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I interviewed March 21sr
Touro COM - New York, Middletown Campus (TouroCOM-NY, Middletown) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016
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Just purchased my tickets for my interview on 5/2, and geez they were super expensive. I suspect we are interviewing for wait list spots only, but I do like that they offer spots in the masters.
How many interviewees are there on interview day? Did it seem pretty laid back? Is it pronounced "middle-town" or "middle-ton"?
How many interviewees are there on interview day? Did it seem pretty laid back? Is it pronounced "middle-town" or "middle-ton"?
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How many interviewees are there on interview day? Did it seem pretty laid back? Is it pronounced "middle-town" or "middle-ton"?
I'm sorry no one gave an answer to you. Could you or anyone else answer these same questions now? How was the day set up?
It's really hard to get information about this branch.
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The interview day was pretty laid back and there were about 15 interviewees there. I think they told us there are usually double that amount, we had a small group that day. It's pronounced middle-town! Good luck!
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They said 2-3 weeks so look out starting this Monday. Plus, it'll after the 5/15 deadline; maybe some extra seats get freed up this coming week.
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Hey does anyone know if there is a forum or page to look up potential roommates or housing?
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hey did you hear back yet? I also interviewed on 5/2 and no word yet!
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Nope. Probably next week.
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I am dying to hear back from this school. I interviewed last month and was put on the wait list. I really love this school and hope I'll hear some good news soon Sooo nervous about it
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Does anyone know how waitlisted applicants fare at eventually gaining acceptance to this school? From previous years threads, many mentioned that most, if not all on the waitlist got into Touro NY. Although, that was for Harlem and not Middletown. I'm hoping the same trend follows for us still on the waitlist at this school!
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During my interview we were specifically told that there has been substantial wait list movement in the past two years at Middletown. I'm unsure if it was Frank or one of the students, but they did say to stay positive if you were wait listed.
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Well, I hope wait list movement comes soon because I really want to participate in the summer anatomy, histo, and embryology classes, which starts like June 17th or something :X.
Does anyone know how long the wait list for a dorm room is right now?
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Just completed the master's program at Middletown and I wanted to share some thoughts/advice/pros & cons about the school that I wish students told me before I started. I'll be doing the same on the master's page more specifically about the master's program even though many of my classmates have already posted. Each school has its downsides but these are just my experiences and observations that some may take into consideration when deciding which school is best for them.
-Facilities are new and impressive even though space is limited for studying. Comfy sofas and study rooms with white boards everywhere. (Compared to Harlem's campus Middletown's facilities are great except that there is no research here. Harlem has a floor just for research that students can be involved in which is pretty cool.)
-Being able to cover lectures at my own pace was very convenient. But the "flipped classroom" method needs a lot of work here. Most of the time students end up googling or ctrl+f minute details instead of having critical thinking type questions of clinical relevance.
-Start videos early! I wish I had known that it takes time to go through them at first, because I was still learning what style of studying works for me for this curriculum. A video can be 40 minutes long but it might take a little longer to cover if you're taking notes even though the video speed is a little faster.
-Material is not challenging. It's all about time management and self discipline.
CONS
-This is the most unprofessional school I have been to and other students have agreed. Most professors/advisors either don't respond in a timely manner or don't respond at all. My own advisor condescendingly talked about other students when I would meet him/her. S/he even tried to get the names of a group of students s/he pointed out weren't doing well and were on social media websites during class (even though there were many more students doing the same).
-Administration is not very receptive towards students' concerns. I have never seen such disappointment demonstrated by majority of the class regarding unprofessionalism from other professors on how they've conducted class and other issues. Hearing first-year & second-year students' frustrations with the school, administration, professors and rotations makes me concerned if I do apply to this school next cycle.
-Exam questions were all over the place. Some exams tested minute details whereas others were more clinically-relevant/board style.
