What type of drug test does TCMC require?
2012-2013 The Commonwealth Medical College Application Thread
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Nervous? Lol
Last Friday night you had a little too much fun ha
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Aren't urine and blood the standard med school drug tests? I'm guessing they will be testing a spectrum of alcohol, marijuana, narcotics, etc.
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Urine only.
I loved TCMC, but I just couldn't turn down an offer from my first choice school. As soon as I get paperwork stating my acceptance there is unconditional, I'll be withdrawing from TCMC. Hopefully someone here can get my spot. 
Best of luck to everyone.
Best of luck to everyone.So I recently received an automatic acceptance offer to TCMC's MBS program. The e-mail states that it is offered to a select group of people from the MD waitlist. Would anybody recommend doing this program? Does it negatively affect your waitlist status (drop down a tier or something)?
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So does a "select few have been offered acceptance to MBS" mean you are at the top of the wait list so we will take you, or does it mean you are at the bottom and have no shot so we will throw you a bone.
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It could have been sent to everyone, but if it were me, I'd just pretend its the top group, which makes the most sense.
I believe it is for August 2013.
Yes, just checked, its for Aug 2013. And the e-mail says "offered to a select group of people from the MD waitlist." so probably just the top group. Hopefully if you show them that you can do their MBS program, then you will have a good shot at their med school, since we already interviewed and were almost accepted this time. what do you guys think?
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After the tourist season 2012-2013 ended in Scantron this thread was so quiet, I started thinking they closed the school.
No waitlist movement, nothing.
It seems that they don't have enough students in their MBS program, so they decided to add additional 5th year to their curriculum. This program is a robbery, since you pay twice for the 1st year of med school.
I have normal stats and ECs, and I see nothing this program can improve. I believe that at least half of tcmc class has stats lower than mine.
No waitlist movement, nothing.
It seems that they don't have enough students in their MBS program, so they decided to add additional 5th year to their curriculum. This program is a robbery, since you pay twice for the 1st year of med school.
I have normal stats and ECs, and I see nothing this program can improve. I believe that at least half of tcmc class has stats lower than mine.
I am so glad there is a thread for waitlisted people I was starting to feel like the only one. I really like this school and just got the Master's Program email too. I am very excited to think that getting it means we are on top of the list but I also feel like it is the school's way to see who applies and then judging us as trying to get whatever we can or accepting to not start immediately or feeling like we actually need to improve ourselves, I do not know what do you guys think?
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Also got the MBS. I think "select group" is "everyone".
Yes, they send that MBS email to just about everyone. You'd definitely have a better shot if you did MBS and applied again.
I asked and there has been no movement on the wait list yet. Either not enough people dropped seats (after which they would consider looking at the wait list) or the committee still hasn't met for that.
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So what happens if tcmc gives 150 acceptances out and all applicants accept? But the school is only allowed 100 new student.
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Nope. I haven't received that email for the MBS. I would assume it's for the top of the wait list.
PS- I haven't withdrawn, in spite of what mdapps says.
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Like the poster above me said, I'd guess that would happen.
But that typically does not happen. And if it does, they are allotted a percentage over the "100" that the LCME sanctions. So they can technically accept (just a random #) 110 students maybe.
Hey guys,
I am totally new to this but I am really interested in this thread especially that I am wait listed and received the same email you guys referred to around the same time. I would love the master's program but at the same time I am worried that if we do agree to it that it will look like we are not ready for med school now and we feel like we do need a year of prep or improvement. I know the email says it will not affect us but I am a little worried.
Thanks for any comments.....
I am totally new to this but I am really interested in this thread especially that I am wait listed and received the same email you guys referred to around the same time. I would love the master's program but at the same time I am worried that if we do agree to it that it will look like we are not ready for med school now and we feel like we do need a year of prep or improvement. I know the email says it will not affect us but I am a little worried.
Thanks for any comments.....
To my understanding, no school would ever offer more spots than they are allotted. They are able to offer more spots initially, because some people do not accept, and others drop out throughout the process. Therefore, they are never really offering more spots, but re-offering spots that have already been offered one, or more times.
As I understand it, they would never have more than their class size offered at any moment due to AMCAS requirements.
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Hey guys,
I am totally new to this but I am really interested in this thread especially that I am wait listed and received the same email you guys referred to around the same time. I would love the master's program but at the same time I am worried that if we do agree to it that it will look like we are not ready for med school now and we feel like we do need a year of prep or improvement. I know the email says it will not affect us but I am a little worried.
