Touro-COM vs NYIT-COM

[PatsFan37]

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Hello everyone,

I have been accepted to both of these programs, but need some help deciding between the two. My deposit for NYIT-COM is due soon (already paid TOURO). The older threads seemed a bit outdated or didn't have much information.

NYIT-COM seems to have the better track record, traditional lectures, and a nicer campus (imo).

However, TOURO-COM is in a better location and would save me about $10k a year (lower tuition, can share an apt. with my SO)

I would especially appreciate any feedback regarding the clinical sites of the two schools.

Thank you everyone!

 

[Hemorrage]

I think NYCOM has been around for much longer and thus has a larger alumni base which can be helpful. Also, why would you want to go to a school that looks like a shack? (Touro)

 

[DrEnderW]

Choose whichever location would make you happier. Personally, I'd go with living with my SO and being in NYC. I'd tell you that regardless of the schools being debated.

Having alumni around to respond to an email once every 6 months will not help you match your residency of choice. When it comes down to it, you're going to be sitting at a desk 10 hours a day and your board scores, work ethic, and rotations will determine your future (especially true for DOs).

The draw of Touro isn't the exterior of a building in Harlem, but the fact that manhattan is your campus and you can spend 4yrs in NYC. If you don't want to do NYC and aren't that serious with your SO, go for NYIT.

 

[Chillywilly]

True, but living in NYC is a lot easier said than done. Really expensive everything (cost of living, food, taxes), traffic, etc. Even though Touro is in Manhattan (Harlem), chances are you can't afford living there. Most students live in NJ or in Brooklyn or Queens (which makes the commute even longer). Which is fine, but personally Long Island is better in terms of cost of living and stuff. And if you go to Touro, you're most likely going to end up doing your rotations in NJ anyways.

NYIT seems like a better choice. Plus, it's just a train ride away from NYC. Ultimately, pick the school with better rotation sites.
I'm so jealous, I love NYC in the summer. But I'll be moving to the Miami-Dade area for school this summer. Don't get me wrong I love FLL and Miami, but there's no other city in the world quite like NYC 😉

 

[cliquesh]

Nyit was, at one point, a much better school than touro, and probably still is.

 

[scoKraz4]

I think NYCOM has been around for much longer and thus has a larger alumni base which can be helpful. Also, why would you want to go to a school that looks like a shack? (Touro)

Outside a shack, inside is a school built around a biosafety Level 3 lab, a bunch of money for research, and unbelievable professors who specialize in board preparation. The school is in NYC, can't beat that.

Both programs are good. It is what YOU make of it that matters. NY is a newer program so it is still establishing itself. But when it establishes connections with hospitals in the area, when previous contracts expire, it will be a top program hands down.

Most students do NOT live in NJ, or outer borough's. Some do, but a vast majority live in Harlem/Upper west side/Upper east side. Trust me, living in long island sucks. Especially living in north shore of nassau county, one of the most expensive regions in the country, you aren't going to find anything glamorous. Most students live in Glen Cove which isn't exactly the greatest area unless you are on the border of Locust Valley.

For clinical sites, NYCOM has them spread over long island and a couple in queens. Touro has Northern Jersey and some sites upstate. Touro is working on securing some spots at Harlem Hospital when its contract expires with Columbia in the near future. Also for 4th year rotations, you have the benefit of being around so many awesome hospitals and making connections at them. Many students in 1st/2nd year already volunteer/do research/etc. at Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Mt. Sinai, etc. Touro is on the rise with not intention of slowing down. There is a reason why they got 6-7k applicants last cycle (2nd most out of all DO schools)

 

[PatsFan37]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Also, I agree that Touro looks great on the inside. As per the cost of living, mine will be lower in NYC because my SO gets subsidized housing in the Upper East Side from her school (it'd be about a 15 min commute), so NYC ends up being cheaper for me. I think I will stick with Touro COM. I have a few MD results pending as well.

