New York, NY
Osteopathic Medical Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Ask questions about this school. Answers use aggregated data and are subject to error.
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 41% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
6.9
Mixed
Mixed experience; organization and communication appear average with varied impressions and occasional stress.
Based on 696 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (64%)
Negatively (14%)
No change (23%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (33%)
Good (35%)
Average (27%)
Poor (6%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally expressed positive impressions of the school's staff, facilities, and interview process, with some noting the school's commitment to underserved communities and technological advancements. However, concerns were raised about the school's location, cost, clinical rotations, and interview experiences varying from laid-back to intense. Suggestions included being confident, prepared with questions, and open-minded during the interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Everyone is very kind and receptive to questions
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The orientation and interview made me appreciate the school even more
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Interview gave me a VERY good impression of the school faculty
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N/a
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The two interviewers basically played good cop bad cop.
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There was not a presentation on my allotted interview date, however, they sent out a pre-interview video that served as a presentation. It showed the location, facilities, etc. Very beautiful school!
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Had a great interview experience
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Seems like a very nice school. I got the impression that the faculty and students are a tight-knit community, which I liked.
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Liked the school. Only drawback is COA and flipped classroom
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Overall, I was unimpressed by this school and very disappointed when they were not transparent with their comlex scores and what they were trying to do to address it.
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Come prepared with a list of questions both for interviews and student ambassadors.
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Don't forget, you are feeling out this school as much as they are feeling out you! Apply around. Once I got to this school I did not find it impressive.
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Parking is a pain, school is on W 124th st, not W 125th. School uses the flipped teaching method where you watch videos outside of class then you go to lecture and review the content if necessary. Like undergrad they use clicker questions to see if you understand and yes they graded and lecture is mandatory but it’s 3-4 days a week.
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The outside of the building is not well kept and the area is not very nice.
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Don't let the interviewers intimidate you. Be confident in yourself and your skills, if you were invited to interview, that means you are qualified in every way so BE CONFIDENT!
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Review questions, especially from this year, as they will probably ask you that same question
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Overall very great experience and would be happy to attend school here
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Very positive and good experience+
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Touro really ended up much higher on my list at the end. They did a great job of leaving a great impression.
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Overall, a great experience.
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Everything you need is in the school. Very safe. Loved seeing the diversity of students. They are already implementing practices to improve step 2 scores. Great school, but do not feel my interview went well.
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Overall, I did like the school but the interview was pretty odd.
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Great school! Really like the flipped curriculum. Just not sure if I would be happy living in NYC.
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The school location is very low key (i.e. it is in an office building and only has a few floors). But it does grow on you once you realize that they have all the facilities necessary for you to succeed, and that you are going to be living in Manhattan.
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I didn't feel too stressed during my interview but other interviewees thought theirs were more intense. Know your application and stay calm and your interview will go smoothly. Good luck!
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School is definitely on the up and up. Renovate the exterior and they will be in business. The faculty and staff all care and they want the school to progress which is nice !
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As a few others - who must have had the same interviewers as I did - have mentioned, I thought this went beyond a typical stress interview. For a fairly new school with no real reputation, this just left me with a very poor impression of the school and I have no desire to study here with such faculty.
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If you are from out of town, leave your hotel EARLY because New York traffic is just plain nuts.
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Overall, the school is alright. Pros: great faculty, and students seem very social with each other. Cons: facilities are not the greatest and no early clinical exposure.
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Very impressed with the school. Definitely became my top choice after the interview and tour
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Don't stress yourself when you go to this interview, prepare properly and just be yourself. They really are just trying to see if you "fit". The interview itself isn't highly stressful and the process is really organized. Obed was extremely extremely helpful in getting everyone to open up and talk before our interviews in order to kind of prepare us.. so take advantage of that. All in all, a great school.
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Nice place. Touro's website does not do the school justice.
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I liked the school a lot more after I interviewed for them. The staff and interviewers were very friendly and informative. Would definitely go here if accepted!
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Stay confident during your interview. Some people got to lead the conversation. Others did not. So be prepared for anything
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I felt like I really learned a lot on the interview day. I also feel like TouroCOM is honest in its commitment to the underserved and has real resources to include this as a part of medical education. Aside from the glass library, nothing stuck out as outstanding in the world of medical schools, but I left the interview wanting to be accepted so bad it hurt.
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A very low key and enjoyable interview if you are someone who enjoys meeting people and chatting.
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Didn't like this school at all, other than the location (NYC in general- Harlem is nasty).
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Very impressed with the school.
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Student tours were very helpful in gaining true insight into the school.
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Blah. This school just didn't do it for me. I really want to live in NYC at some point, but I realized how big of a mistake it would be to live in an expensive city during medical school. Besides, I want to be competitive for a good residency so I don't think this school will make me look stronger.
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Good experience. People were nice
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Overall, this scholl has left a good impression on me.
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Overall, I did not like this school. I was initially enticed by the mission of the school, the diversity of the area, the new facilities and was willing to give it a shot. But I did not like the area as much as I thought, I did not like the interviewers, I did not like the cost. I left knowing nothing about the school and unimpressed. They were not very accommodating. Other schools I have been to have been much more professional and accommodating to your visit. And I would leave knowing much more about the school - I don't know any more about Touro than I did before I got there except that I don't like it. It's not worth the money.
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The day started at 9:10 with a 20 minute talk from Obed on Touro and what to expect/talk about in the interview. My interview was at 9:30 and was over by 9:50. There was a 10 minute talk on financial aid at 10:30. Tour of the facilities from 11-12. The dean of student affairs gave a brief 20 min talk about the school, he was very helpful. Obed then treated us to Silvia's (Famous for Soul Food)!! Overall, I was impressed by the school's facilities, but the rotation sites are severely lacking. I'm sure in the next 5 years tho, the rotation sites will be much better for the students.
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Agenda: Welcome/Breakfast around 9am. Obed speaking around 9:10am. Then Financial aid session around 9:30am. Then interviews start at 10am. Around 11am, the students give a tour. Deans give speeches. Then Lunch. School is in the heart of NYC. Clinical rotations are up and coming. Obed- the Director of Admissions - is very helpful. He answered any questions before we went to see our interviewers and talked about what is expected of you in the interview. Very comfortable setting.
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It's a great school, don't let any negative comments taint your experience. Go in with an open mind and see for yourself!
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It's a great school overall! Hopefully I'll get in!
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I really enjoyed most aspects of this school, but was a little concerned with its lack of stats, area in NYC, and lack of clinical work from day one---> I want to start seeing patients along with doing book work. The school was nice and they have great facilities
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Seems to be an up and coming school. They have state-of-the-art equipment. They push primary care. Everyone is really friendly.
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Honestly, I think that establishing a school in Manhattan (especially harlem) makes it really difficult for any expansion to take place. The school has had 2 classes thus far and many among the first year had to retake Anatomy at a separate location. really i have my concerns about this school. the fee for the secondary application was more than any other school and the deposit required to secure a spot (when accepted) is $2k, non-refundable. anyway, not my favorite interview.
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There are many positives and negatives to this school. Positives: new school so you can set the direction of your medical education as far as extracurriculars go; located in Manhattan NYC so you are bound to see diverse group of patients on your rotations & not to mention that you always have the city at your doorstep when you have to unwind and relax; and finally, the school executives' political influence with administrators and other hospital leaders in NYC and northeast. Negatives: New school so you don't really know how effective the curriculum is and how well the students are being prepared for the boards; rotation sites haven't been finalized although I'm sure majority of them will be in NYC; incomplete construction of 4/5 floors will make the school very crowded once more students from pharmacy and masters programs are enrolled.
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Wasn't for me.
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You should ask about the status of their clinical rotations.
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This school is clearly evolving which, along with its location, was what excited me about it. However, after my visit I have to question the direction of its evolution.
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Be ready if your a MD/DO applicant. also, be read to answer questions about "inner city" community work
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Laid back interview, great students, the interviewers ask questions based on the way the conversation is going, but in my experience they would ask new questions before I said what I really wanted to say from the last question
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Very laid back, a little unorganized. students seems very happy here though. i really like nyc too, it's a total different way of life.
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Growing school in a good location. Touro really appears to want to make a difference in the area and I believe they will with time.
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I really enjoyed myself and it seems like the staff, students, and interviewers all enjoy being at Touro - they have some kinks to work out, still growing...
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Genuinely impressed with the staff. I was the second to last to interview on the last day of interiews and I thought they would be jaded and tired of the whole process. They were interested to hear everybodys story.
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It was pretty laid back and casual. I was interviewed by two professors/clinicians - one was the assistant dean. It was more of a conversation, and they were good about letting me talk before they asked the next question. Overall, they didn't ask that many questions by the time the interview was over.
