Touro COM - New York, Harlem Campus (TouroCOM-NY, Harlem) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

[grey_wind]

A reference for you incase you email/call them. This is what you should see

Edit: How is everyone submitting their recommendations? Do they come straight from AACOMAS app or do they need to be submitted again? I emailed them but got no answer

Thanks!

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[dallasnights]

My personal statement on AACOMAS basically answers the secondary essay but I guess I have to re-write a new one.

 

[JLaw13]

The word limit is related to the space provided on the pdf. It is approximately 650-700 words. You write your response on word then cut and paste it into the space on the pdf.

 

[hexane19]

Thanks!

 

[levendis]

Thanks!

I read your previous posts. I have the same problem as you. I just emailed them, hopefully the fix the problem.

 

[igor_raptor]

People who received a secondary can you post your stats?

3.2/3.7/31. This school seems to like a higher MCAT.

 

[obscurity111]

delete

 

[njtrimed]

People who received a secondary can you post your stats?

3.6c/3.73s/510. I also cannot access the essays. Can anyone who actually opened that post the question(s)?

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

For the question How will your LORs be submitted, do we leave all the check boxes blank if we are sending through AACOMAS? Thanks!

 

[chocolatetherapy]

Matriculation Status: Are you seeking a degree?* <--- Is this regarding what we're doing this year? Like I graduated in April and am taking a year doing part-time courses, so I'm not planning on getting a degree before this DO... so would I say no? Or is it talking about the DO degree lol pls help!

 

[chocolatetherapy]

For the question How will your LORs be submitted, do we leave all the check boxes blank if we are sending through AACOMAS? Thanks!

Do you know if they accept letters through AACOMAS? I don't want to have to bother all my references and ask them to send the letter directly to Touro COM...

 

[dominiq521]

Is anyone receiving a notification from Adobe for the PDF? The PDF opens fine, but then I get:
Please fill out the following form. You cannot save data typed into this form. Please print your completed form if you would like a copy for your records.

So I guess I would have to fill it out, print it, scan it and then upload. Anyone having the same issue or is it just my Adobe?

 

[I-said-doctor]

here's a direct link. Maybe it will work for some of you. Download the file and open it with adobe, NOT in chrome!

 

[annielover]

I know this has been asked a million times but I haven't seen any answers yet....anyone have any input about the differences between the harlem and middletown campuses? I feel I don't know very much about them to be able to choose which one I would prefer but can't find that much info on the website.

 

[Henry101]

here's a direct link. Maybe it will work for some of you. Download the file and open it with adobe, NOT in chrome!

I think this deserves to be the post of the weekend for this thread!
Thanks dude! This helped a lot.

 

[njtrimed]

here's a direct link. Maybe it will work for some of you. Download the file and open it with adobe, NOT in chrome!

Thanks, but that's not opening for me either. What are the questions?

ETA: I have tried opening this document at work, school, and home on my brand new laptop with all new software. I have also tried updating my Adobe Reader, but it wouldn't allow it because I have it installed. I emailed admissions to ask for the essay questions and if nobody else will post them here, I will as soon as I get them.

 

[jfandel3]

3.2/3.7/31. This school seems to like a higher MCAT.

3.5 and 33 for me. Received secondary yesterday.

 

[gaspasser2022]

I'm trying to fill out the rest of the application, and when I go to input my GPA it gives me an error that looks like the picture I uploaded. Did anyone else get this error and, if so, how did you fix it?

 

[I-said-doctor]

Thanks, but that's not opening for me either. What are the questions?

ETA: I have tried opening this document at work, school, and home on my brand new laptop with all new software. I have also tried updating my Adobe Reader, but it wouldn't allow it because I have it installed. I emailed admissions to ask for the essay questions and if nobody else will post them here, I will as soon as I get them.

There is one essay question and it's already been posted earlier in this thread. But I'll post it for you again:

Please discuss how your background, experience, or academic program has prepared for meeting Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine's Mission, Goals, or Objectives. Consider addressing a few areas: Why Osteopathic Medicine? Have you been exposed to a diverse environment? How did you contribute? How have your academic background and personal experiences prepared you for medical school? How were you influenced by a shadowing experience?

The max limit for the essay is about ~5680 characters

 

[grey_wind]

There is one essay question and it's already been posted earlier in this thread. But I'll post it for you again:

Please discuss how your background, experience, or academic program has prepared for meeting Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine's Mission, Goals, or Objectives. Consider addressing a few areas: Why Osteopathic Medicine? Have you been exposed to a diverse environment? How did you contribute? How have your academic background and personal experiences prepared you for medical school? How were you influenced by a shadowing experience?

