TOUROCOM NY Discussion Thread 2011-2012

[help2]

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I only skimmed the secondary so far, but for the personal statement, do we just type it out on a separate sheet of paper and mail it with the application?

That's what I'm doing

 

[BossDoc]

Single-spaced or Double spaced? Any thoughts?

 

[california16]

I did about 1.5 pages single spaced... in the mail 🙂

now to wait.........

 

[UBCvan]

Does anyone know the % of the population that is black in Harlem?

~70% I'd say from what I saw on my interview!

 

[sunshine 3]

anyone know how they want the letters of rec? electronically via Interfolio? snail mail to the address on the cover sheet of the secondary?

 

[jkhanh]

How are you guys attaching your photos? Stapling it or taping it to the boxed area?

 

[UBCvan]

anyone know how they want the letters of rec? electronically via Interfolio? snail mail to the address on the cover sheet of the secondary?

interfolio.

 

[UBCvan]

How are you guys attaching your photos? Stapling it or taping it to the boxed area?

I scanned it, and pasted it on the word document. and then printed it. doesnt have to be high quality.

you could staple too.

 

[DocEspana]

Where's the Doc...all this fresh meat!!!

For all of you who have received secondaries- congrats!

Word to the wise- get them in ASAP, class will fill up QUICK! I would say that at my acceptance, which was the 2nd week of December, the class was already half-full, and I'm fairly confident that it was full if not 90-95% full by the end of January.

look at all these people. It's like chumming in here.

Anyway, back in my day (im getting old) your initial application is academically/EC screened. This means that anyone who gets a secondary is cleared to be sufficiently qualified to attend the school and has a high chance of interview (closing in on 100%). They do need to pay the app fee and write a semi-coherent response to the essay questions. I was told that they are re-reviewed with the essay content before the interview is given, but its more of a "can he write a coherent essay" rather than the quality of the essay itself, so nearly everyone who submits a secondary gets an interview. The filter process is in that Touro has a huge amount of applicants and only sends out a below average number of secondaries, leading to an average amount of interviews.

The note I was given by admissions (and idk how much this has changed since I interviewed on a closed file, and no we're on an open file system) is that the admissions had already cleared you academically, your job is to sell your abilities, desire, and fit to the interview people. That they may ask about academics, but you should only focus on it if its one of your strongest points, because realistically they know the academics are fine, they're more curious about how that fits into the "future doctor you". With it being an open file now, it might be a bit of outdated advice since their questions on academics are no longer stabs in the dark, but are something they have in their folder right infront of them. Still, I can't imagine their entire theory of what the interview is looking for could have changed that much.

 

[DocEspana]

~70% I'd say from what I saw on my interview!

my rough estimates follow. nothing is cited or definite, just how i see it:

Central Harlem? Prob even 80%, depends on how you classify dark skinned caribbean islanders.

East Harlem? maybe 40% But there is a huge caribbean and hispanic population to cover another 40-50% of the population.

West Harlem? 30% black, 50% white, 20% asian. Mostly thanks to Columbia being there. Go north of columbia and its back to central harlem standards. Go north of that and you're in a Dominican neighborhood.

For those that don't know, NYC neighborhoods are notoriously small, geometric (neat and square), and varied. Most people just recognize financial district, china town, e/w village, midtown, upper e/w side and harlem. Really each one of these (except chinatown) has many subtle subgroups that really can be geometrically identified every few blocks. Chinatown does seem to be one sprawling monolithic area, but perhaps I dont understand it well enough. Point being: it wont be hard to find one that works for you if you look around enough. Midtown will cost more than lower east, which costs more than upper west, which costs more than harlem, etc.... but you find the right area and you plant roots there at whatever price it may be.

 

[BossDoc]

Just dropped off the supplemental @ the post office...express lol

 

[IamKing]

Anyone here know what type of curriculum tourocom-NY has? Is it PLB, LBL, both or some other variation? Thanks!

 

[DocEspana]

Anyone here know what type of curriculum tourocom-NY has? Is it PLB, LBL, both or some other variation? Thanks!

Apparently this changed recently, so I cant promise I'm 100% up to date with this, the new curriculum was explained to me as this.