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Good cop bad cop, over 15 min spend defending my decision to work after college, They seem to think I was more likely to fail bc I was out of school for a while and I am 30 yrs old.. They did not give me any evidence older students do fail out at a higher rate, also grilled me into saying neg comments about other students who were interviewing that day, almost suspected I was not going to be accepted even before denial letter came in mail
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It was really quite relaxed and enjoyable. The director of admissions is a very nice and helpful man, he is there to answer all of your questions honestly, so there isn't anything to worry about. You just have to be passionate about the fact that you want to be an osteopathic physician!
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It was really quick, but apparently everyone who had my interviewers had a quick interview too. They were really nice though.
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Overall, a very good interview day...not intimidating at all.
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Overall, not bad. I was grilled a little bit during my interview, which made me very nervous and caused me to stumble w/ some of my answers (but I was accepted so being grilled is not necessarily a bad thing). I'm from FL and this was my first visit to NYC. After visiting I realized that NYC wasn't for me. Nice facilities. Obed was very helpful and nice.
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Interviews are closed file so they don't know anything about you. You do have to lead the conversation. I wish they didn't ask so many hypothetical questions. Every question was really open-ended.
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Overall, a great day with lots of friendly people. I definitely loved the school!
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Interview wasn't difficult, persay, but one of my interviewers was pretty intimidating, in demeanor -- not the most laid-back interview. tour was adequate, obed actually spent several minutes coaching us about the interview beforehand, which was nice of him. the day could have run smoother....eh.
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Two interviewers, small room, me. very sweet and friendly people, both professors at the school. lots of warm smiles. they explicitly expressed that they wanted to get to know me and that i can be relaxed. they wanted to know about me (closed file, so they have NOT seen my other materials at all).
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This is a great school and I know I will be a perfect fit for it. With that said though, if you are considering TouroCOM, you need to be sure this is the type of atmosphere you want. If you choose this school just because it is NY, then I would really reconsider because you will have a tough time at this school.
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Excellent. The interview experience sold me on the school. I think Touro NY will be an awesome school.
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It was a very positive experience...the interview day flowed well and was very low stress...
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Very positive. this promises to be a technologically advanced school with the desire to make a big impact on surrounding area. seems like a perfect fit to me.
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It was good ... very much like Tour NV .... I liked the fact that it was closed file ... it really helps becasue they get to see your personality more than anything else.
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I thought it was too long of a day. There was a lot of waiting around. We got a pointless ''tour'' of the school-meaning we took a walk around the block. I thought we could have done without it since we couldn't even see the classrooms or inside the building. It was cool to get a tour of the hospital.
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Great interview experience. The admissions staff wants you to do well. There is a brief introduction with the deans, and then you rotate in groups of 2 or 3 between a financial aid session, closed filed interview, and tour of the building. Following this there was a light lunch, and then we took cabs to a local hospital to meet with a resident.
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Apart from the interview, I spent a couple of days or so in NYC to visit friends and to sight-see. While my overall experience was quite positive, I'd be lying if I didn't mention my disappointment in the fact that the building wasn't done. I wanted to see the facilities myself instead of being told repeatedly that it'll be state-of-the-art.
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It was a strange experience considering the school doesn't yet exist. It was relatively organized. They provided breakfast and lunch which was nice. They didn't have much to show us because the building isn't even ready yet, so we just took a walk around the block. It's not the best of areas but not the absolute worst either. the interviewers were really nice; Obed seemed overwhelmed. an fair interview experience.
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A relaxing day whereby the staff really tried to get the know you.
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I spent a good amount of time in a conference room with other interviewees while we waited to go on a tour of the school site, financial aid and the interview. The day went smoothly and ended with a visit to North General Hospital.
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Awesome. This school is not for everyone but it seems like its perfect for me!
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They tell you in the beginning that they try to make this the most relaxing process as possible. I came in 30 minutes early, and hung out in the conference room. Deans will give you a presentation, and explain their ''vision'' of the school. Interviews are in a panel, closed-file. My interview was pretty long, probably cause i talked a lot. Questions were typical, and they keep you on your toes with questions that are improved from your answers, be prepared to handle them stopping you mid sentence. Be yourself, and if you believe this is for you, state it, logically and systematically. Tell them what is important in your life, now and in the future. They are looking for students who are serious, dedicated, and personable, as medicine is not for the weak of heart.
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It was actually very laid back. I got along with my interviewers and we shared a couple laughs and chatted off topic. Overall, I liked the school and it was a good thing because I was accepted.
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Overall the interview experience was very good. My interview was very informal and they were asking general questions so they could get to know me. Once the school is built it promises to be very nice and big. The harlem community is under going a transformation and will be interesting going to school there and helping the citizens of that community.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
29 Minutes Average
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Number:
2 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
75% One-on-One
25% Group Interview
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File Type:
44% Open-File
56% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
TouroCOM-Harlem-COMP interviews are an average of 29 minutes, with an average of 2 interviews. 75% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 56% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about the applicant's motivation for pursuing medicine, understanding of osteopathic vs. allopathic medicine, research experiences, reasons for choosing the specific school, and strengths/weaknesses. Many respondents also mentioned being asked about their background, volunteer experiences, hobbies, and how they would contribute to underserved communities, with some interviews following an MMI format and possibly involving a nondisclosure agreement.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Why DO, have you ever shadowed DO?
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Tell me about your most meaningful volunteer experience
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Did you ever get to see a DO do OMM or shadow DO?
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What is something about myself I wanted them to know and remember about me?
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What is the difference between do and md?
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Why Touro?
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Tell me about yourself
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What do you see to be the difference between osteopathic and allopathic medicine?
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Tell me about your research.
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Tell us about yourself
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What hobbies do you have?
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What are your other interests?
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Explain your MCAT score.
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You seem like you have other interviews. Do you? I bet you were also accepted. Were you? I also think you applied to allopathic schools Did you? - I thought this was an awful way to start the interview. It's out of the scope of what we should have been talking about.
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Tell me about yourself, why touro, why osteopathic med
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About what makes Harlem underserved.
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Tell me a little about yourself and why you want to go to Touro
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Tell me about your research at Hahnemann Hospital
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Explain your MCAT score (CARS score specifically).
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Why Touro? Why DO?
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Why Touro/Why DO?
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Why touro and New York (OOS)?
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Why Touro and why DO?
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What is your biggest strength and what is your biggest weakness?
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Why do you want to be a DO?
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Why are you here? Why DO? What is OMM? What field do you want to go into? Do you have experience with diversity? Tell me about your Research? What volunteering did you do?
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What do you know about osteopathic medicine?
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What do you know about health care disparities?
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Tell me about yourself. tell me your study abroad. describe your research. why DO. Why touro.
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Tell me about your research?
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Why medicine?
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What was your first exposure to osteopathic medicine?
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Why osteopathic medicine?
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Why Harlem and are you prepared to deal with an urban environment?
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Why Do?
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Why DO/Why medicine/Why Touro?
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All of these were asked in sequence: Did you apply to allopathic medical schools? How many interviews have you had? What is the difference between a DO and an MD? What is the difference between chiropractic and osteopathy?
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What percentage of schools that you applied to are Osteopathic schools? Oh, so you only want to be a DO X%?
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How do you feel about Obamacare?
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Why DO school?
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If you could, would you go back and change your major?
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Why are you here?
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Why do you want to be an osteopathic physician?
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What was your favorite class? Why?
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What organs rely most heavily on glucose?
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Why DO/Why Touro/Why Harlem?
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Why did you choose osteopathic medicine?
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If you don’t get into medical school, what would you do, and you’re not allowed to say you’ll reapply, and we really mean it.
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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Very conversational. They asked about my research and if I shadowed any DOs. The rest of the interview was pretty much self-led.
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What would you tell me if you failed a class, assuming we let you in
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Tell me about yourself? YES I LOVE THIS QUESTION
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I was told right away that this was my chance to "wow" them and asked to do so. My interviewers informed me it was a closed file.
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What is one tangible way that you would impact/be involved in the Harlem community?
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Why medicine, why DO, why NY?
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What is your ethnic background
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What drew you to a DO school?
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Why medicine, why Harlem?
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Which cohort/group of people are the least medically insured?
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All questions were open ended. "Tell us about yourself."
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Tell us about yourself.
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What specific opportunities do you want to take advantage of here?
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Tell us about yourself? Since this was closed file, there was a lot of introducing the various activities on my primary.
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Why DO? Have you done any research? explain.
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It was mostly conversational. The interviewee really leads the interview
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Tell us about yourself, where you come from and where you're going.
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Tell us about yourself/ why medicine/ what do you want to do with your life
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My possible location in 10 years
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Tell me about yourself.
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Why Medicine? Why D.O?
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Tell me about yourself, tell me about your research and community service (within that...how did you cope with a difficult decision that arose).
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What do you know about DO?
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Why Osteo?
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Tell us your background. Very open-ended question which is nice because you can set the direction of the interview.
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Why apply to a school in New York?
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How do you know that you can handle the workload of medical school?
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Tell us about yourself? Why D.O.?