-This has probably already been stated: Whatever you do, DO NOT GET THE MEAL PLAN, unless you don't mind spending money you most likely won't use. If it is still required to get priority housing get the minimum plan. I, along with others, had about $1200 or more remaining at the end of the first semester that did not rollover. There were many issues with flies in the beginning of the year, dirt and bugs in salads, meals being very unhealthy, prices varying from day to day, vegetarians getting food with meat, among other things. Many students did not pay the remaining half second semester even though it was against our contracts. A few got doctor's notes stating we could not eat anything from the cafeteria and the owner responded differently to each (to some he did not respond). The fact that the owner did not show up to meetings with the meal plan committee and dean and did not take action to collect the payments as stated on the contract shows this is unprofessional, shady and most likely even illegal business. If you do not have time/transportation to go outside the building for food you can always pay by the meal which ends up being several dollars cheaper.
-Facilities are new and impressive even though space is limited for studying. Comfy sofas and study rooms with white boards everywhere. (Compared to Harlem's campus Middletown's facilities are great except that there is no research here. Harlem has a floor just for research that students can be involved in which is pretty cool.)
-Being able to cover lectures at my own pace was very convenient. But the "flipped classroom" method needs a lot of work here. Most of the time students end up googling or ctrl+f minute details instead of having critical thinking type questions of clinical relevance.
-Start videos early! I wish I had known that it takes time to go through them at first, because I was still learning what style of studying works for me for this curriculum. A video can be 40 minutes long but it might take a little longer to cover if you're taking notes even though the video speed is a little faster.
-Material is not challenging. It's all about time management and self discipline.
CONS
-This is the most unprofessional school I have been to and other students have agreed. Most professors/advisors either don't respond in a timely manner or don't respond at all. My own advisor condescendingly talked about other students when I would meet him/her. S/he even tried to get the names of a group of students s/he pointed out weren't doing well and were on social media websites during class (even though there were many more students doing the same).
-Administration is not very receptive towards students' concerns. I have never seen such disappointment demonstrated by majority of the class regarding unprofessionalism from other professors on how they've conducted class and other issues. Hearing first-year & second-year students' frustrations with the school, administration, professors and rotations makes me concerned if I do apply to this school next cycle.
-Exam questions were all over the place. Some exams tested minute details whereas others were more clinically-relevant/board style.
-This has probably already been stated: Whatever you do, DO NOT GET THE MEAL PLAN, unless you don't mind spending money you most likely won't use. If it is still required to get priority housing get the minimum plan. I, along with others, had about $1200 or more remaining at the end of the first semester that did not rollover. There were many issues with flies in the beginning of the year, dirt and bugs in salads, meals being very unhealthy, prices varying from day to day, vegetarians getting food with meat, among other things. Many students did not pay the remaining half second semester even though it was against our contracts. A few got doctor's notes stating we could not eat anything from the cafeteria and the owner responded differently to each (to some he did not respond). The fact that the owner did not show up to meetings with the meal plan committee and dean and did not take action to collect the payments as stated on the contract shows this is unprofessional, shady and most likely even illegal business. If you do not have time/transportation to go outside the building for food you can always pay by the meal which ends up being several dollars cheaper.
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Are you kind of annoyed/upset with the fact that you had to do the Masters before being able to go into the DO Program? I was looking at the curriculum for the Masters and it's basically just what's needed for the DO first year so the only pro I can think of is that it gives you a bit of an edge because you're learning the material before everyone else and then getting to go through it again, but otherwise I don't personally see much benefit to the Masters program, other than guaranteed admission to the DO program if certain standards are met.Just completed the master's program at Middletown and I wanted to share some thoughts/advice/pros & cons about the school that I wish students told me before I started. I'll be doing the same on the master's page more specifically about the master's program even though many of my classmates have already posted. Each school has its downsides but these are just my experiences and observations that some may take into consideration when deciding which school is best for them.
-Facilities are new and impressive even though space is limited for studying. Comfy sofas and study rooms with white boards everywhere. (Compared to Harlem's campus Middletown's facilities are great except that there is no research here. Harlem has a floor just for research that students can be involved in which is pretty cool.)
-Being able to cover lectures at my own pace was very convenient. But the "flipped classroom" method needs a lot of work here. Most of the time students end up googling or ctrl+f minute details instead of having critical thinking type questions of clinical relevance.