Primarily lecture based. It used to be tons of lecture every day (8 hours a day t-w-th, 4 hours on fridays). now it appears to be about half the lectures it used to be, with the other half filled in by online/downloadable lectures you can watch at your own discretion but they are specifically quizzed periodically on so that you have to do them eventually.

so... yea... I guess its lecture based. We have a PBL class just to make sure we stay sharp on that stuff.

 

[sovereign]

To those who received supplementary application: if you don't mind, can you post your stats please? (I'm still waiting on my MCAT score)

Thanks.

Edit: For LOR's, do they have any requirements such as a letter from 2 science professors?

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

Central harlem is 60% black.

Source

 

[SML67]

Anyone here know what type of curriculum tourocom-NY has? Is it PLB, LBL, both or some other variation? Thanks!

Current 1st year, here.

Our first month is somewhat different than the rest of the year(a lot more intense, then it slows down when September hits, but here is basically a breakdown of the first year:

1st Semester

Monday
Test day(and this can be anywhere between 1 and 3 tests)

Tuesday
8-10- Anatomy Lecture
10-12- Anatomy Lab/Supplemental Lecture(class is divided in 2, one goes to the lab, one has a supplemental lecture like Radiology)
1-2- Biochemistry
2-3- Histology
3-5- Physiology

Wednesday
Same as Tues from 8-2
2-4- Histology
4-5- Physiology

Thurs
8-9- Preventative Medicine and Public Health
9-10- OMM Lecture
10-12- Anatomy Lab/Histo Lab/OMM Lab(class split into 3)
1-3- Anatomy Lab/Histo Lab/OMM Lab
3-5- Anatomy Lab/Histo Lab/OMM Lab

Friday
8-11- Anatomy Lecture(usually 2 hours of this block is Embryology Lecture)
11-12- Biochemistry

PMPH only lasts a month or two. Physical Diagnosis comes in right after PMPH ends(first week of October) and lasts the rest of the semester.

I'm not going to put down the 2nd semester because this post is getting long, but there have been a couple of structural changes to the curriculum that make this year different from prior years. They have started utilizing iTunes U to post lectures that we are required to watch before we come to class(at least, if we want to keep up). We receive these downloadable lectures in Physiology, Biochemistry, Embryology, and OMM, and they can range from 15 min to 90 min. Keeping up is not easy, and suffice to say OMM is probably the least-watched lecture. It's a massive course load and we're always playing catch-up, but the Dean of Pre-Clinical Medicine(who designs our curriculum) has drastically improved board scores since his arrival 3 years ago. I'm rambling. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

See some of you in the Class of 2016 thread...

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

It's a massive course load and we're always playing catch-up, but the Dean of Pre-Clinical Medicine(who designs our curriculum) has drastically improved board scores since his arrival 3 years ago.

It's going to be tough no matter where you go. The boards passing rate (for first time comlex level 1 takers) has gone up from 76% to ~85% to 97% over the past 3 years. This is due in large part to the quality of professors brought in and more qualified applicants being accepted each subsequent year.

Comlex level 2 rates should also have a similar jump (we'll find out next summer).

 

[sunshine 3]

To those who received supplementary application: if you don't mind, can you post your stats please? (I'm still waiting on my MCAT score)

Thanks.

Edit: For LOR's, do they have any requirements such as a letter from 2 science professors?

there's a part of the supplemental that asks you to list your evaluators. the description is pretty broad there, but the first page of the application says premed advisory committee or 2 science faculty (+a DO or MD letter)

 

[WisdomDoc]

Just got the secondary invite yesterday! I think i'm going to hold off sending it in for some time. Especially since I don't have a MD/DO LOR and oh yea $200 for a secondary.

 

[bn270]

Just got the secondary invite yesterday! I think i'm going to hold off sending it in for some time. Especially since I don't have a MD/DO LOR and oh yea $200 for a secondary.

I'm telling you, don't let the $200 throw you off! Honestly, it was better stated above but, if you receive a secondary from us you are almost 100% likely to gain an interview. Touro is different from most other schools. They actually screen the primary app to some degree of rigor, and when they offer you a secondary, that means that they could see you in the c/o 2016.