 

[NYEMMED]

I would choose NYIT-COM (NYCOM). Its the original NY school, well established, clinical sites throughout LI, Queens, Brooklyn, upstate etc and you can pick where you go. It has the NYCOMEC residency consortium (Largest amount of osteopathic residencies in NY/NJ). I wanted to specialize and to me, where and what was important. Cannot argue with the NYCOM match list.

Saving the money for you would be nice.

 

[kingbob128]

Touro is also part of nycomec now

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[Bandwagon1]

Touro is also part of nycomec now

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

That's true but I think that NYITCOM students still get preferences when they apply for the nycomec residency spots

 

[Dr. Zombie]

I'd say NYITCOM if you can make it alive out of pre-clinicals (ridic attrition rate).........

 

[DrEnderW]

True, but living in NYC is a lot easier said than done. Really expensive everything (cost of living, food, taxes), traffic, etc. Even though Touro is in Manhattan (Harlem), chances are you can't afford living there. Most students live in NJ or in Brooklyn or Queens (which makes the commute even longer). Which is fine, but personally Long Island is better in terms of cost of living and stuff. And if you go to Touro, you're most likely going to end up doing your rotations in NJ anyways.

NYIT seems like a better choice. Plus, it's just a train ride away from NYC. Ultimately, pick the school with better rotation sites.
I'm so jealous, I love NYC in the summer. But I'll be moving to the Miami-Dade area for school this summer. Don't get me wrong I love FLL and Miami, but there's no other city in the world quite like NYC 😉

This is a very poor explanation of what NYC or Touro is like.

I'd say 95% of the Touro class lives in Manhattan. I personally haven't met a student that lives in Queens or NJ (although I am sure there are some). A few live in Brooklyn, but those are mostly non-trad students that are married or students that live with family. There is zero traffic because no one has a car and everyone takes the subway or a train if you do commute. It is absolutely zero hassle getting around. Also, you aren't paying any NYC income taxes because you're on loan money. That is correct that rotations are in Staten Island or NJ (in most cases). I will most likely still live in Manhattan for that or worst case scenario live in Hoboken, which is a 15 minute commute from midtown. The increased cost of tuition for NYIT likely is made up from the difference in Manhattan rent. If you do want to live in Harlem (I do not), the rent isn't bad at all.

Choose NYIT for other reasons, but those listed here don't make much sense IMO. For residency, as others have said, Touro is part of NYCOMEC - the same as NYIT.

 

[SnakeOilForSale]

Going for cheaper is always a thought, but really you should ultimately think about the learning styles of both. Touro is really self-paced as they don't hold lectures and only do those "clicker sessions," so I'd imagine it's easy to put off watching the lectures at home. Some people flourish with that learning style, while others prefer traditional lectures. So IMO that should be weighed in your decision. Also, congrats on your acceptances.

 

[NYEMMED]

I'd say NYITCOM if you can make it alive out of pre-clinicals (ridic attrition rate).........

Its really not that bad, They are a large school so the numbers will be higher with more students however the percentage is equivalent to others...

The policy is you have to fail 2 separate systems in one year to fail, then you are allowed to repeat the year. To be honest if you can't pass 3 times, you probably shouldn't be a doctor...

 

[PatsFan37]

This is a very poor explanation of what NYC or Touro is like.

I'd say 95% of the Touro class lives in Manhattan. I personally haven't met a student that lives in Queens or NJ (although I am sure there are some). A few live in Brooklyn, but those are mostly non-trad students that are married or students that live with family. There is zero traffic because no one has a car and everyone takes the subway or a train if you do commute. It is absolutely zero hassle getting around. Also, you aren't paying any NYC income taxes because you're on loan money. That is correct that rotations are in Staten Island or NJ (in most cases). I will most likely still live in Manhattan for that or worst case scenario live in Hoboken, which is a 15 minute commute from midtown. The increased cost of tuition for NYIT likely is made up from the difference in Manhattan rent. If you do want to live in Harlem (I do not), the rent isn't bad at all.

Choose NYIT for other reasons, but those listed here don't make much sense IMO. For residency, as others have said, Touro is part of NYCOMEC - the same as NYIT.

