Touro University - California (TUCOM-CA) Discussion Thread 2016-2017

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Could someone tell me how much the deposit is once you've been accepted?

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$2000 and you have 2 weeks from the date on the letter (not the date you received it)


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Interviewed here on Monday. I was pretty let down that we were not allowed to see the anatomy lab due to a complaint from a prior tour. We also were not allowed into the OMM lab due to a practical that day. I still have no idea what the curriculum will be like, and our 1st year tour guide didn't have a clue either. The dual-degree program was presented pretty hard, though it matches up with their primary care mission. There was no end of day survey to convey my disappointment either.

The interview was odd, being shared with other applicants. It was an hour long. Two physicians and one 2nd year student on the panel.

Overall I was underwhelmed. The students were very nice though.
 
Interviewed here on Monday. I was pretty let down that we were not allowed to see the anatomy lab due to a complaint from a prior tour. We also were not allowed into the OMM lab due to a practical that day. I still have no idea what the curriculum will be like, and our 1st year tour guide didn't have a clue either. The dual-degree program was presented pretty hard, though it matches up with their primary care mission. There was no end of day survey to convey my disappointment either.

The interview was odd, being shared with other applicants. It was an hour long. Two physicians and one 2nd year student on the panel.

Overall I was underwhelmed. The students were very nice though.

What do you mean complaint? Like someone complained that a previous group toured the anatomy lab? lol
 
What do you mean complaint? Like someone complained that a previous group toured the anatomy lab? lol

Someone from a prior DO interview complained about the lab, so no future tours get to see it. Wtf.
 
^as someone that toured it, it was by far the nicest thing they have to offer building wise. They brag about the ventilation system, and I'd have to agree, it's pretty spectacular (almost zero formalin (formaldehyde solution) smell). The lab is nice other than that, nothing too special. OMM was a big open room, again felt like an old high school, but I do remember them having some newer OMM tables.
 
Hey can any current Touro California student please message me??

and also do most Touro CA students live in Vallejo?
Thanks!
 
Hey guys! I just got an interview invite. Complete since 10/14/2016 :)


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I'm interviewing here this upcoming Monday (21st). So far, it seems most of the posts have been negative regarding the interview, but specifics are hard to come by. What am I to expect? I'm out of state (Louisiana)- is there a major in state bias or just a slight one? I've gotten mixed answers on this.

A couple of other things, mostly unrelated.

I'm staying in San Francisco for an extra day (previously the furthest west I've ever been was Colorado) and I always wanted to visit the Pacific coast. Anything any current students or potential students who are familiar with the area suggest I definitely do?

Lastly, there is something that has been on my mind since the approval of Prop 64 and the fact that the one person I know that attends TUCOM-CA is a hippie's hippie who loves homeopathic/osteopathic/otherwise "eastern"/"new age" medical practices. He more than once indicated that one of the major reasons he chose TUCOM-CA over places like DMU and AT Still and KCU-COM (he even chose it over his 2 MD acceptances) because of his belief in marijuana as a versatile medicine (hence he wanted to study in California). With the legalization of recreational marijuana use in California, do any of you feel that this sort of hurts the "marijuana as medicine" proponents? I know that opiates and alcohol are far more physiologically dangerous and toxic than marijuana is, but for the sake of argument... let's suppose we have other medications that can be used both therapeutically and recreationally... what if doctors used ethanol for acute tonic-clonic seizures and then went and had a few drinks after their shifts? What if there were small mom-and-pop recreational oxycontin shops? I know this is a ridiculous comparison, but the general sentiment I'm trying to get at is whether or not something that can be purchased by anyone over 21 at a head shop as if it was a bottle of jack daniels undermines its value as a legitimate medication for the variety of ailments it has been approved for. Thoughts?
 
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I'm interviewing here this upcoming Monday (21st). So far, it seems most of the posts have been negative regarding the interview, but specifics are hard to come by. What am I to expect? I'm out of state (Louisiana)- is there a major in state bias or just a slight one? I've gotten mixed answers on this.

