Touro Nevada vs Touro California

[Sharknad0]

Very torn between these two schools. My heart says that I'm going to love the amenities in NV, but it's also saying I'm going to love being on the West Coast. I truly have no clue which one to pick, especially since my NV interview was virtual.

Current specialty of choice is something internal related, so research would be important for a possible fellowship. But maybe surgery would interest me once I get my hands-on experience...? Or EM? Very open minded as of now, so I don't want to be limited by where I end up.

As for residency I wouldn't mind being in California, Chicago, the East Coast. I just want a nice major city with hustle and bustle.

Things important to me: Community service, research, global health opportunities

Touro NV
Pros:
Proximity to Vegas, tons of National Parks in Utah/Arizona, only an hour away from skiing
Facilities look much nicer (virtual interview)
Many matches in surgery, ortho. Matches in cities like Chicago, Boston, Bay Area
Tons of local community service and clinics that students can work in
Curriculum posted online looks very straightforward and manageable
Attendance not mandatory and lectures are recorded
Can watch NFL, CFB, and NHL (I'm sure I could find one Saturday a month for something fun)

Cons:
Bloody hot between April-October, but I GUESS I can deal with the heat
Only real city in proximity is Vegas (but this isn't realllly a con, just not as varied as CA)
4 years in NV would be enough for me, don't see myself becoming a permanent resident
Not sure about research in LV, but I can also do research back at home between M1 and M2 years
Somewhat of a dress code? Baseball caps, t-shirts, and torn jeans are examples of inappropriate, unprofessional attire - TUN Handbook
I don't think it's P/F, pretty sure you're graded
No NBA or MLB, but I'll survive. I only really go to one or two baseball games a year. Just another "opportunity"

Touro CA
Pros:
Proximity to San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Lake Tahoe
Weather is perfect for me and being in SF just makes me happy, granted I won't be directly in SF. Not sure how daily life on the island would be (plus a $15-toll each way)
Pass/Fail grading, but internal ranking
Lots of community service and outreach opportunities, plus a global internship available
I could potentially see NFL, CFB, MLB, NBA games. Schedule permitting of course.
Recorded lectures

Cons:
Facilities are pretty unimpressive. Interview day didn't wow me, drove around the night before the interview and thought I was gonna get my car broken into
Can't find ANY information about match lists online, and I feel like I'm searching pretty hard for them
Dress code? TUCOM has established dress standards that will be adhered to by all students - TUC Handbook
Not sure about research in Vallejo, but I can also do research back at home between M1 and M2 years
No NHL, but I'll survive not going to the 2 games a year I might have time to go to

Both
Similar class size
COA is similar: $390K NV, $404K CA

What am I missing here?

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[Sharknad0]

There's gotta be someone with insight for this

 

[Booksandshoes]

Where do you see yourself? I would vote for touro CA, as it meets more of what you are looking for and will increase the odds of doing residency in CA should you wish to do so. I can try to help with your decision anyway I can.

Sent from my SM-G965U using SDN mobile

 

[Sharknad0]

I see myself enjoying the amenities in NV more, especially because I won't really have the time to explore the major cities near the schools. Though Vegas is a 15-20 minute drive from where I'd live. That seems a lot more feasible for shopping or a meal out than driving to SF would. CA residency would be nice, but it's not really my first choice, especially since I don't really have my mind made up for specialties and where I really want to be long-term.

I'm just worried about the NV grading scale and the dress code.

 

[Medmusicmagic23]

Having graduated from TUNCOM, I can say all the pros and cons you mentioned for that school are pretty spot on. The heat wasn't an an issue for me honestly, especially since it's an indoor campus.

Never visited touro california so I can't help much there. Even though you can drive to places like San Francisco, I've been told the area itself is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. This is not true of Henderson, NV. There's enough to do in Henderson that my friends and I rarely even drove to the las vegas strip.

I liked my school so if you have any other questions about it let me know!

 

[hugemeddreams]

Hi,

I may be able to help in regards to the living situation only. I will be attending TUNCOM, but I did my undergrad in NorCal so I am familiar with it. It is true that weather Nevada can get very hot, but NorCal can be just as cold during winter. As far as proximity to cities is concerned, yes indeed NorCal has so many places and cities to see (Point Reyes, SF, Sacramento, etc.), but I am sure TUNCOM will also be surrounded by places to explore. Plus, SoCal is only 3.5 hours away if you want to have a getaway weekend. I am not sure what the living expenses are in Nevada, but I do know that NorCal is generally more expensive compared to SoCal, and maybe Nevada as well. In the end, both are great schools and whatever decision you make, it will be the right choice.

