TUCOM CA Discussion Thread 2010-2011

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Kevin Baker said:
Thank you for posting an honest review. Too often people ignore the cons and only focus on the pros of a school. And those who give constructive criticism get ostracized. That MPH spiel was ridiculous and while I've listened to something similar at other schools, it was never a mandatory 1 hr Q and A session first thing in the morning. Hopefully Touro turns it down in the future.
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nutellaicecream said:
It's true that they spend a lot of time talking about doing a DO/MPH and they can definitely streamline the presentation a lot better. They just want to make sure prospective students are aware of the opportunity, as the MPH is somewhat new.

I don't care if you disliked your experience at the school. But don't act like you know what the "bull****" MPH program is like at Touro unless you've actually done it.
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Thegreatest said:
I'd rather have an online MPH from from any of these schools over tucom...i'll let the reader's decide (it doesn't list online on your degree):

http://www.umass.edu/sphhs/mph_online/about.html

http://www.online.mph.ufl.edu/

http://www.mph.lumc.edu/

http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/php/onlineformat.html

http://www.mcw.edu/mphprogram.htm

http://www.llu.edu/public-health/online/index.page

Guys like you need to start spewing false information....MPH is pretty much BS....if you really want "the additional letters"....as they were saying during the marketing nonsense....at tucom...then get it from one of the above schools online.....
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First off, I'm not a guy.

Second, I cannot believe your ignorance. Based on this response, and your obvious immaturity, your what 21 and coming straight out of college?? You obviously have no health care experience or you would realize that tons of physicians, researchers, and administrators have this background because its very complimentary to medicine.

Third, congrats on the google search results you came up with to find some online programs from legitimate schools 🙂 I personally think that you will learn more from actually taking classes in person than online. You obviously feel that the school name from the granting institution is more important. To each their own.....

As someone who has already been through it, I was just offering my opinion.
I think its a pretty good deal. I went to a top 10 program, and their curriculum is not too different than mine was. Additionally, it took me 2 years, and cost about 5X what it does at TUCOM to get my degree. At the end of the day, my classmates and I will likely have the same skill set. It's a short program, not very costly, and fits in nicely with the rest of your schooling compared to some of these online degrees that can take up to 3 years to complete. - thats a lot of additional time after medical school. I think this is why they spend time breaking down the program and how it fits into your DO curriculum. -agreed about the presentation, it was annoying to sit through it. Especially because obviously, it didn't even apply to me. I guess I was feeling humble and lucky just to be there and have an interview. You're right though, they should make it optional, and at the end of the day next year.

Lastly- good luck to you "TheGreatest"!
-and thank god you won't be my classmate 🙂
 
stilltrying08 said:
First off, I'm not a guy.

Second, I cannot believe your ignorance. Based on this response, and your obvious immaturity, your what 21 and coming straight out of college?? You obviously have no health care experience or you would realize that tons of physicians, researchers, and administrators have this background because its very complimentary to medicine.

Third, congrats on the google search results you came up with to find some online programs from legitimate schools 🙂 I personally think that you will learn more from actually taking classes in person than online. You obviously feel that the school name from the granting institution is more important. To each their own.....

As someone who has already been through it, I was just offering my opinion.
I think its a pretty good deal. I went to a top 10 program, and their curriculum is not too different than mine was. Additionally, it took me 2 years, and cost about 5X what it does at TUCOM to get my degree. At the end of the day, my classmates and I will likely have the same skill set. It's a short program, not very costly, and fits in nicely with the rest of your schooling compared to some of these online degrees that can take up to 3 years to complete. - thats a lot of additional time after medical school. I think this is why they spend time breaking down the program and how it fits into your DO curriculum. -agreed about the presentation, it was annoying to sit through it. Especially because obviously, it didn't even apply to me. I guess I was feeling humble and lucky just to be there and have an interview. You're right though, they should make it optional, and at the end of the day next year.

