UNTHSC - TCOM Daily Class Schedule. Mandatory 8-5?

[ItzaMeSeanay]

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Hi everyone,
I have received an acceptance to UNTHSC - TCOM and I was wondering if anyone who is currently a MS student there or is going to be matriculating there could shed some light on the Class Schedule/Daily Schedule of a MS1 student. I have heard from people that class is mandatory and I have also heard that class is non-mandatory and they record lectures for you to view on your own time? It would be very much appreciate if this could be cleared up. Also how many labs a week do MS1 students have typically and does OMM take up a lot of time? Any and all responses will be great!

Thank you guys!

 

[Harker Heights]

Hi everyone,
I have received an acceptance to UNTHSC - TCOM and I was wondering if anyone who is currently a MS student there or is going to be matriculating there could shed some light on the Class Schedule/Daily Schedule of a MS1 student. I have heard from people that class is mandatory and I have also heard that class is non-mandatory and they record lectures for you to view on your own time? It would be very much appreciate if this could be cleared up. Also how many labs a week do MS1 students have typically and does OMM take up a lot of time? Any and all responses will be great!

Thank you guys!

I believe I can answer this partially at least. Attendance is absolutely not mandatory for every class. It may have been a long time ago when they first made up a daily schedule and posted it on the net when the net was young, but every TCOM student I know has said that only the labs and clinics are truly mandatory and many people show up for lectures only if the professor threatens them with points off. The school basically leaves it up to each professor. Most professors don't care. This is particularly true for the professors who have tenure. In general TCOM doesn't really care what you do or how you study as long as you pass, since they already have a monitoring system in place to catch you and put you in tutoring if they think you're falling behind. I know a student who got a phone call from his advisor right after he got less than 70 on a test. That straightened him up pretty well.

I know for a fact that professors put up powerpoints for students to download before class. Every lecture is also recorded and they have an extensive archive.

OMM I don't know much about. 3 or 4 hours per week is a number I've heard, but it is front loaded and they kinda hurry it up and get it finished before any other class. Most people have said it is hands down the easiest class.

 

[SuckySurgeon7]

Someone told me that TCOM'ers fail out if they get less than 70 on two tests in a given period of time... any truth to that or baseless rumor?

 

[radkat101]

I'm only on campus 1-2 days a week for a few hours. Don't sweat it. You can PM me for more info.

 

[AlgernonMed]

I believe if you fail an entire course you can remediate it once. If you fail two courses in one year or fail the remediation, they can give you the option to repeat the first year. If you once again fail a course, you're probably going to be dismissed.

 

[AlgernonMed]

Also, they do put lectures/PowerPoints online and audio recordings, but no video recordings of the lectures. This is important for histology and some anatomy lectures where they refer to the screen a lot. For those lectures, if you prefer to study on your own, a good textbook can easily provide enough information to get by.

 

[costales]

Hi everyone,
I have received an acceptance to UNTHSC - TCOM and I was wondering if anyone who is currently a MS student there or is going to be matriculating there could shed some light on the Class Schedule/Daily Schedule of a MS1 student. I have heard from people that class is mandatory and I have also heard that class is non-mandatory and they record lectures for you to view on your own time? It would be very much appreciate if this could be cleared up. Also how many labs a week do MS1 students have typically and does OMM take up a lot of time? Any and all responses will be great!

Thank you guys!

In 1st year your physical presence is mandatory for course exams, labs (e.g. gross anatomy, clinical education, OMM), and preceptorships. As for lectures, it depends on the class and the instructor. I skipped many lectures and never heard a word - nobody took roll, nobody cared. But always show up the first day to see who you're dealing with and what the syllabus requires in terms of attendance. Many people who show up religiously probably do so out of ingrained habit - which is not really a bad thing.

The confusion comes from the policy statement in the catalog: "During Years 1 and 2, medical students are expected to attend all classroom activities. Attendance is required at all laboratories and clinical experiences."
(http://bit.ly/1ytgnCD) Expected vs required. What is a classroom activity?

OMM is now under new management, but the above post is still correct. You will see some stuff that makes zero sense, but don't dwell on it. Just pass the class and move on.