 

[SpaceDoctor8]

Very torn between these two schools. My heart says that I'm going to love the amenities in NV, but it's also saying I'm going to love being on the West Coast. I truly have no clue which one to pick, especially since my NV interview was virtual.

Current specialty of choice is something internal related, so research would be important for a possible fellowship. But maybe surgery would interest me once I get my hands-on experience...? Or EM? Very open minded as of now, so I don't want to be limited by where I end up.

As for residency I wouldn't mind being in California, Chicago, the East Coast. I just want a nice major city with hustle and bustle.

Things important to me: Community service, research, global health opportunities

Touro NV
Pros:
Proximity to Vegas, tons of National Parks in Utah/Arizona, only an hour away from skiing
Facilities look much nicer (virtual interview)
Many matches in surgery, ortho. Matches in cities like Chicago, Boston, Bay Area
Tons of local community service and clinics that students can work in
Curriculum posted online looks very straightforward and manageable
Attendance not mandatory and lectures are recorded
Can watch NFL, CFB, and NHL (I'm sure I could find one Saturday a month for something fun)

Cons:
Bloody hot between April-October, but I GUESS I can deal with the heat
Only real city in proximity is Vegas (but this isn't realllly a con, just not as varied as CA)
4 years in NV would be enough for me, don't see myself becoming a permanent resident
Not sure about research in LV, but I can also do research back at home between M1 and M2 years
Somewhat of a dress code? Baseball caps, t-shirts, and torn jeans are examples of inappropriate, unprofessional attire - TUN Handbook
I don't think it's P/F, pretty sure you're graded
No NBA or MLB, but I'll survive. I only really go to one or two baseball games a year. Just another "opportunity"

Touro CA
Pros:
Proximity to San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Lake Tahoe
Weather is perfect for me and being in SF just makes me happy, granted I won't be directly in SF. Not sure how daily life on the island would be (plus a $15-toll each way)
Pass/Fail grading, but internal ranking
Lots of community service and outreach opportunities, plus a global internship available
I could potentially see NFL, CFB, MLB, NBA games. Schedule permitting of course.
Recorded lectures

Cons:
Facilities are pretty unimpressive. Interview day didn't wow me, drove around the night before the interview and thought I was gonna get my car broken into
Can't find ANY information about match lists online, and I feel like I'm searching pretty hard for them
Dress code? TUCOM has established dress standards that will be adhered to by all students - TUC Handbook
Not sure about research in Vallejo, but I can also do research back at home between M1 and M2 years
No NHL, but I'll survive not going to the 2 games a year I might have time to go to

Both
Similar class size
COA is similar: $390K NV, $404K CA

What am I missing here?

OMS-III here, I can speak to the Touro CA side. First referencing the Cons, facilities and campus are not as aesthetically pleasing, that is true. However, the reason to go to Touro is for location (Bay area) and the faculty who are very supportive and helpful, with open door policy for the most part. The Vallejo area may not be the safest but most people either live on Mare Island (which is safe), or outside of Vallejo and commute (which I did for 2 years and it was fine). I think that any city comes with a "dangerous part", and being reasonably safe on your part, and shouldn't be a reason for exclusion. There is NO dress code for Touro, you can dress casually. Just do it within reason and don't where offensive shirts, but otherwise I was jeans and t shirt all the way, so no worries about that. The most highly regarded research at Touro is through the Metabolic Research Center, so if you want to do research on diabetes (of which Touro is highly respected in the nation), metabolism, nutrition, etc then this can work for you. In this topic, we have a lot of professors and students with publications. Other areas of research, not so much, there is a little bit of cancer and genetic research but you need to look for it. Students have had no problem seeking out opportunities outside of Touro for research such as as UCSF, Stanford, etc. I was hoping to go to a Raiders game before they left, and still haven't made it to a 49ers game but the opportunity was there and would be exciting!

Cons are correct, P/F system with internal ranking, but remember grades and ranking are not as important as Step 1 scores and other factors. Lectures are recorded and now that COVID is messing up everything with medical school, Fall will be a hybrid semester anyways. Definitely lots of community service and volunteer opportunities no problems there. I am going to PM you the Match list for this year's class. I do agree with hugemeddreams, Bay area is pretty expensive, but it is possible to make do. I would imagine Henderson was much lower cost of living.

 

[Thriftygal]

Hello! Could I message you on how you ended up making your decision? I am also deciding between the two!