Touro-CA MSMHS 2017-2018

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afajayan

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Hey guys! I have yet to see a thread on here for the Touro-CA MSMHS program 2017-2018, so I've started one.

Here is the website: http://com.tu.edu/academics/msmhs/

Let this be the place for discussion between people interested in the program, applying this cycle, and also current or past members of the program!

Application Deadline for 2017-2018 cycle: June 2nd, 2017

Good luck to everyone and happy commenting!

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Hey! I'll be applying to this program. Getting the LoR's right now. I live near the Bay Area so going here would be amazing.
 
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Applying here too! From So-cal. Have any of you guys looked at the essay question? It's the most unique I've seen yet...
 
Considering applying here, I'm assuming cost of living (rent) is pricey. The tuition is $22k, but this seems like a solid program. Also what's the essay question if you don't mind me asking?
 
I applied to this program on the 4th. Does anyone know when decisions are made? On the website FAQ it says roughly about a month after application and is rolling admission but Mrs. Bible said it would be June 2nd...??
 
Considering applying here, I'm assuming cost of living (rent) is pricey. The tuition is $22k, but this seems like a solid program. Also what's the essay question if you don't mind me asking?

"Goal making is an essential strategy for success in the professional world. Name one career goal you have made and discuss in what ways you believe this program can help you attain that goal. "
You would expect essay questions to be framed so that you can sell yourself and your accomplishments to the program. I don't clearly see how you can tackle that with this question. Also I email Ms. Bible and she said max 2 pages.
 
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I applied to this program on the 4th. Does anyone know when decisions are made? On the website FAQ it says roughly about a month after application and is rolling admission but Mrs. Bible said it would be June 2nd...??

I read over the thread from last year's app cycle and it seemed like people didn't start receiving feedback about acceptances until March-ish? But I'm guessing it could all vary with timing of submittal and their turnover time and all that...
 
Applying here too! From So-cal. Have any of you guys looked at the essay question? It's the most unique I've seen yet...

Yay for SoCal! I'm from San Diego! Yeah I've been working on my essay...the question seems pretty vague in regards to trying to sell yourself in an answer about goal-making...
 
Applying here! Also from SoCal. Getting my essay looked over right now by a couple of people. Hoping to submit my application very soon. This is my top choice for a master's program because I want to stay in CA and know the Bay Area pretty well. Good luck everyone!
 
Just gathering my letters as of now! Does anyone know if the letters have to be specific for the program or could generally be for med school? I think i ran across another thread that said they could be general letters but just wanted to ask on here to confirm! Good luck to all that are applying as well !
 
I'm currently in the MSMHS-COM program. Let me know if any of you have any questions
 
I'm currently in the MSMHS-COM program. Let me know if any of you have any questions
Does it seems promising that a good portion of you all in the MSMHS-COM program will be able to attend the COM?

And thank you for offering your knowledge!!!
 
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It's kind of hard to say, since the class went from 15 to 60 this year. From my understanding, in previous years it was nearly guaranteed acceptance as long as you did well in the program (GPA >3.50). They haven't specifically said how many of us they'll take, but I think it's safe to say 15, maaaybe 20? The class size for the COM is only 120-130, so they obviously can't just guarantee all of us a spot. But I think we are definitely at an advantage compared to outside applicants, especially with how rigorous the program is. Our classes are fairly similar to the COM basic science classes, and we have the same profs. Former Masters students now in the COM said it really helped them with a lot of their classes once they got into the COM
 
Currently in the MSMHS-COM as well if you want another perspective. Highly recommend this program for its academics because they seriously do prepare you for medical school. Cal_EMT is spot on: academics are pretty much a "taste" of med school. Our classes are pretty much word-for-word with the COM, we get the same material, we get lectured by the same professors. We pretty much go at the same pace (albeit a little slower). Safe to say that if you can't survive this program, you'll have no chance in medical school. Last semester we took biochemistry, neuroscience, physiology, intro to research (biostats) and microbio. This semester we're taking anatomy, pharmocology, immunology, and physiology. We'll finish with all our academic stuff by April and then we'll just be doing research till commencement (yes, we're finishing everything in 3 months this semester).