 

[costales]

Someone told me that TCOM'ers fail out if they get less than 70 on two tests in a given period of time... any truth to that or baseless rumor?

Here are the current guidelines (from http://bit.ly/1yLS1sI):

"Failure to earn a grade of "70", or better, in a remediated course may result in repetition of the academic year or in dismissal from TCOM."

"Dismissal from TCOM may be recommended if a student fails the same course twice or fails any course in a repeated year."

The performance committee has wide discretion. Instead of dismissal, there is also a provision for students to withdraw temporarily - this is different from a leave of absence:

"Students who withdraw while not in good academic standing may re-enroll at the beginning of the next academic year, if recommended by the Student Performance Committee and the associate dean of Academic Affairs. If permitted, the students will re-enroll in the academic year from which they withdrew."

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

I believe I can answer this partially at least. Attendance is absolutely not mandatory for every class. It may have been a long time ago when they first made up a daily schedule and posted it on the net when the net was young, but every TCOM student I know has said that only the labs and clinics are truly mandatory and many people show up for lectures only if the professor threatens them with points off. The school basically leaves it up to each professor. Most professors don't care. This is particularly true for the professors who have tenure. In general TCOM doesn't really care what you do or how you study as long as you pass, since they already have a monitoring system in place to catch you and put you in tutoring if they think you're falling behind. I know a student who got a phone call from his advisor right after he got less than 70 on a test. That straightened him up pretty well.

I know for a fact that professors put up powerpoints for students to download before class. Every lecture is also recorded and they have an extensive archive.

OMM I don't know much about. 3 or 4 hours per week is a number I've heard, but it is front loaded and they kinda hurry it up and get it finished before any other class. Most people have said it is hands down the easiest class.

Oh wow thank you for the insight, I really appreciate it. Are you a current TCOM student? If so how do you like it there?

 

[Harker Heights]

Oh wow thank you for the insight, I really appreciate it. Are you a current TCOM student? If so how do you like it there?

I wish!! Unfortunately I am a reapplicant who is still waiting on a decision. However I know quite a few TCOM students as well as faculty through MedSci and the hospitals where I used to work. I have to say I honestly haven't run into any person who is unhappy about the school. Unless you get a better offer, you should go to TCOM. It is simply a great place to train, and a great school in an amazing location. And not to mention CHEAP. The real gem is in their clinical rotations, which are truly excellent. You're lucky to have an acceptance. Congratulations!

 

[UTsksk]

I'm a first year and it's going well. We don't really have the 8-5 schedule anymore because they incorporated DSA's and MLM's along with lectures. DSA's are self study powerpoints or readings and MLM's are supposed to be reviews of the DSA's. OMM is typically on Tuesdays 1-3 or 3-5. Last semester there were times where we had OMM lab twice a week, but it's usually just once a week. If you have any other questions you can message me.

 

[lal4life]

Current 3rd year at TCOM. It's a great school that prepares you well for boards and clinic. In order to do that, the school has a little bit of a more rigorous course work and day to day schedule than others might. But that prepares you for clinic and the rest of your life. For example, it's 3 am on a Sunday. It's my 3rd night in a row on labor and delivery and I'm writing this from the hospital. Your schedule could be worse than 8-5 and will be worse soon enough. It's medical school and the life of a doctor. It is, however, very rewarding. You get to do some amazing things in the medical field!

Class is not mandatory outside of certain situations. You'll learn more about it to as time goes along. It's usually an 8-5 schedule, but a lot of times you have a couple hours off while half the class is in a lab and the other half has study time. Either way, you don't have to go to lecture if you feel like you can learn better outside. I skipped to "study" plenty of times. Anatomy, OMM, and clinical medicine labs are mandatory, and each is about 2 hours in the afternoon. No way out of that. Audio of lectures and powerpoints are posted.

As far as failing out, someone hit it in the head. You can fail one class and remediate it without needing to repeat the year. If you fail the remediation or fail a second class, you need to repeat the year. This happens to probably 10-20 students a year. I don't know what happens after that. But if you work hard you should be fine.

