TCOM, anyone else out there?

I am, but I'm also a resident of Texas. I talked to someone last week who had just gotten back from an interview, and he said he absolutely loved it. They came to my school, said their accepted stats were a 28 on the MCAT and a 3.5 GPA, but they emphasized that numbers are only a part of the whole package. Aren't those numbers a little higher than most Osteopathic schools, that might have something to do with it also.

 

TCOM is a great Texas school. I personally know a few residents at the program I'm rotating in that went there. Believe me, the residents that come from there are SHARP.

 

I'm an out of stater (also non-citizen). I interviewed there 8/5. My MCAT is lower than their average. I really liked the school a lot, but I agree that not too many people talk about TCOM here.

Canuck99, are you out of state resident?

 

I think the main two reasons have already been addressed:

1.) It uses a seperate(TX) matching system.
2.) They accept very few out of state.

 

The system is frustrating. However, our Health Professions Advisor said the system is going to Rolling Admissions next year. Not all the kinks are worked out, but I think it'll be better.

 

I completed the post bacc program last year and the quality of education is first class. I interviewed there about a month and a half ago for the third time so I hope thats the charm. TCOM's higher entrance requirements certainly attracts more qualified candidates compared to other D.O. programs. I do have concerns about the rotation sites. Since the closiing of the DO hospital last year (which was also TCOM's teaching hospital) I hear the rotation sites are not that great. Plaza does not let students touch the patients or write orders. I'm hearing this second hand so someone chime in and tell their expereince.

 

I had an interview at TCOM and looovvved it! My mcat is below the average, so i'm worried about acceptance/wait listing. Would it be accurate to say...if you've gotten an interview, they can't hold a "below average" mcat score against you? Any opinions?

 

I'm worried about this too, and I am out of state applicant. I really liked the school a lot. It's been a long wait thus far, and I still have few more months to go.

 

I'm sorry for those that lost their jobs at the Osteopathic Hospital and that Fort Worth lost a great hospital, but as medical students our education only benefited from its closure. JPS is TCOM's primary teaching hospital now. For the out-of-staters JPS (= John Peter Smith) is the county hospital. I think you can figure out what that means in terms of great pathology during rotations. The orthopedic residents were present in many of our gross anatomy labs this semester and even 'pimped' each tank.

Keep in mind I'm only a first year, but you can check out Kim Higgins student diary on SDN. She is a TCOM MSIII and has been posting since her pre-med days.

 

I am interested in the post bacc program. How did you like it? How hard was it? Do you think it will do a good job of preparing you for some of the material that is covered in the first 2 years? I remember hearing 26 ppl tried it last year, and 12 met the 3.5 GPA requirement and entered TCOM. How are the professors, the class sizes, and the labs? I would love to hear your opinion on this stuff and anything else you don't mind sharing. Thanks!!!!!!!
mark

 

I thought the post bacc was program was pretty tough. Not only was there a lot of information to learn, but everyone was very cutthroat. My class was the one with 26 and 12 made the 3.5. However the 3.5 wasn't guaranteed so some were waitlisted. NOT EVERYONE that made the 3.5 got into TCOM. I felt sorry for those that made the grade after going through hell for a year and still not get in. Luckily I didn't make the 3.5. As for classes, second semester you take anatomy with the med students which was really good experience. The info you learn throughout your postbacc is the exact same stuff as the med school classes. Same slides!!! This gives you a definate advantage as a first year. But you decide to go into the post bacc, the profs aren't joking when they say to hit the ground running. You need to make the grade no matter what!

 

Thanks for the responses. So, the impression I had was that if you make the 3.5 you are "pretty likely" to make it into the next TCOM class. Any idea why some made it in, and others didnt? All things considered would you suggest the program to others/me? I am a little worried that if you bust your butt for a 3.5+ you might not get accepted. I suppose the other aspects of your application may have a lot do with it though. I have never really been in a cutthroat environment. Doesn't sound good. Does it become more of a competition for A's with other students? How hard is it to get accepted into the program? And regarding TCOM, how much patient exposure do MS1/MS2 get to have? One of the best doctors I have ever seen was a TCOM grad. To be honest I had no idea what a DO was until I volunteered with him. I was thoroughly impressed by him and then by the open house deal in August. That McDonalds near TCOM is the nicest McDonalds I have EVER seen, by the way.