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Tell us about yourself/Why TOUROCOM-NY
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Why touro/ could you see yourself living in nyc
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1) why harlem 2) why DO 3) why medicine 4) tell me about yourself 5) what is the problem with healthcare today and specifically Harlem 6) strenth and weakness
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Tells us about you
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So tell us about yourself and why you're interested in Touro.
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Tell us about yourself....
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Tell us about yourself and why you want to enter the osteopathic profession.
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What was hardest thing faced in life
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First question-- so tell us about yourself. It all pretty much flowed from there...
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Tell us about yourself?
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Why Medicine, Why DO.
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What do you do to relax?
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Why medicine, why DO
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Tell us about yourself; why New York?
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Describe yourself
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Where's your tan?
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What specifically did you gain from shadowing a female doctor?
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Health problem
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Why Osteopathis medicine?
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Closed file = general questions about hobbies, life experiences, background.
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Why medicine? Why DO?
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Why are you interested in osteopathic medicine/what do you know about the philosophy?
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See the ''most interesting question'' bit.
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Interview was more a less a conversation about myself. Be prepared to talk about yourself with open ended questions. you can pretty much direct the conversation with how you answer the questions they ask.
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Why DO, what is so special about it?
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See Above
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Like i said before the questions were general questions, nothing really difficult. Asked about my undergrad, job, volunteer experiences.
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - Harlem discussed a wide range of topics including ethical scenarios, personal attributes, healthcare disparities, and cultural competence. The interview format appeared to be an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview), with some respondents mentioning nondisclosure agreements, indicating a structured and diverse questioning approach aimed at evaluating various aspects of candidates' readiness for medical school.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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What would you do if a high school student who had a concussion came to you for a follow-up with their family and asked you for medical clearance to play again?
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The ethical scenario about a patient refusing treatment.
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Talked to me about my extracurriculars
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What is something about myself I wanted them to know and remember about me?
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What’s something you want me to know about yourself that isn’t on your application?
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Do you have any experience with health disparities and why do they exist
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Ethical question
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What could you contribute to the diverse student body?
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You're in a room with a resident and patient. The resident leaves the room. The patient tells you that he has a life-threatening condition. What do you do?
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Ethical question.
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How did the recent shooting affect you
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What do you know about healthcare disparities in medicine?
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Ethical question- they continued to ask questions with different scenarios
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Why did I think that the Harlem community was underserved?
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Tell me about your state.
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An ethics question: you made a decision for a patient when one had to be made and you could not get their full consent. They later sued you over the decision you made. What would you do?
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How did you do so well on the mcat? I only got a 506
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Why do you want to be a doctor?
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Do you think Tylenol relieves pain? How many grams of Tylenol does it take to cause liver failure?
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How do you treat an infant with an ear infection?
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Kept picking at my answers to clarify further.
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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Where did you grow up?
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Do you think that a medical school curriculum should be based around cultural-competence?
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Why Harlem? What do you think of the new Middletown campus?
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How do you hope to influence Canadian perception of DO's ? (I'm a Canadian)
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What was the most challenging experience in your life?
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Why particularly the underserved? Do you have any experience helping the underserved?
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How would you deal with working in a culturally diverse environment?
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If you could, would you go back and change your major?
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Do you think its important for people to get professional help when dealing with emotional issues? (ie see a therapist)
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Most practicing DOs don't use OMM-- why not?
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What percent of limb replacements are performed in third world countries.
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Did you have any chances to observe any OMT techniques performed by the DO Surgeon you shadowed or by any other DO?
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How polish are you?
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Why DO vs. MD?
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What would you tell me if you failed a class, assuming we let you in
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Well none were really interesting, but I enjoyed being asked specific questions about my application, which lead to the interviewers talking about their similar experiences.
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What was something in your past that required pulling together all of your resources?
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What would you do if you were working in a hospital during a very cold day and there was a homeless man brought in who does not anyone near him?
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How do you say your name?
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How do your parents feel about your career choice?
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If you could have an infinite salary what type of doctor would you be?
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Have you read any books on osteopathic medicine?
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What do you think about wine? (This one caught me off guard. I work as a server but we hadn't discussed that aspect of my life yet. We talked about wine for ten minutes. Still not sure if that was beneficial...)
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What can you bring to touro unique to you
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What challenges you?
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If patient denies medical care for his chronic disease, what would you do to get this patient to see the doctor again?
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What experience do you have working with under served populations?
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What is your opinion on Swine Flu?
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Nothing that interesting.
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We talked about my family, my parents and my upbringing.
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What do you know/think about minorities and health care?
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How to help the disadvantaged patients in our country, and what do I feel about socialized medicine?
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What do you know about the health disparities in this area?
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Do doctor's heal patients?
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What are your goals in medicine?
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You are the only physician in the ER of a very rural and small town. It is 3 AM and EMTs bring a homeless man to the ward because of the deadly cold weather outside. The man is not cooperative and wants to go outside but you can't let him because he will die in the cold weather. He is being disruptive to other patients who are trying to rest in the ward. How do you handle the situation?
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Have you ever had OMM performed on you?
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Would you give liver transplant to 18 year old or 80 year old?
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Do you see yourself in the future working in an office or hospital here in Harlem? Or in a suburb?
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What was the most difficult thing you faced in your life and how did you deal with it?
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What was the most difficult thing u faced in your life
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I mentioned that I have been living in NY since I was 7, but that I wasn't born in the U.S. They asked me about how my being an immigrant affects my feelings toward NYC and why I want to practice medicine here...
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If you had to choose between a teenager who says she went clean, but they found PCP on her, and a 40 year old for a new liver, who would you give it to and why?
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Do you think there is a connection between psychology and osteopathic med? (one of my majors was psychology)
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Why does OMM work?
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If a group of MD's got OMM training and performed the same treatment on a patient that a DO did, how would you feel about it
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Do you think everyone can be a doctor?
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What is something that you may have encountered during your shadowing experiences that you would like to expand on as a physician?
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We talked about arranged marriages.
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Where's your tan? (I'm from California)
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Either the female doc question or the what would you do if you NEVER got into medical school?
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Biggest health problem we face today
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What will you do if you dont get into ANY medical school this year? After my reply .... ok well say its been 3 years from now and you STILL havent gotten into a medical schhol, what will you do?
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Why did you decide to go to your undergrad institution over the other schools in the city?
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It was related to my research.
-
What type of pathologies would you expect to see in Harlem?
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How do you think you would deal with the surrounding neighborhood? Would you be comfortable in working in such an urban area?
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What is the biggest problem facing healthcare and what would you do to change it?
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What would you do if you had free time?
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Where would you live if accepted to Touro?
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Why would someone only apply to DO schools?
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Going in an opposite direction, how did you know this interviewer was Polish and how did you learn to speak Polish?
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If you were in this situation what would you do: A patient said that he would feel more comfortable speaking with an African-american doctor because he would understand his needs better. What would you do?
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What my stance was on some ethical issuses regarding medicine, ex. abortion, euthanasia.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Many applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as SDN, practicing mock interviews, reviewing their application materials, researching the school and its mission, and staying up-to-date on current healthcare topics. They also focused on understanding the school's philosophy and unique aspects, preparing answers to common questions about their interest in medicine and the specific program.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Mentor mock interview, read over my application
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Mock interviews with friends and my Principal Investigators at work.
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SDN Interview Feedback
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Sdn, personal statement, looked at my primary and secondary application
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SDN, reviewed my application, read the handout they sent.
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SDN and Touro’s website
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Mock interview
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Mock interview with prehealth advisor and school-specific research.
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SDN, school website
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SDN and typical interview questions, read bioethics article
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SDN and solid understanding of why DO and why underserved
-
SDN, printed a bunch of typical int questions, researched Touro, researched Harlem, had solid answers to these main questions: Why doctor? Why osteopathic med? Why this school? Explain bad grade.
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Website, SDN, reading local news about Harlem, school recent news, watched information videos.
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SDN and practice from previous interviews
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SDN questions/flashcards/going through my secondaries
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Prep with practice questions from this forum, research the schools
-
500 question document, review my app, review the school
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Reading school's website, reading more about osteopathic philosophy, reviewing the application I sent in
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SDN forums and interview feedback; researching school and area
-
Mock interviews. Prepared answers to most basic interview questions.
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SDN, a few books, and mock interviews
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Read the school website, SDN, and went over my secondary app.
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Read the school's website, read my file.
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Practice
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Reading applications and practicing telling your story. You literally speak for over 30 min.
-
Researched school, SDN
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Reviewed school's website, reviewed my application, did a short practice interview with a friend
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SDN interview feedback, prepared answers for common questions and questions I expected them to ask about Harlem, Osteopathic medicine, and working with underserved populations.
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Read about the school, the mission statement, SDN, interview feedback
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Interview feedback portion of SDN, practiced answering questions
-
Read SDN, practiced questions
-
Read the questions from SDN, studied Obamacare
-
Looked at the schools website, used google to find any recent articles written about the school, and SDN.