TCOM isn't a perfect school, but I don't think any of them are. If I had to pick again, I'd still pick TCOM. I felt prepared for boards and now in clinic I feel prepared enough for what a 3rd year medical student would be expected to do. If you want more info, let me know! I'll try and be as unbiased, honest, and straightforward as I can!

 

[costales]

For example, it's 3 am on a Sunday. It's my 3rd night in a row on labor and delivery and I'm writing this from the hospital. Your schedule could be worse than 8-5 and will be worse soon enough!

Ah, Ob/Gyn. It is typically a notorious service, but they do a bang-up job at JPS. Procedures galore. Great PD and residents who love to teach and pimp. (Heck, even Miroshnichenko will teach you something.) Good luck!

 

[JustPlainBill]

Be glad you're under new management at TCOM -- Peska is real relaxed, surprisingly for a vascular surgeon. Dubin would turn off the recordings if he felt attendance was down as he was a big believer in class attendance, and the reading, and the PPTs, and the labs --- definitely old school but he is one hell of an educator.

So, I've been out for a while but I don't think the policy changed, just the admin -- I know of a colleague who maintained an average between 70 and 75 for the entire first year -- and managed to fail the last class of first year by 3 questions --- who was allowed to repeat the first year (repeated the whole thing on academic probation -- kinda like a sudden death overtime), did so successfully, moved on and never failed anything else and is now practicing.....

Other people failed boards, twice and were booted; one failed OMM under the old administration, did a retest, failed again and were punted....

Make sure everyone likes you and they see that you're working hard...own your failures, be mature and you'll be ok....it's not about trying to fail students, it's about making good, safe doctors -- keep that in mind.

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

I'm a first year and it's going well. We don't really have the 8-5 schedule anymore because they incorporated DSA's and MLM's along with lectures. DSA's are self study powerpoints or readings and MLM's are supposed to be reviews of the DSA's. OMM is typically on Tuesdays 1-3 or 3-5. Last semester there were times where we had OMM lab twice a week, but it's usually just once a week. If you have any other questions you can message me.

Thank you for the insight! Could I also ask you that prior to matriculating to TCOM, did you apply to any of the other Texas schools? and did you get any other acceptances? Why did you choose TCOM?

 

[radkat101]

Thank you for the insight! Could I also ask you that prior to matriculating to TCOM, did you apply to any of the other Texas schools? and did you get any other acceptances? Why did you choose TCOM?

I suppose I can answer this as well. I only applied to 4 schools (TCOM, UTMB, UTSA, and UTH) because the rest had long secondaries that I had to pay for, so I kept putting them off. I got my TCOM interview very early, liked the school, and felt confident about my interview. I never even bothered applying to the rest of the schools. Looking back that was dumb and risky. Didn't get any interviews from the other 3, but really thought I would. It all worked out in the end though, and I love it here.

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

I suppose I can answer this as well. I only applied to 4 schools (TCOM, UTMB, UTSA, and UTH) because the rest had long secondaries that I had to pay for, so I kept putting them off. I got my TCOM interview very early, liked the school, and felt confident about my interview. I never even bothered applying to the rest of the schools. Looking back that was dumb and risky. Didn't get any interviews from the other 3, but really thought I would. It all worked out in the end though, and I love it here.

Thanks for the insight! Yeah I am trying to get multiple people's opinions about it who applied to all the the Texas schools. Particularly in people who got accepted to multiple schools and specifically chose TCOM over others. 😀 appreciate it!

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

Current 3rd year at TCOM. It's a great school that prepares you well for boards and clinic. In order to do that, the school has a little bit of a more rigorous course work and day to day schedule than others might. But that prepares you for clinic and the rest of your life. For example, it's 3 am on a Sunday. It's my 3rd night in a row on labor and delivery and I'm writing this from the hospital. Your schedule could be worse than 8-5 and will be worse soon enough. It's medical school and the life of a doctor. It is, however, very rewarding. You get to do some amazing things in the medical field!