How far a commute are the rotation sites from the school, on average (assuming public transportation cooperates)? Also, how many students end up actually having to go to PA, because I really wouldn't want to do that.
Also, are the clicker sessions taken seriously by most students? My tour guide seemed to give the impression that they weren't, but what was your experience with that.

And as far as living in NYC goes, I currently live in NYC, and went to HS in NYC, so I'm probably more comfortable in the city than I would be in Long Island tbh. Also, I think people overexaggerate how expensive NYC is other than the rent. You can definitely find groceries and pretty much anything besides alcohol for cheap if you know where to shop.

Once again, thank you everyone for all of the comments.

 

[PatsFan37]

Going for cheaper is always a thought, but really you should ultimately think about the learning styles of both. Touro is really self-paced as they don't hold lectures and only do those "clicker sessions," so I'd imagine it's easy to put off watching the lectures at home. Some people flourish with that learning style, while others prefer traditional lectures. So IMO that should be weighed in your decision. Also, congrats on your acceptances.

That's the thing I'm probably most worried about. Also, NYCOM is changing the curriculum, but they haven't responded to my e-mails when I tried to get more info about it. And thank you 🙂

 

[DrEnderW]

Touro is really self-paced as they don't hold lectures and only do those "clicker sessions," so I'd imagine it's easy to put off watching the lectures at home.

This is how it sounds on interview day and on SDN but in reality Touro is probably the least self-paced med school I can imagine. Those interactive clicker quizzes are graded... meaning you can't fall behind. It's not exactly leisurely skip a bunch of lectures because you are answering questions daily (often 30 seconds timed) that impact 10-15% of your final class grade. You never get a chance to just chill in lecture and take stuff in. For example, on Monday you could have two 3hr exams and on Tuesday AM you will have 4 1hr graded iClicker quizzes on new material, two of those quizzes will be on new material for a class you just took a test on the day before. There are tests or quizzes 100% of the days you are in med school. Although each quiz is a small portion of your 10% total, you can see how it's not fun to get behind. Definitely not self-paced, aside from the fact you choose the speed to watch the lectures on the night before.

This can either be a good or bad thing depending on your personality. It definitely forces you to keep pace and at least be decently familiar with material before exam studying.

 

[Bandwagon1]

That's the thing I'm probably most worried about. Also, NYCOM is changing the curriculum, but they haven't responded to my e-mails when I tried to get more info about it. And thank you 🙂

You probably saw the post where someone said they were changing the curriculum to all PBL. They're not, for some reason the guy mentioning it was lying.

 

[kingbob128]

You probably saw the post where someone said they were changing the curriculum to all PBL. They're not, for some reason the guy mentioning it was lying.

They are changing the curriculum though. My interviewer told me that they currently revamping it. He didn't say how much tho

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Bandwagon1]

They are changing the curriculum though. My interviewer told me that they currently revamping it. He didn't say how much tho

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Yea, I heard that they are trying to add PBL like sessions to complement the materials learned in lecture. But they are still going to have the PBL curriculum separate from the lecture curriculum.

 

[DrEnderW]

How far a commute are the rotation sites from the school, on average (assuming public transportation cooperates)? Also, how many students end up actually having to go to PA, because I really wouldn't want to do that.
Also, are the clicker sessions taken seriously by most students? My tour guide seemed to give the impression that they weren't, but what was your experience with that.

And as far as living in NYC goes, I currently live in NYC, and went to HS in NYC, so I'm probably more comfortable in the city than I would be in Long Island tbh. Also, I think people overexaggerate how expensive NYC is other than the rent. You can definitely find groceries and pretty much anything besides alcohol for cheap if you know where to shop.

Once again, thank you everyone for all of the comments.

My understanding is that you won't end up in PA or Orange unless you want that. Surprisingly, there are students from those areas or students that want to do more rural med that actively seek those positions. It seems like everyone ends up pretty happy.

Use this site to look up locations under the rotations tab:

http://www.tourocomsga.com/

The "NJ consortium," as it is called, is a group of a few hospitals you rotate through for different specialties. Fourth year will be comprised of a lot of audition/away rotations anywhere you're interested in. You can gauge how you think commuting from Manhattan would be (I'd stay in Manhattan if I drove).