Lastly- good luck to you "TheGreatest"!
-and thank god you won't be my classmate 🙂
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Nicely put!
 
interview on 22 Feb! any other SDNers gonna be there?? can't wait 😀
 
I interviewed today. Overall I thought it was a great school. The interview was a lot less stressful than I thought, maybe because you are all there talking and not constantly having all eyes on you. Everyone was very friendly and the tour guide answered my many questions. Great anatomy lab. Personally, I thought it was a very pleasant experience. I hope I get accepted, it has definitely moved up to one of my top choices in school. Good luck to all!
 
stilltrying08 said:
First off, I'm not a guy.

Second, I cannot believe your ignorance. Based on this response, and your obvious immaturity, your what 21 and coming straight out of college?? You obviously have no health care experience or you would realize that tons of physicians, researchers, and administrators have this background because its very complimentary to medicine.

Third, congrats on the google search results you came up with to find some online programs from legitimate schools 🙂 I personally think that you will learn more from actually taking classes in person than online. You obviously feel that the school name from the granting institution is more important. To each their own.....

As someone who has already been through it, I was just offering my opinion.
I think its a pretty good deal. I went to a top 10 program, and their curriculum is not too different than mine was. Additionally, it took me 2 years, and cost about 5X what it does at TUCOM to get my degree. At the end of the day, my classmates and I will likely have the same skill set. It's a short program, not very costly, and fits in nicely with the rest of your schooling compared to some of these online degrees that can take up to 3 years to complete. - thats a lot of additional time after medical school. I think this is why they spend time breaking down the program and how it fits into your DO curriculum. -agreed about the presentation, it was annoying to sit through it. Especially because obviously, it didn't even apply to me. I guess I was feeling humble and lucky just to be there and have an interview. You're right though, they should make it optional, and at the end of the day next year.

Lastly- good luck to you "TheGreatest"!
-and thank god you won't be my classmate 🙂
Click to expand...

well said! 👍
 
anyone interview on Feb 7th? this coming Monday??
 
For those that interviewed on Jan. 25th -do we find out today or tomorrow?
 
I believe they meet on Thursday and you should find out on Friday. My acceptance email came at 11:45 Pacific time. Hope this helps and good luck.
 
ilivetosurf said:
Accepted!! TUCOM class of 2015!! So stoked
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Did you interview on Jan. 25th? I did and I haven't received an email yet 😕

I thought they decided on all of the applicants from one date at once -can one of the current students comment on this?
 
nfsonpowday said:
Did you interview on Jan. 25th? I did and I haven't received an email yet 😕

I thought they decided on all of the applicants from one date at once -can one of the current students comment on this?
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I know the committee met yesterday. They should have been able to decide on the past two weeks' worth of interviewees. Did you email Dr. Haight to get an email notification?
 
nfsonpowday said:
Did you interview on Jan. 25th? I did and I haven't received an email yet 😕

I thought they decided on all of the applicants from one date at once -can one of the current students comment on this?
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I interviewed Feb 1st. I bet if you email Dr. Haight he will let you know, or call.
 
accepted...just to let you all know...but..i'll be giving up my spot...hopefully my buddy on the waitlist gets it....best of luck to all......
 
Hey everyone, Does anyone know how TUCOM send out interview invite (emai/phone/letter/etc.)?

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Dyingduck said:
Hey everyone, Does anyone know how TUCOM send out interview invite (emai/phone/letter/etc.)?

Thanks.
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You should have emailed Dr. Haight to request an email notification as soon as the committee's rendered its decision.

Regardless of whether you did or not, you'll get a packet in the mail.
 
munchymanRX said:
You should have emailed Dr. Haight to request an email notification as soon as the committee's rendered its decision.

Regardless of whether you did or not, you'll get a packet in the mail.
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He's asking how they send out interview invites, not interview decisions 🙂

I got my invite over the phone.
 