Class is not mandatory outside of certain situations. You'll learn more about it to as time goes along. It's usually an 8-5 schedule, but a lot of times you have a couple hours off while half the class is in a lab and the other half has study time. Either way, you don't have to go to lecture if you feel like you can learn better outside. I skipped to "study" plenty of times. Anatomy, OMM, and clinical medicine labs are mandatory, and each is about 2 hours in the afternoon. No way out of that. Audio of lectures and powerpoints are posted.

As far as failing out, someone hit it in the head. You can fail one class and remediate it without needing to repeat the year. If you fail the remediation or fail a second class, you need to repeat the year. This happens to probably 10-20 students a year. I don't know what happens after that. But if you work hard you should be fine.

TCOM isn't a perfect school, but I don't think any of them are. If I had to pick again, I'd still pick TCOM. I felt prepared for boards and now in clinic I feel prepared enough for what a 3rd year medical student would be expected to do. If you want more info, let me know! I'll try and be as unbiased, honest, and straightforward as I can!

Hi! Thank you for the feedback. You mentioned that you would have still picked TCOM over anything else. Could you elaborate on that? Did you apply to any of the other Texas schools? I am wondering cause I am a Texas resident and I only applied instate xD

 

[hse]

if you want an md degree don't you have to turn down tcom and go to another school... nobody is going to beg you to choose that school.
on 2nd thought this thread smells md vs. do trollish

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

if you want an md degree don't you have to turn down tcom and go to another school... nobody is going to beg you to choose that school.
on 2nd thought this thread smells md vs. do trollish

No, what I mean is that I applied to all the Texas schools, got a couple interviews, got matched to TCOM and love the campus. I am just asking about the curriculum, how is daily life and quality of life for current students and IF they did have multiple acceptances to schools in Texas, what made them choose TCOM over the other schools. Has nothing to do with DO vs MD. I am asking about the individual qualities of the school versus the others in shaping an opinion.

 

[UTsksk]

No, what I mean is that I applied to all the Texas schools, got a couple interviews, got matched to TCOM and love the campus. I am just asking about the curriculum, how is daily life and quality of life for current students and IF they did have multiple acceptances to schools in Texas, what made them choose TCOM over the other schools. Has nothing to do with DO vs MD. I am asking about the individual qualities of the school versus the others in shaping an opinion.

I didn't get other interviews so I'm lucky I was 1 for 1. I do have friends though that got into other schools. They all have different reasons for why they chose TCOM. Some were because they wanted to stay in DFW area to be around wife/husband/family and they felt TCOM would give them just as a good as an education compared to other TX programs. Some just fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere. I personally like Fort Worth since it's a big city and it's pretty chill. I also got my masters here so I was already comfortable with the campus and professors, which made it an easy transition.

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

I didn't get other interviews so I'm lucky I was 1 for 1. I do have friends though that got into other schools. They all have different reasons for why they chose TCOM. Some were because they wanted to stay in DFW area to be around wife/husband/family and they felt TCOM would give them just as a good as an education compared to other TX programs. Some just fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere. I personally like Fort Worth since it's a big city and it's pretty chill. I also got my masters here so I was already comfortable with the campus and professors, which made it an easy transition.

Oh wow, thank you for the feedback! Yes I did enjoy the campus itself and the atmosphere was extremely welcoming. I think it is safe to assume that their are many things to do in Fort Worth in between studying?

 

[UTsksk]

A good portion of our classmates head over to 7th street during breaks when we don't have to study for an exam. Not sure if you're a runner or like cycling, but there's plenty of trails to try out. A friend of mine took me to some art festival last spring. I'm not an artsy guy, but it was cool walking around drinking craft beer and looking at paintings I could never afford. It seems our class this year has gotten pretty involved in intramural soccer and basketball as well.

 

[MackandBlues]

yeah 1st year is lecture in mornings 8-12 which is technially mandatory but not everyone goes. Usually have a weekly quiz which of course will be mandatory. Then afternoons are mandatory because of labs such as anatomy and OMM and then clinical medicine like patient interviewing and physical exam skills. Last semester we had OMM lab twice a week but so far this semester it's only been once a week now. And we are done with anatomy so no more labs there!