DOING THIS PROGRAM WILL NOT BE A GUARANTEE INTO COM. Tbh, we don't know whats going on cuz they changed the class size from 15 to 60 this year. They'll tell us that they would accept all of us but logistically, it's impossible so its pretty much the top 15 students that will get in. We are guaranteed interview with GPA >3.0, but there's only 15 spots reserved for us in the COM (do the math, that's 25% chance of acceptance thru the program, even with an interview). So don't come into this program thinking that its a guaranteed acceptance because of it being 60 students now, its not. We still don't know who is going to be interviewing right now. But they will start interviewing us in March once they see more of our grades. We were told that if we interview and aren't part of the top 15, we'll be waitlisted. You still have to take the MCAT to get into COM. You also have to pay for the secondary ($100) EVEN as a MSMHS-COM student. We are assigned an advisor to talk to if we have any questions including applications and academics. Our advisors were either randomly assigned or were assigned because they read your application, or have something similar to your application. Advisors are hit or miss: some are really good, some are alright, but you do have the option of changing your advisor.

Be aware that Vallejo is a pretty sketch city. But Touro is on Mare Island which is the abandoned naval base, which isn't too bad. There's a lot of housing on Mare Island that is quite nice. Don't be surprised when you come to Touro that it doesn't have much in terms of facilities: there's the main lecture hall, anatomy lab, OMM lab, small cafeteria, a tiny gym, small library, and some classrooms. SF is about 40 mins away, Napa is about 30 mins away. But honestly, you'll probably be living in the library anyway so you probably won't have much time to explore.

I applied to this program in March 2016, got accepted off the waitlist in July 2016. There's no interview for this program. I literally applied the week before the deadline and didn't hear anything till I was taken off the waitlist.

Unless you're really smart, are willing to sacrifice your social life, or really good with time management, don't study for the MCAT and do this program at the same time, it's near impossible (you still can as a few of my classmates did it, but with the rigor/pace of the program, it's really hard).

Also, be sure to apply to other schools when you're in this program: don't just hope that you'll get in because it's not a guarantee. Some of us have either gotten into other schools while doing this program/are getting interviews.

Overall, facilities aren't the greatest, but I really like our faculty. They're very supportive of us. Some are great teachers, some are not that great, but it's like any other school. Even though we all know that its only the top 15 ranking students that will get in, our class too is very supportive of each other: we share notes with each other, etc.

Lectures are not recorded, though one of our classmates records the lectures for us using video so it's pretty good. Attendance is mostly non-mandatory, but some classes are mandatory so they'll let you know. But attendance is "mandatory" if you want to get into COM because our profs are observing us.
 
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Just gathering my letters as of now! Does anyone know if the letters have to be specific for the program or could generally be for med school? I think i ran across another thread that said they could be general letters but just wanted to ask on here to confirm! Good luck to all that are applying as well !

My letters were generally for med school.
 
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Currently in the MSMHS-COM as well if you want another perspective. Highly recommend this program for its academics because they seriously do prepare you for medical school. Cal_EMT is spot on: academics are pretty much a "taste" of med school. Our classes are pretty much word-for-word with the COM, we get the same material, we get lectured by the same professors. We pretty much go at the same pace (albeit a little slower). Safe to say that if you can't survive this program, you'll have no chance in medical school. Last semester we took biochemistry, neuroscience, physiology, intro to research (biostats) and microbio. This semester we're taking anatomy, pharmocology, immunology, and physiology. We'll finish with all our academic stuff by April and then we'll just be doing research till commencement (yes, we're finishing everything in 3 months this semester).

DOING THIS PROGRAM WILL NOT BE A GUARANTEE INTO COM. Tbh, we don't know whats going on cuz they changed the class size from 15 to 60 this year. They'll tell us that they would accept all of us but logistically, it's impossible so its pretty much the top 15 students that will get in. We are guaranteed interview with GPA >3.0, but there's only 15 spots reserved for us in the COM (do the math, that's 25% chance of acceptance thru the program, even with an interview). So don't come into this program thinking that its a guaranteed acceptance because of it being 60 students now, its not. We still don't know who is going to be interviewing right now. But they will start interviewing us in March once they see more of our grades. We were told that if we interview and aren't part of the top 15, we'll be waitlisted. You still have to take the MCAT to get into COM. You also have to pay for the secondary ($100) EVEN as a MSMHS-COM student. We are assigned an advisor to talk to if we have any questions including applications and academics. Our advisors were either randomly assigned or were assigned because they read your application, or have something similar to your application. Advisors are hit or miss: some are really good, some are alright, but you do have the option of changing your advisor.