The clicker sessions are taken seriously by some and not so seriously for others. Most classes have a discussion component before your final answer so there's collaboration and time for consulting your notes too. I take them pretty seriously as they do impact your grade. Touro has GPA and a numbered class rank so I personally do what I can to pick up those points (the importance of that is a different discussion). You can definitely get away with taking a few breathers here and there. There's a sizable group of people that probably study for 50% of the quizzes and rely on friends, notes, and google for the answers. It kind of defeats the purpose though. There's just no way to prep 100% of Tuesdays lectures after Monday exams sometimes.

PM me for any more specifics.

 

[ashtray81]

NYIT-Com is revamping their curriculum, but the school's reputation is up there (like someone else said, look at that match list. Nasty). But the COA just makes my heart tremble. Not that Touro is that much cheaper, but I didn't get a sense of the staff being too professional, which was a very big drawback. Yeah, you're in NYC, but how much time do you think you're actually going to enjoy "exploring the city", as the overused expression goes. During the interview at Touro, they showed us the "library"...yeah. One other problem I had was that Touro emphasizes "Harlem" as an indispensable part of their identity, yet there are no core rotations there, and just one or 2 hospitals in NYC (S.I.MC). Upon asking the staff about this little paradox, they seemed awkwardly optimistic, which is the only way I can describe it. Touro's staff seems to be a bit overconfident that HHC's contract will be their after it runs out and somehow Columbia is simply going to let them have Harlem Hospital. I'm sure SGU and Ross will dutifully oblige. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Touro provides an excellent didactic education (the Immunlogy Prof. had a passion for teaching that I hope all professors had), but clinically, I'm not sure of their future. NYIT students seem to skip class, but those who put in the effort land excellent residencies, and, like someone else said, there's a lot of NYIT alum in the NYC area. Then again, Med School is what you make of it, right? Just figure out where you think you fit in best. Hell, I have deposits due at these schools, but am waiting on my #1 choice. Just my two cents of what I thought when I interviewed at both places.

 

[Jjkwest1]

NYIT-Com is revamping their curriculum, but the school's reputation is up there (like someone else said, look at that match list. Nasty). But the COA just makes my heart tremble. Not that Touro is that much cheaper, but I didn't get a sense of the staff being too professional, which was a very big drawback. Yeah, you're in NYC, but how much time do you think you're actually going to enjoy "exploring the city", as the overused expression goes. During the interview at Touro, they showed us the "library"...yeah. One other problem I had was that Touro emphasizes "Harlem" as an indispensable part of their identity, yet there are no core rotations there, and just one or 2 hospitals in NYC (S.I.MC). Upon asking the staff about this little paradox, they seemed awkwardly optimistic, which is the only way I can describe it. Touro's staff seems to be a bit overconfident that HHC's contract will be their after it runs out and somehow Columbia is simply going to let them have Harlem Hospital. I'm sure SGU and Ross will dutifully oblige. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Touro provides an excellent didactic education (the Immunlogy Prof. had a passion for teaching that I hope all professors had), but clinically, I'm not sure of their future. NYIT students seem to skip class, but those who put in the effort land excellent residencies, and, like someone else said, there's a lot of NYIT alum in the NYC area. Then again, Med School is what you make of it, right? Just figure out where you think you fit in best. Hell, I have deposits due at these schools, but am waiting on my #1 choice. Just my two cents of what I thought when I interviewed at both places.

During the interview, did they mention how the revamped curriculum would be like?

 

[ashtray81]

During the interview, did they mention how the revamped curriculum would be like?

The interviewer I spoke to said there would be less time on classroom lectures, and more time spent on PBL-style sessions. Essentially, students were being forced to memorize more than apply last year, and they realized that parts of their PBL curriculum were very successful and they plan to incorporate that into their regular curriculum. Not necessarily entire PBL sessions, but more like Q/A without the learning contracts, etc. Probably best to think of it as a hybrid of traditional lectures w/ PBL. The new dean was also very supportive and seemed enthusiastic to further NYIT-COM's reputation. Dean Goldberg at Touro, too, was equally impressive, and being a Rutgers alum, gets my vote of confidence as well 😉.

