David J. Elliott) continually says unprofessional statements as well as stories and inappropriately touches students in front of the class. The Immunology professor (Dr. Evan Hermel) commonly says racist and sexist comments to students as well as colleagues, who will then attempt to justify this by his son’s adoption story. The Neuroscience professor (Dr. Barbara Puder) only favors white males in her course, if you are a minority and a woman, then good luck. Dr. Barbara Puder also has mood swings which will impact the grading scheme and your overall course grade. They do not comply with California law regulations, therefore if you are owed funds from financial aid they were alter the dates in the system, so that they keep the funds. Lastly, Touro CA does not value honesty nor speaking up for yourself, they want conformity, not individuality. If you are wiling to give up your morals, ethics and who are, to get to where you want to be professionally, then this is the place for you.

Sorry you feel that way. As a current student, Im definitely not a big fan of TouroCA and its many flaws, but of the issues you've listed, the only thing I've heard of or encountered is difficulty with rotation site paperwork and management. I've never had or heard of any of the problems with any of the professors that you listed. In fact, I would say the professors are great people personally, but many of them aren't good at teaching and design their curriculum and tests quite poorly.

Touro actually has consistently had one of the most even splits between male/female, and the class of 2021 actually has more females than males, and Touro is also one of the least caucasian medical schools in the nation. Touro does a really good job of promoting diversity, so I would say that not a reason to not come here.

On the other hand, curriculum and preclinical education is quite poor. Despite consistently having the highest MCAT score and LizzyM of all DO schools, board exam performance has been subpar, and surprisingly, the average MCAT and GPA for the class of 2021 has plummeted, which is somewhat worrisome as a current upperclassman.

 

[BayAreaDoc]

I think every school has flaws, administration flaws, mean/poor teachers, there is no perfect school. (I mean look at what has happened to the Dean of USC and if you look up a list of administrative scandals at TOP 10 medical schools, you will find many) But what I can speak about is how passionate and caring the professors I have encountered are. Sure, some can come off odd, but they do care about your well being if you open up to them. Even one of the most research heavy, non-people professor on campus that I encountered connected with one of my colleagues in a heart to heart about a housing situation they were in.

I'm deeply invested in the community, because I am from the Bay Area, so Vallejo is similar to where I grew up. There is a huge health and education disparity here and Touro does well to do whatever it can to be involved in community service and providing free health clinics.

Administration tends to drop the ball at every single school, no school is perfect. I have a friend at UCSF SOM who's rotation papers got "lost" somewhere and they had to do everything all over again to be put at the bottom of the list of people who get to select sites. I also have a friend at UCIrvine SOM who's transcript grades just "disappeared" one day (her and a few other people in her cohort) and each teacher from their pre-clinical years had to find their test-scores and re-input them all over again, thus delaying residency applications. (Maybe it's a California med school problem? haha)

I think you take the negative and positive with a grain of salt, if the school is accredited -- puts people into good residencies (my ex-gf is a woman of color anesthesiologist that graduated from Touro, who did not take USMLE Step 1 and only took COMLEX, so good residencies are possible!!), -- and does right for the community and its students to foster healthcare, education, and awareness then I think a few bumps or hiccups aren't gonna derail or hurt anyone.

For my prospective masters: I love it here, apply, do well in the program and you will go to Osteopathic Medical school at Touro or get an interview to other programs you may apply to.

I'm sorry your experience wasn't/hasn't been the best at Touro @individuality. But for me (and a lot of the former students who have been posting), it has been amazing. I've met some of the coolest, realest, like-minded people, many who have similar end-goals as mine for the first time in all of my academic career. (I've been to many schools too haha). I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my years here and getting close with my advisors.

(Btw, Dr. Eliot is amazing on the bass and his band he forms with students are dope. He also does poetry/spoken-word and sits on the board for a local high school's senior dissertation)

 

[Chromatic543]

Accepted today after orientation already started. Asked me to come tomorrow morning, and start classes Tuesday.

I rejected the offer

Most difficult decision I have ever made, but I think it was for the best. ATSU-SOMA DO class of 2022!

 

[MeG.]

Hi guys, for the supplemental question that asks "Please list your favorite hobbies and/or non-academic pursuits." since the answer can be up to 250 words, are you guys just listing them or also writing a little about each?

 

[Cal_EMT]

Hi guys, for the supplemental question that asks "Please list your favorite hobbies and/or non-academic pursuits." since the answer can be up to 250 words, are you guys just listing them or also writing a little about each?

Hey there. I think you might be looking for the COM thread as opposed to the masters, since the application cycle is closed for the masters.
However, I would suggest you actually write about them, since you're given up to 250 words to talk about it. It's a good way to help make yourself stand out

 

[dostudentdoc]

I’ve also been accepted

 

[dostudentdoc]

Do the mhs students take classes with DO? Or have their own class?

 

[Cal_EMT]

Do the mhs students take classes with DO? Or have their own class?

No, they have their own classes.