What is going on with Temple???

[MedAppGurl]

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This week I was invited to interview at Temple, so while I was browsing through the post-interview feedback I came across some mildly unnerving stuff...
firstly that Temple is interviewing into it's waitlist already
and that Temple is on probation.
can anyone confirm the waitlist comment. and how severe is probation?? I dont know what to think...

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by MedAppGurl
This week I was invited to interview at Temple, so while I was browsing through the post-interview feedback I came across some mildly unnerving stuff...
firstly that Temple is interviewing into it's waitlist already
and that Temple is on probation.
can anyone confirm the waitlist comment. and how severe is probation?? I dont know what to think...

I can't comment on the first since I don't know - I've been waitlisted since November.

For your second question:

Temple to start 2nd year of probation
Temple University School of Medicine faces another year on probation after losing an appeal with the Liaison Committee for Medical Education. The LCME put the school on probation in June 2002 for not offering enough student financial aid and for failing to update aging buildings.

Temple last year remodeled teaching areas and completed new research laboratories. It did not detail how it planned to increase financial aid.

In January the school's board gave permission to issue $75 million in bonds for construction of a new building, expected to cost $160 million, for Temple's School of Medicine. Groundbreaking is scheduled for 2004.

In general, a school may remain on probation for up to four years. If a school fails to get off probation in this time, its accreditation is revoked and it may no longer offer students federal financial aid.

Temple is the only mainland U.S. medical school to be put on probation in 15 years. However, two Puerto Rican schools have gone through probation then regained accreditation status, the Central University of the Caribbean from 1994 to 2000 and the Ponce School of Medicine from 1995 to 1999.

Temple is required to notify all current medical students and applicants about its probationary status.



http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2003/03/10/prbf0310.htm

 

[joliejuliette]

When I interviewed there, the assistant dean of admission told us that because of the probation they could not accept more that 180 students, for that reason, only the waitlist was an option ( for fear of accepting too many) but she also said that last year everyone was accepted off the wait-list, so I guess it doesn't really matter...
Good luck with your upcoming interview 🙂

 

[Lara]

Just to clarify (though if you clicked the link you'd know) 🙂 the article Kashue quoted was from March 2003. Last fall the LCME re-visited Temple and should soon be deciding whether or not to continue the probation. Apparently the visit went well so we're crossing our fingers for good news.

The probation had to do with facilities (though they've never been bad enough to cause real impact on me) and financial aid - nothing at all with the quality of education. Work has started on building a new med school, so eventually the first problem won't be an issue anymore. Frankly it's still hard for me to understand our being the first US mainland school in 15 years to deserve probation, but hopefully Temple will come out better as a result. 🙂 It's in a poor neighborhood and the environment's not for everyone, but that's something you have to come see and decide for yourself. Good luck!

 

[LP1CW]

It's not so much that it's a poor neighborhood. It's not safe.

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by Lara
Just to clarify (though if you clicked the link you'd know) 🙂 the article Kashue quoted was from March 2003. Last fall the LCME re-visited Temple and should soon be deciding whether or not to continue the probation. Apparently the visit went well so we're crossing our fingers for good news.

The probation had to do with facilities (though they've never been bad enough to cause real impact on me) and financial aid - nothing at all with the quality of education. Work has started on building a new med school, so eventually the first problem won't be an issue anymore. Frankly it's still hard for me to understand our being the first US mainland school in 15 years to deserve probation, but hopefully Temple will come out better as a result. 🙂 It's in a poor neighborhood and the environment's not for everyone, but that's something you have to come see and decide for yourself. Good luck!

Lara was the name of my tour guide @ Temple - are you her by any chance ?

 

[dingiswayo]

It's not so much that it's a poor neighborhood. It's not safe.

I've never heard of any student or resident being mugged at Temple. Most people feel very safe there--stadium lights at night, security tower, etc. There is parking in guarded lots/ramps on campus.

The neighborhood is tough, for sure. It's not a place where you'd want to live, but it's a great environment for learning medicine.

 

[LP1CW]

Never heard of it, because it's not information that the school would wants released. I know that at UPenn several students have been mugged. That's a better neighborhood than North Philly. So, they're just after the kids with money over at Penn? Nope, go hang out on broad street at night and tell me how safe it is. I'd mug you on pricinple *******.

