Touro students

[Stephie]

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Is there anyone currently attending Touro University who wouldn't mind sharing their opinions and experiences so far this year?

Thanks!

 

[trvlgrl]

Hi Everyone. I recently got accepted to Touro University's pharmacy program and would like to hear from current students or from people who know current students. With the first year underway I would like to know how things are progressing. How is the faculty, facilities, curriculum? Are things running smoothly or are there many bugs to work out? How are IPPEs going (according to your handbook it mentions that you have rotations a few hours every week if I am not mistaken)? Are there many sites set up yet? What is the outlook for year 3 & 4, what type of sites do they have set up? I understand the school is applying for Candidate status in the upcoming meeting with hopefully being granted in June. Any thoughts on this? Do you think it will happen? Any type of information would be appreciated here. I have asked many of these questions to the school itself but I would like to hear an actual Touro Pharmacy student's opinion.

Thank you!

 

[beachsaki101]

Hi,

The semester was long. We started on August 15 and ended on December 20. We had 4 classes namely Track 1, Track 2, Track 3, and Track 4 for a total of 20 hour credits. Track 1 is biology and immunology. Track 2 includes pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and pharmaceutics. Track 3 includes public health and law. Track 4 is clinical sciences (immunization, substance abuse, communication skills).

The semester is divided into 3 blocks: Block A, Block B, Block C. Every 4 weeks we had our block exams. All 4 track exams happened in the same week, one exam each day and there was no lecture during block exam week. There were 3 block exams and a summative exam at the very end. The summative exam was cumulative and it included the materials in 4 tracks. It had 2 parts. Summative Exam Part I was closed book and had 4 questions, 1 question for each track. We had 90 minutes to finish the exam. Then we took a 1 hour break. On the same day, we were given 3 hours to finish the Summative Exam Part II which was opened book; internet, books, notes were allowed. The 3rd part of the Summative Exam included the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) where each student was to meet and provide consultation to a real patient. The Summative Exam was on a pass or fail basis; its grade is not calculated into the final GPA. Only the block exam grades and those earned in class such as debates, quizzes, etc., were used to calculate the final GPA. In order to do rotation in the 3rd and 4th years, each student must pass all Summative Exams. The passing grade for each track is 70. I don't have the statistics, but I believe most of the class perform very well.

Overall, the program requires a lot of commitment and hard work. We were always busy but also very close to each other. There are 64 students and the professors recognize us by our names. Just before the final block exams and summative exam, at least 10 of us were offered internship at hospitals or medical centers where we will be working as intern pharmacists. It was a challenging semester but I think overall it was a success for both the school and the students.

I hope my post answer your question.

Beachsaki101

Is there anyone currently attending Touro University who wouldn't mind sharing their opinions and experiences so far this year?

Thanks!

 

[Stephie]

Thanks for yout reply!

What is your schedule like? At the interview they told us that there were two shorter days, 2 longer days, and one day off (Fri.?).

Do youl live on campus or off? The surrounding area looked beautiful when I was there.

How many hours a day do you study?

Sorry for all of the questions... Enjoy your Winter Break!

Stephie

 

[beachsaki101]

Stephie,

I don't have the schedule for next semester yet. This past semester we had class from 9am to noon on Mon and Fri. The other 3 days we had classes from 9am to noon, 1 hour break, and from 1pm to 4pm.

I live off campus, which is about 15 minutes away. Yes, the area is nice but I haven't had a chance to explore much. Next semester it will be busier for us because of internship and conferences. By the way, most of us attended at least 2 conferences this semester.

I did most of my study on the weekdays. I don't keep track of the hours. Having 5 hours of sleep each day is considered good. There is a lot of work and you have to stay on top of everything to do well. Getting behind can be disastrous. Time management is the key. Also, there are extracurriculum activities that the students are encouraged to join. I thinking staying focused and getting involved to take break from hardcore study will do one good.

Are you going to Touro next year? If so, congratulations! Our class is very friendly and nice. Just ask any of us if you need help.

Take care,

Beachsaki101

Thanks for yout reply!

What is your schedule like? At the interview they told us that there were two shorter days, 2 longer days, and one day off (Fri.?).

Do youl live on campus or off? The surrounding area looked beautiful when I was there.

How many hours a day do you study?

Sorry for all of the questions... Enjoy your Winter Break!

Stephie

 

[Pharmwannab]

5 hours a night consistently? I don't mind one or two nights a week, spaced out, but if I had to do that every night I couldn't make it. Would rather just sleep an extra hour or two so I could focus better when I do study. Do you find everyone does the same thing in order to do well? I wonder if its the same at all pharmacy schools.

 

[digitallymade]

Hi Stephie,
I am also a student from Touro. Don't sweat about the sleeping time... it's totally up to the student. i consider myself doing pretty well in class and i have been averaging 7hr of sleep per night, including finals... Pharmacy school is tough, but it's do-able... looking forward to seeing you at Touro next year 😉

 

[digitallymade]

Congratulation on your acceptance... things are going very smoothly with all things considered. We have just recently finished the first semester. The faculty are very helpful and resourceful. They make life much easier for the students. Facilities are wonderful (except for the outside, it looks horrible). Since we're going on 2 yrs didactic vs 3, it's a fast pace curriculum; however, it is doable... Don't worry too much about IPPE's, it is an opportunity for you to improve your communication skills. for the first semester, we mostly have events so that you can earn your hours such as immunization administration, etc. to my knowledge, Touro are well on its way of gaining Candidate status. a few lines to let you know... good luck w/ everything... on a final note, i am glad that i chose to come to Touro... my experience here has been positive in the most part.

 

[Glycerin]

I'm merging the two Touro threads in this forum together since they are similar. 🙂

 

[Stephie]

Thanks for your replies! I really liked Touro when I went for my interview; the faculty and students seemd so nice and supportive. I'm from the east coast so going to Touro would mean a big move for me, but I think that Touro would be a great school for me because of the 2 year clerkship and smaller class sizes.

Thanks again for all of your advice and help!

Stephie

 

[TheChemist]

I heard touro doesn't use the grade scale, it's just pass or no pass for their classes. Is that true?

 

[digitallymade]

It is correct that Touro does not use A-F grading scale. However, what they are using is the percentage of your grade. for example, if you have 89%, it would be used instead of B+... hope this helps

I heard touro doesn't use the grade scale, it's just pass or no pass for their classes. Is that true?