A.T. Still SOMA vs TUCOM CA

[jchang624]

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I've been accepted at SOMA but have just received an interview invite for TOURO CA. Can someone tell me what the pros and cons are, in their opinion, about TOURO CA? How are they compared to SOMA?

I'm trying to learn so that I can decide whether or not to schedule an interview.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

I would personally do Touro CA even though I know nothing about it at all. I really dislike the 1 year at one place and 3 years at another crap that SOMA does. But that is simply my opinion with absolutely nothing to back that.

On another note, since you changed your status to med student, if you post giving advice, many may jump on you for misrepresenting what you are. Most people don't change their status until orientation starts.

 

[jchang624]

haha thanks, I'm kind of new to SDN so I just filled out my "profile page" the other day and didn't know what to put.

as for touro-ca, do you know anything that makes it stand out?

 

[SLC]

I would call Touro and find out if their class is full. It's getting late in the season, and they might just be padding their roster with waitlist students at this point. That may affect whether or not you want to make the trip. I know SOMA is officially full at this point.

Don't know anything about TUCOM-CA to be able to say much between the schools. I do know that SOMA is a lot stronger than most will give credit for. It's a solid program, I'm very happy here.

And don't let anyone give you a bad time about your status (not that that's what Frky was doing or anything), if someone gets all worked up about something like that, then they've got issues unrelated to the way you describe your status on here.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

agree with above. you didn't have to change it if you didn't want to, just throwing it out there as some people get butthurt about that stuff. Call Touro and see about being full. I guess I didn't read close enough and thought you were accepted to both. If they aren't full, an interview isn't going to hurt. If they are, save the money and enjoy SOMA. I am married with kids so the SOMA 1+3 affects me a lot more than it would you (unless you have a family).

 

[SLC]

I am married with kids so the SOMA 1+3 affects me a lot more than it would you (unless you have a family).

I'm married with kids too; and you're right, it's not going to be easy to pack up and move in a few months. We've really fallen in love with the Phoenix area too so that makes things even worse. But I suppose no matter where I went (with a few exceptions) I'd be moving somewhere after year 2 for rotations. We'll hopefully enjoy where we're moving to just as much, and we'll be there for at least the next 3 so that will help.

 

[Sinfest]

Touro con - looks like a dumpster and you're in the middle of redneck Californians.

Not really. You're in the middle of a bunch of drug-pushing gang-bangers.

I absolutely abhor Vallejo.

 

[ManBroDude]

The shuttle bus driver called it Shutter Island when I interviewed there. The one year plus 3 at SOMA is a big downer, especially if you have a family. At least you can have some semblance of cultural life under an hour away in SF if you go to Touro.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Can someone explain the 1+3 thing a little bit more? Where are you the first year and where are you the other 3?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Can someone explain the 1+3 thing a little bit more? Where are you the first year and where are you the other 3?

Basically (from what I understand), you do one year in phoenix at the campus and then the the remaining 3 at a community program somewhere else in the nation. I don't know if you have a choice or if they tell you. i suppose this is nice as you don't have to move around, but for a person life myself with three kids, that involves everyone moving with me for a year and going to school, or going by themselves in the place i am going to be because it isn't phoenix. So putting them in schools is a gigantic issue and living conditions are a pain. Definitely can be done, just not something I wanted to do.

 

[SLC]

Can someone explain the 1+3 thing a little bit more? Where are you the first year and where are you the other 3?

Year 1 is in Mesa, Arizona

Years 2-4 are at a Community Health Center in one of 11 sites currently affiliated with the school.

Waianae Coast, HI (Outside Honolulu)
Seattle, WA
Portland, Ore
Visalia, CA
Tucson, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Mt. Oreb, OH (just outside Cincinnati)
Alabama (sites in teaching hospitals throughout the state)
Ridgeland, SC
Brooklyn, NY

Students rank their choices for years 2-3, and if any particular site is exceedingly popular, then students enter an essay competition for the spots. 10 students ultimately go to each site for years 2-4.

What's unique about the 1-3 curriculum is that the first year is super intense in order to clear space in the curriculum for early clinical exposure 2nd year. Our curriculum is also unique in that we don't do Basic Sciences 1st year and Clinical Sciences 2nd like most schools. Instead we're taught in an organ systems fashion, which basic and clinical sciences integrated.

1st year consists of:
1. Principles of Medicine (basically med-school basic science boot-camp)
2. Neuro-Musculo-Skeletal (two blocks, one with an MSK emphasis, and another with a Neuro Emphasis)
3. Cardiopulmonary (two blocks, one with a Cardio emphasis, the other with a Pulmonary emphasis)
4. Renal-Endocrine-Metabolism (again, two blocks. One with renal as the focus, the other with endocrine and metabolism as the focus)
5. GI

Additionally, there's a physical examination and clinical skills training course that runs all year. As well as an OMT course that runs the whole year.

Year two has the remaining systems, Epidemiology/Biostatistics, More OMT, and weekly mandatory time in a clinical setting where you're graded on your application of year one physical examination skills in a real setting.

Years 3 and 4 are identical to any other school, just that they're done in the same area as year 2 was done (with the exception of away rotations).

 

[jchang624]

I would call Touro and find out if their class is full. It's getting late in the season, and they might just be padding their roster with waitlist students at this point. That may affect whether or not you want to make the trip. I know SOMA is officially full at this point.

Don't know anything about TUCOM-CA to be able to say much between the schools. I do know that SOMA is a lot stronger than most will give credit for. It's a solid program, I'm very happy here.

