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Cmurphy9 said:
I have a question regarding the accreditation of the institution.

Hailing from a small town in NEPA, I understand the college was only given permission and funding to begin the institution because of their mission - to teach and produce PCPs for NEPA.

So is the accreditation based solely on whether or not they accomplish their mission? In other words, if only a small fraction of students are graduating and staying in NEPA, will the school not receive full accreditation? Because to me, it would make sense that they don't receive accreditation if they aren't doing what they originally set out to do.

I just ask because I kept hearing from others that the accreditation was based on their financial situation.

Thanks in advance for any input!
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TCMC is fully accredited but for some reason the LCME website still lists it as provisionally accredited.

It would be unrealistic for accreditation to be jeopardized for failing to meet the mission statement; mission statements are an idealized goal.
 
circulus vitios said:
TCMC is fully accredited but for some reason the LCME website still lists it as provisionally accredited.

It would be unrealistic for accreditation to be jeopardized for failing to meet the mission statement; mission statements are an idealized goal.
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That's very true, but it's not just that it's their mission statement. It's the very reason they were given permission to begin the institution. Also, I had no idea they were fully accredited. Has LCME not updated their list or something?
 
meetmymuse said:
I'm really sorry to hear this. This process is hard--much harder for some than others. Just going by stats, your application seems strong; have you considered contacting admissions at TCMC (or any other schools you've been given rejections) to ask for feedback? It sucks to be rejected, but I would imagine even more so to be blind to whatever is holding you back. Best of luck, and I hope that you get some good news soon.
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Took your advice and contacted the admission committee for TCMC. They gave me one of the rudest denials of any medical school I have yet emailed-not even the slightest bit of insight into the perceived strengths/weaknesses of my application, or any extension of sympathy for my situation.
 
Cmurphy9 said:
That's very true, but it's not just that it's their mission statement. It's the very reason they were given permission to begin the institution. Also, I had no idea they were fully accredited. Has LCME not updated their list or something?
Click to expand...

How do you know TCMC isn't following through with their mission statement?
 
darklabel said:
How do you know TCMC isn't following through with their mission statement?
Click to expand...

I mean they're trying, but I heard a majority of the recent graduates are attending programs in places other than NEPA. I specifically remember on interview day them mentioning a low percentage of students remaining in NEPA.
 
circulus vitios said:
TCMC is fully accredited but for some reason the LCME website still lists it as provisionally accredited.

It would be unrealistic for accreditation to be jeopardized for failing to meet the mission statement; mission statements are an idealized goal.
Click to expand...

TCMC had problems with accreditation owing to the very high average indebtedness of their graduates- a common problem with newer medical schools w/o alumni support.
 
I think that, eventually, it's likely that the first class will stay near where they did their residencies, but the jury is still out. It could be possible that the graduates are going to big cities to get the best training possible with the intention of going back to NEPA or underserved areas following completion of their residency programs. I admittedly don't know too much about this, but I'm sure that Scranton area hospitals can't compare with your Case Westerns/Jeffersons/UMDNJs and most of the other places where the first graduating class chose for residency.

Cmurphy9 said:
I mean they're trying, but I heard a majority of the recent graduates are attending programs in places other than NEPA. I specifically remember on interview day them mentioning a low percentage of students remaining in NEPA.
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Damn deferred until next meeting. Notified via email. The wait continues...
 
Also was deferred by email today. Interviewed on 11/15. Does anyone know the next date that the committee will meet?
 
Cmurphy9 said:
Also, I heard they meet once a month.
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The committee meets once a month, but they don't necessarily review all files in order. For instance, there were some October interviewee decisions that were released at the end of October and September interviews that received decisions in late November. I think it depends on who you interview with, and how fast they submit their stuff. Not sure though. I don't know how Christmas and New Years will affect the committee timeline, but it seems like they've been running behind schedule, so I'd guess the next round of decisions would be in early January. Could be earlier, though, or later!
 
Cmurphy9 said:
That's very true, but it's not just that it's their mission statement. It's the very reason they were given permission to begin the institution. Also, I had no idea they were fully accredited. Has LCME not updated their list or something?
Click to expand...