 

[PatsFan37]

During the interview, did they mention how the revamped curriculum would be like?

My interviewer seemed to suggest that there would be 1 or 2 PBL meetings per week for the lecture-based students in addition to reduced lectures (to make up the time). The groups would be a bit larger than those for the PBL-group. When I asked about shadowing experiences for the lecture-based group (which right now are reserved for only the PBL group), he said he thinks they will start giving shadowing experience but did not seem as confident about it. That's all he really told me though. I wish they spoke more about this during the meeting instead of the PBL-curriculum that only ~30 students actually get to be a part of.

 

[Jjkwest1]

.

 

[Jjkwest1]

The interviewer I spoke to said there would be less time on classroom lectures, and more time spent on PBL-style sessions. Essentially, students were being forced to memorize more than apply last year, and they realized that parts of their PBL curriculum were very successful and they plan to incorporate that into their regular curriculum. Not necessarily entire PBL sessions, but more like Q/A without the learning contracts, etc. Probably best to think of it as a hybrid of traditional lectures w/ PBL. The new dean was also very supportive and seemed enthusiastic to further NYIT-COM's reputation. Dean Goldberg at Touro, too, was equally impressive, and being a Rutgers alum, gets my vote of confidence as well 😉.

That actually sounds awesome. I think a mix of traditional lecture and reinforcing it with PBL sessions would seem to be really effective.

Also, excuse my ignorance, but what do you mean by learning contracts?

 

[ashtray81]

That actually sounds awesome. I think a mix of traditional lecture and reinforcing it with PBL sessions would seem to be really effective.

Also, excuse my ignorance, but what do you mean by learning contracts?

Each PBL session has a learning contract, so you "promise" to know the material that encompasses that session and will be tested on that session's material. So if your case is about some GI disease, you need to know the anatomy, path, biochem aspects of that particular system and will be tested on it. At least that's the way I understood it.

 

[HarryPlopper]

True, but living in NYC is a lot easier said than done. Really expensive everything (cost of living, food, taxes), traffic, etc. Even though Touro is in Manhattan (Harlem), chances are you can't afford living there. Most students live in NJ or in Brooklyn or Queens (which makes the commute even longer). Which is fine, but personally Long Island is better in terms of cost of living and stuff. And if you go to Touro, you're most likely going to end up doing your rotations in NJ anyways.

NYIT seems like a better choice. Plus, it's just a train ride away from NYC. Ultimately, pick the school with better rotation sites.
I'm so jealous, I love NYC in the summer. But I'll be moving to the Miami-Dade area for school this summer. Don't get me wrong I love FLL and Miami, but there's no other city in the world quite like NYC 😉

Vast majority of students during first 2 years live in Manhattan with the majority living in New Jersey or outer borough for last 2 years.

Long island is not much better in cost of living so I don't know what you're talking about. I don't think you've taken the Babylon train from Long Island to the city. It's not close at all and often you need to take a second unless you want to stay in the Jamaica station at the edge of the city.

 

[Chillywilly]

Vast majority of students during first 2 years live in Manhattan with the majority living in New Jersey or outer borough for last 2 years.

Long island is not much better in cost of living so I don't know what you're talking about. I don't think you've taken the Babylon train from Long Island to the city. It's not close at all and often you need to take a second unless you want to stay in the Jamaica station at the edge of the city.

Okay, so I was misinformed then about the living situation. At my interview some financial aid lady said most student couldn't afford to live in Manhattan so they move to the boroughs or NJ.

As far as cost of living in LI, how is not cheaper than Manhattan? I wasn't talking a vast difference either.

And why wouldn't someone drive into the city and park vs. taking a train? I guess that's just my preference though. Taking public transportation gives me anxiety..I can't deal. 😛

 

[HarryPlopper]

Okay, so I was misinformed then about the living situation. At my interview some financial aid lady said most student couldn't afford to live in Manhattan so they move to the boroughs or NJ.