-
SDN
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Practiced the standard interview questions
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Brainstormed questions and wrote out answers i might give. Read them over a few times.
-
Looked up as much information as I could about the school, researched Harlem and its unique health concerns, read SDN
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SDN, read articles about Harlem
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I looked at common interview questions and knew that I could answer them well.
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SDN, Read up on articles about Harlem's health disparities, practiced answering the "usual" questions, Read up on general health related topics
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I read the posts on SDN's Touro thread, I used this feedback section, I researched Harlem's health issues on the internet, I researched the status of New York medicine in magazine articles, including a New York Magazine article on the state of NYC's hospitals, I read the Touro website, I read a book and researched the internet on OMT techniques, and a I read a book (titled Landmark) on Obama's Health Care Law
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Sdn, researched school and area, mock interview
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Reading sdn interview feedback and school website
-
Read sdn, went on the school's website
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SDN, reviewed new halthcare bill.
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I prepared coincidentally by having an interview before this one.
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SDN; general review of current health events and medical ethics issues.
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Practiced questions from SDN
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Read current events, looked over primary and secondary application, talked to current students
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Knew a great deal about the school's mission in Harlem and about DO philosophy
-
Read sdn, read touro ny's website, read over my primary and secondary application.
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Read school website, reviewed my application(s), SDN, other research on up to date topics
-
SDN, School's website, my application
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Read the STN questions and prepare accordindly
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SDN, mission statement, secondary essay
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Read over my apps
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Interview Feedback, Watched the Yankee Game, Read the School's Website, Read my Secondary, Read up on HMOs
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SDN, PreHealth Committee Mock Interview, Prep with Health Advisor, Read up current healthcare issues and system
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Reviewed my application, essays. Practiced with a friend.
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SDN, Researching, Writing down answers, PMing people, mock interview, talking to pre-med advisors
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SDN, research on DO's, application, school website
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SDN, school website, AACOM website.
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SDS, apps, wiki, school site.
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Sdn, read over app, and prior interview materials
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SDN feedbacks
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SDN, re-read app, etc.
-
Looked over primary and secondary applications. Read the school's website and SDN.
-
A little bit of online research
-
SDN, researched Harlem, read essays, news & current events, Healthcare topics
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Read about the school, and looked over my application.
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Read old essays, recorded myself in mock interviews, read school website, SDN, online info.
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Sdn, touro website, primary, secondary, mock interviews
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Sdn, read over my aacomas and 2ndary application
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Sdn, read school website
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Sdn, reviewed primary and secondary app, mock interview
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Tried to rehearse and prepare responses but realized that they would see right through that. I just gave them who i was and rolled with the questions
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SDN, Read over file
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SDN, read the school's website, reviewed my application
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SDN, school website, mock interviews
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SDN, reviewed my application, read up a little on current medical issues/news
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SDN, apps, prepared answers to common interview questions in advance.
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Nothing really, re-read primary, secondary
-
Reviewed secondary, SDN, read about the Harlem area
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SDN, research on current issues, CV, primary, secondary, website, called the school to ask questions prior, research on Harlem area
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SDN, community, students, application, website
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Went over my application, made sure to go to bed early.
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Looked on sdn...
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Sdn, prior interviews
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I had already given many other interviews, so I knew what I was doing. SDN, read over my apps, online research.
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I had a bunch of previous interviews, so I was already used to the process. I looked over my essays and AACOMAS app.
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Mock interview, read sdn
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Reviewed my application and read about the osteopathic philosophy.
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Reviewed old stuff that I had from previous interviews.
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I went to 3 previous interviews so i didn't do much for this one too
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Reviewed all previous work/experience, and meditated on why I wanted to be a physician.
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Checked out SDN and osteopathic websites.
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Read about the school, current health issues.
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Read up on the philosophy of osteopathic medicine. Read the NY Times website on the current innovations in health care, and the current public opinion of President Bush's health insurance policy.
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Well, as one of the first interviews at the school and being a new school, I didn't have much to go by, but I did go to the school website and that was about it.
-
Visiting schools website and SDN.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - Harlem discussed a wide range of topics, including explaining low grades, ethical dilemmas, healthcare disparities, and differences between osteopathic and allopathic medicine. Several respondents mentioned an MMI format and potential nondisclosure agreements, while others highlighted specific questions about personal experiences and hypothetical scenarios as challenging aspects of the interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Explain your low grades at the onset of the undergrad years
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What happened with some of your undergrad science grades/ why were they bad/ how did you improve? Also why should we accept you over other students?
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The ethic question because there was no right or wrong
-
Mostly conversational, nothing difficult
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Why did you stop volunteering so soon if you enjoyed it so much?
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No difficult questions- just be yourself!
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years
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If I utilized my schools' resources for a difficult situation I brought up in regards to bad grades.
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Explain your MCAT.
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What do you know about health care disparities? (not really hard but they kept picking at my answers until i gave a decent response)
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Harlem question.
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What experience do you have with health disparities
-
What's the difference between chiropractic, osteopathic, allopathic?
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Ethical question
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When I said I didn't have DO Shadowing experience, they asked why I had not taken the time to try and shadow a DO
-
Question about my application
-
The ethics question above.
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What was your least favorite science class and why?
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Do you have any experience with OMM?
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What is the difference between OMM and massage therapy
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How do you treat an infant with an ear infection?
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"You seem calm, I am assuming you have had other interviews" "Did you also apply to allopathic schools" "What would you do if you didn't get in"
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How would you help the poor get healthcare?
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Would you say you know a lot about osteopathic medicine?
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Do you think that a medical school curriculum should be based around cultural-competence?
-
Why didn't you shadow a DO? you could've shadowed one in Toronto, or met with one in the USA ?
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As soon as I walked in and sat down: "Why are you here?"
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What is one specific program you would implement to help out the medically underserved community in Harlem that we don't already have? Follow up: Well, we already have that.
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If you saw two of your classmates cheating on an exam, what would you do?
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If you were a first year medical student, and you had a final exam the next day but you just found out one of your family members is critically ill and in the hospital, what would you do?
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If you could, would you go back and change your major?
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Non really
-
Both DOs and MDs use a 'holistic' approach-- how do you think osteopathic medicine differs from allopathic then?
-
When they kept asking questions about how to do OMM specifically, even though they knew I had no training.
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I have back pain. Why should I come see you a DO and not a MD?
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None.
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If you find after your first year that medicine’s not for you and you leave, how will you deal with any student loan indebtedness?
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What do you believe to be the biggest health care challenge in the area?
-
None, it was very conversational and they did not have a set list of questions to ask.
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I was asked a specific question about the history of D.O.'s. Although I know about D.O. history , I totally blanked. LOL
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The helath desparity in Harlem, although I knew the answer, I was choked up and had difficulty answering it.
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I stumbled a bit explaining some inconsistencies in my academic record, when asked about it.
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Comment on your grades (it is closed file)
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What are you doing here?
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What will you do if you do not get in?
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Tell me what you know about Obama's health care reform plans
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None
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None of the questions were difficult. The most stressful part was the whole "good cop-bad cop" interview style. In the first 20 minutes I could barely finish a statement. I was constantly interrupted and talked around in circles. This was my first interview and I was a bit nervous but the "stress interview" style really didn't win me over.
-
Go through the questions here, they will repeat a lot.
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Why Osteopathic medicine, because they kept going and going. They were trying to get me to say Osteo and Allo are the same (which in most cases they are), but I had to make a distinction.
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What opportunities would you like to see created here?
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What is your opinion on Swine Flu? I wasn't sure what they were getting at with this question because obviously I think swine flu is bad lol. I thought they might be getting at the debate over the vaccine, so I talked about the delays in getting it to various community clinics/hospitals.
-
Nothing that difficult
-
None, it was a pretty easy interview.
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There's going to be alot of "change" in the medicine in the upcoming years. How do you think you fit into that?
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How do I feel about socialized medicing
-
None were really difficult.
-
Question 3.
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How will you choose which medical school to go to?
-
The homeless question...difficult because you weren't given a choice of what to do....you had to figure out what to do.
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If President-Elect Obama appointed you the health advisor, what recommendations would you give him on how to change the underrepresentation in medicine?
-
None were difficult.
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How does your basic science research relate to clinical trials?
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Tell us about DO's. It caught me off guard because it didn't seem like a specific question...I didn't really know where to start. I hesitated and they asked me, "Who was the founder?" After I answered they told me that some people don't even know that. From there we switched topic.
-
None really, it was a very open, relaxed interview.
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None - just made an effort to try and mention all the good things!
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What was your least favorite subject and why? (This question was difficult for me because I don't have a subject that I simply don't like.)
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Why should we pick you over other students
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None were really difficult, but they were very open ended, so make sure that everything you talk about is something you can back up...
-
Tell me about yourself?