 

[radkat101]

if you want an md degree don't you have to turn down tcom and go to another school... nobody is going to beg you to choose that school.
on 2nd thought this thread smells md vs. do trollish

Even as a DO student, I think it's a valid question. It's no secret that the MD schools are more popular. There are simply more hoops to jump through as a DO student. TCOM makes them pretty painless and the students match fine, but there's still OMM every week, and most of us will take 2 board exams. We also have the longest school year because of OMM. Fortunately, TCOM has things going for it that can often override these concerns, and many students who go there ranked it #1 despite being accepted elsewhere. The only other med schools in the state that are in a location that rivals TCOM are the Houston schools. Ft. Worth is a cool place. The rotation sites may also be better than some of the other schools because of the size of Ft. Worth and TCOM being the only school there. The pediatric hospital and JPS are both level 1 trauma centers and only 5-10 minutes from campus. Lots of med school applicants are also from the DFW area so they choose to stay close to home. Just a few things to think about, but I understand why someone would be curious.

I do think the letters "DO" become less and less significant after you've been in med school for a while. The novelty of "OMG I'm going to be a doctor!"starts to fade when you spend all day around other med students and doctors (both MD and DO). The only thing that's going to keep you excited about becoming a doctor is having a genuine interest in what you're learning. To most students, it will become obvious how silly it is to go somewhere JUST to have MD after your name, but there are still other factors to consider and concerns to have when making the decision.

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

Even as a DO student, I think it's a valid question. It's no secret that the MD schools are more popular. There are simply more hoops to jump through as a DO student. TCOM makes them pretty painless and the students match fine, but there's still OMM every week, and most of us will take 2 board exams. We also have the longest school year because of OMM. Fortunately, TCOM has things going for it that can often override these concerns, and many students who go there ranked it #1 despite being accepted elsewhere. The only other med schools in the state that are in a location that rivals TCOM are the Houston schools. Ft. Worth is a cool place. The rotation sites may also be better than some of the other schools because of the size of Ft. Worth and TCOM being the only school there. The pediatric hospital and JPS are both level 1 trauma centers and only 5-10 minutes from campus. Lots of med school applicants are also from the DFW area so they choose to stay close to home.

Just a few things to think about, but I understand why someone would be curious. I do think the letters become less and less signficant after you've been in med school for a while. The novelty of "OMG I'm going to be a doctor!"starts to fade when you spend all day around other med students and doctors (both MD and DO). The only thing that's going to keep you excited about becoming a doctor is having a genuine interest in what you're learning. To most students, it will become obvious how silly it is to go somewhere JUST to have MD after your name, but there are still other factors to consider and concerns to have when making the decision.

Wow, this is a perfect response! Thank you I did not know that the rotations sites for TCOM were that great. I have heard good things about JPS though 😀 yeah I understand the D.O. and M.D. difference. I fully respect both and don't mind either but OMM does sound kind of like a chore from what people have been saying so far haha. Also I have heard TCOM is one of the more "allopathic-like" D.O. schools which is interesting as well. How long is a full school year? Between August to June?

 

[UTsksk]

More like late July to early June

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

More like late July to early June

Oh man kinda rough. Also could you kind of give me a brief breakdown of how an OMM class goes? Also how does it work? Do you get to choose your partner or is it random? Just want to get like a bit more detail from a student who is currently going through it. Does it ever get uncomfortable xD

 

[radkat101]

Oh man kinda rough. Also could you kind of give me a brief breakdown of how an OMM class goes? Also how does it work? Do you get to choose your partner or is it random? Just want to get like a bit more detail from a student who is currently going through it. Does it ever get uncomfortable xD

Basically you go to lab once or twice a week for about an hour and a half. Once in the lab you'll get a brief intro to the topic that day and then you are left on your own to practice the skills. You'll have a doctor in charge of a group of like 14 people which you'll be assigned to. They just float around the group helping people out. It's really laid back and never gets uncomfortable.

 

[UTsksk]

Basically you go to lab once or twice a week for about an hour and a half. Once in the lab you'll get a brief intro to the topic that day and then you are left on your own to practice the skills. You'll have a doctor in charge of a group of like 14 people which you'll be assigned to. They just float around the group helping people out. It's really laid back and never gets uncomfortable.

