How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.51 | 301 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 191 |
| Negatively | 68 |
| No change | 46 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.71 | 302 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.42 | 198 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.01 | 180 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 4 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 3 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 3 |
| 25 minutes | 1 |
| 30 minutes | 18 |
| 35 minutes | 8 |
| 40 minutes | 7 |
| 45 minutes | 31 |
| 50 minutes | 36 |
| 55 minutes | 3 |
| 60+ minutes | 199 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 295 |
| At a regional location | 1 |
| At another location | 7 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 2 |
| In a group | 300 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 294 |
| Closed file | 5 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.51 | 301 |
"What does professionalism mean to you? Why is it important for osteopathic physicians to be professional?"
"If you couldn’t go into healthcare, what field would you want to go into"
"What does teamwork mean to you?"
"How would I balance a desire to learn with all the work I have to do?"
"What do you do for fun?"
""tell me about your experience with underserved populations?""
"What is something that we don't know about you?"
"Question about research I did several years ago"
"What would you do if you didn't get in to any schools this year?"
"I was asked about any hobbies or activities that helped me relieve/reduce stress."
"What determines whether you have a good or bad day?"
"Have you shadowed a DO?"
"Specific to my application (what style of yoga do you teach and what is your favorite pose?)"
"They asked me if I felt comfortable relocating (I'm from OOS)"
"What is an elective rotation you would create as a professor at a med school"
"How do you handle anxiety? (Specific to my work experience in an ER)"
"Why do you want to go into osteopathic medicine?"
"What difficulty have you overcame, and how did you change?"
"What do you think will be the biggest challenge for you in medical school?"
"What is your most special volunteer experience?"
"Do you have a support system (family and friends) in California? (I'm from Boston)"
"What do you expect out of me as a professor?"
"Explain "why D.O." without using the word "holistic""
"What do you think makes a good leader?"
"How have your experiences led you to believe that you can be a good physician?"
"They only asked me ONE question. "Why medidine/DO/TUCOM?" Pissed me off. You're seriously going to base everything off of one answer?"
"Since I'm from Texas, they asked me why I didn't want to go to TCOM."
"What is something at your college that you didn't like? / What major adjustments are you most worried about for medical school and how will you deal with it?"
"What negative experiences have you had with doctors?"
"How did you come to choose your (humanities) major, and how did that lead to your post-graduate work?"
"Everything is related to your application (mostly your extracurriculars, jobs, etc.) and connecting it to Osteopathic Medicine. Although some did not like the style of the interview, this interview is really about speaking from your heart. Don't B.S. and don't blabber, and you'll do fine in the interview portion."
"A long-winded version of what was an obstacle you overcame in a group and how?"
"how would you explain what you would do as an osteopathic physician to someone who didn't know what a D.O. was?"
"Tell me about your summer in Panama."
"What is one thing you would change about healthcare & what would you like to do about it? (smth like that)"
"Why DO? Did the doctor you shadowed do OMM? Why Touro?"
"As a history major, do you see a difference in how you approach history and how you'd approach medicine?"
"What qualities do you look for in a doctor? If you were a resident with 50 patients all to yourself, how would you be 'personable' with all of them?"
"What would you in 20-30 years when you're no longer passionate about medicine?"
"Are you prepared to handle the pressure and information overload that medical school brings?"
"Questions specific to my file, research, courses taken, essay experiences."
"All questions will be related to your application. Be ready to talk specifics about volunteering, shadowing, working, grades, MCATs, and significant events in your life. Also get comfortable talking about low points in your application like MCATs and GPA. A lot of people in my group got asked "How did you improve your MCAT score so much in 3 months" or "You were persistent in taking your MCATs, how would you have done things differently""
"If you have someone in your class who is adamantly against the osteopathic component of the program, what would you do? "
"The first interviewer asked questions based on what she read in our files"
"What experiences made you most want to pursue DO?"
"tell me about your time in the Americorps"
"tell me what you know about osteopathic medicine."
"How did you improve your MCAT so much ?"
"Tell me about your journey to medicine."
"What class prepared you best for medical school?"
"Without mentioning the use of OMM, explain osteopathic medicine.<Br> Without using the word "holistic" or "whole", describe osteopathic medicine.<br> What is one of yr weakness?<br> How will you be able to balance the stress of med school? <br> In your shadowing experiences, the DO used cranial therapy, can u tell us about that?<br> What was the last nice thing you did for somebody?<br> What are u gonna do if u dont get in? "
"what is the inspiration you learn from the Dr. you work with?"
"How will you handle stress of medical schooL? "
"What have you done to mature since your undergrad years and what have you learned?"
"What is your explanation for not having done any research?"
"Questions about my grades"
"How will you apply the principles of osteopathic medicine to your future practice? "
"specific questions from file"
"Most questions were directly about my nontraditional major and career and how I would bring and incorporate that into medical school."
"I would list some specifics if they weren't so specific to me. I will say this: if you have holes in your application, or obvious issues with grades or other things, make sure you can articulately and logically address them. Don't hem, haw, and do it on the spot. Honestly assess why they should say yes to you in spite of the flaws and talk about that, or the very good reasons for your digressions."
"Tell us about your research experiences."
"Something to the effect of "Explain you leadership qualities"."
"see above"
"How would you add to the next class to make it better?"
"Why are you interested in osteopathic medicine?"
"What do you know about Touro and why do you want to come here?"
"Tell me about your research."
"A specific question about one of my hobbies. What would be the easiest and the hardest things for you about being in medical school?"
"What is the most defining moment in your life"
"Two-year LDS mission to Finland...tell me about that."
"If you could meet anyone from the past, who would it be?"
"I see that you know American Sign Language, how did you get into it and can you show us something?"
"Why osteopathy and what got you interested in it?"
"Should medicine be a part of death?"
"Can you handle the rigor of medical school?"
"specific to my file"
"Why DO"
"If you could start a club at Touro, which would you start?"
"The typical why DO, why med"
"What is the difference between MD and DO"
"What is the most negative thing you'll have to overcome to be a good ____(can't remember if he said ''doctor'' or ''med student'' but I answered as though he said ''doctor.''"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
"How did you pick your undergraduate institution? "
"Identify this quote"
"Why not PT, why DO and not MD?"
"Tell us about an experience that has been very uncomfortable for a patient and how you handled it to make them more comfortable?"
"All application specific! Though I will recite questions others were asked (role play), i.e. pretend you are the dean of a school meeting with a student who is being dismissed..."
"How do you feel about moving to San Francisco from Texas? (No problem since this is my first choice)"
"What was the name of the D.O that wrote your recommendation letter and tell us about her?"
"-What is the most important characteristic or trait that a physician should have? -Tell me about your research?"
"Why did you decide to switch from engineering to medicine?"
"question about healthcare"
"What is your view on stem cell research?"
"See difficult/interesting question"
"What is the stupidest thing you have done and what have you learned from that."
"Please tell us about your experiences in Japan."
"What is the difference between chiropractic manipulation and osteopathic manipulation?"
"Why did you choose D.O.?"
"all the questions were file specific`"
"As a Psychology major, how will you handle the science load of medical school? "
"What has having a child taught you?"
"they were all fairly specific to me and my application."
"Tell us about your clinical research experience at UCSF and how you came to know TUCOM students on this job."
"The horseradish question."
"How was you personal trauma affected your choice to become physician? "
"What is your experience with DO medicine?"
"DDT has been banned in America becasue its potential danger to the environement. However, in some Afircan countries DDT can be used to control the spread malaria. What's your ethical view on this matter?"
"What will you do if you don't get into medical school."
"Why?"
"do students have the opportunity to gain clinical exposure during their basic science years?"
"All of the questions came straight out of my application. Be ready for questions that deal with the minutia of the application."
"Why osteopathic medicine, considering your background?"
"all straight from file"
"So tell me why you are applying to an osteopathic program in addition to the allopathic program and what major differences separate these two fields in your opinion?"
"Why DO? Why Medicine?"
"Why at such a young age would you consider making such a long committment before you even started to experience the "real world"?"
"They were all very specific to my file and wouldn't be helpful to others."