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by Lara
. Frankly it's still hard for me to understand our being the first US mainland school in 15 years to deserve probation, but hopefully Temple will come out better as a result. 🙂

Temple may, but it's reputation as an institution is going to be tarnished forever. Some of the schools I visited boasted about their LCME accreditation. Buffalo said they got accrediation for the maximum no. of years and for comparison, the Dean mentioned a school that was placed on probabation the same year (didn't say Temple, but everyone knew). Case also boasts of having a flawless accrediation record and recieving no faults in the last accreditation review by the LCME.

 

[dingiswayo]

Never heard of it, because it's not information that the school would wants released. I know that at UPenn several students have been mugged. That's a better neighborhood than North Philly. So, they're just after the kids with money over at Penn? Nope, go hang out on broad street at night and tell me how safe it is. I'd mug you on pricinple *******.

Although this type of post shouldn't be dignified with a reply, I will answer for those serious readers who are interested in Temple.

#1-- I am a 4th year student at Temple, so I'm pretty knowledgeable about safety there.

#2-- There's plenty of gossip that goes around. If students and residents were getting mugged around campus, I'd know.

#3-- I've walked to my car and crossed broad street at night hundreds of times. I've walked down broad street to get pizza while on call. I took the train to campus every day for years. It's safe enough for most people.

 

[DrBodacious]

The admissions folks informed us at our interview that Temple is the safest medical school campus in the country. If you wander off into the ghetto that surrounds the campus, dressed up in a tie, sure, you are asking for trouble. But don't spread uninformed rumors about Temple's campus being dangerous, it isn't. The campus is lit up 24/7 and they have booths with security guards posted at most every intersection. Don't worry about saftey.

The facilities are a different story. They are pretty bad. The lecture hall chairs were very uncomfortable. There don't have a medical school building that combines everything. The whole wireless thing they push as being a big plus is not very out-of-the-ordinary. There was alot of construction going on. The new building won't be up untill after the class of 2008 graduates, or maybe a couple months before. This is the main reason they are on probation from what I gathered.

BTW, Temples probation is coming up for review again pretty soon right? Anybody know when that'll happen?

 

[rebeclette]

I was waitlisted at Temple early on, but then I wrote them a letter about why I wanted to attend, and they accepted me in December! So if you are waitlisted and decide you want to go just try and show interest and see what happens.
Also, I have a friend who is a first year at Temple and is very happy, the people there are really genuine, and they seem to be very happy despite some of the facility short commings.
Also, Temple seems perfectly safe during the day.
Good luck at your interview!

 

[phllystyl]

Originally posted by DrBodacious
The admissions folks informed us at our interview that Temple is the safest medical school campus in the country. If you wander off into the ghetto that surrounds the campus, dressed up in a tie, sure, you are asking for trouble. But don't spread uninformed rumors about Temple's campus being dangerous, it isn't. The campus is lit up 24/7 and they have booths with security guards posted at most every intersection. Don't worry about saftey.

The facilities are a different story. They are pretty bad. The lecture hall chairs were very uncomfortable. There don't have a medical school building that combines everything. The whole wireless thing they push as being a big plus is not very out-of-the-ordinary. There was alot of construction going on. The new building won't be up untill after the class of 2008 graduates, or maybe a couple months before. This is the main reason they are on probation from what I gathered.

BTW, Temples probation is coming up for review again pretty soon right? Anybody know when that'll happen?

Supposedly the LCME is making a decision this month (feb.)

I'd like to reiterate that I am in no way concerned about my training here @ Temple. My first two yrs are almost up and I'm confident that I'm being well taught. The interaction I've had with the teaching physicians from 3rd and 4th yr, while limited right now, has me itching to be in the clinics more than ever, because it has been such a career-affirming experience.

 

[Lara]

Originally posted by Kashue
Lara was the name of my tour guide @ Temple - are you her by any chance ?

No, I haven't been a tour guide - was she a first year student? I don't think I've come across another Lara at school!

I should mention that since I've been at Temple I've *very* rarely been obligated due to class to be on campus after dark. And once you're in third year, you'll be doing plenty of rotations at alternative locations. Safety honestly hasn't been a factor for me - I've said it before, but I'm under five feet and come from Canada. If I can feel comfortable, anyone should.

 

[thewebthsp]

temple has very good clinical training, and some of its docs are some of the best in the nation (heart transplant program, and one liver doc, Dr. Martin Black are pretty well regarded). That being said its medical school has a lot of problems esp. wrt financial aid.