As far as cost of living in LI, how is not cheaper than Manhattan? I wasn't talking a vast difference either.

And why wouldn't someone drive into the city and park vs. taking a train? I guess that's just my preference though. Taking public transportation gives me anxiety..I can't deal. 😛

There are many places in Manhattan that is affordable although not in the nicer parts of the island.

Driving and finding parking isn't fun but that depends on the person. I haven't met many people who enjoy driving in Manhattan though.

 

[NYEMMED]

Vast majority of students during first 2 years live in Manhattan with the majority living in New Jersey or outer borough for last 2 years.

Long island is not much better in cost of living so I don't know what you're talking about. I don't think you've taken the Babylon train from Long Island to the city. It's not close at all and often you need to take a second unless you want to stay in the Jamaica station at the edge of the city.

Train to the city from the NYIT area takes about 30-35 mins. The babylon line requires no switch and the express trains go straight to the city. It also depends on the location of manhattan or the city you want to be in and the location in Long Island. Most students at NYIT-COM (NYCOM) have roommates and rent out whole houses, You can easily find 3-4 bedroom homes (that are really nice) for 600-750 per person including many utilities.

 

[calvinhobbes]

NYCOM is changing the curriculum. Less lectures and less time in lectures (roughly 30 min long instead of 1hr-4hr lectures). The lectures will be more about what you really need to know and the essential points, and then the students will have to go research the rest of the info. on their own...so really, no more real "lectures" but rather, a brief synopsis of what the topic is.

There will be PBL groups facilitated by TA's (third year students, not 100% faculty, so that may be a turnoff because you have to ask yourself, will the interaction with faculty get lost in translation?) and different groups will be responsible for various learning issues. Anatomy and OMM will be their own blocks.

As for NYCOM vs. Touro, I would get a feel of both and see where you can see yourself for the next four years. Just a heads up, here is this year's first time DO match rate for each school:

https://www.natmatch.com/aoairp/stats/2014sklstats.html in case you're interested...the MD one is next month.

Honestly, I would go to the school that's cheaper, and where board prep is better. Do the research on that. Also keep in mind NYCOM's class size is close to 300 students. But the clinical rotations are amazing, with many in Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey. But Touro prepares you for the boards much, much better, especially the USMLE (the most important factor here). Also, Touro is in NYC, and there's so much more fun and academic activities to do. The area NYCOM is located in is super boring. It sucks.

Good luck with your decision, but I would personally choose Touro any day of the week.

 

[PatsFan37]

NYCOM is changing the curriculum. Less lectures and less time in lectures (roughly 30 min long instead of 1hr-4hr lectures). The lectures will be more about what you really need to know and the essential points, and then the students will have to go research the rest of the info. on their own...so really, no more real "lectures" but rather, a brief synopsis of what the topic is.

There will be PBL groups facilitated by TA's (third year students, not 100% faculty, so that may be a turnoff because you have to ask yourself, will the interaction with faculty get lost in translation?) and different groups will be responsible for various learning issues. Anatomy and OMM will be their own blocks.

As for NYCOM vs. Touro, I would get a feel of both and see where you can see yourself for the next four years. Just a heads up, here is this year's first time DO match rate for each school:

https://www.natmatch.com/aoairp/stats/2014sklstats.html in case you're interested...the MD one is next month.

Honestly, I would go to the school that's cheaper, and where board prep is better. Do the research on that. Also keep in mind NYCOM's class size is close to 300 students. But the clinical rotations are amazing, with many in Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey. But Touro prepares you for the boards much, much better, especially the USMLE (the most important factor here). Also, Touro is in NYC, and there's so much more fun and academic activities to do. The area NYCOM is located in is super boring. It sucks.

Good luck with your decision, but I would personally choose Touro any day of the week.

Thanks for the helpful advice. I ended up choosing Touro (my NYCOM deposit was due yesterday but I elected not to pay it). NYCOM seems like a great school, but the location would just be very inconvenient with my fiancee going to school in Manhattan.

