2015-2016 The Commonwealth Medical College Application Thread
Started by Ismet
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They were taken off probation in 2012....
Current schools on probation are Baylor and Rosalind Franklin
Not just taken off probation, TCMC received full accreditation in summer 2014.
http://www.timesleader.com/news/loc...alth-Medical-College-earns-full-accreditation
I got accepted to this school last year and will be attending TCMC this coming August. I don't have much experience regarding what it's like as a student in TCMC, but let me know if you have any questions regarding interview, supplemental, etc. I was just in your shoes last year 🙂 Good luck everyone!
OOS App submitted, good luck guys!
None listed on MSAR
There is no maximum, but I would refrain from going over 6. You want quality LOR, not quantity.
Secondary received! @Ismet
1. Given TCMC's unique mission and values, please tell us why you feel you are a good fit for our institution. (1500 characters).
2. List the five most important attributes you feel a physician should possess. Please choose one attribute and describe one personal experience that best exemplifies that attribute (1500 characters).
3. TCMC values diversity and is committed to maintaining an inclusive environment. How do you think you can contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion? (1500 characters)
4. If you have previously applied to TCMC’s Doctor of Medicine program, please describe your significant experiences between this year’s application and your previous application. If you are not a previous applicant, please type, “N/A” in the response area. (1500 characters)
1. Given TCMC's unique mission and values, please tell us why you feel you are a good fit for our institution. (1500 characters).
2. List the five most important attributes you feel a physician should possess. Please choose one attribute and describe one personal experience that best exemplifies that attribute (1500 characters).
3. TCMC values diversity and is committed to maintaining an inclusive environment. How do you think you can contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion? (1500 characters)
4. If you have previously applied to TCMC’s Doctor of Medicine program, please describe your significant experiences between this year’s application and your previous application. If you are not a previous applicant, please type, “N/A” in the response area. (1500 characters)
Just got my secondary! Let's do this!
D
deleted567285
secondary submitted, out of state. looking for some love
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Not really, no. They interviewed 7.2% of OOS applicants, which is on par with many OOS-friendly public schools. Their matriculating class is 22% OOS, which is comforting. I think any schools whose matriculating class is over 20% OOS is fairly reasonable to apply to.
"Please choose one attribute and describe one personal experience that best exemplifies that attribute (1500 characters)."
Is everyone taking the "one personal experience" literal as in one event (i.e. 1 patient experience)? Or the accumulation of events in one overall experience (i.e. scribing)?
Thanks!
Is everyone taking the "one personal experience" literal as in one event (i.e. 1 patient experience)? Or the accumulation of events in one overall experience (i.e. scribing)?
Thanks!
are you all verified? i still haven't received my secondary but i'm not verified yet 🙁
I would talk about one specific personal experience and how it ties to a whole overall experience. You can then relate the overall experience to an attribute. This is how I would approach it.
When they say that LORs have to be from "faculty" do they specifically mean professors that you took a class from? My PI is technically faculty at my school, although I didn't take a class from him, and I'm wondering if that would be a valid letter to submit
yo is this 1500 characters total? or without spaces (like GW)?
Total
Did you select them for each school?
I would write about something else for one of them..
4th year TCMC med student here. I interviewed back as a 2nd year student and will never forget how difficult applying to medical school was (in the process of getting my residency application together now. Time flies). Ask me anything.
.
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They actually give preference to those in NEPA who have a desire to return to the area to practice. It's part of their mission.
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I don't know the official answer to that question however the school was built to bring physicians to northeastern Pennsylvania. there is definitely a trend that students who grow up in the area or nearby are more likely to stay… which is what they want. I guess since they're private they can do what they want.
What is the campus community like at TCMC?
As far as relationship between faculty and classmates? It's amazing. Faculty members have open door policies and are easy to approach. Since the first two years are pass-fail, there is less competition between classmates. I've heard of other schools that have to deal with students sabotaging other student's notes and so forth, nothing like that at TCMC. There's friendly, healthy competition. A close friend and I would try to beat each other's scores on Step 1, Step 2CK, and our shelf exams (and even practice tests), but that's what we used to drive ourselves to succeed. Also the class size is being capped at 100ish students so you'll know everything about everyone (for better or worse).
They have a mission to serve the rural and underserved areas of Pennsylvania correct? Cannot quite decipher that from the website and MSAR
yea definitely.
I find nothing comforting about those stats. They had 5027 OOS applicants and 22 ended up matriculating, a whopping half of one percent, if you round up. Not great odds. I have no idea why they would go through all the effort to interview 362 OOS people if they never planned to take more than a handful. This is a private school, too.
Lol then don't apply. As you said, it's a private school. They can do whatever they want. No one here is going to argue with you about their OOS matriculation percentage. You either think it's worth applying or you don't.
Edit: I will caution you though about the way you're analyzing this information. You want to give more weight to the interviews offered than the matriculation percentage. Once a seat is offered, it's up to the applicant whether or not they matriculate. There's a large number of reasons why less OOS applicants choose to matriculate than IS (tuition, distance from family, etc). Of the interviews offered, almost 50% were to OOS students. Over 20% of the class is OOS. That's good enough for me to apply.
Edit: I will caution you though about the way you're analyzing this information. You want to give more weight to the interviews offered than the matriculation percentage. Once a seat is offered, it's up to the applicant whether or not they matriculate. There's a large number of reasons why less OOS applicants choose to matriculate than IS (tuition, distance from family, etc). Of the interviews offered, almost 50% were to OOS students. Over 20% of the class is OOS. That's good enough for me to apply.
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I am also curious about this. I am in the same situation. Did you find an answer?
Faculty the overwhelming majority of the time means someone who taught your class.
Of course there a exceptions made and/or varying policies.
yeah they said they'll consider physicians you've shadowed, as long as they're familiar with your work and career goals
Just got an interview invite so I wanted to post my stats to help others better figure out where they may stand.
In-State, undergrad cGPA: 3.72, grad cGPA: 4.0, MCAT: 31 (So LizzyM around 68 / 69)
Secondary received: July 2nd
Secondary submitted: July 12th
Interview offered: July 27th
Good luck everyone!
In-State, undergrad cGPA: 3.72, grad cGPA: 4.0, MCAT: 31 (So LizzyM around 68 / 69)
Secondary received: July 2nd
Secondary submitted: July 12th
Interview offered: July 27th
Good luck everyone!
Congrats, and thank you very much for posting this information.
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submitted secondary
Congrats! Did you get it via e mail?
Yes! And when I checked the application portal, it was updated to include an 'interview' tab.
Just logged into the app portal and realized I never actually clicked "submit". I paid and had everything complete on 7/13, just sitting there for no one to see. 