Lol we get to open up the pubic symphysis if we get a pubic shear 😉. Gotta love palpating the pubic symphysis and the sacrum to find dat ILA.

 

[BlackDogBrownDog]

I'm a first year TCOM student who started out going to EVERY lecture, mlm, etc. Now, I pick and choose based on the professor and if I learn from his/her lectures. Sometimes I go home and listen to the recordings of the lectures, sometimes I don't. It really depends on the professor. And even when I do attend lectures they are RARELY scheduled in the afternoon. I go home almost every day for lunch and rarely have to worry about being back on campus quickly. Pretty much the only thing in the afternoon is OMM lab, Medical practice (once a week), or Clinical Communications, which is only one day, every other week. Second year (I've been told) is pretty much mandatory to attend lecture.

I interviewed at other Texas schools, and schools elsewhere, and was accepted to many schools besides TCOM. I LOVE that I chose TCOM and I am really happy with Fort Worth. Addressing the issue about failing two tests with 70 and you're out... NOT TRUE. If you fail TWO COURSES, you remediate the year (another failure of an entire course will most likely expel you from school). All the courses have two or more exams, plus quizzes, dissection assignments, and other tidbits that make it difficult to fail if you put enough effort in. I know many people who failed both exams in a certain class, yet still passed the class due to the other points from other assignments/quizzes. Overall, I really like where I am and I feel that TCOM is doing a great job preparing me for my future- both for boards and as a humanistic physician. My best advice would be to go off your gut instinct; wherever you feel most at-home, that's where you should go. Medical school is difficult no matter what the schedule is or where you go to school, but is totally doable if you are happy where you are. I have a very social life, have time to watch all my shows, and am doing well with my classes. It's all about balance and finding your groove. Also, we get about 6 weeks off in summer. Feel free to message if you have any questions! Good luck!

 

[ItzaMeSeanay]

I'm a first year TCOM student who started out going to EVERY lecture, mlm, etc. Now, I pick and choose based on the professor and if I learn from his/her lectures. Sometimes I go home and listen to the recordings of the lectures, sometimes I don't. It really depends on the professor. And even when I do attend lectures they are RARELY scheduled in the afternoon. I go home almost every day for lunch and rarely have to worry about being back on campus quickly. Pretty much the only thing in the afternoon is OMM lab, Medical practice (once a week), or Clinical Communications, which is only one day, every other week. Second year (I've been told) is pretty much mandatory to attend lecture.

I interviewed at other Texas schools, and schools elsewhere, and was accepted to many schools besides TCOM. I LOVE that I chose TCOM and I am really happy with Fort Worth. Addressing the issue about failing two tests with 70 and you're out... NOT TRUE. If you fail TWO COURSES, you remediate the year (another failure of an entire course will most likely expel you from school). All the courses have two or more exams, plus quizzes, dissection assignments, and other tidbits that make it difficult to fail if you put enough effort in. I know many people who failed both exams in a certain class, yet still passed the class due to the other points from other assignments/quizzes. Overall, I really like where I am and I feel that TCOM is doing a great job preparing me for my future- both for boards and as a humanistic physician. My best advice would be to go off your gut instinct; wherever you feel most at-home, that's where you should go. Medical school is difficult no matter what the schedule is or where you go to school, but is totally doable if you are happy where you are. I have a very social life, have time to watch all my shows, and am doing well with my classes. It's all about balance and finding your groove. Also, we get about 6 weeks off in summer. Feel free to message if you have any questions! Good luck!

Exactly what I was looking for in a nutshell! Thanks so much for all the advice and experience! Any tips before I matriculate this summer? Should I prepare to buy my books now or wait til closer to the first day of class?

 

[radkat101]

Exactly what I was looking for in a nutshell! Thanks so much for all the advice and experience! Any tips before I matriculate this summer? Should I prepare to buy my books now or wait til closer to the first day of class?

Definitely wait. I haven't purchased a single book all year.

 

[techguy07]

Definitely wait. I haven't purchased a single book all year.

Could you share what you study if you don't use books? Do you just use class powerpoints and handouts?

 

[radkat101]

Could you share what you study if you don't use books? Do you just use class powerpoints and handouts?

