Touro-California

[mletter]

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Hello,
Touro-California is my first choice of schools to go to. I got my application in late this year. I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the school and their interview process. Also, if their class is already pritty full, ect. Thanks for all the help!

 

[chiddy]

Not sure how full their class is, but at my interview they said that they were going to start getting more selective because the interview process was winding down. Have you got your secondary submitted yet? How late was your application btw? I interviewed in February and submitted my application in August. If you haven't submitted a secondary yet, maybe you could submit a letter of interest with it?

And as far as the school goes, it's great ... but you have to be able to see past the campus. It's on an island that is undergoing a LOT of construction right now. It has one of the best match lists. And I'm not sure where this is on usnews.com but according to this page http://www.tucom.edu/admissions.htm it's ranked 11th in Primary Care (maybe in the new rankings, because the one's that are up right now don't have it listed at all). That said, did you apply to their Nevada campus? That is definitely a nice school as well, although very new, and I had a difficult time deciding between them... but the weather during summer can be a little harsh. Ultimately the fact that I had family in CA made my decision for me. Their interview process is different from most other schools. It involves 4-5 students with 4-5 doctors/professors in one room. They pretty much go around and ask you questions. It sounds stressful, but it really isn't that bad once you are doing it.

Good Luck

 

[mletter]

Not sure how full their class is, but at my interview they said that they were going to start getting more selective because the interview process was winding down. Have you got your secondary submitted yet? How late was your application btw? I interviewed in February and submitted my application in August. If you haven't submitted a secondary yet, maybe you could submit a letter of interest with it?

And as far as the school goes, it's great ... but you have to be able to see past the campus. It's on an island that is undergoing a LOT of construction right now. It has one of the best match lists. And I'm not sure where this is on usnews.com but according to this page http://www.tucom.edu/admissions.htm it's ranked 11th in Primary Care (maybe in the new rankings, because the one's that are up right now don't have it listed at all). That said, did you apply to their Nevada campus? That is definitely a nice school as well, although very new, and I had a difficult time deciding between them... but the weather during summer can be a little harsh. Ultimately the fact that I had family in CA made my decision for me. Their interview process is different from most other schools. It involves 4-5 students with 4-5 doctors/professors in one room. They pretty much go around and ask you questions. It sounds stressful, but it really isn't that bad once you are doing it.

Good Luck

Thankyou for the quick reply!
I submitted my secondary application only about a week ago. Yikes! the interview procedure seems intense. I am sure I will end up reapplying in May. I did apply to the Nevada campus and got a no in the mail from them. I also applied to LECOM, NSU, and Pikesville. I really do want to go to Touro-California though. This last summer I visited the campus and it was a little intimidating, but the grounds keeper ended up giving us a tour (I came on a saturday and did not realize the campus was closed up) and after what he told us about the school and campus I was actually quite impressed. Vallejo is kinda scary at night, however.

 

[chiddy]

I'm not sure if an actual person looks at your application for a secondary or not, but if you got one that's a good sign. Your application is very late though. Getting an interview this year might be tough. I'm not sure about others opinions on this, but maybe sending Dr. Haight a letter of interest might help. I know he hand picks the people that get interviews. Make sure you mention that you visited the campus over summer and that the school is very high on the list of schools you'd like to attend. Here is a page with some contact info: http://www.tumi.edu/fands.html

 

[nibrocli]

i also submitted my secondary late, about a week ago. i have an interview scheduled for the beginning of april. i asked if i'd be interviewing for a waitlist spot, and i was told that no, the class is not yet full. she specifically said i would not be interviewing for a waitlist spot. of course, i could still get waitlisted 🙂

don't give up hope!

 

[mj1878]

I'm not sure if an actual person looks at your application for a secondary or not, but if you got one that's a good sign. Your application is very late though. Getting an interview this year might be tough. I'm not sure about others opinions on this, but maybe sending Dr. Haight a letter of interest might help. I know he hand picks the people that get interviews. Make sure you mention that you visited the campus over summer and that the school is very high on the list of schools you'd like to attend. Here is a page with some contact info: http://www.tumi.edu/fands.html

Yes, Dr. Haight personally looks at every secondary and hand-picks the interviewees. Because of this, we're guaranteed to get an interesting, talented, intelligent, eclectic class. I'm sure that the process is starting to get REALLY selective at this point, but if you get an interview, just make sure to wow them. PM me if you have any specific questions!