The max limit for the essay is about ~5680 characters

Should we try to work in all the suggestions or just focus intensely on one or two?

 

[ASNJ]

I just received my secondary yesterday!

 

[Howlin_Radio]

Where the hell is the board score information for the New York Campus? It's pretty ridiculous how unorganized and uninformed the new york campus website is. The demographics page is also pretty terrible. Very annoying. Paying an exorbitant fee compared to other schools, yet offered less information.

 

[JLaw13]

Should we try to work in all the suggestions or just focus intensely on one or two?

I think it's doable to incorporate all the questions. Even a few sentences on each will tie together your whole purpose for becoming a doctor and your future goals as one.

Also, in Adobe.. Can't you just use the "Add Text" icon and enter in your answers that way? That's how I usually do it. It's next to the "add signature" option.

 

[NonTrad16]

I'm trying to fill out the rest of the application, and when I go to input my GPA it gives me an error that looks like the picture I uploaded. Did anyone else get this error and, if so, how did you fix it?

Use a decimal. 4 = 4.0, 3=3.0. Credit hours need to be similar (133=133.0)

 

[deleted238468]

I applied to touro-ca but it seems like I need to make a separate account for touro-ny. When I tried to make an account, however, the portal stated that creating a dual account will make things harder to manage. Should I just ignore this warning and make another account for touro ny? Thanks!

Ignore and make another account for Touro-NY. I received secondaries to all 3 Touro schools and now have 3 accounts with 3 different pins.

 

[deleted238468]

How do you create a new account using the same name and email????

Just use the same name/e-mail etc... and a pop-up will appear saying are you sure, multiple accounts harder to manage blah blah. Just hit yes/ignore warning and create multiple accounts. Be sure to keep track of which login pin corresponds to which school.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Strange that TUCOM NY is calling their secondary essay a personal statement. It makes me feel as if they are not in touch with the lingo of the process as evident with the "fill in pdf" instead of a simple rich text entering format, among several other things.

 

[grey_wind]

I read your previous posts. I have the same problem as you. I just emailed them, hopefully the fix the problem.

I can't even view the damn questions at all.

Did either of you get this resolved? I'm still not able to see those tabs

 

[Jobikenobi]

I agree with what's been said before. I'm all about trying my luck at this school, but I am having a hard time justifying the steep fee after how much I've already spent on secondaries/interviews the past few months. Does anyone have any idea how heavily they screen for these and what the chances of receiving an interview are?

 

[ST35]

Can anyone comment on the screening process at this school please. I know it's been asked here before, but it hasn't really been answered yet. $200 is a lot for a secondary that didn't involve a heavy screen in order to receive. Any info on this would be awesome! Thanks!

 

[Jobikenobi]

Did either of you get this resolved? I'm still not able to see those tabs

The rest of the tabs appear after you fill in the program you are applying for part.

 

[grey_wind]

The rest of the tabs appear after you fill in the program you are applying for part.

Nope, not for me, filled out everything I could

 

[eyypianogirl31893]

I got my first acceptance from LUCOM, just as I got a secondary invite from this school. Do you think it is still worth filling out the secondary (and paying the $$$)? (Does Touro offer something that Liberty cannot?)

 

[Henry101]

I know this has been asked a million times but I haven't seen any answers yet....anyone have any input about the differences between the harlem and middletown campuses? I feel I don't know very much about them to be able to choose which one I would prefer but can't find that much info on the website.

From a third year friend at the Harlem campus:

TouroCOM COMLEX First Time Pass Rates:
Class of 2014: 90.63%
Class of 2015: 92.13%
Class of 2016: 96.55%

Touro at Middletown, New York:
Located in Middletown, Orange County, New York in the Hudson Valley. Middletown has a population of ~30k but Orange County has around ~400k people. The Middlwtown campus is an old hospital that Touro bought up and converted into a medical school. The facilities are much larger and nicer than the Harlem campus. The Middletown campus also provides student housing on the upper floors of the campus building. The school has a close partnership with Orange Regional Medical Center (~300 beds) but it is expanding with a new cancer wing and a new medical office building. Touro has opened up 5 residency programs at ORMC and they are in the works of opening new programs as well. Most students do their rotations in either ORMC, Nyack, or Catskill. (Yes, the hospital is called Catskill). Middletown follows the same “flip” curriculum of Harlem but with different professors. The Middletown campus is one of a handful of medical campuses in the country that uses virtual dissection alongside actual cadavers. The campus hasn’t has a graduating class yet.