-Start videos early! I wish I had known that it takes time to go through them at first, because I was still learning what style of studying works for me for this curriculum. A video can be 40 minutes long but it might take a little longer to cover if you're taking notes even though the video speed is a little faster.
-Material is not challenging. It's all about time management and self discipline.
CONS
-This is the most unprofessional school I have been to and other students have agreed. Most professors/advisors either don't respond in a timely manner or don't respond at all. My own advisor condescendingly talked about other students when I would meet him/her. S/he even tried to get the names of a group of students s/he pointed out weren't doing well and were on social media websites during class (even though there were many more students doing the same).
-Administration is not very receptive towards students' concerns. I have never seen such disappointment demonstrated by majority of the class regarding unprofessionalism from other professors on how they've conducted class and other issues. Hearing first-year & second-year students' frustrations with the school, administration, professors and rotations makes me concerned if I do apply to this school next cycle.
-Exam questions were all over the place. Some exams tested minute details whereas others were more clinically-relevant/board style.
-This has probably already been stated: Whatever you do, DO NOT GET THE MEAL PLAN, unless you don't mind spending money you most likely won't use. If it is still required to get priority housing get the minimum plan. I, along with others, had about $1200 or more remaining at the end of the first semester that did not rollover. There were many issues with flies in the beginning of the year, dirt and bugs in salads, meals being very unhealthy, prices varying from day to day, vegetarians getting food with meat, among other things. Many students did not pay the remaining half second semester even though it was against our contracts. A few got doctor's notes stating we could not eat anything from the cafeteria and the owner responded differently to each (to some he did not respond). The fact that the owner did not show up to meetings with the meal plan committee and dean and did not take action to collect the payments as stated on the contract shows this is unprofessional, shady and most likely even illegal business. If you do not have time/transportation to go outside the building for food you can always pay by the meal which ends up being several dollars cheaper.
I just realized that that ^ was quite a long run-on sentence. Lol ....
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Just so the above-listed author would not throw you, or anyone else off course:
This post (my first one here) is drawn largely from COMPLETE disagreement with the recent master's student's tirade.
Firstly, although it is entirely my guess (but I believe that a good guess it is), her(?) criticism most likely resulted from a lack of acceptance into the D.O. program which, in turn, resulted from a lack of academic success in the master's program (the two events are linked, mind you!). Hence, the statement "if I do apply to this school next year" should be altered into "if this school will accept me next year". And the "if" should be set in bold...and then profusely highlighted in crimson red.
Now, concerning the actual school. I am first in my family to apply to an American medical school, and thus performed a COPIOUS amount of "research" before delving into the process. Here is my reasoning:
Pro's
-Touro Middletown is newly built, but not "new" itself, which means the most up-to-date equipment (which is remarkable indeed...I mean only 3 or 4 schools in this country have the same quality 3-d anatomy dissection and plastination programs), excellent condition of anatomy labs (I mean, have you seen SUNY Buffalo's miasmatic pit????), excellent condition of dorms...all with the combined benefit of Touro's connections and (what is equally important) ability to attain connections.
-There is a large, quality hospital not even 150 meters from campus. Most DO schools are criticized for not being directly affiliated, or not being in direct proximity of a hospital, while Touro Middletown seems to be one of the few to defy this trend. The "juggling" of rotations which I heard being often referred to is practically nonexistent here. Moreover, a hefty percentage of physicians employed by Orange County Regional Hospital also teach at Touro, which
1-proves them to be set not only on medical practice, but on taking the time to teach this practice to others, a trait that only a very few urban physicians can boast of (just compare ORMC's rhythm with that of, say, Coney Island Hospital, Staten Island Hospital, or Icahn)...
2-makes the prospect of finding a "tie" for future rotations, and even residency quite easy (and ORMC is just one and closest of the many hospitals which offer this opportunity for Touro students).
-As far as research is concerned, there is no "basic science" lab space, however one can hardly find space on the walls free from clinical research or medical case studies (many associated with such schools and hospitals as Yale, Mt. Sinai, NYMC, SUNY Stony Brook, and SUNY Downstate). In my opinion, basic science research (i.e. standing nights on end before a Bunsen burner) should be completely facultative for a physician...I mean, he is welcome to do it, but his primary responsibility is, and always will be, the treatment of patients. In this light, clinical research (which is not only offered, but highly encouraged, and highly pursued), and even more so clinical case studies(since how else would a doctor gain expertise in his field, if not through study of interesting and unusual cases?) are vastly available through cooperation with nearby hospitals and medical schools!