Be aware that Vallejo is a pretty sketch city. But Touro is on Mare Island which is the abandoned naval base, which isn't too bad. There's a lot of housing on Mare Island that is quite nice. Don't be surprised when you come to Touro that it doesn't have much in terms of facilities: there's the main lecture hall, anatomy lab, OMM lab, small cafeteria, a tiny gym, small library, and some classrooms. SF is about 40 mins away, Napa is about 30 mins away. But honestly, you'll probably be living in the library anyway so you probably won't have much time to explore.

I applied to this program in March 2016, got accepted off the waitlist in July 2016. There's no interview for this program. I literally applied the week before the deadline and didn't hear anything till I was taken off the waitlist.

Unless you're really smart, are willing to sacrifice your social life, or really good with time management, don't study for the MCAT and do this program at the same time, it's near impossible (you still can as a few of my classmates did it, but with the rigor/pace of the program, it's really hard).

Also, be sure to apply to other schools when you're in this program: don't just hope that you'll get in because it's not a guarantee. Some of us have either gotten into other schools while doing this program/are getting interviews.

Overall, facilities aren't the greatest, but I really like our faculty. They're very supportive of us. Some are great teachers, some are not that great, but it's like any other school. Even though we all know that its only the top 15 ranking students that will get in, our class too is very supportive of each other: we share notes with each other, etc.

Lectures are not recorded, though one of our classmates records the lectures for us using video so it's pretty good. Attendance is mostly non-mandatory, but some classes are mandatory so they'll let you know. But attendance is "mandatory" if you want to get into COM because our profs are observing us.

I think Gizmo11 summed up pretty much everything, although the microbio class was actually part of a class called "molecular cellular bio" which is a combo of molecular, cellular, and micro bio. Also, Gizmo11 makes a good point; be aware that this is a DIFFICULT program. It is much more similar to medical school than it is to undergrad. We have class 20 or so hours a week, and I usually study 25-40 hours a week outside of class. You have to be willing to put in the time to study or you will either do very poorly or fail.
On another note, the cost of living here is pretty high as well, average rent is anywhere from $1400-$2100/month for a 1 bedroom apartment, so most people have roommates, so that's something else to consider when applying here.
One benefit though, is that SF is a $12 and 40 min ferry ride away from Vallejo. Not that you'll ever really have time to do much, but it's nice to have the option
 
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Just gathering my letters as of now! Does anyone know if the letters have to be specific for the program or could generally be for med school? I think i ran across another thread that said they could be general letters but just wanted to ask on here to confirm! Good luck to all that are applying as well !
I got specific LORs for this program, but I'm sure you can probably use med school LORs just fine
 
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I just submitted my application today! Goodluck to everyone applying and thank you for the feedback :)
 
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Just sent in my application as well. Did anyone ask Ms. Bible when the decisions are out or are there all out after June 2nd?
 
Just sent in my application as well. Did anyone ask Ms. Bible when the decisions are out or are there all out after June 2nd?
I applied in April and got my acceptance email about a week later. It should be rolling admissions. But I'm not totally sure when they actually start sending out offers.
 
Just sent in my application as well. Did anyone ask Ms. Bible when the decisions are out or are there all out after June 2nd?

I submitted mine in May 31, 2016. I got accepted off the "waitlist" July 12, 2016. Orientation started July 29, 2016.
 
Some things I forgot to mention. We get all the major Jewish holidays off (which is really nice) and there's no class after 3pm of Fridays because of the Sabbath. This means the whole campus is closed starting at 4pm on Fridays and reopens at sundown on Saturday. The library is open during the day on Saturdays, but the computer lab and other printing room are closed, as are all the other buildings. The library and the rest of campus are also closed on both major Jewish and national holidays as well.
This is the general library hours, if anyone was curious

Monday - Thursday, 7:30 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

Friday, 7:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Saturday, 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

Sunday, 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

Also, parking is free on campus, but you are required to have a permit (which they give it to you sometime at the end of the first month of class). If you park without your permit, you WILL get a ticket from security.