I was hoping someone could shed some light on the whole rotation issue at Touro-CA.

I have seen some people state that Touro-CA has some of the most amazing rotation sites in Cali and elsewhere, but others have stated that this school has some of the worst rotations sites of any med school and that their rotations are really the achilles heel of the school.

What do you guys think about the rotation situation?
 
theone1979 said:
I was hoping someone could shed some light on the whole rotation issue at Touro-CA.

I have seen some people state that Touro-CA has some of the most amazing rotation sites in Cali and elsewhere, but others have stated that this school has some of the worst rotations sites of any med school and that their rotations are really the achilles heel of the school.

What do you guys think about the rotation situation?
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current rotation spots include california (long beach, colton, chino hills, santa maria, santa rosa, vacaville/fairfield, turlock, salinas, fresno, bakersfield, the bay area), michigan (outskirts of detroit), new york, oregon, colorado and pennsylvania. exemptions are considered in cases where it would significantly decrease any burdens if the student were placed at a specific stie (which is why your class will vote depending on your personal circumstances (should you apply for an exemption)). many people will get their desired location if they apply for an exemption and even those who do the lottery system will get their 1st or 2nd choice (with only a few receiving their 3rd choice or other). touro is currently working to have the majority (if not all) of their rotations in california. as you can tell from above, that is not difficult seeing how the majority of sites already exist in california. from the students ahead of me, they are loving rotations, so i can only assume they are going well. the situation is dynamic and is making changes periodically to better sites/programs while still offering options to students.
 
One person that interviewed last month was told by Dr. Hiserote that they now have 72 spots in norcal and over 40 in socal. That's quite an improvement (in terms of quantity) compared to a few years ago when many students posted on SDN about how a large percentage of the student body had to leave CA for rotations.

Can a current student comment on the quality of these rotation sites?

Did you get off the waitlist theone1979?
 
AlisonNoelle said:
current rotation spots include california (long beach, colton, chino hills, santa maria, santa rosa, vacaville/fairfield, turlock, salinas, fresno, bakersfield, the bay area), michigan (outskirts of detroit), new york, oregon, colorado and pennsylvania. exemptions are considered in cases where it would significantly decrease any burdens if the student were placed at a specific stie (which is why your class will vote depending on your personal circumstances (should you apply for an exemption)). many people will get their desired location if they apply for an exemption and even those who do the lottery system will get their 1st or 2nd choice (with only a few receiving their 3rd choice or other). touro is currently working to have the majority (if not all) of their rotations in california. as you can tell from above, that is not difficult seeing how the majority of sites already exist in california. from the students ahead of me, they are loving rotations, so i can only assume they are going well. the situation is dynamic and is making changes periodically to better sites/programs while still offering options to students.
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yeah im glad this is happening. im from nyc and i just interviewed on monday and i liked this school. the anatomy lab was amazing tho. it smelled great in there. and i also liked the OMM lab. i am glad they have sites in nyc for rotations so that i can come back to nyc and establish connections
 
Does anyone know if TUCOM starts pulling people off wait-list while they're still interviewing? I interviewed in November and was put on medium wait-list. TUCOM is my first choice and I will be trying hard to provide updates to increase my chances, but do they really not go back to the wait-list until May?

I've been accepted elsewhere, but I'd much rather stay in California.

[edit]nevermind, just read back a few pages and found the answer. They don't pull from waitlist until the end[/edit]
 
Got another update email today...I will say I am rather pleased at how upfront and transparent TOURO-CA has been throughout this process, far superior to any other school that I have worked with. They said in the email that they are still interviewing and plan to do so through the end of May. They also said that they guarantee that they will never interview just to fill waitlist spots. So I guess we all just get to hang in there. Good luck everyone!
 