Everything you need will be in the PPTs. Reading textbooks is a pretty inefficient use of time, as you'll probably already feel overwhelmed with what's in the slides. Some people do use them to supplement the material a bit. Either way, don't buy anything until class starts.

 

[techguy07]

Everything you need will be in the PPTs. Reading textbooks is a pretty inefficient use of time, as you'll probably already feel overwhelmed with what's in the slides. Some people do use them to supplement the material a bit. Either way, don't buy anything until class starts.

Everything you need is already in the PPTs? That's nice to hear, I hated the classes in undergrad where half the battle of studying for a test was finding everything the prof wanted you to study. So there's no need to add to the PPTs from the lectures?

 

[radkat101]

Everything you need is already in the PPTs? That's nice to hear, I hated the classes in undergrad where half the battle of studying for a test was finding everything the prof wanted you to study. So there's no need to add to the PPTs from the lectures?

I study ONLY from ppts. and do fine. Most professors aren't going to screw with you here. There's enough volume in the ppts. that they don't really need to. There will be some professors who write Q's that seem pretty random, but often times they get dropped, or it was something misinterpreted from the ppt. If you get confused by topics in the slides, then obviously you'll want to look it up somewhere else for a better understanding. I use wikipedia and youtube for that.

 

[AlgernonMed]

Exactly what I was looking for in a nutshell! Thanks so much for all the advice and experience! Any tips before I matriculate this summer? Should I prepare to buy my books now or wait til closer to the first day of class?

I personally enjoy studying from both textbooks and powerpoints, simply for the repetition. I sometimes get tired from just going over the powerpoints over and over again and if I can see the material presented in a different way it can really help. That said, textbooks are definitely not for everyone, and some are much better than others. When you start this summer, talk with your "Big" *each first year gets paired up with a second year who mentors them* to see what books are needed vs the books that are lower-yield. Some of my favorite books have been some of the review books....BRS Physiology, Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple, etc. Even Costanzo's full Physiology textbook was enjoyable and very helpful to supplement the slides.

However, I would definitely wait to purchase any books. A lot of the upperclassmen will be very willing to sell you their used books for very affordable prices.

 

[lal4life]

Do not buy any books beforehand! Completely unnecessary. You'll figure out the books you need as you go. Towards the end of first year and during second year you'll need more books, but during the majority of first year, just stick with powerpoints.

 

[BlackDogBrownDog]

Exactly what I was looking for in a nutshell! Thanks so much for all the advice and experience! Any tips before I matriculate this summer? Should I prepare to buy my books now or wait til closer to the first day of class?

I agree with previous posters; don't buy any books in advance. The only books I bought brand new were Robbins, an EKG book, a pharmacology book and a Histology book. And this was because I knew I wanted to keep them for the longterm. Many upperclassmen will sell you books for a great price once they're done with boards! Personally, I don't think every powerpoint has enough detail so I usually read the recommended reading when I have time. I do fine without the reading when I'm in a bind, but I definitely do better when I supplement powerpoints with book reading. At a minimum I use the books for explanations of pictures or diagrams.

As for what you should do for the summer- ENJOY YOUR BREAK!!! Don't pre-study. It won't help enough to make it worth it. This is likely the last free summer of your life so do something fun! Travel, read a million novels, sleep all day, whatever. Just have fun and prepare for the journey ahead🙂

 

[TwinsFan]

I think tcom's biggest appeal is the environment. Prematched here as well as a number of other TX schools and OOS MD and DO. While I decided to take my prematch in Dallas, I really felt the vibe of tcom's was one of the better ones. They have a good track record and reputation and match a lot of acgme residencies. I felt like it was the best DO school that I've seen hands down. Solid resources, some research access and good clinical training. The rural track is also well known.

 

[UTsksk]

We're allowed to get ebooks related to 1st year from the library so there's no need to buy books unless you want a physical copy. The only books I bought are Netter's (our group used it for lab), BRS physio, BRS anatomy, and micro made ridiculously easy

 

[LChristmas]

I've been accepted to TCOM and also have a question about the schedule.