The last thing I wanted to mention was the food. It's all made on campus and is Kosher. We have two tiny little "cafeterias" (they don't really qualify as such, but idk what else to call them). They recently started offering sushi, which is pretty decent. The desserts are really good, especially the scones and these chocolate cookies with peanut butter.
 
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Good luck to everyone who is applying and feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions that you don't want to post on here :)
 
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Some things I forgot to mention. We get all the major Jewish holidays off (which is really nice) and there's no class after 3pm of Fridays because of the Sabbath. This means the whole campus is closed starting at 4pm on Fridays and reopens at sundown on Saturday. The library is open during the day on Saturdays, but the computer lab and other printing room are closed, as are all the other buildings. The library and the rest of campus are also closed on both major Jewish and national holidays as well.
This is the general library hours, if anyone was curious

Monday - Thursday, 7:30 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

Friday, 7:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Saturday, 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

Sunday, 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 A.M.

Also, parking is free on campus, but you are required to have a permit (which they give it to you sometime at the end of the first month of class). If you park without your permit, you WILL get a ticket from security.

The last thing I wanted to mention was the food. It's all made on campus and is Kosher. We have two tiny little "cafeterias" (they don't really qualify as such, but idk what else to call them). They recently started offering sushi, which is pretty decent. The desserts are really good, especially the scones and these chocolate cookies with peanut butter.

Want to mention that there are some weekends where the library will be open for "study hall". Basically the library is open, but the computer lab is closed and check outs for materials will be closed, as well as room reservations.
 
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no I havent heard back yet, but I hear it takes a while/about a month to review your application. I applied two-three weeks ago, but they were waiting for my mcat scores to come in since I took the mcat last month >.< best of luck to anyone applying now :)
 
no I havent heard back yet, but I hear it takes a while/about a month to review your application. I applied two-three weeks ago, but they were waiting for my mcat scores to come in since I took the mcat last month >.< best of luck to anyone applying now :)
It's still February, I really doubt they will be sending out acceptance letters this early. Also, don't forget people have to actually go through all your application material, including essays, and said people are usually professors who teach courses in at least one, if not multiple colleges, so I'm sure it takes them a while to review applications. Did you get a confirmation that your application was received?
 
Yes, I received a completion email the day I submitted my application. You're probably right, it'll take longer but I was just going off what is said on the website because it dates within 3 weeks
 
Yes, I received a completion email the day I submitted my application. You're probably right, it'll take longer but I was just going off what is said on the website because it dates within 3 weeks
Oh ok. Maybe the just haven't started reviewing applications? I can try to find out, if I can remember
 
My application was received about two days after I submitted it because I had to send in transcripts from another school, also Ms. Bible has to update my application with my most recent mcat score. So, even though it says three weeks, I think it might take longer .
 
Yes, I received a completion email the day I submitted my application. You're probably right, it'll take longer but I was just going off what is said on the website because it dates within 3 weeks

Tbh, I wouldn't stress over it. It won't do you any good. You could email them asking the status of your application like I did, and you'll probably receive a generic email like I did that says "I do not have a status, once a decision is made by the Committee you will be notified." Referring to my previous post, I applied May 31, 2016 and didn't hear ANYTHING until July 12, 2016. Also, the program director is a lecturer for our program and the med students. The other professors that review applications are lecturers and some teach at other schools too, or involved with research, so they're all pretty busy. Also, we're supposed to be interviewing for the COM soon so they could be busy trying to decide which of us should interview first and what not.
 
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So I'm looking to apply to this program, I took the MCAT in january and just got my score back and it's not a score I feel confident in (500) and am debating on whether or not I should put it on the application for the MSMHS. I already scheduled my retake in June, couldn't get anything sooner near socal. I'm one of the non-trads that's kind of screwed due to grade replacement so my GPA isn't fantastic either (why I'm applying to SMPs), however I have great ECs including paid healthcare work for over 2 years. Should I include my not so great MCAT score or leave it out? Opinions are appreciated.
 
I don't think you "physically have to" put your MCAT score down. But I think it is expected to put down all MCAT scores you have taken. You can't really decide on whether to include it or not based on the score.

I would submit it just to be safe, or you can email Ms. Bible if you want to be 100% sure.