-
None were really difficult, it was very conversational.
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Why does OMM work?
-
If a group of MD's got OMM training and performed the same treatment on a patient that a DO did, how would you feel about it
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Do you think everyone can be a doctor?
-
Nothing they asked was particularly difficult. other interviewees that day were asked more difficult questions, though.
-
What would be your thought process if you were in Fiji and someone collapsed in front of you?
-
Pretty standard questions
-
Biggest health problem we face
-
None were that hard... why NYC? Why osteopathic medicine when your parents are allopathic physicians, what do you know about Harlem, would you be willing to stay here and give back to the community?
-
None. Specific questions may be considered difficult. I was asked the following: 1)What is an HMO? 2)What do you know about universal healthcare?
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It was related to my research.
-
What is a negative about being a physician in todays healthcare climate?
-
If you were accepted at Tourocom and another school (that I applied to and I told them I got waitlisted there), which one would you choose?
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What is the biggest problem facing healthcare and what would you do to change it?
-
Why our school? especially since it is new.
-
Nothing too difficult, they just wanted to get to know me; wanted to know why I am interested in Touro and why DO.
-
You have 48 hours to do nothing, what do you do?
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Why Osteopathic Medicine and why did you chose to take the DO route rather than the MD?
-
Probably the one above. Many of the questions were hypothetical situations and I believe they just wanted to see how I would react and how I would handle different atmospheres and situations I may encounter.
-
There was no real difficult question asked. They were all pretty general get to know you questions. Very informal.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the friendliness and enthusiasm of the faculty, staff, and students at the school, as well as the school's commitment to community service and diversity. Additionally, the new and modern facilities, the conversational and welcoming interview process, and the school's location in NYC were highlighted as positive aspects.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
They definitely tried to make an effort to put all the applicants at ease, faculty seemed to love what they do and where they do it
-
How long the physician staff interviewing me have been working at Touro, both over a decade.
-
Interview was very conversational, the 2 interviewers definitely read through my application and I loved how friendly they both where
-
The interviewer's friendliness
-
Everyone was very kind and the facilities are very modern.
-
The curriculums staff and students
-
The focus on community outreach
-
The interviewers were very friendly and seemed engaged
-
Students were really open. Best student panel i've heard
-
Flipped classroom 3 days of class - tues-thursday; mon and fri testing days
-
The facility inside is much nicer than I thought. Faculty is amazing and seem really enthusiastic about helping students. Interview was basic questions, nothing too harsh.
-
The open access to the college, which is open 24/7. The locality to the rest of Manhattan.
-
The fact that my interview was more of a conversation rather than a Q&A. Comlex 1 scores, OMM instructor spoke to us and gave us an informative demonstration. Dean of the campus and other assistant deans came to speak with and they were very open about themselves and their school. They also had breakfast and a pretty decent lunch. Faculty and students were pretty friendly.
-
Great community of people, everybody really loves each other!
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The emphasis on diversity and public service of the school. it's evident that the student body is very diverse; faculty really want to help you succeed, you should reach out to faculty and staff for extra help if needed "open door policy", very supportive and positive environment
-
The warm of the faculty and camaraderie, the openness of the students, the interior of the school, the z-lab/cadaver lab/huge dummy lab
-
The entire campus seemed very warm and welcoming, the students spoke highly of the curriculum and all students and staff emphasized sensitivity and professionalism with respect to the interactive OMM classes.
-
The relaxed and family-oriented environment; great lunch
-
The vast amount of information given to us. The fact that we were able to speak to admissions, dean of faculty, students in both first and second year, staff for student support, etc. I felt I had a really well rounded picture of the school.
-
Everyone was friendly and very warm.
-
We met all of the dean, who stayed to talk with us and answer questions.
-
Everyone was very nice.
-
Facilities and Faculty, board prep-focus, grading system comparing to previous years to reduce competition
-
Very nice faculty.
-
Faculty, hands down! Facilities are also really nice. Admins were also really personable. Students seemed really happy.
-
While waiting for my interview in a hallway, several current students stopped by to chat for a few minutes. This was especially impressive since it was exam week!
-
Their online lecture system which is good for students who learn best on their own and want to set their own schedule.
-
The quick turnaround time from interview to decision (one week!)
-
Inside facilities, iTunes U, friendliness of faculty
-
Honestly, not much. Probably the location. Harlem is a great area. Based on what other people told me, I expected much worse.
-
Absolutely nothing..Quick turn-around between interview and acceptance I guess.
-
The school's faculty members were super nice. The facilities were amazing.
-
The schools location and how classes are all on iTunes.
-
Faculty was very personable and helpful.
-
Staff dedication to improvement
-
Facilities (minus cafeteria!), faculty and administration enthusiasm.
-
The location, the involvement of the staff/students in the community, the facilities, the itunesU curriculum, LOTS of rotation locations not too far from the city. Also, they had the BEST smelling anatomy lab of any i've encountered..
-
New facilities, commitment to students
-
The friendliness of the students, the administration's focus and dedication to get students to excel on the boards, the extremely new facilities, their OMM studios
-
The students were nice.
-
The curriculum. The Environment.
-
The faculty and admissions office were super friendly. During the tour any of the faculty we ran into were pretty entertaining with their jokes.
-
The brand new, state-of-the-art facilities were impressive.
-
All of the personnel (admissions, students, dean of students, interviewers) were very friendly, warm, and welcoming.
-
New facilities and location of the school
-
I liked the diverse student population and the fact that the school is not in the middle of nowhere. The students who lead us on the tour seemed enthusiastic. As we did the tours, students were giving us a thumbs up sign and wishing us good luck.
-
The interviewers were tough at times, however, they seemed interested in me.
-
NYC!!! I loved Harlem, and the school had great facilities at this location. Good public transportation. I loved that we heard from the Dean and several students, as well as met faculty during the interview itself. Students seemed honest about flaws but pleased with overall experience.
-
Friendliness; absence of stress; genuine interest in my career and my path to medical school.
-
The interviewers were very nice.
-
At every turn, the school seems truly dedicated to the students.
-
Schools labs were awesome, obed was very friendly
-
Facilities and well connected Dean
-
The facilities. It's a very new, very cool campus.
-
I love NYC and to be frank was more excited about visiting the area than the school. I knew what it was going to be like but I was hoping to discover something new or interesting about the school. The anatomy lab was very nice and didn't stink.
-
New school, new everything, everyone is very nice and helpful.
-
The environment was friendly
-
Faculty, students - all were helpful and nice.
-
Facilities, students seem happy, location,
-
The facilities were nice because they are basically new.
-
The facilities are nice and new.
-
New labs and lecture halls, all the facilities are new so that's a plus, Harvey the cardiac simulator, i-stan, the area is vibrant and you are in the heart of the city!
-
Faculty, students and facilities were very nice.
-
The deans are very friendly and want to get to know you. Also the location is great, it's really in the middle of it all!
-
Facilities, friendly students and faculty, location in NYC
-
New facilities, opportunities in the area (if you survive rotations in Harlem you can survive anywhere), clinical exposure among that population will give you the experience to practice anywhere and will make you desirable
-
The "Jewishness" of the school (I am a Jew)- Kosher all the time, mazuzas on every door, lots of Jewish students...founded by a Jew.
-
The facilities are so nice and all the faculty that I ran into were very nice as well. I got a private tour basically because I was the only one in my group. They have this really cool system where they video tape your interactions with patients (fake and real) and go over them with you to work on your clinical skills. Anatomy lab is very nice and doesn't smell!
-
Surrounding area. NY is the center of the world.
-
Location, good new facilities, quality of education, friendliness of students and the candid nature of the dean and admissions office staf
-
Friendliness of the faculties and admission office
-
Presence in harlem, access to new york social life
-
The close, tight-knit nature of the school among its students, faculty, and staff. The facilities since the school is brand new. Obviously, the location...NYC! Also, it's a new school so they give lot of freedom to students to take charge and make some changes as far as community work, research, etc. goes.
-
Facilities. Students seemed like they knew and liked each other well.
-
The way one of the interviewers spoke honestly with me and encouraged me to explore other options. He was very positive and convinced me I could make a difference in the healthcare world.
-
Interviewers seemed genuinely interested in learning about the person. I was able to steer the interview.
-
The location of the school.
-
Friendliness of Obed Fig., office staff.,
-
Location, the students seemed really supportive of one another, and they seemed to enjoy being there, even though all the first years had a big exam the next day
-
Enthusiastic students, location
-
Location, location, location
-
Facilities are new
-
Location, friendly faculty, very helpful student body, new facilities
-
Open and friendliness of students, staff - even the Dean spoke to us twice; seems like they have a great tight-knit community; great location and clinical opportunities there; reduced hours on Friday/Sat but building is still accessible; nice facilities, like gross anatomy lab and mock clinical settings;
-
The state of the art(ness) of the and the cohesiveness of the only upper class
-
The facilities are brand new and up-to-date high tech.