guydudcl371 said:
Got another update email today...I will say I am rather pleased at how upfront and transparent TOURO-CA has been throughout this process, far superior to any other school that I have worked with. They said in the email that they are still interviewing and plan to do so through the end of May. They also said that they guarantee that they will never interview just to fill waitlist spots. So I guess we all just get to hang in there. Good luck everyone!
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I got this email too... I'm a little confused by it? Does it basically mean they haven't decided to reject us straight up but are still deciding if we will get an interview? Seems like the spots aren't all filled yet either.. but the email wasn't too clear about that either. Hmmmmm😏
 
MissPhysician said:
I got this email too... I'm a little confused by it? Does it basically mean they haven't decided to reject us straight up but are still deciding if we will get an interview? Seems like the spots aren't all filled yet either.. but the email wasn't too clear about that either. Hmmmmm😏
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spot aren't all filled at the moment. TUCOM does not interview to "fill waitlists." if you are invited for an interview, we are genuinely interviewing you for a spot here, whatever the outcome ends up being (rejection, waitlist [high/med/low], accept) depends on your interview and complete file. i hope that clarifies the issue.
 
I was wondering if any current TUCOM-CA students could comment on what their average school week is like? I'm wondering how many days a week classes are held? On average, how many hours per day are spent in class? How many hours are spent studying outside of class? I know people have posted before that students live in a variety of locations, but where do the majority live?
 
Hi everyone im a third year doing his clinicals down in arrowhead. if you need any information on the school feel free to contact me good luck
 
stilltrying08 said:
I was wondering if any current TUCOM-CA students could comment on what their average school week is like? I'm wondering how many days a week classes are held? On average, how many hours per day are spent in class? How many hours are spent studying outside of class? I know people have posted before that students live in a variety of locations, but where do the majority live?
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you can see a sample schedule for yourself at http://tu.edu/resources.php
(COM OMS 1 or COM OMS 2 schedules for fall and spring are posted there)

classes on monday are usually from 8-5 and mainly consist of lectures. tuesday-thursday are a mix of lecture and labs and friday is primarily lectures typically ending at noon or at 3. classes are not mandatory and labs typically are.

how much time spent studying outside of class depends on the type of student you are.

most students live within the area either on the island or in vallejo or benicia. there are some who commute from the berkeley/sf area, north bay/napa region and others who commute further east on I-80 in vacaville/fairfield.
 
Hello!

So I just got invited for an interview here, but I'm not sure if I should go.....Some of the comments on here don't seem so positive, but I do want to have an open mind about this school.

I've paid for my deposit for KCUMB, but I've been reading some comments about the school and they haven't been all that positive.

Does anyone have any input about KCUMB and Touro-CA? Or on whether I should go to this interview?
 
UWHusky4Life said:
Hello!

So I just got invited for an interview here, but I'm not sure if I should go.....Some of the comments on here don't seem so positive, but I do want to have an open mind about this school.

I've paid for my deposit for KCUMB, but I've been reading some comments about the school and they haven't been all that positive.

Does anyone have any input about KCUMB and Touro-CA? Or on whether I should go to this interview?
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As a fellow Husky, I can say that the similarity of the Bay Area to Seattle was a big draw. My priorities included 1) living near a large, progressive urban area with opportunities for research and a children's hospital for my fiance to work at, 2) living near the mountains / ocean for opportunities to get outdoors in all that free time I'm gonna have, 3) a school that I felt comfortable at and could see myself enjoying. Touro-CA fit all those criteria very well for me, so it was an easy decision. I have emailed with current 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students (some of whom I just found on SDN and sent private messages) about the curriculum and clinical rotations, and I'm confident that the didactics and clinical options are fantastic and have improved a lot the past few years. It sounds like the admin responded to student concerns and actively enlisted their help in improvements, which is heartening. The campus seems to click with some, and offend others... I found it very likable, just wish it was closer to Berkeley where I plan to live (it's about 25-35 minutes by car).

