Touro-Harlem or Reapply?

[itsMCJammer]

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[mixed_aladdin]

I was accepted but based on views here, I'm having second doubts whether there might be administrative/educational setbacks that my hinder my performance. Also their low COMLEX-II pass rates and weird shady reason to not release their match rate this year (unless someone has a number somewhere).

I had 7 interview invites, attended 6 (3 MD, 4 DO).

@Goro since I know you have a strong opinion on the school?

I feel like this has been said many times before but if you turn down an acceptance to a DO school I don't think you'll fare well applying again for DO schools later on. It's still med school and another year of your life that you won't have to wait on applying agin.

 

[DexterMorganSK]

If that was your only acceptance then you should go for it.

 

[BurntFlower]

If you had all these doubts about Touro-Harlem to begin with, why did you apply and go to the interview? Take the acceptance.

 

[itsMCJammer]

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[deleted854620]

I applied before current students raised concerns over internal problems were reported. I interviewed before they matched.

Could you possibly share some of those problems that they raised?

 

[itsMCJammer]

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[Goro]

Could you possibly share some of those problems that they raised?

Poor COMLEX II pass rates

 

[tlccreepwaterfalls]

I feel like this has been said many times before but if you turn down an acceptance to a DO school I don't think you'll fare well applying again for DO schools later on. It's still med school and another year of your life that you won't have to wait on applying agin.

I turned down an acceptance last cycle due to family issues. I just got my first interview of the cycle. I asked 5-6 schools about reapplying after an acceptance, and they said it’s only a problem if you matriculated.



You will be losing out on a year salary, a year of your life, and you’ll have to reapply. You are taking a risk, because you don’t know if you will be accepted anywhere else next cycle.

I would strongly consider attending the school.

Write out a list of pros and cons and think heavily about this.

 

[CJhooper123]

OP - I would probably take the acceptance. While there are several concerning features to Touro-Harlem (e.g. poor COMLEX II pass rates), any medical school acceptance is a bird in the hand. You can probably get where you want professionally with this acceptance.

If this were your only acceptance, I would take it and run. That being said, I think its important to know what kinds of issues a school might have and work to overcome them - e.g. seeking out additional resources for studying COMLEX II at Touro (or something of that nature).

Edit: Sorry - just saw that original post was from June

 

[workaholic181]

My other concern right now is my health and just found a good doctor. My hormones are off and my doctor is concerned. I drove 2 hours today to see one to get this figured out. Is deferring an acceptance allowed? I am not sure much about this to be honest

Most schools allow deferrals for legit health reasons. That's definitely an option.

I have a classmate who turned down Touro Harlem to reapply and he's really glad he did. There was a similar thread a few weeks ago about someone not sure about a newer DO school and thinking they could improve their MCAT. There was the same response, take the acceptacne and run, you'll be black balled for ever etc etc. That's the consensus on here but it's not the case in real life. If you have an acceptance you dont feel great about it's not insane to think about reapplying.

1) OP got several MD IIs this year. 2) they think they could improve their MCAT. I said the exact same thing in the other similar thread; why not retake the MCAT early this spring and see how you do? If you improve then it's not as great of a risk to reapply.

If it were me that's what I'd do. Good luck.

 

[Dhooy7]

Most schools allow deferrals for legit health reasons. That's definitely an option.

I have a classmate who turned down Touro Harlem to reapply and he's really glad he did. There was a similar thread a few weeks ago about someone not sure about a newer DO school and thinking they could improve their MCAT. There was the same response, take the acceptacne and run, you'll be black balled for ever etc etc. That's the consensus on here but it's not the case in real life. If you have an acceptance you dont feel great about it's not insane to think about reapplying.

1) OP got several MD IIs this year. 2) they think they could improve their MCAT. I said the exact same thing in the other similar thread; why not retake the MCAT early this spring and see how you do? If you improve then it's not as great of a risk to reapply.

If it were me that's what I'd do. Good luck.

I have a few questions for you. I tried messaging you but it's blocked.

 

[workaholic181]

I have a few questions for you. I tried messaging you but it's blocked.

Sent you a message.

 

[_Rod_of_Asclepius_]

I was accepted but based on views here, I'm having second doubts whether there might be administrative/educational setbacks that my hinder my performance. Also their low COMLEX-II pass rates and weird shady reason to not release their match rate this year (unless someone has a number somewhere).

I had 7 interview invites, attended 6 (3 MD, 4 DO).

@Goro since I know you have a strong opinion on the school?

Know an attending who went there. Said he didn’t go to class often but rather simply studied for boards and crushed them. He said it got him his degree and he has ended up exactly where he has always wanted to be in Anesthesia

 

[Isoval]

I want to preface this by saying the following is what I would personally do considering my stats, ECs, letters, and residency situation.