-I(while being quite pedantic with my interrogation) am yet to hear a single student state his concern with the administration's "unprofessionalism". As a matter of fact, I have heard only the opposite. Additionally, my case is direct proof of this opposite (if you would like, PM me and I will tell you in details). Regarding rotations, unlike some Harlem students, no one (literally, none yet) of the second years and now-third-years, have expressed ANY worry...
Con's
-The only CON that I have heard of is the school's novelty; however, once again, I believe that "novelty" here should be used with respect to the branch, and not to the entire university.
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Has anyone had any luck finding out where they are ranked on the waitlist?
No. Do not speak so confidently about something which you do not know. I am a master's student who DID get in, and while I will be attending, I pretty much agree with everything lotusblossom said.
-Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, wants to rotate at Orange Regional. Yes, it's nice to have it to attend grand rounds in your first two years and all, but it is nowhere I would go for rounds or do a residency. It is declining every day more than the next.
-I don't know one professor who works at Orange Regional.
-Research is necessary for lots of competitive residencies today. Having an available research lab would have been an amazing advantage.
-Let's talk about unprofessionalism. At some point during the semester, the preclinical dean and director of the masters program had a meeting with us to discuss the grading system and try to put us at ease. One of the topics discussed was the physiology homework which was introduced mid-semester during the fall. One student made the argument that while the professors found it beneficial to conducting an interactive class, it was not beneficial to her personally and she did not prefer learning that way. The assistant to said preclinical dean answered by basically saying that this was what was advertised to you (while actually it was NOT) and thus if you don't like it you can leave at any time. Talk about unprofessionalism. We pay to attend this school and get a quality education. Just because somebody made an argument that you don't have a response to does not give you the excuse to deem the campus better off without them. I could go on and on about other professors and specific instances of unprofessionalism, but that's besides the point.
-I will attend this school because it is where I got in, and I am treating it as a means to an end. There are some frustrating aspects about it, yes, but at the end of 4 years I will be a DO, and that is all I care about at the end of the day.
-Also about the meal plan, what do people who live on campus without a car do? They do exist, and some of them are my friends. I felt very bad for them.
Did you get in somewhere else?
yes...I got 5 II, walitlist at 3, accepted at 2, and declined those options because this school is closest.
It was a really difficult to make a decision because there was literally NO info on this school. Student at the interview didn't complain at all. I wished people posted more information and their thoughts on the school so that incoming students could make the best decision.
Regardless, I am already going to attend in the fall, I will try and do my best.
It was a really difficult to make a decision because there was literally NO info on this school. Student at the interview didn't complain at all. I wished people posted more information and their thoughts on the school so that incoming students could make the best decision.
Regardless, I am already going to attend in the fall, I will try and do my best.
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I'm not annoyed; I only stated my experiences as well as my classmates', first and second years'. I think it's great to have gone through most of the first-year courses before the real thing. This is probably one thing many can agree on.
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Again, I am not trying to throw anyone off which is why I stated these are just my experiences/observations, as well as many others'. I am not against Touro Middletown because there are several professors who have been very helpful and actually care about teaching and their students. I just wish I had been told many of these things before deciding to go. You can go off what you have heard or researched (I heard similar things when I interviewed until I was able to speak with these same students about their real opinions/experiences once I had become friends with them during the school year) or just keep what others who have actually gone there said in the back of your mind. And if my original post was a tirade it would not have anything positive about the school. It was meant to merely be an informative post and not a negative one, even though some experiences have been negative.
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Treat it as a means to an end. Work smart, don't let whatever goes on there affect your learning and you'll be fine. There are also student reps for each course so students can voice their concerns to professors/administration. Congratulations and good luck!