Also, I finally was able to submit today. The LoR's took much longer than I thought :|. Let the waiting game begin.
 
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I don't think you "physically have to" put your MCAT score down. But I think it is expected to put down all MCAT scores you have taken. You can't really decide on whether to include it or not based on the score.

I would submit it just to be safe, or you can email Ms. Bible if you want to be 100% sure.

Also, I finally was able to submit today. The LoR's took much longer than I thought :|. Let the waiting game begin.
I agree. I don't think the MCAT is weighed particularly heavily in their admissions decision, especially if you're planning on taking it again, as there are several people in my class who have yet to take the MCAT, but keep in mind, you won't be considered for the COM interview until you take the MCAT, and if I remember correctly, there is a minimum requirement for the score to even qualify for a secondary application for TUCOM. And if you want to play it safe, just email Ms. Bible and ask.
 
I am having trouble finding where to upload the science coursework sheet. Do I add it to the supplemental questions (submit as one file), or is there a way to upload multiple files? Thanks
 
I am having trouble finding where to upload the science coursework sheet. Do I add it to the supplemental questions (submit as one file), or is there a way to upload multiple files? Thanks

I emailed Ms. Bible about that. She said just put it anywhere that contains an excess upload space. I put it in the "technical standards" section and it was fine.
 
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So I'm looking to apply to this program, I took the MCAT in january and just got my score back and it's not a score I feel confident in (500) and am debating on whether or not I should put it on the application for the MSMHS. I already scheduled my retake in June, couldn't get anything sooner near socal. I'm one of the non-trads that's kind of screwed due to grade replacement so my GPA isn't fantastic either (why I'm applying to SMPs), however I have great ECs including paid healthcare work for over 2 years. Should I include my not so great MCAT score or leave it out? Opinions are appreciated.

They're going to see your MCAT regardless. Or they'll find out eventually. I would say just apply, the worse that can happen is that they reject you. My MCAT was around your range and I still got into the program.

Also, another thing is that if you get into this program, your interview for TUCOM is really dependent on your performance in the master program. Meaning if you get high A's in the program (which is very possible), then you'll probably get accepted into TUCOM. Again, not a guarantee because they just increased the class size from 15 to 60, but we're all in the process of applying for early interviews and as far as I know, they only chose students who have performed well both last semester and so far this spring semester.

Again, their rationale is that since the MSMHS program simulates the TUCOM curriculum, if you can perform well in MSMHS, then you should have little/no difficulty in adjusting to the TUCOM curriculum. So apply and if you get in, just get high A's and you'll be solid (or at least that's the rationale/hope).

Note that this is just my opinion. You can decide whether or not to apply.

Another thing is that if you get into the program, you'll get an automatic secondary from TUCOM.

And yes, we do have classmates who haven't taken the MCAT yet. Everyone in our class is basically nontrad, but most of us are in our late 20's and some are in their 30's too.

I really want to emphasize it once again here: if you do this program AND YOU CANNOT SURVIVE IT, then you'll have no chance in medical school. I guarantee it.
 
I am current student and I'll post my input:

This is a pretty intense program in the sense that you have to perform consistently high if you want to get in here next year. I had hopes for getting in next year, but it turns out I'm a pretty average student, and that means I'm not going to be in the running. I don't know what my classmate means by "survive" in the above post, but basically most of us here are working our tails off to do well enough to convince another school we can pass muster. If you're not passing in this program, it's bad news for med school. That is true. But from what I can tell, med school can be more relaxed than we are in the MSMHS. This course is a sprint for the top 15 spots. Med school is a marathon when the goal is to make it to the finish line. They're different things.


Things will help you get into that top 15:

great time management skills
being 100% okay with giving up things you love to succeed (I gave up exercise)
having all your apps and MCAT done before starting lectures (Program starts in late July/early Aug)
having strong study habits/staying on task with a group


About the program:

They have no idea what will happen with the 60 students this year. I had a faculty member tell me that you need an 85% and up average to show you're cut out for med school, but that is half the class. They aren't taking 30 of us. They gave us a 5 month anatomy program and tried to cram it into 3 months. There are bumps. Throw the history out the window. Do not expect high matriculation rates in your class.
 