 

[kingbob128]

Thanks for the helpful advice. I ended up choosing Touro (my NYCOM deposit was due yesterday but I elected not to pay it). NYCOM seems like a great school, but the location would just be very inconvenient with my fiancee going to school in Manhattan.

Great choice, wish you the best!

 

[calvinhobbes]

Good luck! Being close to your social support system, especially your fiancé, is really important.

 

[HarryPlopper]

Honestly, I would go to the school that's cheaper, and where board prep is better. Do the research on that. Also keep in mind NYCOM's class size is close to 300 students. But the clinical rotations are amazing, with many in Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey. But Touro prepares you for the boards much, much better, especially the USMLE (the most important factor here). Also, Touro is in NYC, and there's so much more fun and academic activities to do. The area NYCOM is located in is super boring. It sucks.

Good luck with your decision, but I would personally choose Touro any day of the week.

You didn't mention that NYCOM has stronger residency affiliations than Touro, not just rotations. Big advantage NYCOM has over Touro. It's also not just the affiliations themselves, but NYCOM has been established in the NYC area for quite a while. Thus PDs are generally more familiar with the program and may have a bias toward those students.

OP, congrats and I hope you have an amazing time at Touro. Wish you the best.

 

[StarFall]

NYCOM is changing the curriculum. Less lectures and less time in lectures (roughly 30 min long instead of 1hr-4hr lectures). The lectures will be more about what you really need to know and the essential points, and then the students will have to go research the rest of the info. on their own...so really, no more real "lectures" but rather, a brief synopsis of what the topic is.

There will be PBL groups facilitated by TA's (third year students, not 100% faculty, so that may be a turnoff because you have to ask yourself, will the interaction with faculty get lost in translation?) and different groups will be responsible for various learning issues. Anatomy and OMM will be their own blocks.

As for NYCOM vs. Touro, I would get a feel of both and see where you can see yourself for the next four years. Just a heads up, here is this year's first time DO match rate for each school:

https://www.natmatch.com/aoairp/stats/2014sklstats.html in case you're interested...the MD one is next month.

Honestly, I would go to the school that's cheaper, and where board prep is better. Do the research on that. Also keep in mind NYCOM's class size is close to 300 students. But the clinical rotations are amazing, with many in Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey. But Touro prepares you for the boards much, much better, especially the USMLE (the most important factor here). Also, Touro is in NYC, and there's so much more fun and academic activities to do. The area NYCOM is located in is super boring. It sucks.

Good luck with your decision, but I would personally choose Touro any day of the week.

*Still learning about match rates and etc..*
But how come the match rates are only around 40-50%? I thought the average % match for a DO student was around 70%? Or am I thinking of something else..? Like DO matching into MD residencies?

 

[HarryPlopper]

*Still learning about match rates and etc..*
But how come the match rates are only around 40-50%? I thought the average % match for a DO student was around 70%? Or am I thinking of something else..? Like DO matching into MD residencies?

This was already discussed in another thread. Keeping it short: Match rates are low because many students opt out of the AOA match to go straight to ACGME. They choose not to do AOA because should they match, they are automatically withdrawn from the ACGME.

 

[StarFall]

This was already discussed in another thread. Keeping it short: Match rates are low because many students opt out of the AOA match to go straight to ACGME. They choose not to do AOA because should they match, they are automatically withdrawn from the ACGME.

Duh..makes sense. I understand now. I now want to see what the match rate is for both AOA and ACGME for all DO students to give me the "overall" chance. Guess I have to look at the match rate pdf files again.
Thanks for the clarification! Still doing my homework.

 

[cliquesh]

*Still learning about match rates and etc..*
But how come the match rates are only around 40-50%? I thought the average % match for a DO student was around 70%? Or am I thinking of something else..? Like DO matching into MD residencies?

The matched and non-matched percentages on that natmatch page are dumb. All of the percents are based on dividing the number matched or the number non-matched by the total number of students in the school.

You can figure out the match rate by rearranging the numbers.

Nycom had 124 students match and 41 fail to match. 124/(124+41) = 75%
Touro had 61 match and 28 not match. 61/(61+28) = 68%

The overall Acgme match rate for DOs was 75% last year.