Touro at Harlem, New York:
Located in Manhattan Island, New York City. New York City has a population of ~8million. The campus has a particular mission of serving the underserved Harlem community of New York but it isn't materialized in any way beyond a mission. The campus is located in 4 floors of an old hotel that has a long and rich history in the neighborhood, right in front of the Apollo Theater. Most students, however, live in tiny micro apartments in Manhattan and commute ($$$). Since the beginning of the school’s history, it has had big problem with clinical rotation spots. Students from Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Icahn Mount Sinai, Albert Einstein, Hosfstra, SUNY Downstate, Stony Brook (to a lesser extent), SUNY Upstate (to a lesser extent), NYIT-COM, Saint George, Ross, Saba, and AUA all rotate in NYC and, as a result, it truly is a dog-eat-dog world for rotation spots. As a result, a large majority of Touro students go to New Jersey to complete rotations but return to Harlem to complete the primary care rotations. Most students rotate in Meadowlands, Jersey City, Holy Name, and Palisades in New Jersey. Most of these these hospitals are accessible via subway from NYC. Students return to campus for shelf exams. There are a handful of year long sites but most students move around during year 3 and 4. However, rotations change every year as the school is fighting for more sites in New York City but, due to the Caribbean $$$monopoly$$$, they are not winning. Administrators are waiting for the hospital contracts with Saint George to end so they can try to outbid them for Harlem Hospital. I'm in Palisades, right across the Hudson. I moved to Cliffside Park in Jersey and commute. It isn't too bad but I would have preferred to stay in NYC. Most of the better teaching hospitals give rotation priority to the older MD schools or even NYCOM before Touro. I believe the Harlem campus has had 5 graduating classes so far. One fun fact is that we have Dr. Conrad Fishcher MD as a faculty member. He is an author for Kaplan’s USMLE test books and writes other books on medicine. They are both great schools. If you hate an urban environment, stay out of Harlem. If you hate suburbia, stay out of Middletown.

 

[grey_wind]

Touro at Harlem, New York:
Located in Manhattan Island, New York City. New York City has a population of ~8million. The campus has a particular mission of serving the underserved Harlem community of New York but it isn't materialized in any way beyond a mission. The campus is located in 4 floors of an old hotel that has a long and rich history in the neighborhood, right in front of the Apollo Theater. Most students, however, live in tiny micro apartments in Manhattan and commute ($$$). Since the beginning of the school’s history, it has had big problem with clinical rotation spots. Students from Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Icahn Mount Sinai, Albert Einstein, Hosfstra, SUNY Downstate, Stony Brook (to a lesser extent), SUNY Upstate (to a lesser extent), NYIT-COM, Saint George, Ross, Saba, and AUA all rotate in NYC and, as a result, it truly is a dog-eat-dog world for rotation spots. As a result, a large majority of Touro students go to New Jersey to complete rotations but return to Harlem to complete the primary care rotations. Most students rotate in Meadowlands, Jersey City, Holy Name, and Palisades in New Jersey. Most of these these hospitals are accessible via subway from NYC. Students return to campus for shelf exams. However, rotations change every year as the school is fighting for more sites in New York City but, due to the Caribbean $$$monopoly$$$, they are not winning. Administrators are waiting for the hospital contracts with Saint George to end so they can try to outbid them for Harlem Hospital. I'm in Palisades, right across the Hudson. I moved to Cliffside Park in Jersey and commute. It isn't too bad but I would have preferred to stay in NYC. I believe the Harlem campus has had 5 graduating classes so far. One fun fact is that we have Dr. Conrad Fishcher MD as a faculty member. He is an author for Kaplan’s USMLE test books and writes other books on medicine. They are both great schools. If you hate an urban environment, stay out of Harlem. If you hate suburbia, stay out of Middletown.

Appreciate all the info! Do you know when these contracts are up ?

 

[Howlin_Radio]

I Agree. thanks for that info. I like the upward trend forming in the first time pass rates.

 

[Henry101]

Appreciate all the info! Do you know when these contracts are up ?

According to this WSJ article, the $100,000,000 deal will expire in 2020. I highly doubt any medical school, let alone Touro, can outbid a number like that.
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08...an-med-schools-100-million-nyc-hospital-deal/

 

[Howlin_Radio]

anybody having trouble uploading the pdf because the file is bigger than 600kb? I can't upload the supplemental pdf, nor my transcripts for this reason.