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I am current student and I'll post my input:

This is a pretty intense program in the sense that you have to perform consistently high if you want to get in here next year. I had hopes for getting in next year, but it turns out I'm a pretty average student, and that means I'm not going to be in the running. I don't know what my classmate means by "survive" in the above post, but basically most of us here are working our tails off to do well enough to convince another school we can pass muster. If you're not passing in this program, it's bad news for med school. That is true. But from what I can tell, med school can be more relaxed than we are in the MSMHS. This course is a sprint for the top 15 spots. Med school is a marathon when the goal is to make it to the finish line. They're different things.


Things will help you get into that top 15:

great time management skills
being 100% okay with giving up things you love to succeed (I gave up exercise)
having all your apps and MCAT done before starting lectures (Program starts in late July/early Aug)
having strong study habits/staying on task with a group


About the program:

They have no idea what will happen with the 60 students this year. I had a faculty member tell me that you need an 85% and up average to show you're cut out for med school, but that is half the class. They aren't taking 30 of us. They gave us a 5 month anatomy program and tried to cram it into 3 months. There are bumps. Throw the history out the window. Do not expect high matriculation rates in your class.

Just wanted to clarify what I mean by "survive": I mean that if you do this program and you struggle hard in it academically (meaning you study a lot but you still only manage B's or C's in your courses) then I think that's a clear indication that maybe medical school is not what you're meant for. OR that you need some major growth/maturing to go through before starting medical school. Granted though, I know some of my classmates did pretty bad fall semester... But because of that wake-up call, they doubled down and managed to get good grades spring semester. Or some did well fall semester but now are struggling in spring semester. The reality is, again, this program is meant to be a "taste" of medical school. If you struggle academically while doing this program, then it's a pretty clear indication that you will most likely fail out of medical school. Of course, this is my own opinion, but the program is rigorous as it is and it's not even half of what the TUCOM students go through--if you can't handle the abridged curriculum, then how can you survive medical school, would be something to highly consider.

It's not to discourage anyone from applying, it's just to let all you guys be aware of the reality/rigor of the program. Definitely doing this program will allow you to learn how to study. But just be aware that doing this program will not be a guarantee spot into TUCOM. Do I regret doing this program? 200% no. It has opened my eyes and made me realize that medical school is really an entirely different beast than undergrad, AND it has only increased my motivation to pursue medicine further because I've found that I LOVE what I'm studying in the program. It's taught me how to be collaborative because taking notes on your own for everything is impossible (unless you sacrifice sleep). It's taught me how to find balance in the midst of studying. So even if I don't make it into TUCOM, I really don't regret this opportunity/privilege and if anything, I feel like it's made me into a more mature person that's able to handle greater responsibility & realize that I have so much potential in learning (meaning, if I can memorize a list of 100 arbitrary drugs, then I def should be able to learn other things in life, like learning how to fix a car, etc.). Plus, putting this program on my application I think shows to schools that I'm serious about pursuing a career in medicine and that I'm aware of the reality of how difficult med school curriculum can be.

Despite the fact that it is competitive for the top 15 spots, I don't think it really has taken away the collaborative spirit that TUCOM is known for. We (the MSMHS students) all share our notes/resources on Facebook and we have a google drive too of resources. I don't feel anyone really tries to bring the other classmates down (but of course, I could be wrong). And yes, the MSMHS is hard in that you DO have to get A's if you want to get into the top 15, which does make it stressful in that every single point counts. But I've found that it forced me to really study and understand the concepts rather than rote memorization. Most of us do bemoan the fact that we have to get A's whereas the TUCOM students only have to pass their classes, but it doesn't take away that we just need to do our best and let things happen as they are.
 
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Has anyone checked for any updates with Ms. Bible about the decisions being revealed? The uncertainty is building up :S
 
Has anyone checked for any updates with Ms. Bible about the decisions being revealed? The uncertainty is building up :S
We have our finals this week and then Spring Break next week, so it's my best guess that they might start reviewing applications after that. I wasn't able to find out anything about when they actually start reviewing them though (sorry)
 
Does anyone know if they would accept someone with a low gpa? or is this program super competitive? Mine is just a little above the required gpa.
 