"the transplanting a uterus into a man one, and if i were to come into contact with an MD student who started to "bad mouth" (for lack of the actual question) the DO program, how would i react and what would i say"
"Why did you decide to persue an MD and not a PhD? (I have a lot of research experience)"
"Define family and its importence to you"
"What was the most important experience during your time volunteering?"
"When creating a public health intervention, what are the two most important things you need to know or do as a physician?"
"How did your brother, he's a DO, influence your decision to become an Osteopathic physician?"
"Will you take the MCAT over again? "
"How will your past work experiences in dentistry and veterinary medicine contribute to you being a good physician? And, you described (in your personal statement) a situation in which you worked with children who spoke a different language than you and you felt that you were still able to communicate with them by holding their hand and speaking softly; do you believe animals respond to this type of communication as well?"
"You said in your application that creativity is an important asset for a physician to have. What's another?"
"Introduce yourself and tell us where you went for undergraduate. When/How did you decide you wanted to practice medicine?"
"What is the difference between osteopathic and allopathic medicine?"
"How well prepared are you for a career in medicine since you're so young? :-("
"Asked about a quote in my application. and how that was connected to being a DO."
"Why do you want to do DO if your mom is an MD?"
"why osteopathic medicine specifically?"
"You studied for and took the MCATs after your father passed away. How difficult was that?"
"When did you realize that you want to become a doctor?"
"What do you think is the biggest challenge you will face in med school?"
"What brings you to TCOM? "
"Why did I want to go to TUCOM?"
"Talk about my study abroad experience. "
"D.O.'s treat the symptoms, and not the patient. What do you think about this?"
"it's all directed to your application"
"Do you know who Carl Jung is? How do you apply communications to medicine?"
"Do you think your confidence is a weak point?"
"How do you plan to balance your charity work with your financial needs? (I want to work with low income youth)"
"See above."
"How do I think osteopathic medicine will help in a neurological based profession? "
"How did you like your undergraduate experience?"
"What did you do when you volunteered at a psych hospital?"
"Tell me about your D.O. experience."
"Why medicine and why DO?"
"Have you ever worked with a DO?"
"Tell me about your DO experience"
"-"
"Why are you interested in becoming a D.O., and how did you find out about it?"
"Describe osteopathic medicine without using the word "holistic" or anything with "whole" in it."
"Tell me about your research paper. What did you conclude?"
"explain specific accomplishments in my teaching experiences. "
"Please explain what you meant in your personal statement when you posed the question: "How do we become who we are?""
"What do you take from world war II and what is your favorite musice to play on the violin?"
"Tell us about your road to DO"
"There are only three questions and they are all easy and about your file. If you didn't B.S. anything, you should be able to answer them."
"Why osteopathy, when you have an MD mother?"
"If I had shadowed a DO and how that influenced my decision to study Osteopathic Medicine."
"What is the dumbest thing you have done? They got me on this one...could not come up with something...took me a few seconds..."
"Why Osteopathic Medicine? "
"How would you help your patients make health related decisions?"
"what are qualities of a good physician, application specific stuff, how will i overcome obstacles, questions about classes i took."
"Tell me more about your research. What significant conclusions did you reach?"
"What do you like about osteopathic medicine?"
"Tell me more about your volunteer work."
"Why did you decide to major in microbiology? MCAT?"
"Your mother is an allopathic physician, why do you want to be an osteopath?"
"What is the difference btwn a Osteopathic and Allopathic physician?"
"That where should i start "tell us about yourself" prompt happened. "
"Explain the difference between DO and MD."
"Why Touro?"
"What did you take from your specific major?"
"Describe the characteristics that would make you a great osteopathic physician."
"Tell us about your research in detail."
"Are you a leader or a follower?"
"Questions about my research, work at a doctor's office, volunteer experiences"
"why osteopathic over MD"
"How did you pay off your college loans in one year?"
"See most difficult question"
"Why D.O. when you have a M.D. father, what qualities do you have that will make you a great D.O., being an xray tech, what made you decide to be a phyiscian."
"explain causality and inference and effect"
"Describe your graduate research as if you were talking to someone who had no background in science or medicine."
"My questions were specific to my application. "
"Why DO when dad is MD, how I would approach them differently"
"Why the west coast and why Touro?"
"mostly about the your specific file; some about health insurance/state of health care"
"Why DO when your family is all MDs? Since you come from an MD family...what would you say to your family and other MDs about the DO philosophy to help them in their practices?"
"You have been out of school for 7 years. Why has it taken you so long to make the decision to go back to school?"
"Can you tell me a bit more about your experience with Osteopathic med."
"Talk about your research, and how is that important to how you will practice medicine. (did research)"
"Why D.O.?"
"What do you think are the differences between DO and MD."
"Why do you want to be a D.O. and what is the difference between a DO and MD?"
"What made you want to be a DO? Elaborate on your shadowing experiences."
"Describe a clinical experience. What was your favorite internship? "
"Question about my undergraduate research"
"Why DO instead of MD?"
"Why Medicine?"
"Why DO vs MD?"
"Research related question"
"all questions were based on my application...just memorize yo app sucka!"
""How is medicine in the UK different from the US?" (I did a study abroad program in the UK and the interviewer was from England)"
"about being an older student"
"Tell me about your experience working with a DO"
"How do you know you are charismatic?"
"What are similarities between chemistry and emergency medicine?"
""You went to the Air Force Academy... Please tell me about that..." "So you are no longer in the military... How do you feel about the current crisis America is involved in?" "
"As a non-science major do you think you will be as prepared as your science major peers"
"What was your worst subject in school? Why?"
"Why did you apply to TUCOM/What attracted you to TUCOM?"
"Tell me about your military experience. Tell me about your research."
"Why did you choose your undergrad school?"
"Something along the lines of which component of osteopathic medicine do I believe in the most, or value the highest"
" Tell me your views regarding bioethics"
"How does golf soothe your soul?"
"Tell me about your volunteer experiences"
"Tell me about Pag-asa (a community service group I helped found)."
"What is the biggest problem facing medicine today, particularly osteopathic medicine?"
""What was the last book that you read?" "
"What prompted you to change careers? Do you really think that a career in medicine will offer a less demaning lifestyle than your previous career in business?"
"Why DO?"
"Tell me about your experience as a Surg. Tech."
"Why did I feel that Osteopathy was for me."
"How would you handle a mother who was overly concerned about her child, knowing that her child was going to be okay?"
"Why did you pick business as your major?"
"How would I explain osteopathy to a person who has never heard of it."
"Tell me about your Senior Thesis Research."
"Question about sailing. What area of your education do you feel most prepared in? What area do you feel least prepared for?"
"Asked me about my clinical experience, do I want to pursue research or primary care"
"Hard work, determination, and tenacity are three qualities you feel you possess that helped you to get to where you are today. These are “get there†words. What qualities do you think will help you succeed in medical school and the medical profession? I said the same qualities would work…"
"Tell us about your research."
"Only 4 questions asked - the interesting and difficult ones above, and then two that were specific to my personal statement"
"How did you come about going from being a musician to going into medicine?...What quaities do musicians and doctors share?"
"What was it that attracted you to osteopathy?"
"What are some important qualities for DOs to possess? How do you demonstrate those qualities?"
"What was a time when your motivation to pursue medicine was tested"
"Describe a time you made a mistake, preferably while at work and recently."
"Describe a time I chose the harder path?"
"What are some of the difficulties you foresee as a medical student?"
""how do you describe what a DO is to someone who isn't familiar?""
"Tell us about yourself."
"Why osteopathic vs allopathic?"
"At the time of the interview, I was a few years removed from my undergraduate studies and was asked how I would transition back into studying and handle the medical school curriculum."
"Tell me about your time in our SMP."
"Specific to my application (describe your interest in working with the Deaf community)"
"About my research- you can tell they paid a lot of attention to what I wrote in my application"
"What brings you to this table today?"
"What does compassion mean to you and what in your background has prepared you to be compassionate as a physician?"
"Asked about support system since I am OOS"
"I mentioned that a particular weakness that I was making strides to improve. They followed up with asking for an example situation."