 

[mletter]

Yes, Dr. Haight personally looks at every secondary and hand-picks the interviewees. Because of this, we're guaranteed to get an interesting, talented, intelligent, eclectic class. I'm sure that the process is starting to get REALLY selective at this point, but if you get an interview, just make sure to wow them. PM me if you have any specific questions!

Well that is definetly encouraging that someone who also submitted a late app did get an interview, I don't feel so much now that I wasted that 100 bucks! If you get turned down this go around will you be applying again. By the way thanks everyone for your input! I agree that Touro-California seems that it does encourage a very interesting student body, that's one of the main things that I liked about the school.

 

[mletter]

i also submitted my secondary late, about a week ago. i have an interview scheduled for the beginning of april. i asked if i'd be interviewing for a waitlist spot, and i was told that no, the class is not yet full. she specifically said i would not be interviewing for a waitlist spot. of course, i could still get waitlisted 🙂

don't give up hope!

Hello,
Can I ask what your stats were, mine are alright but I will be retaking the MCAT in august. I have worked in psych hospitals as a tech for a few years now. GPAs: sci 3.3, overall 3.4, MCAT 20M 😀

 

[nibrocli]

Hello,
Can I ask what your stats were, mine are alright but I will be retaking the MCAT in august. I have worked in psych hospitals as a tech for a few years now. GPAs: sci 3.3, overall 3.4, MCAT 20M 😀

sure. i've already posted them on another thread, so here goes:

i'm not an urm. gpa 3.2 (upward trend), mcat 29. former mechanical engineer, where i designed medical devices & conducted clinical trials for the fda. now a medical assistant with leadership responsibilities at a community clinic.

 

[mj1878]

Well that is definetly encouraging that someone who also submitted a late app did get an interview, I don't feel so much now that I wasted that 100 bucks! If you get turned down this go around will you be applying again. By the way thanks everyone for your input! I agree that Touro-California seems that it does encourage a very interesting student body, that's one of the main things that I liked about the school.

Well I already go accepted, so NO I won't be applying again!! Thank goodness! 😀

 

[toothless rufus]

Hmmm. Does it make sense that it they get any more or less selective at any point in time? Actually, it would seem that they would get less selective towards the end, as they would have gotten most spots filled by whatever criteria they use initially. Anyway, it would have been nice to know that was the policy. My file has been complete as of 2-14, and alas, no interview offered, as of yet. And I suspect most probably not at all. However, the information I received was that there is a committee who selects the interview candidates: not one person. Dangit! Seems like a real swell school too. I am very impressed with their program, what I have read about the school from other students, and the sense of unity, community, and sincerity that seems to permeate the school. I wish I hadn't been up for 22 hours when I had taken the MCAT. (I work 12 hour shifts, nights, and just could not switch my sleeping schedule) How poorly does a 28P (V10 PS9 BS9) rank? Poopie!

 

[chiddy]

Hmmm. Does it make sense that it they get any more or less selective at any point in time? Actually, it would seem that they would get less selective towards the end, as they would have gotten most spots filled by whatever criteria they use initially. Anyway, it would have been nice to know that was the policy. My file has been complete as of 2-14, and alas, no interview offered, as of yet. And I suspect most probably not at all. However, the information I received was that there is a committee who selects the interview candidates: not one person. Dangit! Seems like a real swell school too. I am very impressed with their program, what I have read about the school from other students, and the sense of unity, community, and sincerity that seems to permeate the school. I wish I hadn't been up for 22 hours when I had taken the MCAT. (I work 12 hour shifts, nights, and just could not switch my sleeping schedule) How poorly does a 28P (V10 PS9 BS9) rank? Poopie!

28 is good but it's more than just MCAT. The average GPA at this school is a 3.5 and average MCAT 27. On top of that you should have good letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, etc. But don't lose hope yet, at least not until you get the reject letter Your file has only been complete for about three weeks. From what I've heard they've gotten a lot more applications this year than previous years so it may take them a while to get to your file. Also, I believe just Dr. Haight selects the students who will interview but a committee ultimately decides the final accept/reject/waitlist decision. Good luck

 

[toothless rufus]

Ahh! More light is shed! I will just keep on smiling and nodding, smiling and nodding, smiling and... 🙂 My undergrad gpa is 3.06, and my postbac is 3.42 with 7 more credits to go. I have worked in a psychiatric emergency and inpatient facility full-time going on 4 years, teach BLS, and volunteer on a local and national crisis hotline.