-
Mission of the school
-
Everybody was incredibly enthusiastic, even the students who were in the middle of a crazy week of exams..they were so proud to be there and answered all of our questions honestly. The professors that I met seemed very passionate and had great personalities...it seems like everybody at the school is happy to be there and feels a greater purpose in Urban healthcare.
-
How enthusiastic the staff was, the location of the school
-
The students seemed very happy there, the school has a great open-door policy, I even saw the dean walking around the halls and greeting students, facilities are brand new and very state of the art.
-
Brand new facility
-
Facilities are amazing. Students seemed positive.
-
Everyone was very positive about the school, even the students who were in the middle of exams. I was really impressed by how friendly and willing to answer questions everyone was.
-
The school's mission to serve harlem, and the first class students. they were truly first class. touro seems to be making a genuine effort to get everything done as fast as they can and to listen to their students.
-
Staff, professors, students were very friendly and happy. lots of laughter! many students (even though they had an upcoming exam) chose to spend time to eat and chat with interviewees. i felt like i've known these people a long time, because they were so friendly and real. the extent of their Open Door Policy is unheard of; you can drop by anyone's office, including the Dean and always get time to discuss anything. they are like one big family.
-
The enthusiasm of the students and faculty. the students had a huge exam that day. I had come an hour early and the dean said that the students would be rude today cuz they were stressed. I sat there for an hour and every single student stopped and said hello to me. the janitor and security guard and all the staff also stopped to say hi to me. the location of the school was amazing as well.
-
The enthusiasm of the faculty and staff.
-
The enthusiasm of the staff and the mission statement of the school...
-
Location, state of the art facilities, enthusiasm of staff/faculty
-
The faculty.
-
Nothing. I already knew that NYC is the greatest place on earth. :)
-
The enthusiasm by staff members regarding the school and the fact that they wanted student input into decisions regarding the school.
-
The enthusiasm and accessibility of the deans and admissions staff.
-
The staff was enthusiastic and very attentive to your needs, seeing that you'll potentially be part of their first class. I am positive that down the line, this'll be one of those schools that people will desperately want to get in to. It has plenty of promise and quite a bit of media attention (being the first med school to open in NYC in 30 years, and at Harlem at that). Most importantly, the school seemed very, very sincere in wanting to make a difference and serve the neglected areas of NYC. It really felt like you'll be part of something great if accepted.
-
The school seemed committed to the success of its students because their reputation is on the line as well. financial aid seemed organized and stated they would provide adequately for its students. They were open to ideas from the students.
-
The amount of enthusiasm, the location, the depth of the program and the mission of the program
-
Everyone was really nice and excited about the school opening up.
-
Enthusiastic staff, facilities look like they're going to be incredible. Location could not be more ideal for a medical school. Big on research!
-
Everyone in the facility are all excited about establishing Touro and bringing the name of Osteopathic Medicine into the public eye.
-
The location. Not only is it part of NYC but because I'm interested in EM, it's an ideal setting. Also, proximity to Columbia Univ. as well as many other places and the rotation sites for your 3rd and 4th year!
-
The faculty seemed very friendly and the area is an exciting place to go to school. At the end of the day we were taken by cab to one of the hospitals where we would be doing clinicals and given a tour.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were consistently unimpressed by the lack of organization, unprofessionalism of staff and interviewers, disorganized interview days, unenthusiastic student ambassadors, incomplete facilities, and a general feeling of a new and underdeveloped school. Suggestions included improving communication, professionalism, and providing more detailed information about the curriculum and facilities.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
How long the mandatory admissions session was right before my interview (3.5 hours)
-
Nothing.
-
Nothing besides the school not being pass fail
-
N/A
-
No negative feedback
-
Nothing
-
Admissions seemed a bit unprofessional and the facilities left something to be desired.
-
The flipped classroom and mandatory attendance. Having to schedule your whole 4th year by yourself.
-
No clinical research affiliated with the school. nontransparency with COMLEX2 scores - and when I asked about it, they got very defensive. rotations were not near harlem so you have to move in the 3rd and 4th year free clinic run by students isn't even ready yet. they have it in place, but apparently they need to go through some legal documents with lawyers before it could be used. graffiti on the walls outside of the school! how?!
-
The student ambassador seemed unprofessional and couldn't answer questions well. Interview was back and forth, not too conversational and I kept getting cut off
-
The interviewers were rude. They put down their own students. I was especially unimpressed with the attitude of one of the interviewers, who seemed mad she had to interview me since I was the last interview of her day. This school made the other schools I interviewed at seem better in comparison. They need to realize all of these students have other interviews, they are not the only fish in the sea. Treat those coming to your school with respect.
-
Facility was a bit of a major issue for me: it’s one building that’s a bit rundown outside, it’s pretty dull inside as well. Gym and cafeteria is small as well as the library compared to other schools. Tour would have been better if given by student instead of administration. Grades are based on a Z scale where the average class score is compared to the previous 3 classes and their standard deviation defines your grade (I’m used to pass/fail grades so this is... different).
-
Less developed school, flipped classroom
-
Most of the curriculum is video-based learning, didn't seem like there was much space/rooms to study in the building itself
-
The exterior of the building, the good cop/ bad cop nature of the interview.
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The dean of curriculum was talking over the dean of students when they were there answering questions, and I felt like I didn't get the chance to hear more from her because of how long he was talking.
-
Wished that I could have talked with more medical students throughout the day
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The dorms and lack of ability for students to truly be independent, for instance, inability to cook in the rooms.
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We only had a chance to speak with a few students.
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The good cop bad cop interview style, where the bad cop dominated 75% of the interview. Instead of feeling under pressure and challenged, I felt like I was being straight up attacked. Also interviewers talked to each other for more than 5 minutes about their weekend/kids etc during my interview time, which was frustrating because I was the one who paid $X to fly out there to interview.
-
Seemed somewhat disorganized.
-
Students- they seemed not very enthusiastic. Not a lot of clubs or activities, because "this is NY and you can find whatever you want to do on your own"
-
The interviewer tired to play bad cops.
-
Very long interview day (over 8 hours)
-
The possibility of heavy snow. Newer school.
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Too many presentations on things like student affairs and financial aid that are too early to worry about.
-
The school building is quite old and cramped.
-
One of the admissions people complained about how the interview day was portrayed on SDN but didn't give a feedback survey so that the day could be made better. He even said that he was actively trying to find the people who had posted negative comments and hinted that it could affect their admissions chances. Seemed very unprofessional.
-
Exterior of the building... really bad. But its the inside that counts
-
The interview day was incredibly disorganized. An hour of the interview day was easily wasted because of the inefficiencies and poorly constructed schedule.
-
The interviewers themselves (who would be your professors!) were incredibly rude, pretended to fall asleep while I was answering their questions (then would quickly open up one eye to look and see if this agitated me), and just had an overall negative and accusatory edge/attitude in the tone and way in which they spoke to me. The tour and whole entire interview day was very disorganized, as if they threw this whole thing together last minute or something. Clinical rotations are not even in the city, most are in NJ which sounds like a pain. School seemed pretty dead and dreary during the tour, as there were no students around and this was not during a winter break.
-
The exterior of the buildings, particularly the head office, leaves a lot to be desired, looks almost like a back door entrance.
-
I had the impression that you basically have to fight for study space in that building. When I interviewed at other schools there was ample study space for students but here everyone seemed crammed in.
-
Lack of knowledge student ambassadors had about the facilities of the school.
-
Lack of responses when communicating with admissions
-
Cafeteria, admissions director.
-
At first the 200$ secondary fee - but don't let that be a deterrent!
-
Total costs of attending
-
The actual interview was very unprofessionally done. At times the interviewers were rude and insulting, taking it further than a stress interview.
-
The elevators in 2090 really suck.
-
The weather sucked that day; I got soaked with freezing rain.
-
The school felt very closed in. Minimal windows and all shut in... in the middle of a tough neighborhood.
-
Match list isn't out yet. They do not have rotation sites in manhattan.
-
The fact that Touro doesn't have alot of rotations set in place yet...yikes. They only have 1 SIMM man and the class you have to take in order to use it costs and extra $500.
-
Nothing. I loved the school and the location
-
The elevator.
-
Not too impressed with the healthiness of the food provided to interviewees for breakfast and lunch, considering nutrition is such a big part of medicine. Bagels, cream cheese, Chinese food and soda.
-
The school is extremely new and not as advanced as any other school I've seen. There is a 70% mandatory attendance policy but no required laptop. They only have one SIM man and one harvey. For the SIM man, you have to pay an extra fee and get on a waitlist. To put this into perspective, WVSOM has 15 SIMs and of course they are part of the curriculum. The interview was not organized. We had random people walking in and not knowing what to talk about. I almost fell asleep during one of them. Also there were signs on the elevator saying not to use one of the exits because it was dangerous, and one of the "perks" of the school were the 24 hour security guards that will escort you to the train station or bus stop!
