TUCOM-CA Discussion Thread 2008-2009

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For discussion of the school noted above. This includes interview dates, questions, etc. Threads will be merged in here if they are created on their own.


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BUMPing another one...

I've been wanting to go to CA for 11 years... Any info on secondaries from TUCOM-CA yet?!?
 
I called them. they automatically give secondaries to all applicants.
 
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Flew home from San Diego today and waiting in my mailbox was the secondary from Touro-CA. It was post-marked 7/15. My application was sent on 7/2.

I know that someone was told that everyone receives a secondary, but the letter enclosed with mine implies you'll only receive one if you meet their minimum requirements.

Interesting.
 
Flew home from San Diego today and waiting in my mailbox was the secondary from Touro-CA. It was post-marked 7/15. My application was sent on 7/2.

I know that someone was told that everyone receives a secondary, but the letter enclosed with mine implies you'll only receive one if you meet their minimum requirements.

Interesting.

True. It is available online though. You'll get a secondary invite as long as you have your primary and MCATs submitted. The secondary is a bit wierd though because it is an html doc online but has no submit button. I'm assuming that means we have to print the page off. Anyone know?
 
True. It is available online though. You'll get a secondary invite as long as you have your primary and MCATs submitted. The secondary is a bit wierd though because it is an html doc online but has no submit button. I'm assuming that means we have to print the page off. Anyone know?

Yeah, you have to fill it out and then mail it in. There are clear directions on the first page of the secondary.
 
True. It is available online though. You'll get a secondary invite as long as you have your primary and MCATs submitted. The secondary is a bit wierd though because it is an html doc online but has no submit button. I'm assuming that means we have to print the page off. Anyone know?


That's what I did, I hope that's what we're supposed to do, haha. There wasn't very much room for the questions why TUCOM, and why should we accept you into this year's class, so I added a sheet with my answers to those questions. I hope that was okay.
 
I filled it out online, printed it off and mailed it in. Got an interview next Monday, so I guess I did it alright.
 
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That's what I did, I hope that's what we're supposed to do, haha. There wasn't very much room for the questions why TUCOM, and why should we accept you into this year's class, so I added a sheet with my answers to those questions. I hope that was okay.

Good, at least we will all look ******ed together if we are wrong.
 
Which airport are you guys flying to, and by what transportation are you getting to the school or surrounding area? The airports are pretty far from the campus...
 
Which airport are you guys flying to, and by what transportation are you getting to the school or surrounding area? The airports are pretty far from the campus...

I chose San Francisco and have a rental car. I'm not staying at the recommended hotel because it is just so expensive. I chose a rental car because I don't like cutting as close as I would with a shuttle.
 
Hey everyone, A few days ago I received notice from Touro-CA saying my application was not complete yet because it was missing a letter of recommendation from science faculty. However, I sent in two science letters. Granted the one that was in question was a letter from my scientific researcher. She is a professor at UCLA, but mostly focuses on research. Though she doesn't "teach" the hard science courses, I have taken several research courses with her and done research in molecular biology in her lab, and she has given me credit for them. Would you consider this as a valid letter from a science faculty? I think what may have happened was that in the letter, she did not mention the courses I took with her. Would you recommend contacting my recommender and asking her to write an addedum to include with the letter so that Touro can accept her letter?

Has anyone ever encountered something similar like this? What did you do and how did the Admissions Office handle it? Does this apply to the other Touro University in Nevada and NY?

I'm getting nervous because its been over a month since I received their secondary and it is still considered incomplete and thus not eligible for review. Thanks for any input.
 
Hey everyone, A few days ago I received notice from Touro-CA saying my application was not complete yet because it was missing a letter of recommendation from science faculty. However, I sent in two science letters. Granted the one that was in question was a letter from my scientific researcher. She is a professor at UCLA, but mostly focuses on research. Though she doesn't "teach" the hard science courses, I have taken several research courses with her and done research in molecular biology in her lab, and she has given me credit for them. Would you consider this as a valid letter from a science faculty? I think what may have happened was that in the letter, she did not mention the courses I took with her. Would you recommend contacting my recommender and asking her to write an addedum to include with the letter so that Touro can accept her letter?