When you come for your interview (open file), they want to know more about you. Not your stats. Granted, some people I know had more difficult interviews, but in general it's a very low-stress kind of day. They want to see that you are passionate and will fit into their profile of what our school represents.

Also- don't wait too long! Seats are filling up more quickly now, especially since we have had such drastic improvements and are accredited. Last year by December I would say we were approaching half full, by Feb a bit more than half full. (But keep in mind, interviews are 2x a week roughly 12 people per day) Like anywhere, the key is to apply early!

 

[GlimmerGlass]

I'm telling you, don't let the $200 throw you off! Honestly, it was better stated above but, if you receive a secondary from us you are almost 100% likely to gain an interview. Touro is different from most other schools. They actually screen the primary app to some degree of rigor, and when they offer you a secondary, that means that they could see you in the c/o 2016.

When you come for your interview (open file), they want to know more about you. Not your stats. Granted, some people I know had more difficult interviews, but in general it's a very low-stress kind of day. They want to see that you are passionate and will fit into their profile of what our school represents.

Also- don't wait too long! Seats are filling up more quickly now, especially since we have had such drastic improvements and are accredited. Last year by December I would say we were approaching half full, by Feb a bit more than half full. (But keep in mind, interviews are 2x a week roughly 12 people per day) Like anywhere, the key is to apply early!

Thanks for the info bn270. Do you know if your percent chance of acceptance was better if you interviewed earlier or did that not make a difference until much later in the cycle? I am so excited I can't wait to come visit!

 

[WisdomDoc]

I'm telling you, don't let the $200 throw you off! Honestly, it was better stated above but, if you receive a secondary from us you are almost 100% likely to gain an interview. Touro is different from most other schools. They actually screen the primary app to some degree of rigor, and when they offer you a secondary, that means that they could see you in the c/o 2016.

When you come for your interview (open file), they want to know more about you. Not your stats. Granted, some people I know had more difficult interviews, but in general it's a very low-stress kind of day. They want to see that you are passionate and will fit into their profile of what our school represents.

Also- don't wait too long! Seats are filling up more quickly now, especially since we have had such drastic improvements and are accredited. Last year by December I would say we were approaching half full, by Feb a bit more than half full. (But keep in mind, interviews are 2x a week roughly 12 people per day) Like anywhere, the key is to apply early!

Thanks for the info. I think its the $2000 deposit that is required almost immediately that is really holding me back at this moment. I have applied to over 40 schools and that has already cost a lot. At this point in time, $2000 would be difficult to get together if I get accepted. But I'll get on that MD/DO letter ASAP just to keep my options open.

 

[LesBois88]

Thanks for the info bn270. Do you know if your percent chance of acceptance was better if you interviewed earlier or did that not make a difference until much later in the cycle? I am so excited I can't wait to come visit!

In (at least) the past 3 admission cycles, applying early was one of the best things you could do to get an acceptance. Our waitlist is notoriously long, and many of the people that interview in the spring are really just fighting for a spot on it rather than an acceptance. My advice would be to complete everything ASAP.

 

[YiSheng]

Dropped the secondary off to the post office this morning 😀 Hope early interview soon!!

 

[DOrock11]

I LOVE this school! I really hope I get a secondary application from them! When did you guys (the people with secondary app) submit your AACOMAS? Mine got verified mid-July.

 

[BossDoc]

I LOVE this school! I really hope I get a secondary application from them! When did you guys (the people with secondary app) submit your AACOMAS? Mine got verified mid-July.

My AACOMAS was released 7/28 and I got the secondary this past monday, 8/22. They supposedly screen the primary heavily, including the personal statement, EC's, etc. Be patient.

 

[Optoed]

Hi everyone,

I know I'm probably judging the book by its cover..but first impression does make a big difference. From what I saw on Google map and some of the images on the school's website, there seems to be a pretty big discrepancy between the school's unflattering outside and the new facilities inside. It seems like those who are attending/interviewed left with good impressions. Can someone who's been to the site please comment on this?