-
Expensive acceptance fee $2000-3000
-
Lack of professionalism by some people in the admissions office
-
Small library
-
There is only one simman and one cardioman.
-
The level of professionalism (except the Dean who was very thoughtful and funny) of the Admission staff and the school in general. We didn't get to talk to any students (I know the interview was during their break but I felt they were being deceptive since we didn't get the student perspective). They didn't have a lot of information about the school to hand out. Also the lunch was obviously take out from across the street. And it was gross. Haha!
-
Nothing really.
-
Nothing really
-
Not reports on board score, or how the first class did on the boards. Lib was small
-
Campus is very tiny, finger-print scanners, size of the library-too small,
-
Harlem, the cost, the interview questions
-
No board scores. No curriculum presentation. Obed giving a speech on how to impress the interviewers. It was unprofessional and unnecessary. Should've been replaced with a formal presentation of the school. Did not enjoy that they ran behind schedule as well, including a long cheesy speech by the Dean of Students. The unprofessionalism of the student tour guides.
-
Study areas seem cramped, small gym, cafeteria that doesn't serve food (only a few vending machines), there was NO official information on the curriculum or the timetables of 3rd and 4th year rotations (I had to get my information from the tour guides so I'm not sure if they covered all the points), only affiliated with 6 hospitals at the moment (none of which are in the Harlem community) for rotations. How are we supposed to know about the school if they don't talk at all about academics?? Obed's talk on how to impress the interviewers, it was unnecessary and I would have much rather heard about the curriculum and its offerings.
-
The cost of living is expensive.
-
Nothing really too negative. Yes, Harlem can look to be a little rough at times, but that was to be expected. The gym is tiny, but I have heard from other students that they are given discounts at local gyms.
-
Very small size (but expanding), still building relationships w/hospitals for clerkships, internships, etc..
-
New school (no stats), Not very impressive looking, no campus, no study facilities, library is not great
-
THE AREA...it was a little urban and in the middle of an area I wouldn't want to walk alone in.
-
Sort of boring that it's only one building, but I don't really see room for expansion at their location. They don't seem to have their rotation sites secured yet.
-
Clerkships not solidified. How cold it is out there. I'm from California, and man it's damn cold out there.
-
Felt a little like highschool in the hallway--lack of character and coziness throughout, and especially in student lounges.
-
Honestly, I think that establishing a school in Manhattan (especially harlem) makes it really difficult for any expansion to take place. The school has had 2 classes thus far and many among the first year had to retake Anatomy at a separate location. really i have my concerns about this school. the fee for the secondary application was more than any other school and the deposit required to secure a spot (when accepted) is $2k, non-refundable. anyway, not my favorite interview.
-
I still cannot justify why the secondary cost $200. Milking the good ol' cash cow, I guess.
-
Interviewers. They were very rude and cut you off mid-sentence. They asked if I had any questions, yet were rushing me out of the interview.
-
The students I spoke with. The tour guide seemed underwhelmed and I spoke with a student as I was leaving who seemed to indicate that he made a bad decision in choosing Touro. The facilities weren't great even though I tried to understand that they were still building. They all seemed unprepared to answer questions about the lack of experience because it was such a new school.
-
Tour guide. Foul language, offputting remarks, came across as arrogant. It's not appropriate if you're a tour guide for prospective students.
-
Our tour guide was very unprofessional (dropping the F-bomb left and right, taking us in the OMM lab and saying these tables are great for sleeping). The facilities were less then ideal. The anatomy lab was around 50 degrees and my interviewer said it is always really hot (pleasant thought) or really cold. The students spoke of the fourth and fifth floor construction like it is only a rumor and there is really not much happening.
-
Lack of completed facilities, student ambassadors seemed indifferent and almost lazy, interviewer was good cop/bad cop, really really bad interview experience,
-
Turns out what they mean by 'integrative approach' to first year sciences means that the separate biochem, anatomy, and histology classes all result in a single grade. Also, there is very little interaction with real patients and the real medical community until 2nd year. And even with that, it's not impressive.
-
2000 nonrefundable deposit within 2 wks, small building/campus
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School seemed disorganzied and the school is too new to know if quality of education will be there
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2000 deposit, clerkship sites seem to still be up in the air
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Lack of 3rd/4th students yet. There wasn't really any information pertaining to clinicals besides a list of hospitals.
-
Small building and library but good that certain areas are always accessible to students; don't know how crowded the building will get when they finish the 4th and 5th floors (for research area, gym, and another graduate program); no clear statements made on clinical rotations during the 3rd and 4th years...
-
Lunch. Unless you love salad. Tuna salad, egg salad, ceasar salad, mixed salad....oh and bread and water.
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There are no 2nd, 3rd or 4th year students because it is a brand new school. Therefore, they could not provide a lot of information about the 3rd and 4th year rotations.
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Interview, lack of study space, school facilites
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Nothing really, maybe just that the food wasn't too good during lunch..
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How new the school is. Not all the facilities are up and running and its tiny!!! One building.
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Lack of dress code for students (half of them looked like they walked in off the street), no interaction w/ students.
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Lack of upcoming classes and rotations. There really aren't any definitives.
-
There are loooong stretches of white walls all through the building, but Obed said they'd be decorated soon.
-
Maybe the lunch. it was a pretty positive experience overall.
-
While the facilities were entirely new (they had just moved in a few weeks ago), they were the bare minimum. expect long halls of white tile, nothing else. clinical rotations have not all been set up. there are no 3rd or 4th year students yet (but that could be positive or negative depending on the individual).
-
Nothing, i loved this school.
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Not being able to go inside the medschool.
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Building couldnt be viewed, but i have faith that it will be VERY nice...
-
Location maybe but nothing really
-
-The building was still under construction. -The lunch that was offered consisted of a few slabs of flesh with some white bread. -Interview day was held across the street in a dingy corner of the building.
-
A lot of my questions regarding the school were unanswered. It is a new school, but they are asking a lot of money from students when they don't even have their entire teaching staff hired yet.
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The building wasn't done. I was under the impression that it was going to be a NEW building but in fact, they were only renovating this older one. And although Bill Clinton's office is only a block away, Harlem still has that unfortunate stigma of being tense and slum-like. If you've lived most of your life in smaller cities and such, it might freak you out.
-
The building itself wasn't raised yet so we couldn't even go inside to see it.. so we're applying to a school that doesn't exist yet. The area of harlem isn't the best. The presenters that day kept on repeating the fact that our lives will be miserable (as pioneers). Since the school is new, there is no organization at all (ie, housing, public safety, etc)
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That they did not have their school calendar set up
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Wish we could have seen the facilities but they are going to extraordinary.
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We couldn't tour the actual school from the inside, it was still under construction.
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Cost of living, and there was no school building yet (it was still being built).
-
The fact that the school is still under construction so the tour consisted of walking around the building.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Most applicants wished they had known ahead of time about the format of the interview, including facing two physicians at once, the emphasis on ethics questions, and the open file nature of the interview. Additionally, common suggestions included being prepared for a stress-free interview, understanding the differences between MD and DO, and navigating the interview day logistics smoothly, such as knowing the correct entrance to the school and being aware of potential delays.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The interview is 2 physicians interviewing you at the same time and the whole thing is only 30 minutes.
-
Brush up on how to answer ethics questions
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To stay calm, be confident, and be myself
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A better understanding of the differences between md and do, they really grilled me over that.
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N/a
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Nothing
-
That I would be interviewed by two people at the same time.
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Open file interview
-
If you interview on a monday, you do not have the opportunity to talk to many students because they are all taking exams
-
Not to stress too much ahead of time, it was fairly easy.
-
Consider this school if you can genuinely afford to live in Manhattan and love the city. There are schools out there just as good in much more affordable areas that will leave a better impression on you.
-
Don't follow the maps location will take you to 125th which is the back entrance to the school LOL, the entrance to the school is on 124th.
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Wish I would've prepared for the questions better by looking at this forum
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That it would be a 2 on 1, good cop/bad cop style interview. I would have prepared my answers to account for someone playing devil's advocate.
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That it is uphill to walk to the building from the parking lot (ladies with heels be careful)
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Nothing.
-
They serve breakfast, and that it lasts until 2.
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They serve breakfast.
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Student attitudes gave me a bad feel for the school, but at least they were being honest!
-
Low stress interview.
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That there would be complimentary food and coffee!
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I wish I knew how stressful the interview would be; I would have prepared for a high stress interview. It felt like there was one interviewer who was trying to stress you out, and the other was trying to play your advocate.
-
There is about 2-2 1/2 hours of sitting around time with fellow interviewees while everyone is interviewing. Depending on your group, conversation could get stale. My interview day went about 1 hour over the time they said. Also, they spent so much time pushing the Middletown campus, I didn't really get a feel for the Harlem campus, which was a shame.