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Looks like no one is going to get off the list at Touro Middletown. An accepted student that paid their deposit at Touro Harlem said that they received an email saying Harlem had over enrolled by 40 students and are trying to get accepted Harlem students to take spots at Middletown campus. Apparently the whole thing is a total poop show. They are forcing students to defer or transfer. Not really sure if this is the kind of school I want to be at.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/panicking-school-forcing-me-to-defer-or-transfer.1207331/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/panicking-school-forcing-me-to-defer-or-transfer.1207331/
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Man that sucks. Both for the school and the students. Also, kind of unfair that Middletown has to clean up after Harlem's mess. If I were the school I'd cut tuition by half for the first 40 students willing to defer or something like that. Make an attractive offer for students deferring.
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Yeah someone posted in that thread that that's what schools usually do in a situation like this. However I doubt touro will because it's kind of ridiculous at just how many students were overaccepted (40!!!!!).
The OP gave us another update and the situation has gotten even worse with the Dean getting involved. Not sure how comfortable I'd be as a student here based on what I've read....
As a current student, all I can say is that after having enrolled at Harlem, I've come to realize that Touro is horrible. The biggest gripe is the mandatory attendance. Out of 140 Med schools in the US, that drops us to 135th for being a good choice. Now add in how incompetent the admin is and the fact that one lady literally refusing to do her job and not uploading student grades caused current 3rd years to miss VSAS deadlines and miss the desired away rotations, I strongly recommend against this school.
If you have ANY other option, I take that.
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All these posts are beginning to make me less and less excited to attend this school...
Like lotusblossom said, treat it as a means to an end (unless you have another acceptance, that is). Be optimistic and tackle things as they go and you'll be fine
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Jeeze, the gift that keeps on giving.
They're starting to make LCOm look good by comparison!
Mandatory attendance? For lectures? I never heard that before. For labs, I can understand.
They're starting to make LCOm look good by comparison!
Mandatory attendance? For lectures? I never heard that before. For labs, I can understand.
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I hope someone complained to the local health authorities. That would Touro's attention very quickly.
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Actually there are no lectures, they're all pre-recorded and students watch them on their own time.
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There are clicker sessions for each class 1x a week for an hour. While they are not "mandatory", clickers are 10% of your grade.
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I'm always baffled by people who have not yet matriculated to Touro and love to "correct" current/past students. there's been a lot of that going on.
Don't let that whole "there are no lectures" line fool you. With the exception of Mondays, you will be at school every single day for clickers and/or labs. In the spring in Harlem, DO students were in class from 8a-4p on wednesdays and like 9a-3p on thursdays (12pm-1pm is lunch time so no classes). anatomy/neuro clickers and lab on tuesdays and fridays. add that to about 20 hours of video lectures per week plus actually reviewing and studying, it's not like you have copious amounts of free time on your hands. you still have to go to school, every morning. just because clickers are 10% doesn't mean they can be ignored.
imagine how well you'll be able to stay on top of lectures when you have an exam every monday for like 8 weeks in a row.
Don't let that whole "there are no lectures" line fool you. With the exception of Mondays, you will be at school every single day for clickers and/or labs. In the spring in Harlem, DO students were in class from 8a-4p on wednesdays and like 9a-3p on thursdays (12pm-1pm is lunch time so no classes). anatomy/neuro clickers and lab on tuesdays and fridays. add that to about 20 hours of video lectures per week plus actually reviewing and studying, it's not like you have copious amounts of free time on your hands. you still have to go to school, every morning. just because clickers are 10% doesn't mean they can be ignored.
imagine how well you'll be able to stay on top of lectures when you have an exam every monday for like 8 weeks in a row.
If you dont get that 10%, omm, pd, path (20%), PCS, and CS are pretty much guaranteed to get an F.
Moral of the story is, if you dont attend lectures, you'll likely fail enough credits to be booted out with no chance at remediation. Lectures arent truly "optional", and we'll see how much you like it when you want to study for usmle in march like 99% of the other med students in america, but you're stuck in lecture for 8 hours and get home exhausted.
Damn near 50% of the people who signed up for usmle ended up postponing it and we just started rotations. They'll either never get around to writing it now, or they write it and do spectacularly bad.
QFT
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