Currently in the MSMHS-COM as well if you want another perspective. Highly recommend this program for its academics because they seriously do prepare you for medical school. Cal_EMT is spot on: academics are pretty much a "taste" of med school. Our classes are pretty much word-for-word with the COM, we get the same material, we get lectured by the same professors. We pretty much go at the same pace (albeit a little slower). Safe to say that if you can't survive this program, you'll have no chance in medical school. Last semester we took biochemistry, neuroscience, physiology, intro to research (biostats) and microbio. This semester we're taking anatomy, pharmocology, immunology, and physiology. We'll finish with all our academic stuff by April and then we'll just be doing research till commencement (yes, we're finishing everything in 3 months this semester).

DOING THIS PROGRAM WILL NOT BE A GUARANTEE INTO COM. Tbh, we don't know whats going on cuz they changed the class size from 15 to 60 this year. They'll tell us that they would accept all of us but logistically, it's impossible so its pretty much the top 15 students that will get in. We are guaranteed interview with GPA >3.0, but there's only 15 spots reserved for us in the COM (do the math, that's 25% chance of acceptance thru the program, even with an interview). So don't come into this program thinking that its a guaranteed acceptance because of it being 60 students now, its not. We still don't know who is going to be interviewing right now. But they will start interviewing us in March once they see more of our grades. We were told that if we interview and aren't part of the top 15, we'll be waitlisted. You still have to take the MCAT to get into COM. You also have to pay for the secondary ($100) EVEN as a MSMHS-COM student. We are assigned an advisor to talk to if we have any questions including applications and academics. Our advisors were either randomly assigned or were assigned because they read your application, or have something similar to your application. Advisors are hit or miss: some are really good, some are alright, but you do have the option of changing your advisor.

Be aware that Vallejo is a pretty sketch city. But Touro is on Mare Island which is the abandoned naval base, which isn't too bad. There's a lot of housing on Mare Island that is quite nice. Don't be surprised when you come to Touro that it doesn't have much in terms of facilities: there's the main lecture hall, anatomy lab, OMM lab, small cafeteria, a tiny gym, small library, and some classrooms. SF is about 40 mins away, Napa is about 30 mins away. But honestly, you'll probably be living in the library anyway so you probably won't have much time to explore.

I applied to this program in March 2016, got accepted off the waitlist in July 2016. There's no interview for this program. I literally applied the week before the deadline and didn't hear anything till I was taken off the waitlist.

Unless you're really smart, are willing to sacrifice your social life, or really good with time management, don't study for the MCAT and do this program at the same time, it's near impossible (you still can as a few of my classmates did it, but with the rigor/pace of the program, it's really hard).

Also, be sure to apply to other schools when you're in this program: don't just hope that you'll get in because it's not a guarantee. Some of us have either gotten into other schools while doing this program/are getting interviews.

Overall, facilities aren't the greatest, but I really like our faculty. They're very supportive of us. Some are great teachers, some are not that great, but it's like any other school. Even though we all know that its only the top 15 ranking students that will get in, our class too is very supportive of each other: we share notes with each other, etc.

Lectures are not recorded, though one of our classmates records the lectures for us using video so it's pretty good. Attendance is mostly non-mandatory, but some classes are mandatory so they'll let you know. But attendance is "mandatory" if you want to get into COM because our profs are observing us.
Do you know the overall stats of people that got into this program?
 
Do you know the overall stats of people that got into this program?

Seeing as how the class size jumped from 15 to 60, your chances are a whole lot better than they were when class size was 15.

Give it a try, can't hurt
 
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We have our finals this week and then Spring Break next week, so it's my best guess that they might start reviewing applications after that. I wasn't able to find out anything about when they actually start reviewing them though (sorry)
Thanks!
 
Do you know the overall stats of people that got into this program?

I can't say for the entire class. My stats were 3.4 overall, 3.3 science, 26 & 28 MCAT. A few I talked to had >3.0 GPA and >28 MCAT (or they haven't taken the MCAT yet). Some had stellar GPAs like 3.7.

I'd say go for it. It doesn't hurt to try. I applied quite literally before the deadline and still got in (probably one of the best impulsive decisions I have made).

Just FYI, I have my own reservations about TUCOM (meaning, I'd rather not go to TUCOM. This is just from my own observations as a MSMHS student, talking to TUCOM students, and living with COM1 students) but I really like the MSMHS.
 
Just submitted my application and it was marked complete within an hour. Best of luck to all those applying as well!


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