muchos gracias!
mark

 

Canuck,
Thanks. Would you mind sharing why you turned it down? A PM fine if you prefer.
muchos gracias,
mark

 

We were given the impression that if we got a 3.5 then we would be in the next years class. Adcoms granted all of us an interview. There was controvesy at the end of the year b/c the school did not expect 12 of us make the grade. TCOM was only holding about 7-8 spots in their class of the post bacc program, thats why some got waitlisted. This years class has even more students, I hear about 35 postbaccs for the same 7-8 spots so the competition is even more intense. You can apply to other schools though which most people do. Given the past reputation of the post baccs from TCOM, the tx schools like us. Most post baccs end up near the top of the class. Gunners?

If you don't get into TCOM, chances are high that you'll end up somewhere next year. I applied out of state and got into KCUMB. Also, the year after post bacc, you can take your credits and finish a masters program in clinical research management which only takes 6months. That way you can strengthen your application.

I think the post bacc program at TCOM is a good option after undergrad. It's a "back door" into med school even though the competition is more intense. You have other options after post bacc such as grad school so its not a complete waste if you don't get in your first try. Not sure how hard it is to get accepted into the post bacc. I was waitlisted at TCOM before and already had my BS in neurscience when I applied.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the low MCAT scores. I know plenty of current students who had MCATs of 25 or even lower. There are a lot of students with above 30 MCATs also, which accounts for the high average. As long as you have really good grades and profess your love for Osteopathy, you will have a chance. If you interviewed, your stats are good enough. Just realize that TCOM is full of gunners, at least my class is.

TCOM is one of the better DO schools and rivals most MD schools in the quality of education and quality of students.

For you out of staters, I think by law, because TCOM is a public state supported institution, it must take 90% in-state residents. The remaining 10% must be stellar to get in because Texas has plenty of highly qualified applicants as it is.

Also, not that it should matter, but it's good to know, TCOM has the longest school year of any school I know of. You get one month off for summer and two weeks for Winter Break.

 

i applied to TCOM! app sent out in July and interviewed in early September. I'm an in-stater and it's killing me having to wait until Feb 1st. GL everyone!

 

I too am dying from the wait. I interviewed in October...

I'm a non-trad student...post-bac, 32 yr old, with a lot of community service experience. Does anyone know how much those factors sway a school like TCOM? Also, how much wieght do the interviews carry? More or less versus your numbers?

Thanks!

 

For those of you that got in elsewhere, do you plan on telling tcom of your acceptance?

 

is TCOM done with interview invites?

sorry but i can't help with the other questions, so TTT

 

I can't wait either.

 

Those factors won't hurt you! I'm pretty sure they like non-traditional students and their experiences beyond the college years. Interviews carry a lot of weight. If you got invited to an interview.....I think that says something about your chances

 

I went and saw Joel Daboub, director of admissions a few minutes ago. ACOM just finished their last set of interviews yesterday. So all they have to do now is finish with their evaluations and submit thier rankings to tmdsas.

 

that's good, though we still have to wait until feb 1st

 

I can't wait till Feb 1st.

 

I'm a MS 4 at TCOM. I just wanted to verify that this is all true. JPS Depts of OBGYN, Ortho, and a handful of others have merged with TCOM's departments of the same specialty. Many of the other departments at the two respective institutions are supposed to do the same in the future. Most MS IIIs do their rotations there. JPS is the best possible place for a medical student to do their rotations in Fort Worth.

The experiences alluded to by a previous poster about Plaza Medical Center are untrue. I did my medicine rotation there and I can tell you that student's repsonsibilities there are no different than anywhere else I've been--that includes fourth year electives at prestigious allopathic medical schools. Although I will say Plaza is a private community hospital so you will not see the same stuff you would at JPS, so in that way it is not nearly as good. And as an aside, I certainly hope Plaza, or any other medical school in the country for that matter, is not letting med students write orders. You have to be a physician or it's against the law.

 

Thanks for the info, Plinko. I'm one of the few out of staters who has been accepted into TCOM's class for 2006 and I appreciate any/all info I can get from current/past students. I've met some wonderful classmates of yours so far. My wife and I will be moving to FW in the spring to begin getting adjusted to the changes between TX and California, where we live currently.