At my interview, pretty much all of the M2's told me that there are no lectures in 2nd year - could someone clarify what this means for your day-to-day schedule in M2? eg:

• Do you just have free time to read the material (DSAs) and then join with other classmates to discuss cases only?
  
• How are you graded on the courses?
  
• Does anyone find it difficult to discipline themselves to do the reading on their own time instead of going to lectures?
  
• Are there any past lectures that are podcasted, and if so, do you have access to the faculty giving the lectures to ask questions if needed?

Thank you in advance!!

Here's the M2 schedule for you to look at.

Most of your day will be spent learning material presented to you in the DSA and applying that knowledge in an interactive manner with the whole class.
You are graded via tests and quizzes, with other small things here and there.
If you find it difficult to discipline yourself to do the readings on your own time, you won't make it in medical school. Anywhere.
There are no past lecture recordings, but professors are always available to answer your questions.

Hope this helps, and congrats on your acceptance.

 

[JeBrAs]

Also during MS1 its a combination of Lectures (not mandatory) and DSAs accompanied with interactive classes (MLMs) with practice questions on the study material. Sometimes the DSAs are scheduled in place of a lecture. There is plenty of time to keep up with the flow of the material if you manage your time wisely. Actually there are audio recordings of the lectures if you don't want to go to the lectures but usually the power points are good enough for you to study from if you skip. If you are not the "go to lecture type" make sure you use that time to study the material on your own in the library (or where ever) because it is easy to fall behind. Also no one does the textbook readings (not necessary and don't have the time), just study the power points and take notes if your into that.

 

[UTsksk]

I'm a first year and it's going well. We don't really have the 8-5 schedule anymore because they incorporated DSA's and MLM's along with lectures. DSA's are self study powerpoints or readings and MLM's are supposed to be reviews of the DSA's. OMM is typically on Tuesdays 1-3 or 3-5. Last semester there were times where we had OMM lab twice a week, but it's usually just once a week. If you have any other questions you can message me.

Second year is a little different than first year. Have a MLM usually from 8/9-12pm. Difference from 1st year is that we have to do iclicker questions and get at least 60% correct to get the point for the day. Unfortunately they do matter since my grades have taken a hit since I sometimes have skipped. OMM is usually Wednesday afternoon 1-3 or 3-5. Clinical integration (patient interview and physicals) are on Mondays around once a month. Your Monday will rotate between SIM lab, clinical integration, and preceptorship. Ethics is randomly thrown in to the schedule as well as health promotions and IPE.

I've noticed that the afternoons are a bit more free in second year and I'm definitely not complaining about that.

 

[iforget2]

Sorry for the bump, but can any current students speak more on what tcom does to prepare its students for board exams?

 

[LChristmas]

Sorry for the bump, but can any current students speak more on what tcom does to prepare its students for board exams?

The two years of education they provide is pretty good preparation. Also, they give you a year-long subscription to COMBANK. We have to take NBME and COMLEX practice exams. There's 5 weeks of dedicated and the last 3-4 weeks of classes are really light. Board prep is more of an individual sport than a school-sponsored activity.

Did you have any other specific questions?

 

[iforget2]

The two years of education they provide is pretty good preparation. Also, they give you a year-long subscription to COMBANK. We have to take NBME and COMLEX practice exams. There's 5 weeks of dedicated and the last 3-4 weeks of classes are really light. Board prep is more of an individual sport than a school-sponsored activity.

Did you have any other specific questions?

Thanks! With the new tcu med school opening up how do you think it will affect the atmosphere, if at all?

 

[popopopop]

The two years of education they provide is pretty good preparation. Also, they give you a year-long subscription to COMBANK. We have to take NBME and COMLEX practice exams. There's 5 weeks of dedicated and the last 3-4 weeks of classes are really light. Board prep is more of an individual sport than a school-sponsored activity.

Did you have any other specific questions?

If classes aren't that mandatory for first year, do you recommend getting an apartment right next to school, or do most people commute? Thanks for jumping in and answering!

 

[navigator]

Thanks! With the new tcu med school opening up how do you think it will affect the atmosphere, if at all?

posted a full response to your question earlier in the school-specific forum