Thanks for any comments.....
I wouldn't worry about it. If they said it wouldn't affect your waitlist status, I'd take their word for it. Even if it did, they wouldn't think of it the way you are suggesting. You wanting to do an SMP would demonstrate that you are serious about med school and will do whatever it takes to get into one, not that you aren't prepared for it.
I don't believe that is accurate. Many MD schools offer many more acceptances than their seats. Even at my TCMC interview Kelley said that they will offer a bit less than two times their amount of seats, which is conservative, because many similar schools offer three times the acceptances as their number of seats.
Like Chip90 said, the LCME does offer a buffer percentage of seats (I think its somewhere between 5% and 8%), but on some rare occasions, schools still have too many people who want to matriculate. In that situation, as Ineedhopenow mentioned, some schools offer a lottery for any students interested in deferring a year and receiving a tuition break. This is what happened last year at Penn State-Hershey when they offered a lottery for 2 people to defer a year and get free first year tuition.
That all being said, I don't believe that TCMC has ever done or had to do that, and in general its VERY rare for any school to have to do that.
Its still very early people, and in general it seems like waitlist movement (especially in the Northeast/East Coast) has been very slow this year.
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Hi. Just letting you all know that I withdrew from the waitlist today. I was accepted at my top choice school, and I feel that the other school is a better fit for me and my goals. But good luck to everyone still waiting to hear back!!
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How do we do the fbi fingerprint card if we dont live in pa?
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Has anyone who withdrew before May 15 have gotten their deposit back?
Is that on the pre-matriculation site? I can't find the form.
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This is to any matriculated students and/or those accepted at TCMC. I'm currently accepted at TCMC and got off the waitlist at Drexel Med. I like each program for different reasons, and am having difficulty deciding. My main reason for choosing TCMC is the block style curriculum and PBL vs. Drexel's systems-based learning with multiple back-to-back tests in a week. Any thoughts/feedback would be much appreciated.
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TCMC faculty are probably more invested in you than Drexel because it's a new school. I'm choosing TCMC for that reason.
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I had to decide between Drexel and TCMC. I decided to stick with TCMC a while ago. I think that curriculum wise TCMC has a nice mix, whereas at Drexel - you kind of have to choose from the get go whether you want case based learning or traditional lecture format. You have about 2 weeks to experiment with PIL at Drexel, from what my faculty interviewer told me. Whereas at TCMC, you have case based learning throughout the entire year to supplement traditional lecture style. Then second year - you have the flipped classroom model where many of the lectures are administered in podcast and we use class time to do active learning. If you've never experienced it - I can attest that it's an awesome way to learn. It's very dependent upon you doing the work though - which can be hit or miss for some ppl.
I'm probably biased, as I was a Masters student at TCMC this past year - but from what I've experienced, nothing beats the people at TCMC. They're incredibly invested in all their students. That's not to say that Drexel isn't - but they definitely felt like a huge school with not as much attention spent on their students.
I think 3rd year is the most difference between the two and I think overall the LIC is a better model to go through clinicals. I'm not thrilled with the hospitals affiliated with TCMC - plus the LIC seems really ambulatory based, but I don't think that really makes a difference in the long run. You're gonna get the clinical experiences you need to be a good 4th year or resident.
TCMC's exams are kind of like super intense, day long exams from what I saw from the M1s and M2s last year, but it seemed really nice that they only had exams like once a month or maybe once every month and a half. Coming from a curriculum where there are exams every week - I can tell you that it was incredibly stressful and I'm not sure I'd like to go back to a curriculum like that. It's all about displacement though because it's more or less when you stress out. Consistently stressing out over 5-6 weeks vs. stressing out over 1 week before a huge exam - it really just comes down to personal preference.
The match doesn't seem to be too much of an issue. I was concerned that it might be - but TCMC matched pretty well for their first year.
The facilities were much nicer at TCMC than Drexel - that's just a byproduct of being a newer school.
Students seemed nice at Drexel. I know a lot of the MDs at TCMC so that definitely weighed on my decision - much more familiar atmosphere. The students are very nice at TCMC empirically, whether you're from the MBS program or just starting as an M1.
Those were just some things in my decision making process if I had to choose between Drexel and TCMC. Hope it helps!