"Have you resolved any conflict as a leader?"
"How will you deal with not being able to help everyone?"
"How do you decide whether a setback or failure is something which you just need to move on from or something on which you need to improve?"
"With your academic record what makes you think you can succeed at Touro? (RUDE!)"
"What would you tell someone from a prestigious MD school (they said UT Southwestern) who belittles DO schools?"
"How would you incorporate osteopathic medicine into your practice?"
"Why medicine? What is "holistic"?"
"I see you have done a lot of research. What would you say is the difference between your older research and your most recent work?"
"They will probably take a line from your personal essays, and ask you to elaborate on it."
"What is it that draws you to Touro University CA?"
"about my file"
"Given that you are coming right from an undergraduate institution, do you think you will be prepared for medical school?"
"What would you do if you saw a superior prescribing a drug that you didn't think was right for the patient? (he asked 3 of us this question in a row)"
"Without stating your personal opinion, list the pros and cons of abortion? Suppose you travel back in time to the medieval England during the black plague. Given what you currently know about the disease, how will you deal with plague's situation in medieval england?"
"Having worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA, what was the biggest healthcare problem you noticed?"
"Why did you choose your undergraduate school?"
"How would you explain to an average person the importance of muskuloskeletal system?"
"A version of: What do you think your biggest weakness is and how do you deal with it?"
"Why D.O. approach is good?"
"If you were part of the first class at Touro-CA what organization would you start?"
"The second interviewer ask questions that had more of a negative twist. ex. How could I pursuade you to not go to med school. "
"How would you define 'character'?"
"tell me how you would feel leaving IL and moving to CA."
"why do?"
"Tell me about your research?"
"How did you handle moving from a to b?"
"What do you know about osteopathic medicine?"
"Scenario: a DO treats a patient using OMM and the patient feels better. Then, the DO uses the same technique to treat another patient with the same illness, but that patient doesn't feel better. How can you explain this? <br> Scenario: You are the dean of Touro University. A student goes on american idol. She's absolutely terrible but the public keeps her on because she is horrible, thus entertaining (like sanjaya last year). She mentions she goes to Touro. As the dean of the school, what do u do? <br> Many other scenarios, but i cant remember them"
"transaction from community college to a four year univeristy"
"spec to file"
"Will you be able to move out to CA?"
"Scenario: Fifteen years from now, your eight year old son has his friend Timmy over. You come in to find Timmy has taken all the fish out of the aquarium and let them die on the floor. How do you respond to this situation?"
"Why DO"
"Why touro? Why will you stay in the area to practice medicine? "
"why touro, why do"
"What medical instrument would you be and why?"
"If you had the choice only to be a clinician or a researcher, which one would you choose and why?"
"What are your hobbies and how did you study for the MCAT. "
"see above"
"Tell us about your research?"
"What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?"
"Essay specific: You mentioned in your essay that you learned about osteopathic medicine through students, what have you learned from them about osteopathic medicine?"
"How did you end up becoming so focused in your major/area of work? What do you like about it? Do you think you will integrate it into your medical career? "
"Would you consider any other careers? (basically a gimme, considering how I've already changed careers to do medicine)"
"What do you do for fun/relax? (Are you serious? I came all this way for someone to ask me what I do for fun. I thought it was a joke. I wanted a challenge, not a freebie)."
"People often make mistakes. However, the mistake you make as a doctor might kill someone. How would you handle that?"
"How does your research experience relate to medicine?"
"Tell us one thing about yourself that would make you a successful medical student?"
"Stuff about my file"
"Why not be a teacher?"
"How have certain volunteer and extracurricular activities enforce your want to be a physician?"
"Tell us about your research "
"What don't you want others to know about you?"
"Why Now "
"Are you aware of the bias some of your peers may have against you because of your youth? (Bias doesn't scare me, bring it on!)"
"What is one thing you wouldn't want us to know about you (asked to all of us)?"
"Specific to my application "
"The club question from above."
"How would you increase a clnician's time with patients?"
"Why are there so many pre-med students who major in psychology? Why do you think being a psychology major will make you a better doctor?"
"why touru?"
"Do you believe MCAT scores are a good indicator for medical school success?"
"How do you know that osteopathic medicine is the rigth fit for you?"
"Why Touro?"
"Name a book written by a physician."
"What strenghts do you bring to this years class?"
"What is your weakness and how will it affect you in medical school and in residency? How do you relieve stress? What if you have no time to finish your work? (they sort of grilled me when I was answering these questions)"
"-Who is Andrew Still? -What was the last book that you read that is not a science book or a book of your major?"
"What sort of support did your family provide for your decision to become a physician?"
"question from personal file that would not be relevant to any other applicant"
"Why did you not pursue veterinary medicine?"
"Tell us about your research."
"specific to my file"
"You have visited the campus before tell us about that."
"What are the differences between Osteopathy in New Zealand and the US? "
"What are the challenges facing healthcare/drs today?"
"Why D.O."
"How does your dad feel about you being a DO(he's an MD)? What is something that you have learned from him that you will apply to your work as a doctor?"
"If you were given the option to differ for one year and start med school in 2007 what would you do during that year."
"Any questions?"
"Skatepark ? www.bordertownskatepark.org"
"why would you come to california?"
"Do you plan to return to you homeland to do volunteer medical work?"
"How would your research experience come into play in your future?"
"Please explain to me what Louis Pasteur means when he says: "Chance favors only the prepared mind?""
"See most interesting/difficult question"
"Why osteopathic medicine?"
"Please account for the descrepancy between some of your grades and your competitive MCAT scores."
"Specific to my file so wouldn't help anyone."
"How does your leadership skills help you overall and how will they specifically help you as a physician?"
"how does cooperation play into being a DR (i put something about that in my application), and then tell me about your research"
"In your personal statement, you didn't say anything about going DO. Why not?"
"Describe yourself in 3 words. (Hard!)"
"What is a life lesson you have learned?"
"What character do you relate with in the curent book you are reading?"
"If I was a patient who knew nothing about cancer, but was scared because of a family history of cancer, what would you tell me?"
"How will I handle the heavy work load? (while this was easy to answer, I'm not positive why I was asked since they were familiar with my background)"
"What do you want to be a DO?"
"You are a physician and you tell your patient that they have a serious illness, such as lupus. They don't know anything about the disease, how will you help them understand their situation? This question does not seem that bad, but this interviewer was not happy with any response I gave and she kept challenging my answers with more questions. This was in the last few minutes of an interview that had gone really well, so I was not sure why she did that."
"Tell me about your study abroad experience in Mexico."
"In your personal statement, you said you follow the pillars of osteopathy. Tell me how you do this. "
"Describe your undergraduate experience."
"How do you overcome difficulties?"
"Why doctor when you are already in a good profession making $."
"What aspects of the surgical curriculum at Touro impress you?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"how does osteopathic medicine help underserved communities"
"Describe your volunteer experiences in the anatnomy lab at your school."
"I currently have a medicine related job. The question was to describe my job and volunteering experience."
"This other interviewee was an English major and asked to name 3 doctors that are better known as writers. "
"What is the biggest challenge facing the AIDS community? (I'm an AIDS advocate who spends a lot of time in Washington)"
"Why didn't I take science courses beyond the premed requisites?"
"Why Osteo as opposed to Alleo?"
"As you mentioned in your personal statement, you instituted lifestyle changes during your development throughout life. How do you propose to assist patients in also accomplishing these goals?"
"Why D.O.? Why medicine? Why Touro? "
"How was it to live in rural Alaska?"
"Tell us about your volunteering experience at UCSF. Didn't volunteering on the peds floor make you nervous?"
"What are of medicine do you see yourself going into?"
"Do you think chiropractic and OMM are the same? If not, how are they different? -asked of another person in group, be prepared with a good answer."
"How long have you known you wanted to become a doctor?"
"Your parents are MD's...what do they think about you becoming a DO?"
"question regarding personal statement"
"What do you think will be the biggest challenge you will face in medical school?"
"You have an interesting career path, why did yo gravitate towards medicine?"
"If you knew you wanted to be a doctor, why did you choose a non-science major?"