-
That my interview would be open file
-
That I would have a good amount of time to ask questions at the end of the interview. I was told before that they usually have to end the interview to save time and people usually aren't able to ask questions.
-
The day was disorganized and ran over an hour late.
-
I wish I was more prepared for the interviewer cutting me off. Rather than trying to plan out your answer ahead of time, I would have just trying to remember a few key words.
-
That there was a mock lecture at the end of the interview so I would have allotted more time.
-
How big of an interview group it would be.
-
Nothing really
-
More about osteopathic manual manipulation.
-
I wish I had known the correct way to the school so that I didn't walk around lost in the freezing rain and snowy slush for 45 minutes.
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That the interview would be open file (they changed this last minute).
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That I would be leading most of the interview.
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That I was going to be asked specific questions about the history of D.O.s
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HOW Much I would love the school, I almost didnt go on the interview. I love New York, and I love Harlem.
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I wish I had known that the class was almost full and applied earlier.
-
...that I wouldn't have to talk about anything other than myself and my interests. No questions about ethics, current events, public health, etc.
-
The Director of Admissions (Obed) advised us on what to say to the interviewers. He also had us practice by asking us why we are interested in D.O. After the interviews, he did an "unofficial" group interview about how we got our first exposure to OMM/OMT.
-
That the school and the administrative building are located in two different buildings
-
None
-
I wish I knew that the interview was going to be more stressful.
-
Nothing to be honest
-
I do not understand how they want to help under served populations; yet, they do not have any clinical rotations in Harlem itself.
-
What Harlem was REALLY like.
-
The admissions office is not in the building with the big "Touro College" sign. Make sure you head to the right building!
-
How long I would be sitting around waiting. Would have brought some good reading. Also, school has 2 entrances.. 1 on 124th street and the other on 125th st.
-
Wish I had studied up more on current health policies- the Deans are very interested in the current state of health policy in the US.
-
That my interview was going to be so question/answer...absolutely no conversation.
-
That Obed was going to give us a speech about how to impress the interviewers...I think it made me more nervous.
-
WEATHER!
-
Not to believe everything you read on sdn. this place is great!
-
The interviewers had not looked at my file prior to the interview.
-
Nothing really took me by shock or surprise.
-
Where it was and how new it was.
-
To not stress.
-
How ridiculous lunch would be (basket of toll house crackers and a scoop of tuna salad, egg salad and something else no one could ID for all 15 of us). Kind of crazy considering the 15 of us spent $200 each to be there.
-
That they would be prejudiced about me applying M.D.
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That I was going to get cut off in most of my answers before I could tell them the best parts!
-
We entered through the "back" entrance.
-
Nothing - I did a lot of research about the school before coming here and even saw the building, got a tour, the day before my interview. Not that the building was hard to find (just odd doorway location), and it was nice to not be nervous about getting lost.
-
Traffic on the van wyck vs. train time
-
How much more competitive it would be interviewing at a later date.
-
WOW!! they seem to have something against older students and my DO shadow doc who was a resident instead of a full fledged DO
-
That the questions at the interview would be very open ended and that I would need to lead the interview ..
-
How laid back the day would be and how friendly the interviewers were
-
The interviewers basically play good cop/bad cop.
-
Wear comfortable shoes because you'll probably walk several blocks to see one of the hospitals that students will rotate at. Seriously, comfortable shoes. I had to stop at a Payless to buy sneakers for my walk back to the train station because my feet were so sore!
-
They have classes sometimes that start at 8am. come early to sit in on one of them.
-
Exorbitant cost of traveling around the city. use the subway if possible.
-
How few spots were still open. However I got in, so all's well.
-
Class is almost, but not quite, full
-
That they wouldn't offer a suitable lunch for people who don't eat flesh.
-
Nothing really, though I wish I knew EXACTLY where the building was because it was an absolute pain for me to walk around in high heels.
-
They took us in unmarked/sketchy cabs to one of their rotation site hospitals. nonetheless, it was nice to see on of the hospitals we would potentially be rotating through.
-
That we were going to visit the hospitals that they were affiliating with.
-
That they are gonna be big on research.
-
How close President Clinton's office was to the building. I got lost and went in there to ask for directions, only later did i find out who the building was actually for.
-
They have no building yet! Should be done around april.
-
That the school was still under construction.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested for the admissions office to involve more students and faculty, provide more eco-friendly practices, offer online fee payments and applications, and improve organization during interview days, including equal group division and less stress-inducing preparation. They also mentioned the importance of professionalism, clear communication, and positive interactions throughout the admissions process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
-
N/a
-
No suggestions
-
Unable to complete tour and travel and all of the general info sections due to COVID and virtual interviews
-
They responded so fast. Mr. Rose cares and is so helpful!
-
A dorm tour
-
Involve student and faculty more
-
To increase the eco-friendliness of this school, have recycling. Also, remember the attitude you show affects the feelings students have. If you are bickering amongst yourselves, students see this and remember. It affects the way they feel about the school.
-
Let students give the tour, offer beef/chicken for lunch
-
Allow us to interact more with current students
-
None
-
Would be nice if students gave the tour instead of admissions
-
Nothing!
-
Online fee payments would make the application less stressful for everybody.
-
No more paper applications. Also to give a feedback survey for the interview day if they truly want to improve it, instead of talking about what someone posted on SDN in front of applicants.
-
Consider an online secondary application system.
-
Divide the groups for interviews equally, like 4 groups of 4, instead of 1 with 5 one with 3, a few with 4. Makes the day uneven when we have to wait for the other groups to finish. Otherwise, excellent day.
-
More interaction with students.
-
Not sure what the point of a stress interview is considering how new this school is...made me not want to attend.
-
I think the admissions office did a great job overall, most of the points that I docked were due to external factors (such as location) which the school cannot control.
-
If they were to send out interview invites and ask us for confirmation or scheduling, it'd be better if a holiday did not conflict with the response. Most of us waited almost a week (close to the deadline given for us to schedule) before we got any response.
-
The admissions office came off as very disorganized this cycle, likely due to the new director, other admin, faculty and students made up for it on interview day, though.
-
They need to be more aware of what their professors are doing in front of the interviewees that could cause them to view the school in a negative light. For example a professor throwing his wallet at a secretary and shouting at a secretary does not reflect well on the school. Also I understand that some interviews are meant to be stressful, but interviewers should never be rude and insulting to people who have worked hard and spent a lot of money to be there.
-
Nothing at all, they are VERY organized and extremely friendly!
-
They should allow students to submit secondaries online. You know, to save the trees.
-
Obed is nice you can tell he takes his job seriously and works hard. Cherie is super sweet and helpful.
-
It was a nice interview day. I would have appreciated a presentation about school and curriculum. Precision on board scores also would have been good.
-
I wish we had a more thorough overview of the academic program. but overall, it was a good day.
-
Please don't have a 30 minute lecture on how to impress the interviewers. We are pre-medical students and we know about the importance of having a great impression on them. Also, I think it would be best if interviews were open file. If the interviews are going to be "good cop, bad cop" style it would be beneficial to both interviewer and interviewee to have an open file interview. This way, any concerns or questions about our application can be addressed.
-
Formal presentation about the school. Selling the school's strengths and making us want to go there.
-
Have someone talk about the curriculum, or at least have a handout outlining the various courses.
-
They are on time with getting back with applicants. They are very friendly.
-
The pre-interview pep talk just makes everyone more nervous
-
Less time spent prepping us for the interview in the morning, it made us nervous
-
Greater degree of contact with applicants prior to the interview would help me be better prepared.
-
Include a session to discuss more about the location since the school is located in Harlem.
-
Obed is very good, helpful and has insightful suggestions.
-
Make sure the students that serve as tour guides are somewhat professional. Provide a better lunch.
-
Try to be more realistic when telling us how long it will take for you to send the interview invite
-
Stop using NYPD detective tactics during med school interviews
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
✈️
LGA
30% interviewees used LGA (LGA), with 28% using JFK (JFK) and 13% using LaGuardia (LaGuardia) and 8% using Laguardia (Laguardia) and 5% using lga (lga) and 3% using ISP (ISP) and 3% using EWR (EWR) and 3% using la guardia (la guardia) and 3% using PHL (PHL) and 3% using to JFK (LAX) and 3% using jfk (jfk) and 3% using Newark (Newark).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by airplane to the interview.
✈️
37% Airplane
🚗
27% Automobile
🚆
27% Train or Subway
🚲
8% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Aloft Harlem (average ranking 9/10), with some staying at Somewhere near Times Square (average rating 10/10). (Top 3 displayed)
🏨
Aloft Harlem
9/10
🏨
Somewhere near Times Square
10/10
🏨
Days Inn, NJ
10/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (38%)
Faculty member (6%)
Other (1%)
Student (55%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Discouraging (1%)
Enthusiastic (77%)
Neutral (22%)
All Responses
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| Application Cycle ▿ | Impression | Performance | Interview Location |
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