Has anyone ever encountered something similar like this? What did you do and how did the Admissions Office handle it? Does this apply to the other Touro University in Nevada and NY?

I'm getting nervous because its been over a month since I received their secondary and it is still considered incomplete and thus not eligible for review. Thanks for any input.

Talk to:

Lynn Huckle
Admissions Counselor
Touro University-California
888-887-7336
[email protected]

Just explain the situation, and be prepared to request a little additional info from your letter writer. It sounds like she'll meet the requirement, but check with Lynn--she's very helpful and accessible.
 
So, I was talking to my dad the other day since I landed in SF for the interview tomorrow. He said I got another letter from Touro. Evidently there is another kid with my last name that was rejected a secondary. Ouch...
 
Hey guys. I just got back from the campus and took some photos with my blackberry. Its kind of a cloudy day, which makes it a little extra gloomy. I talked to some students there that were nice guys. I'll try to take more photos during the interview. One of my problems with all of these school websites is that you have NO idea what you're going to encounter. Not all of these pictures are school buildings. Many are just the general vibe of the area, which I have to say is a bit on the eerie side driving in.









 




The campus is what it is. I'm hoping to see it with some sunlight and the inside facilities as well. The bay area is awesome and negates a lot of the abandoned shipyard feel that you get when you drive to the campus.
 
Talk to:

Lynn Huckle
Admissions Counselor
Touro University-California
888-887-7336
[email protected]

Just explain the situation, and be prepared to request a little additional info from your letter writer. It sounds like she'll meet the requirement, but check with Lynn--she's very helpful and accessible.

Thanks alot Cbear. I will call her first thing monday morning! Hopefully it'll be acceptable because I have no other letters to be honest.
 




The campus is what it is. I'm hoping to see it with some sunlight and the inside facilities as well. The bay area is awesome and negates a lot of the abandoned shipyard feel that you get when you drive to the campus.

Good luck with your interview. Let us know how it goes. I interview there on Tuesday.
 
For those who already interviewed, how spread out is the campus? Is there lots of walking during the tour? Trying to decide if I should bring another pair of shoes..
 
For those who already interviewed, how spread out is the campus? Is there lots of walking during the tour? Trying to decide if I should bring another pair of shoes..

I'd recommend it. The campus has a lot of hills. There isn't much to the campus (see my pictures) but a lot of it is on a hill. If you're a girl, which I'm assuming you are by the question, then avoid hardcore heels. (Dudes don't think about that) Stick with some comfortable flats or something if you can. If you don't have any you like, bring a pair of shoes to walk around in during the bad parts. I don't think many people would judge you for not wanting to break your neck on the huge hill.

There are also a ton of cracks in the sidewalk, which never leads to good.

I can tell you the library and main building are on the bottom. The Farragut Inn, where we meet, is the old officer's club at the top of the hill. There is a clinical skills/residence hall building that is kind of between those. I'll fill you in with more after tomorrow.

The biggest difference I was told by a student today was the interview style. Which, sounds like it is a panel of people and then a group of students all at once. There is always a current 2nd year involved with the interviewing process.
 
Mosspoh, thanks for the insight. My shoes aren't hardcore heels..would not be able to stand up straight if they were. But, bringing an extra pair of shoes means having to carry a pursue large enough to hold a pair of shoes. I hate pursues..darn. Guess I have to suck it up. Maybe I'll just wear flats the entire day..but they aren't broken in yet.. Thanks for the pics. Good luck at your interview!
 
