2023-2024 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (Montana)

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For those with As, when did you interview? I interviewed on 9/18 and haven't heard anything yet
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Dang, does it really take a whole month to get an A from Touro? Slow turn around!
 
plsletmebeadr said:
Kind of a weird question but I am interviewing here today, just finished up the admissions presentations, and have a couple hours to kill before my individual interview. I gotta be honest, I am not super interested in this school at this point after being lucky enough to receive an acceptance last week, and I likely would have cancelled my interview if I had been able to give 3 days notice (I received my A call late Friday afternoon). After watching the admissions presentations and reading some feedback here on the difficulty of the interview, I am wondering if it is worth it to complete the individual interview or politely let them know that it just isn't a good fit. Any thoughts?
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I would still complete it, it'll be practice for u on handling a potentially difficult interview. Plus, wouldn't it be really awkward to tell them mid interview that u don't want to continue?
 
Just completed my interview day! My interviewers seemed great but the interview was not very conversational, just "thanks for your answer" and then moved on to the next question. They had several questions in a very short time frame so I had to be a lot more concise than in previous interviews - something to think about if you are a chatterbox like me!
 
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Hi all! Just wanted to pop in as a current first year at Touro Montana. We're almost done with our first semester (finals start after Thanksgiving) so if you have any questions about the area/campus/etc feel free to reach out!

Just note, I can't comment on anything admissions-related (because I have about as much of a clue as you do) and I've heard they're looking to change the curriculum for next year's class to be systems block based (which I'm jealous of y'all for lol) so my opinion on curriculum format will probably be pretty irrelevant to you.
 
alittlebit97 said:
Hi all! Just wanted to pop in as a current first year at Touro Montana. We're almost done with our first semester (finals start after Thanksgiving) so if you have any questions about the area/campus/etc feel free to reach out!

Just note, I can't comment on anything admissions-related (because I have about as much of a clue as you do) and I've heard they're looking to change the curriculum for next year's class to be systems block based (which I'm jealous of y'all for lol) so my opinion on curriculum format will probably be pretty irrelevant to you.
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Hi! Thanks for popping on here. I do have a few questions:

-Thoughts on the area? I've driven through central Montana a few times and have spent time in Bozeman, Billings, and Big Sky but I've never been to Great Falls.
-Being a new campus/program, do you think admin is receptive to student feedback and intent on making adjustments as needed? ( It would appear so, if they are switching to systems block based...)
- Pros vs Cons. What are a few things that you think this school does really well? And conversely, what are a few things that you think could be improved?
-Do you feel supported as a student?

Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks again!
 
alittlebit97 said:
Hi all! Just wanted to pop in as a current first year at Touro Montana. We're almost done with our first semester (finals start after Thanksgiving) so if you have any questions about the area/campus/etc feel free to reach out!

Just note, I can't comment on anything admissions-related (because I have about as much of a clue as you do) and I've heard they're looking to change the curriculum for next year's class to be systems block based (which I'm jealous of y'all for lol) so my opinion on curriculum format will probably be pretty irrelevant to you.
Click to expand...

Hello,

Thanks for being open for questions.

Do you feel that the school is totally primary care oriented or is there interest in other specialties from the students and faculty?

Are there local affiliations for clinical rotations or are you expecting to have to move often?

Any insight on the job market in the area for significant others/ spouses?

Doing a cursory google search about crime rates in the area indicates that it has a high level of crime. Do you feel safe in the area or would you be able to speak on that?
 
pnw_onc_life said:
Hi! Thanks for popping on here. I do have a few questions:

-Thoughts on the area? I've driven through central Montana a few times and have spent time in Bozeman, Billings, and Big Sky but I've never been to Great Falls.
-Being a new campus/program, do you think admin is receptive to student feedback and intent on making adjustments as needed? ( It would appear so, if they are switching to systems block based...)
- Pros vs Cons. What are a few things that you think this school does really well? And conversely, what are a few things that you think could be improved?
-Do you feel supported as a student?

Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Hey there! Sorry some of these answers got long lol

1) I came here from Massachusetts, and road tripped through the Midwest and Yellowstone to get here. It sounds like you have a better idea of what "small town" really means out here than I did lol but for everyone else, Great Falls has big town/small city vibes imo. We're about 2.5-4 hours from the next major thing, but there's a decent amount to do here for those who want it. Personally, I'm pretty happy spending my evenings at home and maybe going for a hike/other small adventure once a weekend or less. Other classmates go to the bars more often, there's a lot of small businesses to visit in the city, and things like paint/ceramics studios, movie theaters, axe throwing, etc are all within the city so even when it gets colder or if you're not into nature/skiing, gheres a lot of options for what to do (just not as many options as you'd have in a major city).

There's a decent military population (Maelstrom Air Force base and Montana Air national guard are in the city), and the locals are pretty standard Midwest locals from what I can tell. People love their small talk lol and are generally quick to offer a hand.

2) Admin seem very receptive so far! I would say the bigger roadblock to students feeling heard is that, because we're one of three campuses within the system, and the other two campuses are a) better established and b) physically closer to each other, when decisions need to be made that'll affect all three campuses, it feels like the other two have more sway than ours. So at the end of the day there are things that our admin can't/is still working on compromising to be what we feel is in our best interest, but I'd say that's common for most schools and at least here, they're supportive instead of dismissive or disinterested. And the things that are within their control, they act on fast and tend to get results that we like.

3) The admin approachability and support is definitely a pro for me. Some of my classmates are struggling in at least one class, and there's variability by professor for how engaged/helpful they've been in getting the students on the right track to pass. Some amount of that is likely student-based (if they only needed a little nudge to figure out their study habits then they're more easily pleased by the professor giving minimal help), but some of it does come down to professor availability and dedication to hashing things out with students. So while I haven't personally felt unsupported by our professors, I'll put that as a negative.

Other things they do well: the cafeteria food is delicious, with a decent amount of gluten free options (and everything is kosher). Study rooms are set up well, with some with windows and some not so you can pick what's best for you. The librarians are amazing and super kind. There's 24/7 security who will also walk you to your car if you end up staying late and don't feel comfortable walking in the parking lot alone. Facilities are very responsive to issues (even minor things like the bathroom sink water temp lol).

Other things they could do better: similar to above, but some of the professors are more approachable than others - most of them I'd say I could ask the dumbest question and they're nice about it, but one or two can come off as condescending or annoyed that I'm asking something I should've just looked up. They're still setting up the virtual anatomy/plastination lab, so we've been learning that sort of thing over Zoom and pictures posted on the class page (not ideal but not world ending). They're still in the process of hiring full-time faculty for some classes, so for example our pharmacology and immunology professors have stepped in to teach physiology and we're hoping to have a permanent anatomy professor by next semester (right now one of the New York professors has been living in Montana to teach us, but we love her so it'll honestly be sad to see her go).

4) Overall, I'd say I feel supported and I would definitely say all of the faculty and staff want us to succeed. I'm hopeful that the issues I've mentioned are going to keep getting better, but I know there's always something to complain about so who knows what the next thing will be lol
 
snb500 said:
Hello,

Thanks for being open for questions.

Do you feel that the school is totally primary care oriented or is there interest in other specialties from the students and faculty?

Are there local affiliations for clinical rotations or are you expecting to have to move often?

Any insight on the job market in the area for significant others/ spouses?

Doing a cursory google search about crime rates in the area indicates that it has a high level of crime. Do you feel safe in the area or would you be able to speak on that?
Click to expand...
There's a lot of primary care, but I'd say a decent portion if not the majority of my class wants to go into EM, IM subspecialties, or non-primary care specialties right now. I know of at least one who's going for plastic surgery, and another few interested in Ortho. We'll have to see how that changes in the next couple years, but we're definitely not being discouraged from exploring them all.

