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

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I submitted my primary in July and I didn't submit my secondary until March 31st because I was hesitant about paying the $200 application fee, but then I received an interview invite in April and interviewed two weeks later and got accepted. So I say go for it!

Mind sharing your stats? are they biased towards in state applicants at all?

Members don't see this ad.
 
If you don't mind me asking, how did you do this? Did you just cut down on words?
No need to cut down words. I used smallpdf.com. The site had good reviews and it was probably my 10th attempt at reducing my file size and worked great without making my text impossible to see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
If you don't mind me asking, how did you do this? Did you just cut down on words?
basically printed the pdf, scanned it, put it into word, reduced the file size of the first image (so the first "page" of the pdf was a little fuzzier" and then cropped both images so that only the important parts were there. that brought me down to like 568 kb or something and my text was still very readable
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
You can also search for a free "pdf writer" program and it will allow you to print the file to a new (uneditable) pdf. On my Mac I did that, exported the pages as images (to compress the file size), and then exported the images from preview into a new PDF. Unchanged readability but the file was 400kb.

They should have just made a survey monkey poll instead of this similarly wonky app...
 
nevermind.... got the answer lol
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2015-09-23 at 12.33.41 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2015-09-23 at 12.33.41 PM.png
    63.8 KB · Views: 116
Last edited:
I was wondering if any of you had this problem with your pdf.... is there something I should be doing? View attachment 196455
Lol. You seemed to have missed this entire thread. This is exactly what a lot of the applicants have been talking about it in the previous posts.
You would need to fill in the PDF, print it, scan, and make sure your file size is below 600kb before you submit!
 
I was wondering if any of you had this problem with your pdf.... is there something I should be doing? View attachment 196455

That looks the same as mine. You just can't save the completed form due to their restrictions. You also can't print to pdf as easily (on a Mac). So only bother filling it out if you have a printer nearby.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Lol. You seemed to have missed this entire thread. This is exactly what a lot of the applicants have been talking about it in the previous posts.
You would need to fill in the PDF, print it, scan, and make sure your file size is below 600kb before you submit!
hahah thanks i just realized... i didn't get to that step until now and it was super confusing
 
hahah thanks i just realized... i didn't get to that step until now and it was super confusing
Haha I just read your edited post. Sorry for jumping on you :p You are right though, it is confusing. Glad you figured it out!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Does anyone know how this school feels about reusing secondary essays from a previous year? My essay last year I think was good (I got an interview out of it), but I know some schools specifically don't want to see the same thing the next year.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Are any of you guys uploading resumes? I feel like the AACOMAS application covers my resume pretty thoroughly
 
mother of god... just finished compressing the pdf etc. that was a beast honestly i hate that kinda stuff


but just submitted

now we wait :cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Hey guy! I'm a first year DO student at TouroCOM Harlem campus, if you have any questions I can help answer, please ask! :)

What are your thoughts of the school? Why did you pick TouroCOM - NY? What do you think the school does a good job at? Where does it lack?

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
For everyone that submitted, when you previewed the completed app in a PDF format were there questions under "Experience/Awards" that you had not seen elsewhere in the application? Do these questions belong to a different program application? Just want to make sure I am not missing anything before submitting!

- What awards or recognitions have you received within the last 5 years?
- Employment experience during the last 3 years?
- etc....

And did you submit a resume?
 
For everyone that submitted, when you previewed the completed app in a PDF format were there questions under "Experience/Awards" that you had not seen elsewhere in the application? Do these questions belong to a different program application? Just want to make sure I am not missing anything before submitting!

- What awards or recognitions have you received within the last 5 years?
- Employment experience during the last 3 years?
- etc....

And did you submit a resume?

I did add a resume but I don't think it's really needed. And yes I saw those extra sections too but I don't think those apply to Touro NY. I think they are just for the Touro Cali app. Since the NY app doesn't give you the option to even fill them out I think it should be fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Five words: NYMC and the casper debacle.

NYMC is Touro-owned and that casper test was a FAR worse mess than this secondary.

I had no problems taking the CASPer test.. it was quite enjoyable and good preparation for ethical questions you might see in interviews.
 
There is another easy way to upload the personal statement document. You can scan it in as a jpeg and insert the pictures into a word document. The personal statement was much easier to read in my opinion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Do we have to send in transcripts to them?
 
Last edited:
I also liked the casper test and think this secondary is a pain.
 
Could someone send me the pdf? I can't get it downloaded.
 
I did add a resume but I don't think it's really needed. And yes I saw those extra sections too but I don't think those apply to Touro NY. I think they are just for the Touro Cali app. Since the NY app doesn't give you the option to even fill them out I think it should be fine.
So why do they show on the app after we choose tourocom? I've been calling
to ask that question and emailed but no answer yet. Is there a risk to send it and have it incomplete bc those answers are blank?
 
So why do they show on the app after we choose tourocom? I've been calling
to ask that question and emailed but no answer yet. Is there a risk to send it and have it incomplete bc those answers are blank?
not sure what you mean, did you fill the app out of order? which section did you already fill out?
 
not sure what you mean, did you fill the app out of order? which section did you already fill out?
I filled out everything on the app online, but when previewing before submitting it shows my questions are blank (awards, shadowing, experiences, etc) - but on the website I don't see those question to fill out - just on the preview pdf at end - could it be bc I'm using a Mac, which they advise against?
 