We're still under provisional accreditation until after a site visit this Feb. The LCME wouldn't necessarily consider the original mission of TCMC - it's based on a huge document of standards the LCME holds every medical school to. The issue was financial because we're an independent institution. They were uncomfortable with where our funding was going to come from, however, in recent months - our Dean has secured a lot of additional consistent funding (in the millions) that should solve any issues with accreditation. Middle States (which is another accrediting institution) came through in October, saw our finances and agreed they were good.

As for whether TCMC is succeeding in its mission - (granted this is just the opinion of a 1st yr), I think it's tough to say. TCMC needs to grow and for that to happen the charter class had to go beyond the reaches of NEPA. I was a masters student here last year and I can tell you a number of applicants last year all cared about where people were going to match. To NewYorkDoctor's credit as well as his classmates - they matched extremely well at competitive institutions. I don't think you can say TCMC failed for allowing these individuals to go to competitive locations. In a class of 100, I see a lot of NEPA lifers who are actually really committed to staying in the area. It's where their families are, where they went to high school, undergrad and now medical school. They're comfortable with the area and want to stay. Whether they stay or not - that's a whole other issue. I respectfully disagree with NewYorkDoctors on the whole interview answer in trying to stay in the area. I went to undergrad in Rochester New York and explicitly stated that I wanted to return to Rochester to practice. A ton of my classmates have answered similarly. These faculty members have been doing this for 5 years now - they've heard every BS reason to stay in NEPA. If you want to stay in NEPA, be honest about it. If you don't, be honest about that too. I know for a fact how jaded the interviewers are with regard to buzzwords like "community", "primary care", and "family med".
As someone who will be interviewing applicants shortly - I can tell you, it really sucks to hear these buzzwords without any actual substance or reasoning behind them. Also, while med school is really competitive and it's pretty much about where you get in if you only get into 1 school - it really sucks having classmates who hate NEPA or TCMC. So I think that's why TCMC as a whole is trying really hard to make sure we're getting people with the "right fit". Don't lie, get in, and hate it. Med school is awesome, you should want to love where you're going to be for the next 4 yrs.

I'll get off my soapbox now - but hopefully that helps answer some questions.
 
ATT current student:arghh:... 🙂

I absolutely LOVED TCMC... out of every interview I have gone this year, their student seem the happiest and so relaxed. I would pick TCMC if I were to be accepted in a heart beat... except for their lack of research. 😳
As some of us plan on going into very competitive fields, research is a must! So my question is:
How do you guys get those in? Do you just have to find research opportunities elsewhere and do it on summer breaks?
Another very important question... what you guys do for fun in Scranton?! 😒

Thanks a bunch in advance!! :kiss:
 
PlasticsEthusE said:
ATT current student:arghh:... 🙂

I absolutely LOVED TCMC... out of every interview I have gone this year, their student seem the happiest and so relaxed. I would pick TCMC if I were to be accepted in a heart beat... except for their lack of research. 😳
As some of us plan on going into very competitive fields, research is a must! So my question is:
How do you guys get those in? Do you just have to find research opportunities elsewhere and do it on summer breaks?
Another very important question... what you guys do for fun in Scranton?! 😒

Thanks a bunch in advance!! :kiss:
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you liked your tour day. As for research, I think that's hard to do at any med school mostly just based on the amount of time you can commit. Other schools may have more opportunities, sure, but whether you'll have time to take advantage of it during your first or second year is tough to say. Most of the M2s and M3s I've spoken to at TCMC conduct research over the summer between M1 and M2. Finding and getting research in med school is much different than in undergrad. Most PIs are pretty receptive to taking on med students. There's also clinical research which is also helpful for competitive fields. There is a surprising amount of clinical research in the area. We also send students to competitive summer programs at other institutions. TCMC has a definitive summer research program for M1s where they pair interested students with PIs for the summer. There's also a stipend provided. Research may be limited at TCMC but I don't think that necessarily means your opportunities to pursue research are limited.