 

[Dr. Zombie]

In my personal opinion, I hope people are not too caught up on match rates, because at the end of the day its very student-dependent.....board scores? class rank? rotation grades? people-skills? did personality match with program? did they rank enough? did they interview well? how did they stand out from the applicant pool? research maybe?

I say work hard, get the grades you need as you prepare well for Step 1/2 (even if it means cutting back a little on your social life for the sake of being a good applicant), do research if you can, brush up on interview skills when the time is right, develop good communication/people skills, be a team player during rotations and auditions, and apply smartly/broadly and you should be rewarded.

Don't focus on those who went unmatched....look at those who matched and say to yourself "if 61 matched, why can't I? What qualities and numbers did they have to match? What can I do to make myself a competitive applicant?"

 

[user3]

The matched and non-matched percentages on that natmatch page are dumb. All of the percents are based on dividing the number matched or the number non-matched by the total number of students in the school.

You can figure out the match rate by rearranging the numbers.

Nycom had 124 students match and 41 fail to match. 124/(124+41) = 75%
Touro had 61 match and 28 not match. 61/(61+28) = 68%

The overall Acgme match rate for DOs was 75% last year.

I have always wondered why such a high % of DO students having to scramble every year has not been a concern for the AOA. 20-25+% is simply unacceptable and is a serious issue that AOA or COCA should address. Same with so many students getting stuck with transitional years but no advanced spot.

 

[juca67]

NYCOM is changing the curriculum. Less lectures and less time in lectures (roughly 30 min long instead of 1hr-4hr lectures). The lectures will be more about what you really need to know and the essential points, and then the students will have to go research the rest of the info. on their own...so really, no more real "lectures" but rather, a brief synopsis of what the topic is.

There will be PBL groups facilitated by TA's (third year students, not 100% faculty, so that may be a turnoff because you have to ask yourself, will the interaction with faculty get lost in translation?) and different groups will be responsible for various learning issues. Anatomy and OMM will be their own blocks.

As for NYCOM vs. Touro, I would get a feel of both and see where you can see yourself for the next four years. Just a heads up, here is this year's first time DO match rate for each school:

https://www.natmatch.com/aoairp/stats/2014sklstats.html in case you're interested...the MD one is next month.

Honestly, I would go to the school that's cheaper, and where board prep is better. Do the research on that. Also keep in mind NYCOM's class size is close to 300 students. But the clinical rotations are amazing, with many in Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey. But Touro prepares you for the boards much, much better, especially the USMLE (the most important factor here). Also, Touro is in NYC, and there's so much more fun and academic activities to do. The area NYCOM is located in is super boring. It sucks.

Good luck with your decision, but I would personally choose Touro any day of the week.

Thanks for the info! When I called recently, they had said the details of the new curriculum weren't decided yet. Do you happen to know if the curriculum will still be system based? Also, how will exams and grading work? Will we be tested on the material that we research ourselves and share through pbl? That seems very arbitrary.

 

[Beth_W737]

I don't know where your stats came from but the AOA data showed unmatched in AOA ranging from 7% to somewhere in the 20s. I think most schools are more in the 7-15%.

 

[kingbob128]

Do you have to get a 70 on every test at NYIT or an average of 70?

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[Bandwagon1]

Do you have to get a 70 on every test at NYIT or an average of 70?

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average

 

[group_theory]

Touro is on the rise with not intention of slowing down. There is a reason why they got 6-7k applicants last cycle (2nd most out of all DO schools)

Just to clarify since I don't know where you got the 6-7k applicant data but for the 2012-2013 cycle, TouroCOM-NY got 4503 applicants, not 6-7k, and not the 2nd most out of DO school. In order of applicants, it's PCOM-Philly (7078), LECOM (6208), CCOM (5997), NYIT-COM (5667), NSUCOM (5103), LECOM Bradenton (4840), followed by TouroCOM-NY (4503)

Source: AACOM

 

[kingbob128]

average

Usually how many tests are there in a system?

 

[NYEMMED]

Usually how many tests are there in a system?

2 per system, Sometimes 3-4 for larger systems.