I would run from Touro-Harlem like the plague. I would run as fast as I could and never look back. DO schools have a poor reputation and Touro-Harlem is a poster child as to why.

With that being said, I think you need to take a good hard look at your application and ask yourself if you think you’re a) a strong enough applicant to reapply DO with the black mark of rejecting an acceptance, b) need to make sure NOT going to Touro-Harlem is worth the year of attending salary you’re giving up, and c) that you’re okay that there is a possibility you don’t get accepted again. If you find the answer to either of those questions is “no”, take the acceptance and act like it was your first choice all along.

Edit: Also just noticed this was an old post. Leaving this here for future reference.

 

[itsMCJammer]

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[Tozanzibarbymotorcar]

Thanks all for the advice. Current OMS-1 at another school. I just would like to say looking back, I would 100% reapply and strengthen my app, through either MCAT or do a post bacc.

For future applicants: if you are on edge getting MD IIs but unable to convert them for various reasons (i called the MD schools I didnt get into after the cycle asking for interview feedback and none of them gave me red flags, I scored above average on MMIs, good letters, just had interviews with low post interview conversion rates (<25%)), I would reapply.

I guess hindsight is 20/20, but knowing what I know now, I'd much rather take the dip in 1 year attending salary than be stuck in the abyss DO school puts you in for non primary care specialties. I get it. I signed up for it. I should have known the consequences, but I didn't know until I got to school, that I might be interested in competitive specialties, and well going to a DO school will certainly close doors. Just food for thought.

Despite all the hate Touro gets on sdn, it does match students into competitive specialities. They even had a student match into Cornell’s psych program - where no DO has matched before.

 

[Isoval]

Despite all the hate Touro gets on sdn, it does match students into competitive specialities. They even had a student match into Cornell’s psych program - where no DO has matched before.

I think it’s important to note that part of this is because of its incredibly close proximity to these top-tier programs. Proximity has always been a major factor for DO residency candidates for a plethora of reasons.

 

[Mt. Marcy]

I turned down an acceptance last cycle due to family issues. I just got my first interview of the cycle. I asked 5-6 schools about reapplying after an acceptance, and they said it’s only a problem if you matriculated.

Were you a legit SAVAGE with your app and stuff?

 

[Osminog]

Not sure why this thread has been necro-bumped, but I wanted to respond to something here...

Despite all the hate Touro gets on sdn, it does match students into competitive specialities. They even had a student match into Cornell’s psych program - where no DO has matched before.

The person who matched into the NYP-Weill psychiatry program was a former Broadway musical actor (gay former LDS follower-turned-Book of Mormon performer). His story was extremely unique and exceptional, so his success really shouldn't be attributed to Touro-Harlem at all. I don't think it signifies that some sort of glass ceiling for DOs has been broken at elite residency programs in psychiatry.

That being said, despite its shortcomings (e.g., graded clicker sessions and low COMLEX 2 pass rate), Touro-Harlem is an OK program for somebody who really wants to stay in the NYC area.

 

[failingmedicine]

I had a friend who applied first time around and got 1 interview. She reapplies the next year without doing anything to improve her app and got accepted to 5 programs. Her stats were average for the MD applicant. If you’re average (for md applicants), reapply. I’m a do student and I would never recommend going here if you have stats good enough for MD admission. If you’re below average md admission stats, take the DO cause you likely won’t get a second look from the MD schools the next time you apply.

I was below average. Got interviews from 3 MD schools first time but didn’t get in. Next time I applied Do and Md and got rejected from every MD including the ones that interviewed me but accepted to like 9 DO schools.

 

[tlccreepwaterfalls]

Were you a legit SAVAGE with your app and stuff?

Decent extracurricular and grades. Idk what you mean by savage

But i got 5 interviews this cycle. Accepted to 3, waitlisted@1, waiting to hear from another

 

[puahate]

Not sure why this thread has been necro-bumped, but I wanted to respond to something here...



The person who matched into the NYP-Weill psychiatry program was a former Broadway musical actor (gay former LDS follower-turned-Book of Mormon performer). His story was extremely unique and exceptional, so his success really shouldn't be attributed to Touro-Harlem at all. I don't think it signifies that some sort of glass ceiling for DOs has been broken at elite residency programs in psychiatry.

That being said, despite its shortcomings (e.g., graded clicker sessions and low COMLEX 2 pass rate), Touro-Harlem is an OK program for somebody who really wants to stay in the NYC area.

@Walter Raleigh What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Some people are so strong that they can win the race, despite handicaps, like that Paralympic guy with carbon-fiber prosthetics for legs.