A couple of other things, mostly unrelated.

I'm staying in San Francisco for an extra day (previously the furthest west I've ever been was Colorado) and I always wanted to visit the Pacific coast. Anything any current students or potential students who are familiar with the area suggest I definitely do?

Lastly, there is something that has been on my mind since the approval of Prop 64 and the fact that the one person I know that attends TUCOM-CA is a hippie's hippie who loves homeopathic/osteopathic/otherwise "eastern"/"new age" medical practices. He more than once indicated that one of the major reasons he chose TUCOM-CA over places like DMU and AT Still and KCU-COM (he even chose it over his 2 MD acceptances) because of his belief in marijuana as a versatile medicine (hence he wanted to study in California). With the legalization of recreational marijuana use in California, do any of you feel that this sort of hurts the "marijuana as medicine" proponents? I know that opiates and alcohol are far more physiologically dangerous and toxic than marijuana is, but for the sake of argument... let's suppose we have other medications that can be used both therapeutically and recreationally... what if doctors used ethanol for acute tonic-clonic seizures and then went and had a few drinks after their shifts? What if there were small mom-and-pop recreational oxycontin shops? I know this is a ridiculous comparison, but the general sentiment I'm trying to get at is whether or not something that can be purchased by anyone over 21 at a head shop as if it was a bottle of jack daniels undermines its value as a legitimate medication for the variety of ailments it has been approved for. Thoughts?

I work in Oregon in an oncology clinic where recreational marijuana is legal. Medical marijuana still has its place as many patients from the older generation would rather go to a "medical" shop than a "rec" shop. Plus there are no taxes on medical marijuana, so its cheaper. Plus it's more regulated with testing of the product.
 
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I'm staying in San Francisco for an extra day (previously the furthest west I've ever been was Colorado) and I always wanted to visit the Pacific coast. Anything any current students or potential students who are familiar with the area suggest I definitely do?

If you want to see the ocean/coast, check out Land's End or the north part of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. It's super beautiful and one of my favorite places to go in the bay. Baker Beach is a good place to get a good view of Golden Gate Bridge as well. A common tourist thing to do is just go up the pier from the ferry building to fisherman's wharf. Hope that was helpful for you. Have fun and good luck on the interview!
 
I disagree with the negative posts about the interview. It was one of the more relaxing and positive experiences that I've had. I felt like they wanted to put us at ease, and they really paid attention to details in my application. Just be sure that you are able to talk about each piece of your application and think critically about some ethical issues. I honestly liked the group format--gave me some time to relax between questions, and it was cool hearing other people's stories. You'll be fine!

I'm interviewing here this upcoming Monday (21st). So far, it seems most of the posts have been negative regarding the interview, but specifics are hard to come by. What am I to expect? I'm out of state (Louisiana)- is there a major in state bias or just a slight one? I've gotten mixed answers on this.
 
First acceptance today (and with a low MCAT). Just shows that miracles do happen, and that this school accepts students holistically and not purely on grades/MCAT. I can't believe I'm actually going to become a doctor. :) Good luck, everyone!!!!
 
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Hey what is the best and SAFEST hotel/recommendation on where to stay for the interview?

Thanks :)
 
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Anybody heard anything from Touro if you submitted your secondary in September? There has been pure silence so far from this school. I'm kind of shocked because I have a 3.6 GPA and got a 508 on the MCAT. LizzyMscore is 66. Has anyone with the same stats been asked for an interview/accepted?
 
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Anybody heard anything from Touro if you submitted your secondary in September? There has been pure silence so far from this school. I'm kind of shocked because I have a 3.6 GPA and got a 508 on the MCAT. LizzyMscore is 66. Has anyone with the same stats been asked for an interview/accepted?