"What if you could never get into med school?"
"-"
"You have worked in an allopatric environment. When you become a D.O., how will you hope to change the department you are working in to accept the D.O. philosophy?"
"What is you favorite opera?"
"Why Medicine? What did you get out of your volunteer experience?"
"when did I really need healing in my life"
"After being out of school so long how will you be able to handle the long hours of studying?"
"What will you do differently from your MD father and tell me about your Master's research."
"If you had a patient that had Type 2 Diabetes and was not literate and could not speak English how would you explain a diet plan for them?"
"Explain how you were able to improve your MCAT score."
"How my job as a Radiation Oncology Assistant influenced my decision to pursue medicine."
"Research based question about my work"
"Do you have any support network in NV? Do you have any reservations moving to NV?"
"I was asked to decribe the time I decided to re-apply to medical school (It was the focus of my AACOMAS personal statement)"
"The question above"
"How can you help in rural areas?"
"Why DO? Why Touro? Why Vegas? (know a little about their doctor shortage!)"
"Your dad is an MD. How does he feel about you pursuing a DO degree? Have you gotten a chance to work with him?"
"someone else got an open ended "Talk for 4 minutes about anything you want."
"Questions about current school work and my file."
"all others were straight from my application. "
"What would you change about your file?"
"What is one weakness and one strength?"
"If you could have lunch/meet with any one person - from all time - who would it be? (This, and the question above were the only general questions asked during the interview, all others were specific to the prospective student's file.)"
"What did you take from your experience in the Navy?"
"Why are you switching careers."
"How did your degree in economics prepare you for medicine?"
"Explain discrepency between grades and MCAT scores (three of four candidates were asked this question)"
"What will you do if you don't get into medical school?"
"how do u feel about HMO"
"Why do you want to be a physician?"
"Why did I get a W (withdrawl) in one of my classes? What did I hate about Florence, Italy? "
"how would you deal with patients 20 years from now when most of them will have TYPE II diabetes and dependance on junk food?"
"Define professionalism"
"Was asked what qualities I possess that would make a good doc"
"You said a doctor must be both honest and diplomatic...these words contradict...explain."
"You have been at your current job (in clinical research) for 5 years, so clearly you like what you are doing. Whay would you give that up to go $200,000 in debt, and have no life for the next several years?"
"How are you going to be able to handle the incredible amount of information in medical school?"
"What is the one most important volunteer experience you have had."
"What are some similarities between Eastern Medicine and DO? "
"What is your favorite research paper?"
"How do you deal with stress?"
"Have you taken X classes? (dumb, it's open file) What kind of setting would you like to practice in?"
"Explain this sentence in your personal statement"
"What did you learn from shadowing the DO? What do you think of healthcare in China?"
"What was favorite subject to teach in anatomy lab?"
"What is your impression of TUCOM especially after the tour?"
"Why do you want to be a DO"
""How do you think making movies and medicine are related?""
"about military experience"
"Tell me about your graduate school program"
"There's an impressive D.O. school in TX, why didn't you apply there? "
"Tell me about your healthcare experience?"
""Do you feel that emergency medicine can be practiced wholistically?""
"How do picture a practice in an underserved area (this was mentioned in my app) "
"Explain the comment made in your personal statement that you "are open to alternative medicine.""
"Do you think patients are overmedicated?"
"Ethical situation. Tell me about your time working in Turkey (all from my essay)."
"What are your strengths and weaknesses? "
"how will you keep good health habits while in medical school?"
" What type of medicine do you think you will pursue"
"As HMOs increase, how will a career as an osteopathic physician allow you to spend more time with patients?"
"Why did you chose _____ as your minor? How has that prepared you to be a physician?"
"How do you think your leadership skills will benefit the incoming class?"
"Describe what osteopathic medicine means without using the term holistic."
""If you do not become a doctor what will you do?""
"Why apply here if your scores are so high?"
"What is your greatest quality? Your greatest weakness?"
"Be prepared to have some very personal questions asked of you in front of the other interviewees. And if there is anything in your file that is less than perfect, be prepared to talk about it and defend yourself. "
"How do you handle stress?"
"How do you think being a business major will benefit you as a physician?"
"Se habla espanol?"
"What other careers are you interested in if you do not go to med school? (I'm already in HEHE!!)"
"Asked about my book (mostly my file)"
"You said you learned patience from “meals on wheels.†Explain what this means and how it taught you patience."
"What type of advice would you give if there was conflict between a professor and student?"
"Asked about what was my most memorable experience volunteering in the ER?"
"Same as mentioned above."
"Suppose you are taking a group test (common at TUCOM) and you and another person in your group disagree strongly about what the answer is? How would you respond/react?"
"How will learning Spanish make you a better physician?"
""how will you manage your time and get everything done?""
"I was asked where I saw myself 10 or 15 years down the road (Specialty, type of practice, family, etc.)"
"How will you succeed in medical school?"
"Challenge you foresee facing in med school?"
"What is the hardest part about medicine?"
"N/a"
"A scenario where I was asked to determine the difference between a patient encounter with MD vs DO, taking out any obvious clues like use of OMM."
"I received specific questions about my work, as I'm a non-trad with a unique back story."
"asked what the difference between shadowing a DO and PA was"
"Would you plan on going back to your original state?"
"Why do you want to become a DO?"
"What would happen if you were accepted and you go to the school and you didn't make any friends?"
"If there is one thing you could change about our healthcare system what would it be?"
"What do you like about playing rubgy? (extracurricula activity question)."
"Name one good thing and one bad thing about health care."
"How did you come to osteopathic medicine?"
"Please give an example of a time you felt/experienced: patience, fear, happiness, joy, etc."
"Choose among these 3 questions: 1. What is the most important trait for an osteopathic doctor and why? 2. How will health care reform benefit osteopathic medicine? 3. If you could have lunch with one person, living or dead, who would it be and why?"
"About the physician I shadowed."
"What will be the hardest thing about entering medical school for you?"
"They asked questions about each individual's application."
"An application-specific question"
"Where do you see yourself in 20 years?"
"none. Only asked 2 questions due to the number of applicants in the room (6) and time constraint."
"We see on your application you're very passionate about theater. Why not go into that instead of medicine?"
"How would you practice "community-based medicine"?"
"To other applicants: Why Touro? Why medicine? Why osteopathic medicine specifically?"
"Scenario: someone wants to cheat on an exam, do you help them? What if they say their wife will leave them if they dont pass. No real answer that is right or wrong, just be honest."
"Application specific."
"The last interviewer asked questions based off of information we gave to the first interviewer."
"Scenario about pharmacy prescription fraud and needy people"
"can you explain your low grade in this class?"
"tell me more about your global medical brigade project."
"What do you for fun and deal with stress?"
"(something specific to my research experience)"
"How did you come to work with (specific researcher)?"
"If medicine could be a sport, what would it be and why?<br> What is your favorite color and why?<br> What was the last magazine u read and why?"
"Americorp"
"spec to file "
"Explain more about the research that you do at the NIH"
"Scenario: A patient presents herself with a fracture. As the nurse is assisting the patient, the patient tells her she had also been raped. The nurse then proceeds to tell the patient she had been raped before too. An attending finds the physician and tells him/her that he did not feel it was appropriate for the nurse to share information from her past to the patient. You being the physician, how do you handle this situation?"
"How do I deal with stress?"
"Specific question from my file. "
"if you were a color, what would you be and why? (asked of one of my fellow interviewees)"
"Explain an experience with a DO."
"How will you handle such an intense science curriculum?"
"Why is your middle name so different from the rest of your name? (open file question, my middle name is Japanese and the rest of my name is American)"
"If you could change one thing in your file, what would it be?"
"Asked a fellow student: If you could be any animal, what would you be?"
"A specific question off of my essay. "
"Question specific to my grades and as he stated ''they sprinted then slowed down throughout undergrad'' Other various Why DO?, more specific questions pertaining to my EC's."