Mosspoh, thanks for the insight. My shoes aren't hardcore heels..would not be able to stand up straight if they were. But, bringing an extra pair of shoes means having to carry a pursue large enough to hold a pair of shoes. I hate pursues..darn. Guess I have to suck it up. Maybe I'll just wear flats the entire day..but they aren't broken in yet.. Thanks for the pics. Good luck at your interview!

Well, you just have to make a decision. I never really saw any big purses at interviews. It is generally not needed. I approach these a lot like an interview for a big business. The only thing you will need to carry is maybe a binder with the pad of paper if they give one. Some people suggest not carrying a big purse because it emphasizes the femininity thing a bit. (I'm not sure about that) I'd dig those flats out and walk around in them for a little bit around the house. I mean, it'd be kind of creepy if I did for a multitude of reasons. You get the gist though
 
MossPoh - your pics make the campus look less creepy than what I saw from it. It definitely was interesting to see the campus. Not sure it would be a place I would spend 4 years, personally. But good luck to you all on your interview.
 
I stopped by the campus today too...Not the greatest looking place especially after seeing NSU last week. Maybe the inside won't look as bad and the place won't seem as erie with students walking around.
 
Its an interesting history with the place. Its also crazy what 12 years of little maintenance can do to buildings. I think within the next 10+ years the place will improve drastically and probably won't even look the same. It sounds like they are trying to get more civilian stuff in there along with some money to get fronted to redo some of the buildings.

They'd need to drop some serious cash for some of that. They need to raze, landscape and repaint some things just to make it look a little cheerier.

The light does make the place look extra creepy. The sun came out later today. When I was there it was around 55 degrees and overcast. I wouldn't worry about seeing yourself there for 4 years...but you need to for at least 2! The surrounding area is great though. I just got back from dinner with an old prof and some students from my program in SF. There are few cities as beautiful as San Francisco. I was driving to dinner and was crossing over the bay bridge with alcatraz and the GG bridge eclipsing a bit of the sunset and the clouds/fog kind of drifting along.
 
I stopped by the campus today too...Not the greatest looking place especially after seeing NSU last week. Maybe the inside won't look as bad and the place won't seem as erie with students walking around.

Students did make the place look more alive outside. Some showed up around 10:30 pacific time. Seemed like cool guys. Told me that they don't do a lot of flash and you pretty much know what to expect from the school if you choose to go there.
 
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I just got a postcard from them saying my application is complete. How long after that postcard did people here about getting interviews? Or did people just not even get the postcard and get an interview? I am curious on where I may stand at the school.
 
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I called them about my application being complete and they mentioned the cards. I got the card 2 days after I got my interview invite, so who knows how the us postal office works.
 
I just got a postcard from them saying my application is complete. How long after that postcard did people here about getting interviews? Or did people just not even get the postcard and get an interview? I am curious on where I may stand at the school.

I got the card and the invite at the same time, both this morning. It was funny to look through the mail and say, "Oh, good, I'm complete at Touro CA, then to keep looking through the mail and see, "Awesome, I got an invite at Touro CA!"

So yeah, in other words, the card writing guy and the invite writing guy aren't on the same page.
 
So, I'm sitting in the Miami airport after my flight was cancelled and thought I'd talk about my interview experience.

It was pretty smooth. The day begins at the top of the hill where you talk about the school, go over financial aid and all that basic stuff. You then walk down to the main area of the campus where you are split into groups for tours. The students show you around the campus. Afterwards, you come back and they separate you into two groups for interviews where you do the unique panel thing. That is the gist of the process.

I appreciated the honesty of the school. They didn't seem to blow smoke or anything. Students seemed generally happy. I still think the largest downfall is the state of the facilities. At times, I felt like I was walking around a high school hallway. The people I talked to cited location as the primary reason many of them chose the school, secondary were things like system based curriculum and rotations. The library is on the thin side, but is more than adequate for most uses. There seems to be plenty of research opportunities if you wish for that. They also are big on community health. The school looks like it will grow a lot in the next 5+ years and does have a lot of promise. I'm not sure it is right for me. I didn't walk away saying "wow" for the school as much as the "wow" for being in the bay area.
 