Hi. I have a 3.86 and slightly lower MCAT. Submitted in October and just got invited for an interview on Thursday. Maybe you can call and ask what's going on?


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Anybody heard anything from Touro if you submitted your secondary in September? There has been pure silence so far from this school. I'm kind of shocked because I have a 3.6 GPA and got a 508 on the MCAT. LizzyMscore is 66. Has anyone with the same stats been asked for an interview/accepted?
I have a ~3.5 GPA and 510 MCAT, was complete 9/28 and got an II on 10/26
 
Hey what is the best and SAFEST hotel/recommendation on where to stay for the interview?

Thanks :)

It depends on what your primary concerns are vis-a-vis travel convenience. For example, if you are local/regional and will be just driving in, stay somewhere in Vallejo (no lodging on Mare Island as far as I'm aware). The Best Western on Vallejo is a pretty popular option because it's reasonably priced, has solid accommodations, is only 7-8 miles from touro, public transportation is right outside, and... it's right next to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom!

For me, I was flying in. The best hotel for air travelers depends on if you want to be near the airport for easier outbound travel or closer to the school so that you don't have to deal with lots of traffic on interview day. I stayed in San Francisco because I flew into SFO and wanted to be close to the airport for when I would be flying out and traffic going OUT of SF is much better than the traffic coming IN to SF, especially in the morning.

I think the "Vallejo is not safe" rhetoric is a bit overblown. I mean, are you going to be out at odd hours the night before your interview partying? I doubt it. If you're just going to be in the hotel for a night of sleep before your interview, you'll be completely safe. If you have other plans in mind, like sight-seeing etc., you may prefer to stay in SF, Oakland, or Sacramento. It really depends on your preferences. Any hotel will be, in general, pretty safe and worry-free.
 
Hi. I have a 3.86 and slightly lower MCAT. Submitted in October and just got invited for an interview on Thursday. Maybe you can call and ask what's going on?


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Thanks, I'll give them a call right now and figure out what is going on
 
Let us know what they say! I'm in the same boat as you too, I submitted in September and haven't heard back since.
Called yesterday and got an answering machine. Hopefully I'll hear back today and let you guys know more
 
It's funny that the one person on here writing about "Anti OMM zealots", when all that was said was that several of us question the practice based on the current evidence, and were open to change/modify our current standing on the issue if the science directed us in that direction, appears to be an OMM zealot. Kettle meet pot

And I'm sorry, but get off your "is it extremely disrespectful" and "i'm less selfsh" high horse. Not everyone loves pathology, but we all will still have to do it and learn it. By your logic anyone that doesn't like, or questions some part of medicine that a school teaches shouldn't be at that school. We don't have to love OMM, and if the school is a good fit for us for other reasons, you have ZERO right to judge why anyone chooses to go there or not. You even went so far to contradict yourself in your last paragraph, "Touro's about a lot more than OMM".....exactly, so stop trying to make people feel bad about their personal views. If we were accepted (which I was) it was based on our merits, and we don't need to be spoken down to because we don't have the same opinion on a single subject as you.




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Current student here! I came in with the same reservations as you did about OMM. I enjoy it but still remain skeptical about the usefulness of it in real clinical practice. I would say the majority of my peers that I interact with feel similarly and none of us are miserable here!

Also, I don't think I am being 'disrespectful' either by accepting a spot here. Each class should be built by a diversity of individuals and not only by students who want to learn OMM. I think DO's have a lot more to contribute to the medical field than just OMM.
 
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Accepted here last week but withdrawing so hopefully it goes to somebody else who deserves it :)
 
I'm interviewing here this upcoming Monday (21st). So far, it seems most of the posts have been negative regarding the interview, but specifics are hard to come by. What am I to expect? I'm out of state (Louisiana)- is there a major in state bias or just a slight one? I've gotten mixed answers on this.

A couple of other things, mostly unrelated.