"See ''interesting question''. This one was fun. My response was that there are all levels of altruism. If you help another and feel good about it, then good for you. But when a mother gives her life for her child, I don't see how that is selfish. Is not life the most precious thing we have?...In any case the DO who asked it was cool about agreeing its not an easy question and we talked about it as a group at the end. "
"What have you been doing on your time off? Why Touro?"
"Above scenario."
"Stuff about my file, clinical experience, job, lots about my research and exposure to the insurance industry."
"How did a specific experience from my file prepare me for medical school?"
"How will you handle Northern California?"
"Why Touro?"
"What do you feel is the strongest part of your application?"
"Why Touro"
"What is the greatest asset you could bring to Touro?"
"All application specific, so know what you wrote and be prepared to defend it. They quoted phrases from my statements that I didn't even know what I had been talking about, they were so short. Be wary though, they split us into two groups, and while my group received very general questions, the other group said they had mainly ethical questions and or drilling types of questions."
"What do you do for fun"
"Why DO?"
"What got you into doing research? Why should it be involved with medicine?"
"Why osteopathic medicine?"
"Explain your mcat verbal score of _____. "
"A specific question about my personal statment. "
"What in life has prepared you to handle the workload of medical school?"
"What makes you a better candidate than the others in the room?"
"Why do you have so few volunteering activities? (again, I think a lot of these seemingly ''skeptical questions'' are just asked to see you REACTION...They're not trying to belittle you, they want a mature, composed response)."
"What do you do to relax and relieve stress?"
"You shadowed both a D.O and M.D. What differece did you see? "
"You have a lot of MDs in your family, how do they feel about you applying to a DO school? "
"If you could be a super hero, who would you be?"
"question about personal decisions in future as a physician"
"Why did you chose to go to your undergraduate college?"
"What do you do to relieve stress?"
"You live far away, why do you want to come to this area. "
"What did you like about being an anatomy TA? (and) Are you still interested in sports medicine?"
"How does your experience as a Korean adoptee help you become a better dr?"
"Why did you decided to pursue medicine? You shadowed a DO, what was that like?"
"Is biology destiny?"
"Whether I would want to naturalize to US citizenship."
"How would your friends describe you"
"You are an ER physician. Mother with an infant is entering your ER, screaming and saying the child has been abused by the baby sitter. Baby is badly bruised and minimally responsive? What is the first thing you do? "
"Specific to my file."
"Medical school is a long and difficult process, so how do you prepare yourself for it?"
"Tell us about work experience."
"ethical question"
"If you were the dean of the school with unlimited funds, what would be the first thing you would implement? Question was regarding incorporating technology into medicine."
"Specific to my file so wouldn't help anyone."
"What is the biggest challenge facing a physician in the modern world?"
"what super hero would you be"
"What will make you a good doctor? What characteristics?"
"Tell me about the time you spent living in London, England including the experience of socialized medicine. "
"Is your wife suppportive of you going to medical school? Would she like to live in the bay area? Should students with families be given exemptions regarding traveling for rotations?"
"Tell me about what you learned about Osteopathy from your Osteopathic mentor."
"If multiple school offer me a seat, how will I choose which one to attend?"
"Be prepared to answer any suspions regarding your "fitness" for medicine."
"In your future as a physician, what healthcare trends do you expect to see? (this was asked by a student interviewer)"
"Tell me what it was like to grow up in Lincoln. The interviewer that asked me grew up there. I, however, did NOT. I moved there to be with my wife, but grew up in Denver. We chatted about Lincoln for a while, though."
"How do you manage stress? Why would a patient want to come see you? Why TUCOM?"
"Explain any clinical aspects of your research (this was hard mainly because my research during undergraute was mixed. I presently work as a pharacuetical chemist and this can be a very touchy subject for many people)."
"why did you choose to apply to TUCOM instead of UCSF, Stanford, or UCD if location is important as you stated in your application? sign.........."
"What is your definition of Health... "
"What did you enjoy about research?"
"explain how you react to "powerlessness" of death, when physicians have no answer or solution, how to prepare powerless patients to die"
"You studied for and took the MCATs after your father passed away. How difficult was that?"
"What books and authors do you like to read? "
"What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an advocate?"
"How did I study for the MCAT?"
"Least favorite class. Most favorite class."
"See most interesting/difficult questions."
"Additional Questions? It is important to prepare several questions, due to the fact that each other interviewee is offered questions to ask (possibly) first."
"You have many reasons for going into osteopathic medicine. What was your biggest influence?"
"Do you have any direct osteopathic experience? Shadowing a DO, etc?"
"Having had little human experience (when filling out the secondary) am I prepared to deal with humans, as compared to animals?"
"How did your liberal arts education prepare you for medical school?"
"what do you think about advertising for drugs?"
"question about my clinical experience"
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"What is glycomics (my field of research)?"
"Both your parents are allopathic physicians; what do they think of you wanting to pursue an osteopathic degree?"
"about a class I am taking now"
"-"
"In terms of the D.O. philosophy, what is the difference between treating a patient who is in an inpatient facility versus a patient who is in an outpatient facility?"
"How did you like going to an all women's college? (I tried to explain that this wasn't the case, but they didn't seem to understand)"
"What will be the greatest challenge you will face in medicine?"
"there were a few more,all based on my personal statement and file."
"How will your research experience with patients with Bipolar Disorder help you with your fellow classmates. "
"Do you have any regret about taking your undergraduate major and how did you know about osteopathic medicine?"
"Why did you choose a school in the city when you came from the suburbs? Explain your MCAT score."
"What I felt was a weakness in our national Healtcare system."
"Student question was a little picky...She asked me about my past application to medical school and why I only applied to MD schools?"
"You see 2 students cheating on an exam, what would you do?"
"What qualities are important in a physician?"
"What school experiences have you had that has led to your wanting to become an osteopathic physician?"
"What's the best part of living in a rural area? The worst?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"Tell me about the Health Law class that you took."
"scenario: You are at a D.O. convention and a guy at the bar doesnt believe in the efficacy of acupuncture.(I think acupuncture is useful) How do you convince him, or deal with the situation?"
"Tell me about your research."
"Tell me about your volunteer experiences."
"plus the two questions above."
"Do you interact with patients in your work? Why do you want to switch from research to medicine?"
"You've lived in the rural area your whole life, how would a city practice affect you?"
"Tell us about your low MCAT score."
"What qualities do you think you can contribute to being a good osteopathic physician"
"Advice: Know who you are and how you have reached this point in the med school process. The interviewers really want to know what makes you tick."
"This program is difficult. What qualities do you have that will help you? (or some variation of this)"
"A question about my personal statement, a direct quote from it-asking me what I meant by it. "
"why do you see yourself doing in 10 years. Why DO when you seem qualified for MD?"
"Since you are the only graduate student on your panel, how will that experience help you at Touro?"
"How my experience in Guatemala has helped me decide to be doctor"
"Why DO? Why TUCOM versus DO schools in your state? "
"What is your favorite place to road trip (one of my listed hobbies)"
"What type of photography do you enjoy most? (hobby related)"
"What do you do to relax? (since school is a tough load)"
"Why DO and not PhD? (since i'm in the research field)"
"I can't remember anymore, I think that was it. One person was asked to describe the differences between eastern/alternative therapies, and how they related to Osteopathic medicine (he had experience in these areas though)"
"How would your major help you in medicine?"
"Explain the marked improvment in your grades in the last 2 years of your undergraduate education"
"How will you be a positive addition to next year's medical school class?"
"What strengths will make you a good doctor?"
"What is it about the osteopathic philosophy that interests you?"
"Why do you want to be a DO"
""Why DO when you grew up in an MD family?""
"about travels"
"What happened to your military career?"
"See above."
""If you could, what one thing would you change on your application?""
"Why did you take theater as an elective Is there anything in your file you want to be sure I know about"
"Not my question but someone was asked to explain osteopathic medicine to a third grader."
"see above for the other two."
"The OMM question's above."
"Why Osteopathic medicine vs. Allopathic?"
"Explain more about your thesis (it was in my file)"
" Tell me about your background"
"You look like a traditional MD candidate, so why have you chosen to apply to an osteopathic program? (they were looking to see how knowledged I was on this particular field of medicine and make sure this wasn't just another MD program backup.)"