There are a good number of local affiliations (within the city) that, to my knowledge, the majority of our class will be able to do. There's some more distant options (Arizona being one of them), and potentially some rotations that students will have to move around in between (like if you had most in Great Falls but one or two in another part of Montana or in South Dakota). I don't know the numbers to say how many of us would do what, but I'm really hoping to stay in Great Falls for my 3rd year rotations.

A few of my classmates moved here with SOs, and some are currently doing long distance. I'm honestly not too sure on non-medical, non-remote job options around here unfortunately, but that doesn't mean they don't exist! Sorry I can't be more helpful on that.

My understanding of the crime rates in this area is that it's majority petty/property crime. Some students have had their cars broken into while parked at their apartment complex, but I'd say that's the main thing to look out for and people have stopped keeping valuables in their car, so I haven't heard anything about that sort of thing happening since earlier in the semester. Personally, I live in walking distance of campus and haven't felt unsafe or had any issues with theft/etc.
 
alittlebit97 said:
Hey there! Sorry some of these answers got long lol

1) I came here from Massachusetts, and road tripped through the Midwest and Yellowstone to get here. It sounds like you have a better idea of what "small town" really means out here than I did lol but for everyone else, Great Falls has big town/small city vibes imo. We're about 2.5-4 hours from the next major thing, but there's a decent amount to do here for those who want it. Personally, I'm pretty happy spending my evenings at home and maybe going for a hike/other small adventure once a weekend or less. Other classmates go to the bars more often, there's a lot of small businesses to visit in the city, and things like paint/ceramics studios, movie theaters, axe throwing, etc are all within the city so even when it gets colder or if you're not into nature/skiing, gheres a lot of options for what to do (just not as many options as you'd have in a major city).

There's a decent military population (Maelstrom Air Force base and Montana Air national guard are in the city), and the locals are pretty standard Midwest locals from what I can tell. People love their small talk lol and are generally quick to offer a hand.

2) Admin seem very receptive so far! I would say the bigger roadblock to students feeling heard is that, because we're one of three campuses within the system, and the other two campuses are a) better established and b) physically closer to each other, when decisions need to be made that'll affect all three campuses, it feels like the other two have more sway than ours. So at the end of the day there are things that our admin can't/is still working on compromising to be what we feel is in our best interest, but I'd say that's common for most schools and at least here, they're supportive instead of dismissive or disinterested. And the things that are within their control, they act on fast and tend to get results that we like.

3) The admin approachability and support is definitely a pro for me. Some of my classmates are struggling in at least one class, and there's variability by professor for how engaged/helpful they've been in getting the students on the right track to pass. Some amount of that is likely student-based (if they only needed a little nudge to figure out their study habits then they're more easily pleased by the professor giving minimal help), but some of it does come down to professor availability and dedication to hashing things out with students. So while I haven't personally felt unsupported by our professors, I'll put that as a negative.

Other things they do well: the cafeteria food is delicious, with a decent amount of gluten free options (and everything is kosher). Study rooms are set up well, with some with windows and some not so you can pick what's best for you. The librarians are amazing and super kind. There's 24/7 security who will also walk you to your car if you end up staying late and don't feel comfortable walking in the parking lot alone. Facilities are very responsive to issues (even minor things like the bathroom sink water temp lol).

Other things they could do better: similar to above, but some of the professors are more approachable than others - most of them I'd say I could ask the dumbest question and they're nice about it, but one or two can come off as condescending or annoyed that I'm asking something I should've just looked up. They're still setting up the virtual anatomy/plastination lab, so we've been learning that sort of thing over Zoom and pictures posted on the class page (not ideal but not world ending). They're still in the process of hiring full-time faculty for some classes, so for example our pharmacology and immunology professors have stepped in to teach physiology and we're hoping to have a permanent anatomy professor by next semester (right now one of the New York professors has been living in Montana to teach us, but we love her so it'll honestly be sad to see her go).