I'm staying in San Francisco for an extra day (previously the furthest west I've ever been was Colorado) and I always wanted to visit the Pacific coast. Anything any current students or potential students who are familiar with the area suggest I definitely do?

Lastly, there is something that has been on my mind since the approval of Prop 64 and the fact that the one person I know that attends TUCOM-CA is a hippie's hippie who loves homeopathic/osteopathic/otherwise "eastern"/"new age" medical practices. He more than once indicated that one of the major reasons he chose TUCOM-CA over places like DMU and AT Still and KCU-COM (he even chose it over his 2 MD acceptances) because of his belief in marijuana as a versatile medicine (hence he wanted to study in California). With the legalization of recreational marijuana use in California, do any of you feel that this sort of hurts the "marijuana as medicine" proponents? I know that opiates and alcohol are far more physiologically dangerous and toxic than marijuana is, but for the sake of argument... let's suppose we have other medications that can be used both therapeutically and recreationally... what if doctors used ethanol for acute tonic-clonic seizures and then went and had a few drinks after their shifts? What if there were small mom-and-pop recreational oxycontin shops? I know this is a ridiculous comparison, but the general sentiment I'm trying to get at is whether or not something that can be purchased by anyone over 21 at a head shop as if it was a bottle of jack daniels undermines its value as a legitimate medication for the variety of ailments it has been approved for. Thoughts?

Not sure why a pharmacological property would undermine a substance's recreational potential since the chemical context is different--for example, ethanol is used to treat methanol poisoning, doesn't mean ethanol can't be used recreationally in the absence of methanol. Also there are plenty of non-psychoactive compounds in marijuana that are used for medication.
 
anyone wants to meet up tonight before the interview for some food? Also any restaurant recommendations?
 
Not sure why a pharmacological property would undermine a substance's recreational potential since the chemical context is different--for example, ethanol is used to treat methanol poisoning, doesn't mean ethanol can't be used recreationally in the absence of methanol. Also there are plenty of non-psychoactive compounds in marijuana that are used for medication.

A pharmacological property wouldn't undermine its true potential as a recreational drug and vice versa. I wasn't intending to imply that because people might consume marijuana for a high that it means it can't be a useful medication for various illnesses.

What I was trying to get at was that the overall rhetoric that may surely be espoused by anti-marijuana people and the general public's tendency to be rather naive on most issues that it has opinions on would undermine its utilization, not its usefulness. In the same way many doctors will use fomepizole over ethanol in the prolonging of methanol metabolism, a California doctor may prescribe something like megestrol for appetite stimulation in cancer patients instead of marijuana because the patient can go to a head shop and purchase X amount of marijuana, without prescription, on his/her own and consume it without doctor supervision and for unintended purposes.

I hope I sort of clarified.
 
has anyone tried rescheduling their interview here?
 
I could be completely wrong, but I seem to remember a "no rescheduling other than in emergencies" policy in the II email
 
Accepted this morning! LizzyM ~68 NorCal resident

Anyone know if the two weeks for the deposit is from today?


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It's from the day the letter is sent - not received


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II via email this morning!
secondary submitted 7/1, complete 7/12.
 
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Has anyone sent an update letter here/know if they are encouraged? In the email I received after my file was complete it said we may send additional information for consideration...I've been complete since 9/12 and haven't heard anything back so I'm wondering if it would be a good idea.
 
Just an update from my interview yesterday - we were in fact able to see the anatomy lab. Still smells like formaldehyde..I guess it was semi-better than other schools I've been to? Maybe when all the bodies are uncovered is when you can actually tell the difference. Anyhoo - just your typical anatomy lab so don't be sad if you missed it.

If anyone has any other questions about the day feel free to ask!
 
II via email this morning!
secondary submitted 7/1, complete 7/12.
withdrew my II and application, hope it goes to one of you lovely folk!
good luck everyone, and happy holidays. :)
 
Just received an II. Most likely will not be attending but want to share info for reference to others.
LizzyM ~ 65
Complete ~ July
 
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Also accepted today! 3.6, 514, IS. Now to decide whether I want to go here or AZCOM. Anyone have any insight that can help with my decision?