"I see you were born in _____ .... would you like to practice medicine there?"
"How will you advertise Osteopathic Medicine in the community you grew up in?"
"What experiences or opportunities have you had to see osteopathic medicine first-hand?"
"See posted questions above."
"Why not MD?"
"Describe your experience shadowing an osteopathic physician?"
"the interesting one above? But one girl got asked questions specific to Who was Dr. Andrew Still and what would you say to someone that said DO=2.0 so read up on the osteopathic medicine and the history and philosophy behind it..."
"Do your best impersonation?"
"What would you say to a person who thinks all people that have HIV deserve it due to their lifestyle."
"Why DO"
"That was basically it, only four questions. There were four interviewers and four interviewees (there was another group of three and three). You sit at a table and they sit across from you and ask you questions. All I can say is don't worry about it--it isn't as bad you think it is going to beâ€â€JUST RELAX if you can. If you have any other questions, you can e-mail me at [email protected], since I know I wish I would have had someone to ask a few more questions to."
"Favorite opera, character, and how he/she relates to me?"
"Tell us about your degrees? (double bachelors degrees)"
"If you were on a clinical rotation in Emergency Medicine and the attending physician suggested a particular treatment plan that you disagreed with, how would you approach that situation?"
"What would you be doing if you couldn't work in healthcare?"
"They asked a good amount of stuff on the difference between empathy and compassion"
"How will learning Spanish make you a better physician?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"On your resume you mentioned that you blog. Given the amount of misinformation on the internet, what do you think is your ethical responsibility when blogging? How do you avoid spreading misinformation?"
"Question about local news story"
"I was asked how my participation in service activities (Volunteering, EMT, etc.) helped me overcome/improve any weaknesses I had."
"If driver less cars become the norm and a safer way of transportation, would you continue to drive?"
"How do you help a patient who has the means to be healthy but has no interest in doing so?"
"If I would like to work in a private practice or a hospital"
"Who are you?"
"Do you think allopathic medicine is bad compared to osteopathic medicine?"
"Convince the other interviewer that you really want to be accepted and that we should accept you."
"There were many follow up questions regarding your answers. Then Dr. Glover pulled slips of paper out of a hat as questions."
"Pile of cards, face down, each with an emotion written on them (anger, fear, joy, etc.). Interviewees in the group each choose one card and must explain to the interviewers a time in which they felt that emotion."
"Where do I see myself in ten years?"
"How important is service to the osteopathic education?"
"Our group had pretty easy questions.. The other group had serious ethical dilemmas & critical thinking questions, but we didn't have any that were out of the ordinary"
"(Not mines but other people in my group got asked) If you could travel back in time what would you change? What was the nicest thing you've recently done for someone? Given your public health background, how do you control the obesity epidemic in America? Since there's only one guy in our panel today, what do you think if I (the professor) decide to play matchmaker and match you guys up? How about if I was a doctor and decided to play matchmaker on my patients? What do you think about it? Suppose you were sitting in lecture and I ask you a question and you space out. I decide to throw you a quarter and say in front of the class "call your mom and tell her that you are failing in medical school." How do you react and how will you deal with this? What newspapers do you read? If you could design a medical school what attributes would you include? If Touro does not accept you, what do you think would be the reasons why? How do you study? Individually or in a group?"
"This was to another applicant: Having lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, what would you have done differently from a medical point of view?"
"Freddy Mercury (the lead singer of Queen) had AIDS for a number of years, but did not reveal his condition until 24 hours before his death. Many felt that he should have told his fans about his illness. Do you agree with that?"
"a very personal one that is too long to repeat"
"Asked of another student: If you were a fruit, what would you be."
"Scenario"
"none really"
"One of the interviewers got this really off the wall question. Something about how you giving the heimlich maneuver to your wife to save her but you do it so hard that you damage her trachea causing her to be hospitialized and in greater pain. How would you deal with the idea of you causing her such pain?"
"You mention the importance of empathy in patient care. How would you make sure you wouldn't become depressed while working with others in difficult situations? "
"question specific to my file "
"Oops! the interviwer thought I taught Spanish. Be careful what you write in your personal statement. They might caught up the wrong info!"
"It seems like you have had tough times in the past. What would you do if times like these arose in medical school and how would you handle it?"
"How do you plan on getting over all the hurdles you will find in Medical school."
"Do I have a support system here?"
"File specific stuff - be ready to know everything you wrote and everything you've done. "
"Just questions specific to my history."
"Tell us about your heirloom tomatoes. Loved that question!"
"None"
"Should the supplement industry be regulated? I do research and prod. dev. for supplement co. I said DEFINITELY! (and i think drugs should be better regulated)."
"If you were to put together a team, how would you do it?"
"If you could change one thing in your file, what would it be?"
"Essay related: how would you incorporate osteopathic medicine as a passion with your life goals of the pursuit of scientific knowledge"
"what do you know about osteopathic medicine"
"Tell me more about your research."
"How did you get involved in your major/area of interest/work? Good question becuase it gave me a chance to really talk about my passion. "
"What life experiences would you say is the defining moment in your life."
"DO: In your essay, you talk about altruistic behavior. I had another student tell me there is no such thing because any act to help another is meant to make the giver feel better about themselves, thus creating a selfish desire. How do you feel about that perspective?"
"''Don't you think that reading novels is a waste of time?''"
"if you could meet anyone from the past, who would it be?"
"influence of music upon your success in medical school"
"Scenario: a doctor needs to have power over his patient but also needs to have a good relationship with him. Which is more important?"
"The previous interviewee had been asked about the communication between patient doctor dynamics and she said that she wanted to flatten the hierarchy between the patient and doctor. They asked me to tell her why this was a bad idea."
"Particulars about my file."
"what was my fellow interviewee's favorite hobby"
"Should medicine be a part of death?"
"If you were at class one day and the professor said class is cancelled for the remainder of the day, what would you do?"
"Specific question about one of my volunteer experiences"
"All typical questions"
"What don't you want others know about you?"
"What specialty would you go for if not primary care?"
"Why not veterinary medicine?"
"What would be one thing I wouldn't want them to know about me."
"If TUCOM was a brand new school and I was part of the first entering class. What kind of student club would I start. (All 5 of us were asked this same question.)"
"Nothing really interesting."
"The interviewer quoted a line from a old philosophy text and asked me to identify it. I couldn't. He later said he had made up the quote and wanted to see if I would lie."
"A question regarding a sentence in my personal statement."
"What was the most important information you learned about Ladakhi medicine during your time spent studying in India?"
"Why would I want to return to school after being a professional"
"You made some grandiose statements in your personal statement (then proceeded to quote a line and asked me how I would back it up?)"
"You went on a mission trip, do you plan to do missions as a doctor? If so where?"
"Tell me about the D.O that wrote your letter of recommendation?"
"If I was about to perform an OMM procedure on the lower back of a man who was laying prostrate in front of me and he happened to reach over with his hand and grab my behind, what would I do?"
"If you could do anything besides going to medical school, what would it be?"
"Question about healthcare."
"Why did you not pursue veterinary medicine instead? (This was asked because I did research in a veterinary medical center)"
"Why DO? (Seriously, nothing particularly interesting)"
"I was asked about a specific situational is which students made huge mistakes on a microbiology exam clearly demonstrated they did not understand the material. They wanted to know how I thought the instructor should handle these students and what advice I had for the instructor to keep these students from getting into TUCOM."
"I am not sure if it was an interesting question, but I was asked how as a physician I was going to be able to keep my patients coming back for treatment. I thought this question was weird."
"Why was I changing careers."
"n/a"
"The ethical questions(abortion, physician assisted suicide, organ doning), I had 3 and was the only one who received any ethical questions out of my interview group."
"What do you believe is the largest challenge facing health care in developing countries?"
"My opinion regarding how a patient is supposed to go about getting a prescription they need immediately when their insurance company won't pay up front because they require approval which can take a couple of days to a week. The interviewer who asked this question had actually just had this happen to her and she ended up charging the $2000 prescription on her credit card until the insurance company could reimburse her, but her concern was for those who had no other means of purchasing the prescription."