Also, I'm having some trouble answering "why Harlem" on the secondary- it seems like the community is under-served, hence there will be more opportunities for students to contribute to the residents there. Other than that, why Harlem?
What I read on wikipedia isn't helping ...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem. I don't mind to be in an under-served area, but to be in an unsafe area is a different story. Maybe NYC in general has bad crime rate..


Lastly, is Initial Award of Accreditation (which Touro NY has) like step 1 of a multi-step accreditation process? If so, how far are they from full accreditation?

 

[drgioiadds]

The facility is very nice, looks brand new. There was even a small gym for students to workout in. I felt very comfortable at the school when I interviewed there last year and the atmosphere was pretty relaxed. The school has full accreditation now.

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

I believe the building is a historical landmark (since MLK got stabbed in it) and so they can't change the outside from what I heard.

New York City is one of the safest cities in America. It's also the number 1 safest big ( population over 262k) city in the US.
From NY's finest

Also note that just because you go to school in Harlem doesn't mean you have to live there. you can get to school from most places in Manhattan in less than 30 minutes.

 

[DocEspana]

I said before that Central Harlem is safer than all of Boston (or any other city you might want to visit)

Also, as was asked before. Its already fully accredited. That happened back in april or may.

 

[Optoed]

thanks for the fast responses guys. It's just that Initial Award of Accreditation sound like the initial step to accreditation. MLK was stabbed there? wow.
I guess Why Harlem = the underserved population + living in NYC?

 

[NYCMed14]

Hi everyone,

I know I'm probably judging the book by its cover..but first impression does make a big difference. From what I saw on Google map and some of the images on the school's website, there seems to be a pretty big discrepancy between the school's unflattering outside and the new facilities inside. It seems like those who are attending/interviewed left with good impressions. Can someone who's been to the site please comment on this?

Also, I'm having some trouble answering "why Harlem" on the secondary- it seems like the community is under-served, hence there will be more opportunities for students to contribute to the residents there. Other than that, why Harlem?
What I read on wikipedia isn't helping ...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem. I don't mind to be in an under-served area, but to be in an unsafe area is a different story. Maybe NYC in general has bad crime rate..


Lastly, is Initial Award of Accreditation (which Touro NY has) like step 1 of a multi-step accreditation process? If so, how far are they from full accreditation?

TouroCOM has been granted FULL accreditation, there is no multi-step process once this is granted. Students were notified of full accreditation last spring.

I live in Harlem and have had no issues with safety or crime. You just have to be smart and careful. If I am leaving school late, I stick to the main, well-lit streets to get home. It's all common sense stuff, and applies to anywhere in NYC.
125th street is a bustling area and it does take some getting used-to for those who are not used to a more urban setting. The neighborhood is changing though...where I live Columbia is building a new campus, and lots of new restaurants and businesses have opened up.

Anyways, I'm an OMS-2 at TouroCOM, just joined SDN, I'll try and offer my perspective here for those applying. Lots of good info to share...

 

[donkeykong1]

anyone have updates on TouroCom's rotational sites for years 3 and 4. i couldn't find the info on their webpage.

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

anyone have updates on TouroCom's rotational sites for years 3 and 4. i couldn't find the info on their webpage.

View last year's thread, the third year rotations info is all on there. perhaps you can copy and paste it into this year's thread.

It's pretty much the same except:

Subtract Jersey City Medical Center from that list

Add Bergen Regional Medical Center (NJ) and Meadowlands Hospital and Medical Center (NJ).

 

[ejay1518]

St. Johns: Small (250ish bed) teaching hospital in queens. Very popular. It has every single rotation in house, though 2/3 of the people do get shipped out to a nearby psych hospital in queens for psych. Integrates OMM into the curriculum where appropriate. This hospital has residencies in IM, Surg, ER, FM, Derm and Optho. In a inner city community, though it is close to a luxury area. People love the education, they dislike (not hate) the hospitals small size. Education is loved.