 

Congratulations on your acceptance. You'll love the school. Lots of hard work but lots of fun and support from upperclassmen also.

 

Congratulations.
pmak67, when did you interview?

 

Congrats pmak67! I wish I was already accepted. I have to wait till the match eventhough I'm out of state. I hope I still have some chance.

 

How do you know you got accepted? I thought you don't find out until Feb 1st? Do out of staters have different app procedure?

 

Out of staters can be accepted on rolling basis after Oct. 15th.

 

Congrats on your acceptance. TCOM is a very progressive school that is serious about achieving a nation-wide reputation for excellence. I think you'll end up liking it. It is rare that I talk to a classmate who was not satisfied with his/her education. Feel free to PM me with any questions about making the transition to Fort Worth. Good luck.

 

Agreed.

 

did anyone else get a christmas card from the admissions office? i'm hoping this is somewhat of a good thing, though maybe all interviewees get sent one?

 

I got one too. I'm sure everyone got them.

 

I thought I was special

 

I'm interested in TCOM also. I'm out of state, so what kind of stats do I need to make a good run of it. Can anyone clear up the OOS/In-state tuition deal. I read on SDN somewhere that if you get a $1,000 scholarship, you will also receive in-state tuition. Even OOS tuition seems to be the cheapest at $19k/year.

Thanks

 

If your stats are close to other Texas medical schools (GPA 3.5 or above and MCAT around 30), I think you'll have a decent shot. Although they do look at things other than numbers so it is hard to say what numbers you need exactly.

It is true that if you get $1,000 scholarship, you get in-state tuition. There are fees associated with tuition around $7,200 so the total tuition and fees become $27k/year. Which still is cheaper than most private schools.

 

From the UNTHSC home page...

UNT Physicians Group Expands

The University of North Texas Physicians Group and the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine have added approximately 100 new clinical faculty members from the North Texas Affiliated Medical Group.

“Incorporating physicians from NTAMG into the UNT Physicians Group and TCOM will move us forward and allow us to expand clinical services, provide new research opportunities and advance our academic programs,” said Marc Hahn, DO, dean of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The enhanced UNT Physicians Group and TCOM are now responsible for the delivery of obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, podiatry, psychiatry, cardiology, rheumatology, outpatient community medicine, and oversight of the graduate medical education programs at John Peter Smith Hospital.

“This is an important time for the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and UNT Health Science Center,” Dr. Hahn said. “Our partnership with JPS helps us to better serve the citizens of Tarrant County. We are excited about the opportunities provided by this important relationship. In addition, our association with Plaza Medical Center, Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, Cook Children’s Medical Center and Baylor All Saints positions our physicians in the major medical facilities in Tarrant County.”

The UNT Physicians Group now has a total of more than 190 healthcare providers, and the number of specialty services offered has expanded to 32. In addition, the number of clinics associated with the group has expanded to 18.

“This will not only enhance our physicians group, it will provide a greater spectrum of academic opportunities for our students,” Dr. Hahn said. “We are looking forward to reaching out to the Fort Worth community even more and providing the most advanced medical services available,” Dr. Hahn said.

 

Sorry, sj786, dr.z, and pecanpie - the holidays and our two young sons got the best of me, thus my response on 1/3.

I interviewed at TCOM on 8/26 and then received a call from the admissions office on 10/17 that I had been accepted. I later received the formal letter with forms for accepting/denying the offer.

This whole interview process is kind of nuts but the folks at TCOM stand out as having given us the impression that they were interested not only in me as a student, but also my family as new members of the TCOM and Fort Worth families. As we've experienced some of the other schools' approaches and attitudes, TCOM continues rise/reside above.

 

No problem and thanks for the info. I was very impressed with them, but I'm not sure if they were. I'm really anxious to see the match result.

 

Is there a reason that you have to go through the match? I thought I read that you were an out of stater.

 

I wasn't offered an acceptance (by rolling admission), but they told me to participate in the match. I think it happened with some of other Texas schools as well.

 

Interesting. I didn't have any other TX interviews, maybe that had something to do with my "not matching"? I don't know.

I hope to see you in July at TCOM though! Will you be introducing yourself as Dr. Z (kidding)?