"What is the difference between healthcare in Japan and US?"
"no really interesting questions - i felt prepared. it was a great interview."
"Elaborate on how you came to be involved with the skatepark you mention in your application."
"Did you make horseradish peroxidase? "
"nothing interesting in particular."
"You are an ER physician. Mother with an infant is entering your ER, screaming and saying the child has been abused by baby sitter. Baby is badly bruised and minimally responsive? What is the first thing you do? "
"Nothing in particular"
"Explain to me what does Louis Pasteur means when he says "chance favors only the prepared mind"?"
"What will I do if I don't get into medical school"
"What are the medical symptoms of a certain disease."
"tell us about your international experience?"
"Why osteopathic medicine, considering your background?"
"I was asked about different treatment modalities."
"from file"
"If you were the dean of the school with unlimited funds, what would be the first thing you would implement? (was asked this regarding incorporating technology into medicine)"
"none really."
"What is the biggest challenge facing a physician in the modern world?"
"Why women's studies and then medical school?"
"if a man really wanted to have a baby, do you think it would be ethically right to transplant a uterus into him to do so? "
"Why will a surgeon do surgery for someone who is convinced they are the opposite sex, but not add a beak on someone convinced they are a bird?"
"An ethical question regarding a doctor lying to a patient which ultimately resulted in a postive outcome. "
"You just had a baby and spoke much about the beauty of seeing life brought into the world. How would you react to a patient who wanted an abortion?"
"When creating a public health intervention, what are the two most important things you need to know or do as a physician?"
"Given my advanced pharmacology degree and current clinical position, why pursue medicine at this point?"
"How do you expect to handle the heavy science load as a psychology major?"
""Can there be joy in death? "
"How will your past work experiences in dentistry and veterinary medicine contribute to you being a good physician? And, you described (in your personal statement) a situation in which you worked with children who spoke a different language than you and you felt that you were still able to communicate with them by holding their hand and speaking softly; do you believe animals respond to this type of communication as well?"
"Tell me about your study abroad experience in Mexico. "
"About my undergraduate school. This wasn't so much interesting as it was the least stressful of the questions posed."
"which superhero will you choose to be if you have a chance??"
"What is your definition of health?"
"How my English major relates to medicine."
"When answering a question in research, is it better to achieve this answer by a 5 minute experiment or by a 5 year experiment?"
"describe the political condition of MLK hospital where you have shadowed and how it affects the physicians and patients"
"What is the best revenge?"
"The question about the city I was born in. I mentioned it in my personal statement."
"Which scientist said ..... "
"What is the biggest challenge facing the AIDS community in America?"
"If you were president and aliens asked you to sacrifice a number of people or they would blow up the earth, would you do it?"
"I was asked to talk about the most difficult obstacle I had overcome."
"How I came to be in my current line of work (Finances)."
"What are the negatives of osteopathy?"
"Father is an M.D., why do u want to become a D.O.?"
"What do you see the place of advertising (cognition) and the pharmaceutical industry?"
"I wrote in my essay about preventive medicine and encouraging lifestyle changes, as they are cheap and effective. The interviewer asked me how I would implement these changes."
"You volunteered at UCSF. Didn't that intimidate you?"
"What was the most disturbing experience you during your clinical experience in a hospital?"
"Why do I think people tend to be more compassionate towards animals than they are to other people or themselves? (I used to be pre-vet)"
"If you received a grant from the Gates Foundation, would you give the money to an income-generating program, a clinic, or a school in Senegal (where I studied abroad), and why? "
"I didnt really get an interesting one, but someone in my group got "what is vioxx?""
"regarding a comment I had made in my personal statement"
"Tell us more about U.S.-Japanese relations/Japanese history."
"What is a vedic healer (referencing my essay)?"
"Question that pertained to my personal statement"
"What would you do if you could not ever apply to medical school?"
"there were many (i was impressed by the interviewers and their questions)"
"Pretty much all of they questions they asked me and the other interviewees came from our applications, personal statement, experiences/research. Know these and you'll be fine. "
"In terms of the D.O. philosophy, what is the difference between treating a patient who is in an inpatient facility versus a patient who is in an outpatient facility?"
"They did not ask any interesting questions."
"a question about my research"
"unfortunately , this is why I was stressed out.. I didn't really receive any interesting questions, except one about my personal statement (but it won't help you if I post it, so I won't waste the space)"
"what is the future of OMM in children?"
"I was asked to elaborate on a question I posed in my personal statement. This revealed to me that the interviewer read my statement thoroughly and he asked several follow up questions after my answer."
"I was a bit surprised they will ask me questions about my hobbies, but I was glad to answer them. The questions were I see you are a world war II buff, what do you take from it? Also what is your favorite song to play on a violin?"
"If you had a patient that had Type 2 Diabetes and was not literate and could not speak English how would you explain a diet plan for them?"
"I don't remember."
"Nothing, just know what is in your file and why you want to be a DO"
"The Nevada campus is a new school and will have many obstacles along the way. What will you do to handle these?"
"I was asked what I though was "a weakness in our national Healthcare system?"."
"What is the dumbest thing you have done?"
"Describe your junior college experience."
"Do you have any reservation moving to Nevada or Henderson/Las Vegas?"
"all questions were basic"
"How would you help your patients make health related decisions?"
"None really interesting. Just basic stuff"
"What do your allopathic parents think of you becoming a D.O.?"
"What have we lost by losing horses (I ride)- this was a very strange question! I answered it more like what is better without us using them (less animal abuse, unfit owners, etc)"
"About the my family's business"
"Your dad is an MD; have you been able to work with him?"
"Why do you enjoy rockclimbing, and will you continue to climb once in med school?"
"What is the most important thing to know in medicine: Anatomy, Physiology or Biochemistry?"
"This question flowed from another interviewee's response because my personal statement addressed what he was talking about. BL: Listen attentively to the others answer----the next question could be directed to you and stem from their response. "
"If you could change anything about your file, what would it be?"
"how is medicine an art form?"
"See below"
"What did you learn from your Health Information major?"
"Tell us about your research in detail."
"What question would you like us to ask you"
"specific to my file"
"What will you do if you don't get into medical school?"
"All questions were straight forward from my application."
"What would I tell a patient who wanted to take shark cartilage as a possible cure or preventative measure against cancer?"
"Tell me about an experience at the hospital you work at (as a radiology tech) that influenced your decision to become a physician."
"explain causality-inference-effect (I have a background in public health)"
"Describe your graduate research as if you were talking to someone who had no background in science or medicine."
"Most were very personalized questions. It's easy to talk about yourself."
"None. My questions were specific to my application."
"Because my dad is an MD, what he thinks of my choice to go DO, and how I would approach it differently in treating patients than he would"
"They were all questions about me. Nothing really interesting or challenging, but having 4 people make an evaluation based on each answer added a lot of pressure"
"Most of the questions are based on your application. Anything is free game. There were some questions about health insurance and potential solutions."
"Since you come from an MD family...what would you say to your family and other MDs about the DO philosophy to help them in their practices?"
"I was asked mostly questions that had to do with my clinical experience. Probably no one other than myself would find that very interesting. I was glad they asked me questions specific to me. The read my file which is more than I can say at other interviews I've been on"
"What is your favorite place to road trip (one of my listed hobbies)"
"What I thought about a headline that was posted on the web that day."
"Tell me about your research and how that will affect your view/ability as an osteopathic physician. (research on health promotion)"
"If you are not accepted to medical school, what plans do you have for the near and long term?"
"None. But other students were asked questions that I and other students felt were irrelevant."
"What are some similarities between Eastern Medicine and DO? "
"About my research paper in detail."
"Do you think as an English major you will be at a disadvantage, or the flip side, do you think it offers an advantage over other students? I think this is a bit tricky since there are other students in the room, and I don't want to start criticizing science majors in comparison to my own."
"Nothing interesting."
"Nothing interesting"
"What should Touro look for in a medical school student?"
"Nothing really interesting"
"Seeing as how most of the other interviewees at this table have had other jobs and various life experiences, do you think by entering medical school after completing your undergraduate years would cause you to miss out on life experiences?"