 

[kahoo99]

Not sure how full their class is, but at my interview they said that they were going to start getting more selective because the interview process was winding down. Have you got your secondary submitted yet? How late was your application btw? I interviewed in February and submitted my application in August. If you haven't submitted a secondary yet, maybe you could submit a letter of interest with it?

And as far as the school goes, it's great ... but you have to be able to see past the campus. It's on an island that is undergoing a LOT of construction right now. It has one of the best match lists. And I'm not sure where this is on usnews.com but according to this page http://www.tucom.edu/admissions.htm it's ranked 11th in Primary Care (maybe in the new rankings, because the one's that are up right now don't have it listed at all). That said, did you apply to their Nevada campus? That is definitely a nice school as well, although very new, and I had a difficult time deciding between them... but the weather during summer can be a little harsh. Ultimately the fact that I had family in CA made my decision for me. Their interview process is different from most other schools. It involves 4-5 students with 4-5 doctors/professors in one room. They pretty much go around and ask you questions. It sounds stressful, but it really isn't that bad once you are doing it.

Good Luck

It's not ranked 11th. It sends the 11th most people into primary or has the 11th highest percentage that go into primary. I'm not sure how valuable that statistic is.

 

[mj1878]

28 is good but it's more than just MCAT. The average GPA at this school is a 3.5 and average MCAT 27. On top of that you should have good letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, etc. But don't lose hope yet, at least not until you get the reject letter Your file has only been complete for about three weeks. From what I've heard they've gotten a lot more applications this year than previous years so it may take them a while to get to your file. Also, I believe just Dr. Haight selects the students who will interview but a committee ultimately decides the final accept/reject/waitlist decision. Good luck

When I interviewed, they said they were on pace to get 4,000 applications this year, for 100 available spots (135 total seats, 35 were given to Early Decision candidates from the previous years' application cycle).

Dr. Haight said that early in the cycle they're selective, but he tells the committee every 2 weeks how many seats they have left, and he also says something to the effect of "I have X number of seats left; you can accept ALL of this week's interviewees if you want to". He continues saying this until the seats start getting lower and lower, and then he says "You can accept 3 from this week's group" etc.

When I interviewed there 11/02, he had given out 40-60 acceptances. Bear in mind that they'll probably give out 180 or so for the 100 spots they had available. Yes, they get more and more selective as the year wears on because they CAN. If you had to start rationing out seats, would you become more selective, of less? I'd say more.

Good luck to you. Give the admissions office a call and ask to speak to Dr. Haight. Ask where exactly they are in terms of # of seats left, etc. He'll be straight with you.

 

[gusmp06]

I interviewed on December 18, 2005 and Dr. Haight said that it was the best time to be interviewed because of the early/ late thing, but from the posts I read here, it seems that the selectiveness didn't get worse until mid-February this year.

There was one person who interviewed with my group at that day who had interviewed in April 05 and got wait-listed. And Dr. Haight made a clear statement during the group session that with the stats that she had, she would have gotten in had she got interviewed earlier.

One point I heard from him that was worth noting was that he said the overall number of applicants to DO schools had increased markedly at that point in time. He said that normally, the number then trickles down, but it had kept up to above 20-40% of the projection at that time. This may lead to the fact that DO application may be becoming more competitive.

 

[xTinaBna]

hey mletter,

just to give you some hope, i submitted my secondary for touro-mi within the last week of february and i got notified a week later for an interview (my only one so far!) my mcat was a 23 and gpa is a 3.0. so dont worry about being late in the process, there is always a chance! 🙂

Hello,
Touro-California is my first choice of schools to go to. I got my application in late this year. I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the school and their interview process. Also, if their class is already pritty full, ect. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Mz.Doctor]

anyone got an interview april 11th? i also got an interview invite a week after my secondary was completed...
anyone have any tips on the group interview? i'm VERY nervous about it...:/

 