I saw them, on a Mac, and assume they were fields only available to other programs. I didn't/couldn't fill them out either.
 
There is another easy way to upload the personal statement document. You can scan it in as a jpeg and insert the pictures into a word document. The personal statement was much easier to read in my opinion.
yes. this is what i did!
 
Mind sharing your stats? are they biased towards in state applicants at all?

I don't think they're biased towards instate students, the only reason the majority of my class are from the east coast is because more east coast students apply here. That being said, there are about a dozen first year students here from California, me included.

29 MCAT
undergrad sGPA 3.4
Master's in Immunology
3 years of research with two first-author publications

I submitted my primaries in July, secondary in march and interviewed in April.
 
What are your thoughts of the school? Why did you pick TouroCOM - NY? What do you think the school does a good job at? Where does it lack?

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
I picked TouroCOM over my other choice because I wanted to go to medical school in a big city.
I really like the lecture style at TouroCOM, we don't have to attend lectures, all of our lectures are prerecorded by our professors and they are posted online for download. We have to attend iclicker sessions and lab once a week for each of our classes (twice for anatomy). The clicker session consists of the professor asking board style questions and we answer them using our clickers, our responses are part of our participation grade.
I really like my schedule, the clicker lecture style really give the students a lot more time to study. We don't have classes on Mondays, only exams. On Tuesdays, I have class/lab from 8 AM to 12 PM, Wednesdays is the longest day and it's from 8 AM to 4 PM. Thursdays, are 9 AM - 3 PM, and Friday is from 8 AM to 11 AM. Also since TouroCOM is a Jewish school, we get all the Jewish holidays off, I've had three 4-day weekends this month already.
I also really like the grading system at TouroCOM, we are not graded against each other but against the class before us. So whatever the "A" was for the 2018 class is consider an A for us, therefore we only have to score higher than the previous class. This style encourages collaboration between students, so everyone is super good about sharing their notes with each other.
I really like the professors, they've very good about preparing us for the boards early, and everything we learn is focused on helping us do well on the boards.
There's a good mentor/mentee system that pairs first years with second years, so you can get a lot more support and advice on how to study for certain classes.
TouroCOM is big on community service within the Harlem Community, since I started two months ago, I've already participated in 3 different blood pressure screening events hosted by TouroCOM.
The good thing about attending a newer school is that changes happen quickly, and we are always evolving to become better. Sure, there are quite a few kinks that administration needs to work out (like sucky internet connection, and disorganized course syllabi), but whenever we have a complaint, they are always addressed quickly.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 6 users
I really got to turn this in but I can't decide which campus to pick as my first. I sometimes think living in a big city was nice but the neighborhood is badish and having went to undergrad in a bad neighborhood, I grew quite sick of having to worry about stuff like that.

But Middleton is so new, what if the school ends up a dud or something? At least the main is sort of older. I don't know. Any advice?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I ended up with "Both - prefer harlem" due to ties for my SO nearer the city. Personally, I'd probably be happier with bit less cost and more trees, and it seems like the Middletown location has more direct ties to a system for rotations, whereas Harlem fights more frequently for spots? I'm not sure how residency directors consider branch campuses, but as far as DO goes I think there are a handful that 'rank' below the Touro schools, so I'm personally not too concerned with the new branch issue...

Do we know if they hold interviews at both independently? If I selected Harlem (1st), Middletown (2nd), can I get interviewed or accepted to both, or...? Haha, probably should have figured that out before I submitted...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Has anyone been rejected post secondary? I submitted my secondary and am super nervous about receiving an interview. I heard that a secondary gives you a high probability of an interview.. Please answer this I am having a cow thinking about this
 
Has anyone been rejected post secondary? I submitted my secondary and am super nervous about receiving an interview. I heard that a secondary gives you a high probability of an interview.. Please answer this I am having a cow thinking about this



i dont know how i feel about this. has anyone not received a secondary yet....
 
Did anyone else not have to pay? I didnt have to pay the 200$ for the application..
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
1) Did anyone recopy their personal statement into the essay thing?

2) How do you pick you want to apply to both campuses, I'm only given the option of one or another.
 
Last edited:
I ended up with "Both - prefer harlem" due to ties for my SO nearer the city. Personally, I'd probably be happier with bit less cost and more trees, and it seems like the Middletown location has more direct ties to a system for rotations, whereas Harlem fights more frequently for spots? I'm not sure how residency directors consider branch campuses, but as far as DO goes I think there are a handful that 'rank' below the Touro schools, so I'm personally not too concerned with the new branch issue...

Do we know if they hold interviews at both independently? If I selected Harlem (1st), Middletown (2nd), can I get interviewed or accepted to both, or...? Haha, probably should have figured that out before I submitted...

How? I'm only given the option of one or another. And it only lets you upload one essay, the Harlem or Middleton one. I'm confused.
 
How? I'm only given the option of one or another. And it only lets you upload one essay, the Harlem or Middleton one. I'm confused.

In the pdf you can select more options. And I did not copy my PS. I wrote a different essay.
 
I think I'm going to be waiting a couple weeks to hear back from other programs before forking over 200
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Top