I can't speak to KCUMB since I didn't apply there, but on the general topic of attending interviews out of curiosity... I have done it and think if you can afford it definitely take the chance. At the very least it can help you get a more specific sense of your priorities in a program... at best you may end up loving it and changing your mind about which school to attend.
 
UWHusky4Life said:
Hello!

So I just got invited for an interview here, but I'm not sure if I should go.....Some of the comments on here don't seem so positive, but I do want to have an open mind about this school.

I've paid for my deposit for KCUMB, but I've been reading some comments about the school and they haven't been all that positive.

Does anyone have any input about KCUMB and Touro-CA? Or on whether I should go to this interview?
Click to expand...


There are always people who hates on schools. I don't think there's a school that doesn't get flack in some way or another.

Honestly, I think the school needs a lot of work. If you're the type who can't stand ugly landscaping, who can only study when you're surrounded by beautiful trees and thick green grass, then this is NOT the place for you! The whole place looks dreadful and abandoned from the outside (most of it, there are some nicer part, like behind faraguit inn). With that said, It is much better from the inside. Landerhall is nice, the anatomy lab is one of the least smelling lab in the country, very well ventilated (people usually doesn't appreciate the importance of this, but they will once they're inside a poorly ventilated lab in summertime...), the basic science faculty is is excellent, very enthusiastic, the students are hit and miss, there are some really really nice people here that are easy to get along with, but there are a few condescending people here (as with any medical institution there are always those guys/girls). As for clinical faculty, I haven't had any, so I can't tell you.
The science curriculum is constantly changing, so hard to say, but you know whatever it is going to change to, it'll always have excellent instructors teaching it. Rotations are changing, and this school is still growing in every aspect.

Mare island that surrounds the school is nice, living on the island is nice, you can jog around the residential place and feel safe. The residential place on the island is new like 5 years old, nice and clean. However, one major flaw is that there are no gas station or food place on the island (besides that taco truck that parks next to the bridge and the school's food place). If you want to go eat you'll have to get out of the island. Once you get off the island and drive into Vallejo it's a whole different world, people hang outside convenient stores and slang (sell "stuff") openly, prostitutes here and there (hey people gotta make a living). Luckily this is concentrated in some area, you have the option to drive around it and not have to go through that area, once you're out of those area you get to nicer places, good vietnamese place and sushi place nearby, and all the major fastfood. If you want chipollete then you gotta drive to fairfield which is 15 minutes away. A lot of students also live in glencove, it's a nice and safe place (nothing like vallejo), the commute is short (15 minutes away), it has really nice view of the bay major inlet, you can sit on your porch and watch container ships pass by and stuff.

Berkeley is 30 minutes and San Francisco is 1 hour away. Both have tons of stuff to do (club, bars, city life, shopping, really really good yummy food of every possible type, it's also vegetarian and organic heaven at Berkeley). If you really like snows, tahoe is 3 and a half hour away, but only snows for about 5 months of the year (which is good enuff).

anyway, what did I miss?
 
Hello everyone!

Just wondering if any of you are interviewing in the next few weeks? I'll be there 3/8.

I'm really late in the application process and this will only be my second interview. A little scary 😱
 
Aye! I see February slipping away! Anyone getting interview invites?
 
Hi everyone! I was accepted but will be withdrawing. I hope one of you will get my spot! Good luck!!
 
Hi, so I'm planning on applying to this school in May, and wanted ya'lls opinion on if I have a shot. I am very interested in the dual DO/MPH, enough so that this is one of the main draws for me. Here are my numbers from another post.

2.93 cGPA
3.16 sGPA
36T MCAT
1200+ hours volunteering
~400 hours were medical
~80-100 hours shadowing (30 with DO)
30 year old air force veteran/father
Will graduate in may w/ BA + BS bio, GPA will bump to 3.00
Interviewed at one Texas school this year
Teach for MCAT prep course
Will have much stronger letters this time around

I will be spending the next year in India, where wife will be working while I watch our daughter and work on an online grad certificate in public health.