4) Overall, I'd say I feel supported and I would definitely say all of the faculty and staff want us to succeed. I'm hopeful that the issues I've mentioned are going to keep getting better, but I know there's always something to complain about so who knows what the next thing will be lol
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! This is helpful!
 
alittlebit97 said:
There's a lot of primary care, but I'd say a decent portion if not the majority of my class wants to go into EM, IM subspecialties, or non-primary care specialties right now. I know of at least one who's going for plastic surgery, and another few interested in Ortho. We'll have to see how that changes in the next couple years, but we're definitely not being discouraged from exploring them all.

There are a good number of local affiliations (within the city) that, to my knowledge, the majority of our class will be able to do. There's some more distant options (Arizona being one of them), and potentially some rotations that students will have to move around in between (like if you had most in Great Falls but one or two in another part of Montana or in South Dakota). I don't know the numbers to say how many of us would do what, but I'm really hoping to stay in Great Falls for my 3rd year rotations.

A few of my classmates moved here with SOs, and some are currently doing long distance. I'm honestly not too sure on non-medical, non-remote job options around here unfortunately, but that doesn't mean they don't exist! Sorry I can't be more helpful on that.

My understanding of the crime rates in this area is that it's majority petty/property crime. Some students have had their cars broken into while parked at their apartment complex, but I'd say that's the main thing to look out for and people have stopped keeping valuables in their car, so I haven't heard anything about that sort of thing happening since earlier in the semester. Personally, I live in walking distance of campus and haven't felt unsafe or had any issues with theft/etc.
Click to expand...
Really appreciate your time and thoughtful responses.

Do you know of any scholarship opportunities among those in your class considering the issues with federal loans at this time>
 
snb500 said:
Really appreciate your time and thoughtful responses.

Do you know of any scholarship opportunities among those in your class considering the issues with federal loans at this time>
Click to expand...
What's the issue with federal loans? The school does have an external scholarship database, and there's a solid handful (~10%?) of classmates pursuing HPSP, but that's moreso because they're already heavily interested in military/have served already than anything else.
 
chacothefish said:
I did!
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Oh! Now I'm getting a little worried because I still haven't gotten anything yet. Did you get your A call on 11/2? I'm hoping because they called me on 11/3 Friday afternoon maybe they're sending the official email on Monday.
 
rdlau said:
Oh! Now I'm getting a little worried because I still haven't gotten anything yet. Did you get your A call on 11/2? I'm hoping because they called me on 11/3 Friday afternoon maybe they're sending the official email on Monday.
Click to expand...
I got it 11/2! Email same day
 
This is an appeal to applicants who had to take Casper for admission to TouroCOM (all campuses, please confirm).

Complete the 2023 Situational Judgment Test Experience survey.

HPSA/SDN has the 2023 SJT Experience Survey available to anyone preparing for SJTs (especially Casper and PREview). If you completed the 2022 survey, you are welcome to go ahead and complete the survey again. This survey consists of multiple pages and will take up to 10 minutes. You can also place yourself on a waitlist for a study focusing more on school-run SJTs run through platforms like Kira Talent, to be released later in the year.

Your feedback matters!
We learned a lot about how applicants prepared for Casper and PREview last year, but the number of PREview schools has almost doubled this cycle! Over 20% of all AMCAS applicants will likely have taken PREview, and up to 90% of all medical school applicants will likely have taken Casper this cycle (according to Acuity Insights). This does not include applicants in non-medical professions who have had to take these assessments for admission to physician assistant, anesthesiology assistant, dental, veterinary, pharmacy, or physical therapy programs, where we see a trend that applicants with higher Casper results are preferred. Medical residency applicants are also being asked to complete Acuity Insights Assessments, and very little is known about how program directors use these data. Your responses are vital to get objective insights on how admissions committees value the results of these exams.