They have lots of clinics off campus. They are currently working on doing one on campus I believe. The vast majority of Touro stuff is off of the island when it comes to clinical experiences. The new cancer center they are building also has an OMM part, and a clinic. They said that should be ready by 3rd or 4th year.

There are plenty of clinical opportunities in the bay area. At least I got that vibe.
 
Okay, I've been trying to call for the past two days to schedule my interview. I'm dialing the number they gave me on the invite letter, but they DON'T answer their phones. Its really frustrating. I tried all day yesterday and this morning.

Whats the deal? Those of you with interviews did you have a similar experience?
 
I just posted a response to a similar question in the NSU section. Sometimes its just the luck of the draw. You also have to be aware of what time you're calling. If you're on east coast time and calling at 9 a.m., they are obviously not going to pick up. I called around 7 p.m. east coast and got an answer within 2 rings, so just keep trying.
 
I just emailed the lady that was in charge of application status. Hopefully she'll respond and be able to help me.
 
Hi, I've been having problems with the HTML version of the application. Does anyone have a copy of the text version that they can send me? I'd REALLY appreciate it!

Thanks in advance.
 
I am waiting for my secondary from TUCOM-CA...it's been two weeks since my apps were released to the school. (9.4.08) I got secondaries from everywhere else pretty much, but TUCOM hasn't sent me one. Does this mean by now that I got rejected pre-secondary? dang...this was one of my top choices...also, do they send secondaries via snail mail or email? seems like snail-mail based on responses from this forum....thank you!

ps i called and email lynn huckle.. but i get no response.

pps i got secondaries from all the other TOURO campuses (ie NY and NV) just nothing from CA
 
I am waiting for my secondary from TUCOM-CA...it's been two weeks since my apps were released to the school. (9.4.08) I got secondaries from everywhere else pretty much, but TUCOM hasn't sent me one. Does this mean by now that I got rejected pre-secondary? dang...this was one of my top choices...also, do they send secondaries via snail mail or email? seems like snail-mail based on responses from this forum....thank you!

ps i called and email lynn huckle.. but i get no response.

pps i got secondaries from all the other TOURO campuses (ie NY and NV) just nothing from CA

I got mine through snail mail. Touro-CA was the last secondary I received, if that helps at all..
 
hey sunnysnow7 how long did it take for you to get the secondary? thanks for the reply
 
Hey everyone. New to the SDN.

Just got an interview invitation today in the mail. It came 1 week after my application was complete. The invitation letter was not too clear on dress attire. Aside from comfortable shoes, do I assume business attire (e.g. Suit, slacks, tie, coat, etc..)?

Thanks and I look forward to becoming active in this network
 
Hey everyone. New to the SDN.

Just got an interview invitation today in the mail. It came 1 week after my application was complete. The invitation letter was not too clear on dress attire. Aside from comfortable shoes, do I assume business attire (e.g. Suit, slacks, tie, coat, etc..)?

Thanks and I look forward to becoming active in this network

Yes. Business attire for all interviews. Congrats on the interview and good luck!:thumbup:
 
i just got the interview invite in the mail this afternoon...now i gotta wait till all you guys get off the phone with them so i can schedule my own interview ;)
 
I chose San Francisco and have a rental car. I'm not staying at the recommended hotel because it is just so expensive. I chose a rental car because I don't like cutting as close as I would with a shuttle.

MossPoh - what hotel did you stay at and do you recommend it?

...And for some reason, googlemaps can't do directions from "1310 Johnson Lane, Vallejo" to anywhere or vice versa?! will this be a problem with GPS?
 
hey everyone,
i am within driving distance of this one. i also know how to get there. I can be your 'student host' of sorts :oops: so you guys are all more than welcome to couch-surf if you need to!
 
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