I'm probably biased, as I was a Masters student at TCMC this past year - but from what I've experienced, nothing beats the people at TCMC. They're incredibly invested in all their students. That's not to say that Drexel isn't - but they definitely felt like a huge school with not as much attention spent on their students.
I think 3rd year is the most difference between the two and I think overall the LIC is a better model to go through clinicals. I'm not thrilled with the hospitals affiliated with TCMC - plus the LIC seems really ambulatory based, but I don't think that really makes a difference in the long run. You're gonna get the clinical experiences you need to be a good 4th year or resident.
TCMC's exams are kind of like super intense, day long exams from what I saw from the M1s and M2s last year, but it seemed really nice that they only had exams like once a month or maybe once every month and a half. Coming from a curriculum where there are exams every week - I can tell you that it was incredibly stressful and I'm not sure I'd like to go back to a curriculum like that. It's all about displacement though because it's more or less when you stress out. Consistently stressing out over 5-6 weeks vs. stressing out over 1 week before a huge exam - it really just comes down to personal preference.
The match doesn't seem to be too much of an issue. I was concerned that it might be - but TCMC matched pretty well for their first year.
The facilities were much nicer at TCMC than Drexel - that's just a byproduct of being a newer school.
Students seemed nice at Drexel. I know a lot of the MDs at TCMC so that definitely weighed on my decision - much more familiar atmosphere. The students are very nice at TCMC empirically, whether you're from the MBS program or just starting as an M1.
Those were just some things in my decision making process if I had to choose between Drexel and TCMC. Hope it helps!
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Sure is look at registrar
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any feedback on this?
I would personally go with Drexel because despite being a fan of both school am a firm believer in the compact schedule and numerous testing and endless lectures. I feel like this learning method can not be substituted with any other method no matter what domain you study and specifically in medicine. This being said congratulations on both acceptances, I was hoping to get Drexel.
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"Numerous testing and endless lectures" LOLOLOLOLOL You're definitely unique. I do not find that method effective at all. From experience, this method promotes studying for exams instead of active learning. Most schools are opting out of this old system for a reason. To each his own I suppose.
Can someone comment on the alternate list movement? I received the email regarding SMP acceptance, but I don't have funds for it. I hope TCMC won't automatically turn down those people on AWL who decide not to enroll in SMP.
First of all an opinion should never be something to be laughed at out loud as I do not personally see how this is professional taking into consideration the forum we are on. And yeah I am unique, I and the thousands of doctors that graduated medicine this way for years and years. So yeah totally to each his own.
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TCMC historically doesn't have much waitlist movement. I think the Masters program is offered as an alternative and you stand a better shot coming out of the Masters program but I think taking the SMP route would essentially remove you from the waitlist. I'm not 100% sure about that, but of the people who ended up in MBS - obviously none of them got off of the waitlist before the Masters program started. I would email Kristin Brown with your question - she's pretty nice and usually answers questions like that.
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Wow. Way to be a jerk about that.
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Hmmm I didn't think people here were so sensitive. If you do decide to attend TCMC, we'll probably not work together.
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Lol I agree , some ppl act like they never had anyone poke fun of them. Have a slight sense of humor ppl.
I am not looking foward towards the arrognant medical students with no sense of humor aand all business type.
Has anyone made it of the wait list guys? Anyone heard good news? Any of the previous TCMC students know of other students that got wait listed and succeeded into making it in? I am really hopeful but as the clock ticks I am getting worried.
thanks a lot.
thanks a lot.
Now my sources aren't 100%, but it seems as if no one, if very, very few will get off of the waiting list. Like I explained a few posts back, not enough people have dropped their seats where they would start looking to add students from the wait list. At least not yet.
Also, wanted to add about WHO would be getting off the waitlist. It's all about compatibility now. So if there are 5 spots open and not enough females, or NePA residents then they will look to those students for the waitlist. If there are not enough URMs, they will look for that. Just fyi.
Sorry if that wasn't what you wanted to hear
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Dun dun dun.
So I just spoke via email to Admissions and it seems there HAD been minimal movement on the wait list- so I guess one or two people got off of it. However, there hasn't been any movement as of recent.
So I just spoke via email to Admissions and it seems there HAD been minimal movement on the wait list- so I guess one or two people got off of it. However, there hasn't been any movement as of recent.
Thank you for the news, please keep us updated if you find out something.
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