Staten Island University Hospital: Big teaching hospital (650is beds). Level I trauma center. Just over the bridge from brooklyn. Takes in about 17 or 18 students (most of our places take 30ish). Is self contained except for OBGYN and psych, which both get leased out to the nearby St Johns. *lots* of residents here, especially in FM, Surgery and IM. They have numerous fellowships including oncology, cardiology and a few other things im forgetting. This hospital is loved in pretty much every category (where I want to go). Is the hardest to get to of the hospitals though. At least from the school since SI is a pain in the ass to get to unless you have a car and are living nearby.

Trinitas: Large teaching hospital in Elizabeth NJ. I honestly didnt pay attention to the presentation it made. The students love it and there are a couple in-house residencies in IM and residents from other local hospitals staff the other departments. Ships out to "north jersey" hospitals for peds and psych.

"North Jersey": These are three hospitals under the auspice of one DME. starting in 2013/2014, Holy Name and Palisades will be adding A LOT of residencies in all sorts of fields. They work as one unit as far as we are concerned. Its Palisades hospital, Holy Name, and Englewood. Palisades is a small community hospital in a immigrant area. No residents there but you get hands on experience with all the departments, including getting to be first assist in surgery and actively performing life saving procedures in ER. But... the students there say that the experience is either amazing or dull. Because there are no residents you need to follow around attendings. If you do the least you can you wont be going into the hospital often and you wont be learning much. If you go in on your days off, stay late, come early, and you'll get a treasure trove of learning done and have experiences that are usually reserved for 2nd year residents. The students all agree that this hospital is 100% what you put into it.
Holy Name hospital is the same deal but it is a 350ish bed hospital and is very technologically advanced and in a more affluent area of jersey (teaneck). Same stuff as above, just fancier equipment. You spend most of your time split between here and palisades.
Englewood actually *does* have residents there in IM, surgery, and pathology. Most students in this system do their surgery here, or do it at palisades. You can ask the DME to do more months here, but they aren't automatically assigned anything else here. He is very accomodating. This environment is, from what i gather, like having the wealth of Holy Name with the residents most other hospitals have.

Jersey City/Christ Hospital: These two hospitals work together to form one wholly contained education. They are both small-to-average sized hospitals. They both have a few residents and are sold as middle grounds between the acadmic hospitals and the 'north jersey' track. Students seem pretty happy with this school. There is a pretty heavy OMM involvement in this school as our assistant dean occasionally swings by and does rounds with you and he is OMM-crazed. Good hospitals, just not my thing. I've heard no complaints except that people feel like they won a 'bad lottery' whenever they see the assistant dean. In the same sense, there are others who love it because they went to this hospital for that opportunity since he is huge in the DO world (current AOA president). Christ is mostly for IM/FM rotations, they have an FM residency there.


Nyack Hospital: It was added just this year, but from what I have heard they like having our students there. It has peds, FM, OBGYN

Utica: takes 2 students. Universally loved. Free housing and food. No one 'has' to go there as its extra spots but the demand is high for it anyway

Binghamton: Takes 5-10 students. Even *more* universally loved. Tons of residencies at the place. Free food, housing, and skiing with the attendings on thursdays in winter. This and Utica are where our best results on step II have come from, and we assume this might be the most 'complete' education possible. Also they write some amazing letter of recommendation. Also 100% "extra space" yet every year more and more people want to go because the word of mouth is that good.

and then a whole ton of small offices and specialty buildings that you can opt to go to for family medicine or obgyn or psych if you so wish. They aren't given out in the lottery, but they are, from what i hear, pretty good. So people go and request them after the lottery to replace their originally scheduled FM/OBGYN/Psych/etc.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Subtract Jersey City Medical Center from that list

Add Bergen Regional Medical Center (NJ) and Meadowlands Hospital and Medical Center (NJ). Bergen is a 1000+ bed hospital with a psych residency there. This hospital offers all of the core rotations and anesthesiology. Meadowlands is a 230 bed hospital with IM residents there. This hospital offers all of the core rotations.

(95% of this is from DocE's post from last year)

 

[DocEspana]

hey, i recognize this commentary!

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

False. You do not recognize that commentary.

 

[DocEspana]

False. You do not recognize that commentary.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OEDU7yrTTQ&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

 

[BossDoc]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OEDU7yrTTQ&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit. I love The Wire. Such a great show.