And don't let anyone give you a bad time about your status (not that that's what Frky was doing or anything), if someone gets all worked up about something like that, then they've got issues unrelated to the way you describe your status on here.

so I followed your advice and asked for the number of available seats...their answer: "We are not allowed to release that information." LOL that was helpful -_- noooot! (not your advice, their answer)

 

[NurWollen]

Year 1 is in Mesa, Arizona

Years 2-4 are at a Community Health Center in one of 11 sites currently affiliated with the school.

Waianae Coast, HI (Outside Honolulu)
Seattle, WA
Portland, Ore
Visalia, CA
Tucson, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Mt. Oreb, OH (just outside Cincinnati)
Alabama (sites in teaching hospitals throughout the state)
Ridgeland, SC
Brooklyn, NY

Students rank their choices for years 2-3, and if any particular site is exceedingly popular, then students enter an essay competition for the spots. 10 students ultimately go to each site for years 2-4.

What's unique about the 1-3 curriculum is that the first year is super intense in order to clear space in the curriculum for early clinical exposure 2nd year. Our curriculum is also unique in that we don't do Basic Sciences 1st year and Clinical Sciences 2nd like most schools. Instead we're taught in an organ systems fashion, which basic and clinical sciences integrated.

1st year consists of:
1. Principles of Medicine (basically med-school basic science boot-camp)
2. Neuro-Musculo-Skeletal (two blocks, one with an MSK emphasis, and another with a Neuro Emphasis)
3. Cardiopulmonary (two blocks, one with a Cardio emphasis, the other with a Pulmonary emphasis)
4. Renal-Endocrine-Metabolism (again, two blocks. One with renal as the focus, the other with endocrine and metabolism as the focus)
5. GI

Additionally, there's a physical examination and clinical skills training course that runs all year. As well as an OMT course that runs the whole year.

Year two has the remaining systems, Epidemiology/Biostatistics, More OMT, and weekly mandatory time in a clinical setting where you're graded on your application of year one physical examination skills in a real setting.

Years 3 and 4 are identical to any other school, just that they're done in the same area as year 2 was done (with the exception of away rotations).

Is anatomy covered in Principles of Medicine or is the relevant anatomy covered with each system?

so I followed your advice and asked for the number of available seats...their answer: "We are not allowed to release that information." LOL that was helpful -_- noooot! (not your advice, their answer)

Try e-mailing someone higher up...

 

[SLC]

Is anatomy covered in Principles of Medicine or is the relevant anatomy covered with each system?

We didn't have any anatomy during Principles of Medicine, but we do have relevant anatomy that's covered in each of the systems blocks. I think they're going to re-tool that in the future to have an intro to anatomy of sorts during principles though, it's 6-8 weeks that students could be laying a valuable foundation.

 

[cliquesh]

We didn't have any anatomy during Principles of Medicine, but we do have relevant anatomy that's covered in each of the systems blocks. I think they're going to re-tool that in the future to have an intro to anatomy of sorts during principles though, it's 6-8 weeks that students could be laying a valuable foundation.

What are your school's board scores like? if you know

 

[LabLuvr]

so I followed your advice and asked for the number of available seats...their answer: "We are not allowed to release that information." LOL that was helpful -_- noooot! (not your advice, their answer)

Take a look at last years Touro-CA thread. I interviewed in April 2011 and was placed on the high waitlist. The admissions office made us believe that they always get through the high waitlist. When summer began, people were posting that they were on the medium waitlist and getting pulled. The whole process really put a sour taste in my mouth for the admissions process at Touro-CA. The reason I'm writing this is because I'm not surprised that they told you "We are not allowed to release that information". As orientation approached last summer they wouldn't take calls anymore about the Class of 2015. In my opinion, they ranked the waitlist then did whatever they wanted. My complaint isn't that I wasn't accepted because obviously I was on the waitlist. My complaint is how they handled the whole situation. It was pretty unprofessional.

On another note, I will be attending ATSU-SOMA this summer. When I interviewed there, I felt more at home than I did at Touro...and I'm not basing this on the waitlist stuff. I also liked the location better in AZ and I like that SOMA is a school with many health professional programs. Not trying to knock Touro, but there are only a handful of other programs offered.

As far as interviewing, I would say go for it if you have the money. I can almost guarantee that there are still spots open in the class. From my understanding, there were still open spots in May of last year.

 

[carbonunit4]

This is a non-academic response:

I spent six months in Vallejo in '07 (right before the city declared bankruptcy). It's kind of a crazy place, and the fact that the school is on Mare Island in an abandoned naval base adds a certain "rustic" flavor to the mix.

The students that I met there were great people however. If you (and more importantly your family if you have one) can handle the occasional shooting, gang violence, or burglary, then more power to you. The weather is perfect nine months out of the year, and SF isn't very far away.

 

[JCPL]

I interviewed back in late February and I definitely had a really great vibe about the school. Mare Island itself is pretty baren (no grocery stores, etc), but they have been developing and building some communities on the island. All of the houses are pretty much new, and there are quite a few parks around, and even an elementary school. The neighborhood looked really safe and since its on the island its relatively quiet. The added bonus is that if you choose to live in these brand new houses you could literally bike to campus in about 5 minutes.

Also, Dr. Haight told us that Touro does not interview for wait-list spots. According to the TUCOM-CA thread from this year (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=815698&page=8) they are still in phase 1 as of 3/26. That means that they have not started rationing out seats and that there is still enough room in the class where the admissions committee is allowed to theoretically accept all of the people they just recently interviewed. Hopefully that helps a little bit, but I would definitely fly out there to at least check out the campus and give it a chance. It's a wonderful campus and the faculty and staff really seem to care about your career as a future physician. PM me if you have any additional questions!