For fun in Scranton - well there are a bunch of Universities/Colleges in the area so there's definitely a youthful feel when going out on the weekends. There's a bunch of bars that people frequent. A lot of students throw parties and stuff which are fun. There are tons of clubs invested in a bunch of different interests from sports to professional interests. We're not too far from Philly or NYC so people take a weekend trip or something, hit up a concert. It's not a huge city, but you can find something to do if you look hard enough.
 
plasmamorris said:
Glad to hear you liked your tour day. As for research, I think that's hard to do at any med school mostly just based on the amount of time you can commit. Other schools may have more opportunities, sure, but whether you'll have time to take advantage of it during your first or second year is tough to say. Most of the M2s and M3s I've spoken to at TCMC conduct research over the summer between M1 and M2. Finding and getting research in med school is much different than in undergrad. Most PIs are pretty receptive to taking on med students. There's also clinical research which is also helpful for competitive fields. There is a surprising amount of clinical research in the area. We also send students to competitive summer programs at other institutions. TCMC has a definitive summer research program for M1s where they pair interested students with PIs for the summer. There's also a stipend provided. Research may be limited at TCMC but I don't think that necessarily means your opportunities to pursue research are limited.

For fun in Scranton - well there are a bunch of Universities/Colleges in the area so there's definitely a youthful feel when going out on the weekends. There's a bunch of bars that people frequent. A lot of students throw parties and stuff which are fun. There are tons of clubs invested in a bunch of different interests from sports to professional interests. We're not too far from Philly or NYC so people take a weekend trip or something, hit up a concert. It's not a huge city, but you can find something to do if you look hard enough.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the speedy reply!!! That was definitely helpful, making me even more excited about the school. Looking forward to hear from TCMC! Happy Holidays!!:hello:
 
plasmamorris said:
We're still under provisional accreditation until after a site visit this Feb. The LCME wouldn't necessarily consider the original mission of TCMC - it's based on a huge document of standards the LCME holds every medical school to. The issue was financial because we're an independent institution. They were uncomfortable with where our funding was going to come from, however, in recent months - our Dean has secured a lot of additional consistent funding (in the millions) that should solve any issues with accreditation. Middle States (which is another accrediting institution) came through in October, saw our finances and agreed they were good.

As for whether TCMC is succeeding in its mission - (granted this is just the opinion of a 1st yr), I think it's tough to say. TCMC needs to grow and for that to happen the charter class had to go beyond the reaches of NEPA. I was a masters student here last year and I can tell you a number of applicants last year all cared about where people were going to match. To NewYorkDoctor's credit as well as his classmates - they matched extremely well at competitive institutions. I don't think you can say TCMC failed for allowing these individuals to go to competitive locations. In a class of 100, I see a lot of NEPA lifers who are actually really committed to staying in the area. It's where their families are, where they went to high school, undergrad and now medical school. They're comfortable with the area and want to stay. Whether they stay or not - that's a whole other issue. I respectfully disagree with NewYorkDoctors on the whole interview answer in trying to stay in the area. I went to undergrad in Rochester New York and explicitly stated that I wanted to return to Rochester to practice. A ton of my classmates have answered similarly. These faculty members have been doing this for 5 years now - they've heard every BS reason to stay in NEPA. If you want to stay in NEPA, be honest about it. If you don't, be honest about that too. I know for a fact how jaded the interviewers are with regard to buzzwords like "community", "primary care", and "family med".
As someone who will be interviewing applicants shortly - I can tell you, it really sucks to hear these buzzwords without any actual substance or reasoning behind them. Also, while med school is really competitive and it's pretty much about where you get in if you only get into 1 school - it really sucks having classmates who hate NEPA or TCMC. So I think that's why TCMC as a whole is trying really hard to make sure we're getting people with the "right fit". Don't lie, get in, and hate it. Med school is awesome, you should want to love where you're going to be for the next 4 yrs.

I'll get off my soapbox now - but hopefully that helps answer some questions.
Click to expand...

Not a soapbox. I respectfully acknowledge your position. My motivation arose from my dissatisfaction. Everyone is different.

Moreover, I am not advocating flat out lying, because as you said, one would come off as disingenuous.
Rather I said "work it in to the interview." I said I went to school in upstate rural NY and I know that NEPA is not the same as rural NY, but I am more comfortable operating in a place away from NYC (where I grew up, and the admissions people were aware). Simple as that. Just don't blank on your answer when it comes to "why do you want to be here in NEPA with us?"