1st year at TUCOM-CA here. I was debating between AZCOM and TUCOM-CA last year. During my interviews I was actually very impressed with AZCOM, while I was slightly underwhelmed by Touro's aesthetics and faculty presentations. In the end, I am really glad I chose Touro.

I didn't have many qualms about AZCOM except for these:
- very few opportunities for early clinical experience in the 1st 2 years
- very expensive tuition (and it keeps going up!)
- large student body

I think it all boils down to personal preference: what you think will make you happy and what you want to do with your medical degree. I ended up choosing Touro because I am a CA native, and I wanted to stay in CA for residency. If you look at the match lists, a majority of Touro grads end up doing residency in CA. Although, they are mostly in primary care, so I must say that if you are set on doing a competitive specialty, I believe that AZCOM definitely has better board scores and matches in specialties and I would prioritize that. I had no preference, and I just couldn't justify the extra $10K+ in tuition each year. I also knew I wanted a collaborative atmosphere, and I definitely can say that Touro's smaller student body provides that. Everyone is extremely supportive of each other; there's open conversation on med student burnout and resources for counseling with faculty; and students in the upper years are also always giving us advice and resources. In terms of my initial impressions of Touro, they have really been disproved. After all, aesthetics don't really matter when you're studying inside a classroom/library all day, and Mare Island (where most students live) is very safe and has a nice neighborhood community. The facilities may be smaller and older than AZCOM, but there's everything you could need. (In fact, there's a lot of opportunities to learn and practice ultrasound here, which isn't available at AZCOM). As for faculty, there are some really great lecturers and some who aren't, just like any school.

I know that when I was browsing the forums last year on insights for a decision, there were a lot of older posts giving Touro a bad rep that really made me nervous. I honestly haven't found any of them to be true (but then again, I'm only a semester in). I definitely think that the curriculum has been changed a lot and is still changing at Touro, and the administration/faculty is definitely trying to take our input and make it better.

I love it here, and I have good friends at AZCOM who love it there as well, so I definitely think you can't choose wrong. Either way, you are going to be a doctor, so congrats!
 
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This was super helpful. Thanks for taking the time to post it!!

1st year at TUCOM-CA here. I was debating between AZCOM and TUCOM-CA last year. During my interviews I was actually very impressed with AZCOM, while I was slightly underwhelmed by Touro's aesthetics and faculty presentations. In the end, I am really glad I chose Touro.

I didn't have many qualms about AZCOM except for these:
- very few opportunities for early clinical experience in the 1st 2 years
- very expensive tuition (and it keeps going up!)
- large student body

I think it all boils down to personal preference: what you think will make you happy and what you want to do with your medical degree. I ended up choosing Touro because I am a CA native, and I wanted to stay in CA for residency. If you look at the match lists, a majority of Touro grads end up doing residency in CA. Although, they are mostly in primary care, so I must say that if you are set on doing a competitive specialty, I believe that AZCOM definitely has better board scores and matches in specialties and I would prioritize that. I had no preference, and I just couldn't justify the extra $10K+ in tuition each year. I also knew I wanted a collaborative atmosphere, and I definitely can say that Touro's smaller student body provides that. Everyone is extremely supportive of each other; there's open conversation on med student burnout and resources for counseling with faculty; and students in the upper years are also always giving us advice and resources. In terms of my initial impressions of Touro, they have really been disproved. After all, aesthetics don't really matter when you're studying inside a classroom/library all day, and Mare Island (where most students live) is very safe and has a nice neighborhood community. The facilities may be smaller and older than AZCOM, but there's everything you could need. (In fact, there's a lot of opportunities to learn and practice ultrasound here, which isn't available at AZCOM). As for faculty, there are some really great lecturers and some who aren't, just like any school.