Your feedback matters!
We want to hear from as many people as possible, especially those attending or applying outside of medicine (MD/DO). This year saw an expansion of SJTs in admissions, and more information has been made available on preparing for these assessments. We want to stay current with these trends to guide future applicants and students facing these SJTs.

Many of our findings from the 2022 survey align with the NAAHP Testing Task Force report released last summer. This includes concerns about proctoring, consistency of scoring, and concern that applicants are paying for validity research. But we need more student voices to gain a louder voice to advocate for future health professional school applicants.

Your feedback has helped HPSA develop a workshop focused on preparing for SJTs like Casper and PREview. This workshop is part of our Becoming a Student Doctor preparation course, and we have already had some positive results among those who have participated in our mock interview workshops. An updated workshop will be presented at the UC Davis Prehealth Conference on October 14, and we welcome opportunities to present the full-length SJT workshop to your campus!

Fill out this survey and help future applicants become physicians in their chosen profession!
 
Has anyone heard back from the interviews on 11/13? I know they said max 4 weeks but it looks like they've had a fast turnaround based on these comments. Best of luck to all my fellow applicants this cycle!!
 
26meganh said:
Has anyone heard back from the interviews on 11/13? I know they said max 4 weeks but it looks like they've had a fast turnaround based on these comments. Best of luck to all my fellow applicants this cycle!!
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Please let us know when you hear back. I think Thanksgiving week will probably delay things slightly. I interviewed 11/20- obviously still waiting for an outcome. Best of luck to all!!
 
pnw_onc_life said:
Please let us know when you hear back. I think Thanksgiving week will probably delay things slightly. I interviewed 11/20- obviously still waiting for an outcome. Best of luck to all!!
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Just got the acceptance call this afternoon! Thank goodness they called before Christmas. Deposit is due 01/10 which is quick but a huge weight off my shoulders. Best of luck to everyone out there!!
 
26meganh said:
Just got the acceptance call this afternoon! Thank goodness they called before Christmas. Deposit is due 01/10 which is quick but a huge weight off my shoulders. Best of luck to everyone out there!!
Click to expand...
Congratulations!!! A nice early Christmas present 🙂
 
Got an email that they’ll send me a secondary and it’s $200. I’m wondering if I should go for it? Currently have one acceptance, finished an interview for a program a week ago, and have 2 more interviews lined up. Wondering if they just want my secondary money atp
 
rosemilktea said:
Got an email that they’ll send me a secondary and it’s $200. I’m wondering if I should go for it? Currently have one acceptance, finished an interview for a program a week ago, and have 2 more interviews lined up. Wondering if they just want my secondary money atp
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I would only do it if you truly want to go here if you already have an A and some interviews lined up I don’t see why you would add the school unless this was your top choice
 
Anyone know what the post interview acceptance rate seems to be lookin like?? I've been mostly seeing acceptances (which btw congrats everyone!)
 
Does anyone know of a list of private lenders that will approve the loans through Montana? I'm trying to make a list and so far, Discover loans doesn't fund Touro Montana and I couldn't find Touro Montana under the drop menu for Sallie Mae loans. I'm looking forward to my interview (my only one so far) and was wondering what private loans are available? I appreciate any help with this!
 
Based off the information session they do provide federal loans
HisWill2023 said:
Does anyone know of a list of private lenders that will approve the loans through Montana? I'm trying to make a list and so far, Discover loans doesn't fund Touro Montana and I couldn't find Touro Montana under the drop menu for Sallie Mae loans. I'm looking forward to my interview (my only one so far) and was wondering what private loans are available? I appreciate any help with this!
Click to expand...
 
Justchallenge4 said:
Based off the information session they do provide federal loans
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I second this comment. This was also outlined during the initial group interview session and with the interview packet. In terms of Federal Loans, the Great Falls location is essentially an extension/sister of the Touro- Middletown/Harlem rather than a new school. Hope this helps!
 
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