[doubleplay]

anyone got an interview april 11th? i also got an interview invite a week after my secondary was completed...
anyone have any tips on the group interview? i'm VERY nervous about it...:/

hey mz doctor

Well - i assume you have probablys searched sdn for threads about tucom-mi, and hopefully you found good advice. One thing is going to be consistent throughout the advice...the group interview is not bad at all! I know you may not believe it now - just as I didn't believe it when I was told the same thing, but you must understand that it is nothing to stress over. Here's how my day went....there were 11 of us interviewing, and before the interview good ol dr haight gave us the beta on the interview. ie what to expect, how to conduct yourself, things to watch out for, etc etc. I am going to save that for him only because he is fair and gives every applicant the same chance to succeed in the interview - you are no exception. He will brief you on what to expect. It was interesting, the 11 of us applicants seemed to get along very well...on breaks, we conversed as if we had known eachother for a long time. I truly believe that Dr. Haight knows what he is looking for when he selects his candidates - everyone was unique in their own right, everyone had a great history, interesting stories, and a certain aura (sp?) about themselves. Keep in mind - you were hand-picked to interview at Touro and there is definitely something they see in you, so be frickin confident about that. Don't leave wondering if they really got to know you...don't be afraid to put yourself out there. There isn't a sense of competitiveness in the actual interview - only 5 or 6 candidates all sharing a common goal. Treat it like that - interact with everyone and enjoy the experience. I can't emphasize it enough - it's not bad at all. PM me with any specific questions...and by golly - good luck mz doctor

 

[Mz.Doctor]

hey, thanks so much for ur advice, i feel better now. actually i've heard alot of ppl say that they seem to get along well with the other interviewees. i dont feel that nervous now, but i'm not exactly encouraged bc its so LATE in the interview process, i just hope i dont get waitlisted, did they ask any hard hard questions in which you were just plain stuck on?

 

[Mz.Doctor]

also, on the secondary, i put down i would like to go to touro bc of its jewish affiliation...but i'm not jewish, i said i wanted to be in a school that considered God into their everyday lives bc its important in my belief system as well...u think this would work for me or against me?

 

[heech]

I don't think it'll make any difference at all. I wouldn't be surprised if no one on the panel was even Jewish and/or religious.

I think someone else gave a great explanation of Touro's motivations: to build an environment where Jewish students can attend medical school without having to sacrifice his or her religious beliefs. And while they ask that you don't bring alcohol + non-kosher foods onto campus (again, to not violate the beliefs of Jewish students around you).... this really isn't a religious school like Loma Linda.

 

[mikneiah]

anyone got an interview april 11th? i also got an interview invite a week after my secondary was completed...
anyone have any tips on the group interview? i'm VERY nervous about it...:/

Hey, I'll be there too. Are you staying at the inn they told us about?

 

[Mz.Doctor]

yeah i'm staying at the inn, guess i'll see ya there 🙂

 

[xTinaBna]

yeah i'm staying at the inn, guess i'll see ya there 🙂

I'll be at the Inn from the 9th-10th so i'll hopefully see some of you there too =)

 

[jspeck8370]

Hello,
Touro-California is my first choice of schools to go to. I got my application in late this year. I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the school and their interview process. Also, if their class is already pritty full, ect. Thanks for all the help!

hey im a Pharmd student at touro and i am the treasure of the university. the school nice--everything is brand new, the island is a little ugly, but they are fixing it up. Interview is not that demanding: 1 day, essay in the morning, meet faculty where they quiz you on your application and then a touro. If you want a tour, let me know or if you have any other questions feel free to talk to me.
good luck

here's are student bookstore: www.tourobookstore.com

josh speck
[email protected]
pharmd candidate 2009
touro university
VP of finance

 

[jspeck8370]

Not sure how full their class is, but at my interview they said that they were going to start getting more selective because the interview process was winding down. Have you got your secondary submitted yet? How late was your application btw? I interviewed in February and submitted my application in August. If you haven't submitted a secondary yet, maybe you could submit a letter of interest with it?

And as far as the school goes, it's great ... but you have to be able to see past the campus. It's on an island that is undergoing a LOT of construction right now. It has one of the best match lists. And I'm not sure where this is on usnews.com but according to this page http://www.tucom.edu/admissions.htm it's ranked 11th in Primary Care (maybe in the new rankings, because the one's that are up right now don't have it listed at all). That said, did you apply to their Nevada campus? That is definitely a nice school as well, although very new, and I had a difficult time deciding between them... but the weather during summer can be a little harsh. Ultimately the fact that I had family in CA made my decision for me. Their interview process is different from most other schools. It involves 4-5 students with 4-5 doctors/professors in one room. They pretty much go around and ask you questions. It sounds stressful, but it really isn't that bad once you are doing it.

Good Luck

im a pharmd student a touro and last i heard there was 3000 applicants for 80 spots... island is ugly but they are building a house a day. have a questions
let me know

josh speck
pharmd candidate 2009
vp of finance