Thanks in advance for your input.
 
Bouddha said:
Hi, so I'm planning on applying to this school in May, and wanted ya'lls opinion on if I have a shot. I am very interested in the dual DO/MPH, enough so that this is one of the main draws for me. Here are my numbers from another post.

2.93 cGPA
3.16 sGPA
36T MCAT
1200+ hours volunteering
~400 hours were medical
~80-100 hours shadowing (30 with DO)
30 year old air force veteran/father
Will graduate in may w/ BA + BS bio, GPA will bump to 3.00
Interviewed at one Texas school this year
Teach for MCAT prep course
Will have much stronger letters this time around

I will be spending the next year in India, where wife will be working while I watch our daughter and work on an online grad certificate in public health.

Thanks in advance for your input.
Click to expand...

Nice MCAT! 👍

I don't know what qualifications the MPH program looks for, but the COM seems to trend toward applicants with higher MCAT and lower GPA. If you look at averages for all DO programs TUCOM is on the lower end for average GPA of matriculants and close to the top for average MCAT of matriculants. You may want to ensure that your cGPA > 3.0 since the tu.edu admissions FAQ says:

"For the best possible chances, applicants should have Cumulative and Science GPA's of 3.0 or greater with a composite MCAT score of 23 or greater."

Some medical schools will screen out applicants pre-secondary if cGPA < 3.0 but it seems to vary from school to school.
 
I just received word of my acceptance today. This school is my first choice and I'm damn thrilled I'll be attending. To everyone still waiting to hear from Touro , keep ya head up and try to keep in touch with admissions. Best of luck everyone🙂)
 
eckz2k said:
I just received word of my acceptance today. This school is my first choice and I'm damn thrilled I'll be attending. To everyone still waiting to hear from Touro , keep ya head up and try to keep in touch with admissions. Best of luck everyone🙂)
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congrats! i also just found out i got accepted, did you interview with me on Feb. 7th by any chance?
 
eckz2k said:
I just received word of my acceptance today. This school is my first choice and I'm damn thrilled I'll be attending. To everyone still waiting to hear from Touro , keep ya head up and try to keep in touch with admissions. Best of luck everyone🙂)
Click to expand...

angryazn88 said:
congrats! i also just found out i got accepted, did you interview with me on Feb. 7th by any chance?
Click to expand...

Congrats to both of you 🙂
 
Thank you angryazn88 and sinfest. I interviewed on the 15'th.
 
I just withdrew my application--hope one of you waitlisters or recent interviewees gets my spot! Best of luck.
 
I will be starting at Touro California 2011 and I wanted to know if any other first year (or second) students would like to have a roommate. I live in San Francisco and will be looking for places and we could definitely get a nicer place for less when we pair up. I am a 32 year old male. I really like being clean, organized and quite. Let me know if anyone is interested.

thanks
 
I interview 3/14! I received the invite 2/22. Anyone know if there are still spots? This is pretty late in the application cycle...
 
Kisspeptin said:
I interview 3/14! I received the invite 2/22. Anyone know if there are still spots? This is pretty late in the application cycle...
Click to expand...

A while back I got an email from them thanking me for being patient and reminding me that they do not interview to fill the waitlist so even if you interview late you are interviewing for a spot. Ironically, I still never received an interview but oh well, I've got an acceptance under my belt so I'm happy.

You're obviously competing for fewer spots but you're not automatically destined to waitlist. Just focus on nailing the interview!! Good Luck!
 
Kisspeptin said:
I interview 3/14! I received the invite 2/22. Anyone know if there are still spots? This is pretty late in the application cycle...
Click to expand...

at this point, I think you'll be competing for a spot. So if you're interviewing with a group of 5, maybe 1 or 2 will be acceptance, but the rest will get wait-listed or rejected. SO PUT ON YOUR GAME FACE, and shine.
 
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