If you can't figure out how to upload the pdf, especially under the 600kb/.6mb limit. All you'll need is a smart phone, printer, and computer. Here's what worked for me: (1) click link for D.O NY supplemental form. download the associated adobe reader. Either save document as and open the document in adobe reader, or... hope your browser opens up the file (only internet explorer opened the file for me) (2) Fillout all information. Print all information. Download tiny scanner app on your smart phone. Take pictures of the pages, and note that the further away you take the picture, the smaller the file size will be. Your final scanned picture will upload much bigger when sent to your email then how it appears on your phone. I had to take several scans to figure out how to get it under 600kb. it'll say on the app it's 400kb, but by the time it gets to your email it bloats in size to around 600kb. Just take the picture further away to decrease the file size, it'll still look good once it uploads. (3) send those scans to your email (4) download files and upload on the application. done.

 

[Jobikenobi]

I got my first acceptance from LUCOM, just as I got a secondary invite from this school. Do you think it is still worth filling out the secondary (and paying the $$$)? (Does Touro offer something that Liberty cannot?)

That depends on what your looking for. It offers a very different environment for sure. If you are from the south, interested in rural medicine, into creationism, and want to get your degree at a large undergraduate campus surrounded by like minded folk, then Liberty is your best bet. If your interested in a big city, diverse populations, and urban medicine, then Touro NY might be more your speed.

 

[igor_raptor]

According to this WSJ article, the $100,000,000 deal will expire in 2020. I highly doubt any medical school, let alone Touro, can outbid a number like that.
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08...an-med-schools-100-million-nyc-hospital-deal/

UNBELIEVEABLE. This should be illegal.

 

[Henry101]

UNBELIEVEABLE. This should be illegal.

Consider for a minute that that $100,000,000 only refers to the contract with Saint George. God knows what the real number is when you factor in Ross, Saba, and AUA.
If you go on the NYCOM thread, many people have mentioned that they are shrinking the class size for the next few classes. I suspect that it has something to do with rotation availability.
I guess that happens when (at least) 14 different medical schools want to rotate on a 290 square mile congested, overpopulated, expensive, and dirty piece of land.
#Middletown2016

 

[njtrimed]

That depends on what your looking for. It offers a very different environment for sure. If you are from the south, interested in rural medicine, into creationism, and want to get your degree at a large undergraduate campus surrounded by like minded folk, then Liberty is your best bet. If your interested in a big city, diverse populations, and urban medicine, then Touro NY might be more your speed.

Yeah, you really can't get more polar opposite in DO schools than LUCOM and Touro!

As far as the $200 fee is concerned, I have to agree with previous posters who pointed out that living in Manhattan is extremely expensive. A decade ago, living in Harlem was relatively cheap, but that's not really true anymore either. Even subletting half a room partitioned off with a curtain can cost $800-1000/month. You may as well get used to it now!

 

[ShaykeThatDO]

Downloading the trial version of Adobe Pro and then exporting the filled-out form to Word before uploading it may be one of the only options here currently. Secondary submitted.

 

[lol226]

For the "Cumulative GPA to date" under Post-Secondary Academic Record-- do we just put what our cGPA on our official transcript is? Because I know DO schools calculate your GPA based off of the highest grade you got (for any class retakes), so my cGPA may be different than the one on my transcript if we're accounting for classes that I retook...

Basically what I'm asking is if I retook classes, should I calculate a cGPA accordingly or just use the one on my transcript?

 

[radhopeful2021]

so.. does this school screen heavily (or at all) pre-secondary and for interviews?

 

[anniebananie572]

Does anyone know if the admissions committee for CA also sees the NY supplemental and vice versa? Some of the language I am using is the same ...but only because well, it's the truth.

 

[Medschoolornah]

guys i am confused.... so i sent in my app for TOURO CALI.. and then i received secondary for New York a couple days ago.

i clicked on the link provided in the email but it just shows me my old application or the Cali... what am i missing here????


okay i guess i need a new account... should i use a new email or just create a duplicate account????

 

[anniebananie572]

guys i am confused.... so i sent in my app for TOURO CALI.. and then i received secondary for New York a couple days ago.

i clicked on the link provided in the email but it just shows me my old application or the Cali... what am i missing here????


okay i guess i need a new account... should i use a new email or just create a duplicate account????

I just created a duplicate account...I think it said to do that in FAQs.

 

[Medschoolornah]

I just created a duplicate account...I think it said to do that in FAQs.

thank u men

 

[Miss.P]

Did anyone get a payment confirmation email or code? I submitted my app page just refreshed back to the payment page so I am not sure the Credit Card change went through.

NVM: I figured it out!