hi, please help me, i have to decide whether to accept the acceptance offer in two weeks, but i hears many negative aspects of touro-ca
1. the curriculum is so unorganized that it feels like going to a community college
2. some teachers are not qualified to teach.
3. bad facility, not a lot of classes or rooms for DO students...
i only seem to hear good things about touro from applying students and current students, but is that realistic?
its a big decision for me, so can the current students talk about the negative aspects of Touro as well, so that i can make a wise decision?
i am very happy that i was accepted to this school, and i hope to go here, but i want to know good & bad about the school so that i don't get disappointed once the school starts.
thank you.
I'm one of those people that always say good things about the school, But it seems like that's the wrong thing to do, now that I think about it. So here's the completely honest review about the place:
If your love ones live in california and around the bay area and you've only been accepted to Touro (and not stanford or any of the UC or Loma Linda or Western) then go here. You'll love it, it's in California...very close to your love ones...
If you are considering of going here because you want to "experience" California, then don't...Vallejo is Ghetto! There's nothing to do on Mare Island, and everything that's "Fun" is at least 20-45 minutes away (by car)...
If you go to school because of prestige, don't go here! it's only been around for 14 years or so...and it's only been in its current location for about 12 years, not nearly enough time to establish a strong foot hold considering UCSF has been around the same area since 1870? and Davis since 1966? They are really new to the area. No prestige here...
If you wonder if it is a safe live here? The answer is Yes... Mare island is very safe, I can jog at sundown everyday and not fear for my life. There are a lot of rooms for rent, and if you don't want to live on the island because there's nothing here except houses and the school then; Glencove, Benicia, or Fairfields are only 10-15 minutes away. Just don't live in Vallejo, it is sketchy there.
How is it compared to Western U? They're been there for much longer than we have, a lot more times to establish connections to the local community. They're more prestigious and well known than we are. How about the curriculum? I wouldn't know, I haven't gone there. How about the teacher? I don't know...
As for you questions:
1. the curriculum is so unorganized that it feels like going to a community college
I suppose? Personally I don't feel that it's unorganized. It's pretty integrated. I suppose if you're really critical of the curriculum you will find faults in it, but are there major flaws? I don't see it...
It always seems unorganized when you're trying to cram a medical curriculum into your brain in 2 years! If anyone had found a better way of doing this, they would've done so already.
Our curriculum has been adopted by touro-NY and they seemed to like it...So who knows...maybe your source was swamped with 1st block materials? They're really upping the amount of materials covered this year versus last year because class of 2015 will be the first class that will be required to have their board in before they can start rotation, so they want to compress the curriculum so we'll have times to study at the end of our second year.
There's a lot more to study for sure, but most lectures are well presented and the teachers try to lay out exactly what you Need to know for the exams, What you might want to know for the board, and what is good to know for clinical practice. (Most...there's always outliers)
2. some teachers are not qualified to teach.
Uhm, yes! these Doctors, none of them have a teaching credential!!! All they do is research and treat patients and stuff, they suppose to focus all their lives into teaching us...
But seriously, there are maybe two professors who aren't as good in teaching as the others, but these two are leading scientists in their field of research. They can't Teach perse, you know the type, the lab scientists who aren't as connected to people as others. However, there are tons of professors that are just wonderful, actually, almost all of them are really good lecturers and awesome mentors. I've attended many university and community colleges, and I have to say, the professors here are some of the most approachable, dedicated, fun, and easy going bunch.
3. bad facility, not a lot of classes or rooms for DO students...
How many classes or room do you need? If everyone were to show up to class, everyone who have a seat to sit.
Is anyone sitting on the floor during lectures? No.
Are there not enough places to study? No.
Are there not enough classes so that some students had to stay home while other go to school? No.
We're accredited for 135 spaces because that's what the accrediting body feels that our school can accommodate. "Touro University College of Osteopathic MedicineCalifornia is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) and by the Accrediting Commission for Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges".
We got 200 seats in the lecture hall, but the accreditation body feels that we can only handle 135, so that's why there's only 135 spots...So don't worry, you'll have a seat to sit.
Honestly, if you want to become an osteopathic physician and want to be in California, this is your school!
If you are picky about how your school look, what other say about it, are easily annoyed by little things, like prestige, this is NOT the school for you. (and be honest about it, because there's really no point of going to a school if you're going to hate it. If you have other alternatives, I suggest taking it.)