Again, it is hard to read subtext on a forum, but I assure you we are not arguing, we are exchanging ideas.



As for research: There are limited opportunities in the region. In the summer between first and second year, pursue bench research if you can. Find ways to apply anywhere you can.
From there onward, your time will be limited. There are very few clinical trials going on in the area. Do case reports. Find the private physicians in the are affiliated with the school and ask if they ahve anything academic for you. Be proactive
 
NewYorkDoctors said:
Not a soapbox. I respectfully acknowledge your position. My motivation arose from my dissatisfaction. Everyone is different.

Moreover, I am not advocating flat out lying, because as you said, one would come off as disingenuous.
Rather I said "work it in to the interview." I said I went to school in upstate rural NY and I know that NEPA is not the same as rural NY, but I am more comfortable operating in a place away from NYC (where I grew up, and the admissions people were aware). Simple as that. Just don't blank on your answer when it comes to "why do you want to be here in NEPA with us?"

Again, it is hard to read subtext on a forum, but I assure you we are not arguing, we are exchanging ideas.



As for research: There are limited opportunities in the region. In the summer between first and second year, pursue bench research if you can. Find ways to apply anywhere you can.
From there onward, your time will be limited. There are very few clinical trials going on in the area. Do case reports. Find the private physicians in the are affiliated with the school and ask if they ahve anything academic for you. Be proactive
Click to expand...

I must have misread your original post - my apologies. Yeah I definitely think that's an appropriate approach. I mean I think the same tactic applies to any school really, but I think it's an excellent approach for TCMC. I also agree you definitely want a good answer for "why NEPA?" Nothing will tank an interview faster if you know nothing about NEPA. It's important to the school and their mission so I would definitely give that some thought. I think that between NewYorkDoctor's post and mine - we're agreeing on the same things.

Also for anyone reading our comments, I'm just a first year - so NewYorkDoctor's knows way more about TCMC and the eventual ins and outs of the next 4 yrs so I would really take his/her advice seriously. I tell any prospective students I interact with that I'm the sunshine and rainbows perspective at TCMC. I ended up at the right school, I'm generally pleased with most things TCMC does, and so that's the bias I'm working with. I think it's beneficial to get both perspectives though and they're definitely both present among the student body at TCMC. So definitely talk to students on your interview day, ask questions, and try and get a feel for what it's really like.

Finally, with regard to question just posed - if I remember correctly, we don't do silent rejections. For whatever reason - your application may not have made it to the adcom yet. Though, there's no harm in calling admissions and just checking in.
 
plasmamorris said:
I must have misread your original post - my apologies. Yeah I definitely think that's an appropriate approach. I mean I think the same tactic applies to any school really, but I think it's an excellent approach for TCMC. I also agree you definitely want a good answer for "why NEPA?" Nothing will tank an interview faster if you know nothing about NEPA. It's important to the school and their mission so I would definitely give that some thought. I think that between NewYorkDoctor's post and mine - we're agreeing on the same things.

Also for anyone reading our comments, I'm just a first year - so NewYorkDoctor's knows way more about TCMC and the eventual ins and outs of the next 4 yrs so I would really take his/her advice seriously. I tell any prospective students I interact with that I'm the sunshine and rainbows perspective at TCMC. I ended up at the right school, I'm generally pleased with most things TCMC does, and so that's the bias I'm working with. I think it's beneficial to get both perspectives though and they're definitely both present among the student body at TCMC. So definitely talk to students on your interview day, ask questions, and try and get a feel for what it's really like.

Finally, with regard to question just posed - if I remember correctly, we don't do silent rejections. For whatever reason - your application may not have made it to the adcom yet. Though, there's no harm in calling admissions and just checking in.
Click to expand...

Moreover, as part of the first class, I was hunkered in a makeshift building for two years (the big nice building it is now was hardly used in my latter 2 years) and the curriculum was a work in progress. Perhaps there have been improvements since then.

Regardless, it is just the ebbs and tides of a river flowing under a bridge..
 
circulus vitios said:
Their goal is a nice contrast from reality. Browse the TCMC facebook group and you see kids with degrees from the west coast or big east coast cities, or kids with Ivy league degrees. There's no way they're sticking around Scranton or any of the smaller, even more underserved areas of NEPA. :laugh:
Click to expand...