 

[fngerscrossed]

So correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that getting a secondary more or less assures that you have an interview invite if you send it back in. From what I am seeing on last year's thread, they offer a secondary to anyone with a gpa of 3.0 and an MCAT of 24, so pretty much everyone interviews. There is no other real screening process for interview invites? That seems like so many people.

 

[BossDoc]

So correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that getting a secondary more or less assures that you have an interview invite if you send it back in. From what I am seeing on last year's thread, they offer a secondary to anyone with a gpa of 3.0 and an MCAT of 24, so pretty much everyone interviews. There is no other real screening process for interview invites? That seems like so many people.

I think it's a little more than 3.0 and 24. Take this with a grain of salt, but I've also heard that they actually go over your personal statement and EC's.

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

My understanding is that a 3.0 and a 24 are the minimum you need for them to even look at your primary application.

 

[GodismyPCP]

Sorry about that...totally ignore my message.

LECOM-Erie: Minimum MCAT is 23. Average acceptance is 28.

LECOM Post-Bacc: Below 23

My understanding is that a 3.0 and a 24 are the minimum you need for them to even look at your primary application.

 

[fngerscrossed]

LECOM-Erie: Minimum MCAT is 23. Average acceptance is 28.

LECOM Post-Bacc: Below 23

Wrong forum. This is the TouroCom NY page.

 

[klm527]

fyi the e-mail that my supplemental app has been received went into my spam e-mail box this morning (I have gmail) so check there as well

 

[BossDoc]

fyi the e-mail that my supplemental app has been received went into my spam e-mail box this morning (I have gmail) so check there as well

Same thing happened to me...In my gmail spam folder

 

[lysase]

Hey all, I'm looking forward to seeing you all next fall.

I was on the high waitlist last cycle (very high on the list, high being bad), but was eventually offered a deferred admission for fall 2012. For those of you who stress about stats, I had 2.98 undergrad gpa (3.56 masters, 3.2ish cum) and a 32 mcat (13V, 10B, 9P). While I had lots of work experience in EMS and as a CPR instructor, I had little to no volunteer work. During the admissions cycle, I volunteered and finished my masters lab thesis, and sent in multiple updates. In the end, I'm not sure if the updates really mattered. Others have said that MCAT played a large role in the waitlist deferred admission, but I was too much of a coward to ask during the phone call.

I was really impressed with the school during my interview/tour. The facilities were among the nicest I've seen, and the community seemed very tight knit. While it does cost a little more, I'd recommend staying the night at the ALOFT hotel around the corner. It's super close, and you can spend the day wandering Harlem and exploring (I <3 Obama's Fried Chicken, still need to try Amy Ruth's and Dino BBQ).

Good luck to everyone, you'll get through this.

PS: any current students know about pathology rotations or residencies?

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

PS: any current students know about pathology rotations or residencies?

I don't know much about this but I do know that Englewood hospital (Mt. Sinai/TouroCOM affiliate) offers pathology rotations. Their pathology department has residents from Mt. Sinai's pathology residency. I'm sure the other hospitals also offer pathology rotations but I don't know if they have residents there or not.

You can speak to Dr. Bahri - pathology professor at touro - she is super nice and very helpful. She can shed more light on the subject.

 

[lysase]

I don't know much about this but I do know that Englewood hospital (Mt. Sinai/TouroCOM affiliate) offers pathology rotations. Their pathology department has residents from Mt. Sinai's pathology residency. I'm sure the other hospitals also offer pathology rotations but I don't know if they have residents there or not.

You can speak to Dr. Bahri - pathology professor at touro - she is super nice and very helpful. She can shed more light on the subject.

Thanks, I'll definetly try to contact her. I want to become a medical examiner, and have heard that the New York medical examiner's office is pretty good about allowing students to shadow/rotate through.

 

[DwightSchruteDO]

Thanks, I'll definetly try to contact her. I want to become a medical examiner, and have heard that the New York medical examiner's office is pretty good about allowing students to shadow/rotate through.

She actually told some of us to do an elective there when we told her we were interested in doing a pathology elective.

Maybe you can be like ducky...