I know that when I was browsing the forums last year on insights for a decision, there were a lot of older posts giving Touro a bad rep that really made me nervous. I honestly haven't found any of them to be true (but then again, I'm only a semester in). I definitely think that the curriculum has been changed a lot and is still changing at Touro, and the administration/faculty is definitely trying to take our input and make it better.

I love it here, and I have good friends at AZCOM who love it there as well, so I definitely think you can't choose wrong. Either way, you are going to be a doctor, so congrats!
 
Just a note for those of you still waiting to hear -- Touro has interviews through May, so if you haven't heard from them yet it does not mean you are not going to.
Also, tour groups are going to be allowed in the anatomy lab again, which is great, because the lab is really nice and definitely a good selling point, especially considering we spent the first semester in there relentlessly.

I also want to second everything IWantBoba wrote. The school is not flashy and Vallejo isn't the greatest place on earth, but everyone here is lovely (faculty included) and it is really nice to feel this supported especially during stressful times like finals (right now). TUCOM places a high premium on making sure their students are happy and successful.

I have nothing to compare it to, obviously, but I feel like I am getting a really good education both with classroom academic stuff and on how to actually be a good practicing physician.
 
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I'll be interviewing here in Monday. I'll be driving up from SoCal Sunday and back home right after the interview. Can anyone tell me approximately when time the interview day ends? Thanks!
 
I know the deadline is still in a few months, but does anyone know if it's too late to submit a primary to this school to still get reasonable consideration for an interview?
 
I'll be interviewing here in Monday. I'll be driving up from SoCal Sunday and back home right after the interview. Can anyone tell me approximately when time the interview day ends? Thanks!

ended like 1:3o if i remember correctly
 
1st year at TUCOM-CA here. I was debating between AZCOM and TUCOM-CA last year. During my interviews I was actually very impressed with AZCOM, while I was slightly underwhelmed by Touro's aesthetics and faculty presentations. In the end, I am really glad I chose Touro.

I didn't have many qualms about AZCOM except for these:
- very few opportunities for early clinical experience in the 1st 2 years
- very expensive tuition (and it keeps going up!)
- large student body

I think it all boils down to personal preference: what you think will make you happy and what you want to do with your medical degree. I ended up choosing Touro because I am a CA native, and I wanted to stay in CA for residency. If you look at the match lists, a majority of Touro grads end up doing residency in CA. Although, they are mostly in primary care, so I must say that if you are set on doing a competitive specialty, I believe that AZCOM definitely has better board scores and matches in specialties and I would prioritize that. I had no preference, and I just couldn't justify the extra $10K+ in tuition each year. I also knew I wanted a collaborative atmosphere, and I definitely can say that Touro's smaller student body provides that. Everyone is extremely supportive of each other; there's open conversation on med student burnout and resources for counseling with faculty; and students in the upper years are also always giving us advice and resources. In terms of my initial impressions of Touro, they have really been disproved. After all, aesthetics don't really matter when you're studying inside a classroom/library all day, and Mare Island (where most students live) is very safe and has a nice neighborhood community. The facilities may be smaller and older than AZCOM, but there's everything you could need. (In fact, there's a lot of opportunities to learn and practice ultrasound here, which isn't available at AZCOM). As for faculty, there are some really great lecturers and some who aren't, just like any school.

I know that when I was browsing the forums last year on insights for a decision, there were a lot of older posts giving Touro a bad rep that really made me nervous. I honestly haven't found any of them to be true (but then again, I'm only a semester in). I definitely think that the curriculum has been changed a lot and is still changing at Touro, and the administration/faculty is definitely trying to take our input and make it better.

I love it here, and I have good friends at AZCOM who love it there as well, so I definitely think you can't choose wrong. Either way, you are going to be a doctor, so congrats!

Thanks so much for your reply! I ended up choosing Touro over AZCOM for many of the reasons you said. Your reply definitely reaffirms my decision. :)
 
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