It's like that for every school. My state school has a mission to create primary care physicians who will state in state and serve rural areas... and then 60% of the class bolts the state for residency 😛
 
I know TCMC is P/F during preclinical years, but how is class rank handled, if at all?
 
circulus vitios said:
I know TCMC is P/F during preclinical years, but how is class rank handled, if at all?
Click to expand...

The mythical class rank is not a rank in the traditional sense.
When your MSPE letter in applying to residency, the school will say you are Top 25%, Top 10% or Top 5% of the class. This implies a rank, but the only logical solution would have to be from your subjective evals in MS1,2, and then your board scores, shelf scores, clinical rotation scores and presence of AOA.

In Years 1,2 it is all pass fail. These test scores mean nothing at all. Trust me. I would get like 70s to 90s on these tests and it was all forgotten as I ended up with AOA for other reasons. Participate in small groups and be respectful and professional to your colleagues.

The AOA determination (and thus class rank) is done on the grounds of your Step 1,2 scores and your third year rotation (AOA at this school is determined in the begining of fourth year for everyone) performance based on evaluations and shelf exam scores. This is basically it.
 
Hoppy11, that was a long wait. Were you deferred once?

Congratulations

Edit... I see you were deferred. Nevermind.

Congratulations.
 
Last edited:
interviewed 10/5, accepted today after being deferred once.

anyone else confused about when the deposit is due? the acceptance letter that was attached to the email said it was due Nov. 13, but I just got the notice today... hmm....
 
Yeah, I think they meant to give us a few weeks to place the deposit.
 
Cmurphy9 said:
Wowwww congrats! You definitely went through the system a LOT faster than others haha.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I consider myself very lucky! Despite what others have been saying on this thread, I have no connection whatsoever to NEPA and didn't force one into my interview either. I probably commented on how pretty I thought the area was, but I didn't feel the need to say that I wanted to live there after medical school.
 
Received an acceptance email today, but the actual acceptance letter attached is addressed to someone with a similar but different name... I emailed admissions and am waiting to see if I am actually accepted or not, as if this process wasn't already stressful enough!


Edit: I called admissions and am accepted! Whew! That was a little dramatic!
 
Last edited:
Congrats to all that got accepted!!! What a great stress relief right before the holidays.... Would you mind posting stats and if OOS? Seems that they are ahead of their schedule, I was told 6-8 weeks notification at my interview. T-shirt was a nice touch, but then I thought... not if you don't get in - lol.
 
I actually interviewed back on 10/4!

I'm OOS 33 MCAT 3.62 cGPA and 3.49 sGPA. I have a Masters in Biomedical Science and have worked in research for years so I am non traditional. I have no real ties to the region but expressed an interest in working in underserved areas.
 
accepted today after interviewing on 10/5, no deferment email or anything. I actually had a good interview but had assumed I was rejected after seeing many after me rejected. I hope the best of luck to those waiting on other schools tho 🙂
 
Valkyrie927 said:
I actually interviewed back on 10/4!

I'm OOS 33 MCAT 3.62 cGPA and 3.49 sGPA. I have a Masters in Biomedical Science and have worked in research for years so I am non traditional. I have no real ties to the region but expressed an interest in working in underserved areas.
Click to expand...
CONGRATS!!!
 
I dunno if this counts exactly, but after I received the deferment letter, I replied and said that I was disappointed not to be accepted but glad that I was still in the running. I added that I had just defended my thesis and was volunteering with a new organization at school. I received a reply saying they were glad to hear I was still interested. I think this might have helped me get accepted.
 
Accepted today!! Interviewed 10/25. Deferred 12/2.
OOS 3.3 cGPA and 27 MCAT. Didn't have to say I wanted to stay in the area. I did mention that the area was pretty and that I wanted to work with the underserved community.
 
gr009 said:
Accepted today!! Interviewed 10/25. Deferred 12/2.
OOS 3.3 cGPA and 27 MCAT. Didn't have to say I wanted to stay in the area. I did mention that the area was pretty and that I wanted to work with the underserved community.
Click to expand...
CONGRATS!!!!! What a stress relief 🙂
 
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