"I was asked a very specific question about my research"
"none, though the other interviewees got some tough questions."
""If you were given unlimited resources, what movie would you make?" (I was a film major in college) "What is one thing you would do differently than your father, as a phsyician?" (my dad is an MD) Both questions were asked by the great Dr. Schwartz"
"about my travel experiences"
"nothing interesting, just questions about extra-curricular activities"
"What are the positive and negative aspects of your personality?"
"What would I do if I saw a classmate cheating on a test?"
"In your personal statement, you refer to your desire to practive emergency medicine, as well as the importance of viewing your patients "wholistically." Do you feel it is poosible to practice emergency medicine "wholisitically"?"
"Compare your experiences working as a medical technologist in a disadvantaged community with working here in the United States. I focused on the fact that despite the limited resources, the work I performed was comparable in quality. In fact, my ability to deal with limited resources and still perform quality work will be extremely beneficial when I become a physician. This is especially true in this day and age where resources are quite limited in the United States."
"What do you think about herbal remedies not being regulated by the FDA?"
"Do you plan on practicing OMM? If you are in a practice and you perform OMM on a patient and file a claim with the insurance company and they say that they are not covering OMM, what would you do?"
"Nothing extraordinary. We had one guy from the boonies that was asked what he learned from farming and how those experiences translate into being a doctor. "
"Medical school students are very busy. How do you plan to take time to care for your health (exercise, eat well, sleep) as a medical school student?"
"How does golf soothe your soul? (it was on my personal statement)"
"A specific question about my research (all of the interviewers KNOW your application)"
"You are a with we to buy a car at a dealership. A salesperson walks up. As he walks up, what three things can you quickly tell me I should look for in the salesperson to help me decide if I want to buy a car from him? (I am a sales manager at a Honda Dealership)"
"How did the death of my sister to gang violence affect me?"
""What was the most interesting thing that you learned in you World Religions course?""
"Given your marketing background, how would you recommend marketing osteopathic medicine to the public?"
"Why D.O?"
"What is a good restaurant to eat around your undergrad. college?"
"with your high MCAT and GPA, why DO?"
"If I recieved a B with a 79%, and my classmate recieved an A with an 80%, how would I react?"
"What's the best dish that you cook?"
"One of the biggest problems in healthcare is the lack of physicians in underserved areas, how would you intice/attract physicians to move to these areas and practice primary care, seeing as how most want to move to Beverly Hills making millions as plastic surgeons?"
"I am a literature minor and was asked if I knew the novel written by Mary Shelley and who Lord Byron was."
"Do your best impersonation for us?"
"Why I chose osteopathic medicine after pursuing a graduate degree."
"All questions from submitted secondary and application. Know yourself and your file!"
"What do you think about African countries refusing genetically altered food aid? "
"What is your idea of the perfect wedding?"
"I have written a book, so they asked me about my book quite a bit"
"Since I am from a small town, the student interviewer asked if I was on a panel to figure out how to get doctors to practice in small towns and large cities, what programs would I implement to encourage this."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What makes a good teacher?"
"How would I explain to a child why Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent fight, being that they are teamates."
""You state that you have played in opera orchestras, what is your favorite opera and what character do you like the most and what do you see in him/her that you see in yourself?""
"Given Emergency Room experience, can you describe anything that you saw/witnessed in the ER that was wrong?"
"Do I prefer black and white or color photography and why?"
"I was asked that after working as a paramedic for 12 years, why I decided to change careers."
"The interview said, ". . . I watched Miss Congeniality the other night. You know the scene where Sandra Bullock is performing her talent? That made me think 'what would my talent be?'. What is your talent?""
"They looked through my application activities and noticed a general theme: They asked me to relate that interest/theme to the treatment of a patient as a DO."
"If you had a time machine, what item would you bring back to the past with you?"
"What was a time when your motivation to pursue medicine was tested"
"Describe a time you made a mistake, preferably while at work and recently."
"How would you handle the corona virus crisis, what does 2019 nCov stand for, details of reverse transcriptase PCR (what the hell)"
"Discuss the idea of single payer healthcare/medicare for all"
"How do your experiences help you become a compassionate physician"
"On your resume you mentioned that you blog. Given the amount of misinformation on the internet, what do you think is your ethical responsibility when blogging? How do you avoid spreading misinformation?"
"I was asked about being a re-applicant and what I did to improve my application since then. Not necessarily a difficult question, but it may have been a bit uncomfortable to do so in front of other applicants."
"Your dog turns to you and says "No one will ever believe you". What do you say?"
"None were extremely difficult"
"They asked if I had heard of something related to my line of work which I had never heard of before. I had to basically say...uhhh i have no idea what that is. luckily I still got in :)"
"Tell me one thing you want us to know that is not in your file."
"comparing allopathic medicine with osteopathic medicine"
"None of them were really hard. They were pretty predictable. They just want to see if you lose your cool."
"Do you think it is ethical for exhausted doctors to be in charge of patients in critical condition? Tell me what you learned about sleep deprivation in your research study."
"How would you comfort or help a patient who is afraid of dying?"
""What is the difference between your x experience and your y experience?" This was difficult because the interviewer misinterpreted my previous research experiences to be different from each other when really it was all the same. I had to correct him and say "Actually, all of my work involved bla bla bla, but the real difference was what I learned, etc." It's good to prepare yourself in thinking about the ways in which your experiences were different from each other-- I didn't expect that kind of question."
"Ha, well, in speaking I lost track of what exactly the question was in my mind, so I ended an answer abruptly... don't do that."
"No difficult questions."
"None were too difficult, it was just hard when the person before had just answered the same exact question."
"(Other people in my group got asked these questions) Suppose a dwarf family wanted a child to be dwarf so that they could share their experience with their child. As a doctor you would have to genetically modify the child to make it dwarf. Would you do this? Why choose Touro over Western?"
"None - all the questions were very straightforward and oriented towards the applicant's file and experiences."
"(to another student) (Quote from a scientist stating that in the future, sex would be purely recreational, conception would occur in the laboratory, and reproduction without prior genetic testing would be considered reckless) What do you think? Is this a feasible prediction?"
"the one about community-based medicine"
"How do you keep yourself from crossing the line and caring for a patient too much?"
"Character..."
"Tell me about osteopathy."
"tell me what u know about osteopathic medicine"
"He asked me this really vague question specific to my app. If this ever happens to you, ask for clarification rather than what I did of answering it in a vague way. "
"(something specific to my research experience - question was very ambiguous and, therefore, difficult to answer)"
"What class did you take as an undergraduate that best describes the theory of medicine?"
"scenarios "
"Nothing. I was expecting questions about the research I did because they ask the first two people questions about their research. All the sudden, they ask me about the inspiration I learn from a doctor, bummer!"
"What are the two greatest disparities you find with health care in ethnic communities?"
"If someone who knew nothing about osteopathic medicine asked you to explain what a D.O. is, what would you say?"
"Medical instrument question."
"We were asked a lot of questions aimed at gleaning why we were specifically interested in D.O. rather than M.D. This may have been due to our having capabilities in both camps..."
"Connect the dots for us to get us up to why you are just now applying?"
"What else would you do if you did not enter medicine? I said I would keep applying, which made the panel laugh. Then I said research, psychology or public health."
"none, they were all pretty straightforward."
"If you could change one thing in your file, what would it be?"
"all other questions were application specific"
"Tell me more about your research."
"A question about something I wrote in my essay. It wasn't a hard question but worded in a confusing way that caught me off guard. "
"What life experiences would you say is the defining moment in your life."
"''What do you think about the rise of HMOs?"
"none were really difficult...just remember to take a second to breathe and THINK about a response..you dont want to babble"
"Above"
"I do computational research that has no direct practicality: if I were to write a grant for my research what would I write to persuade granters to give me funding."
"Nothing really hard."
"how would you use your talents to promote the osteopathic profession"
"Assuming you've done the research, why do you want to come to school at Touro?"
"How could I assure them that I would stick with a career in Medicine"
"None."
"No particular question was hard"
"Specific to my application. What was the worst part about working with _____?"
"The club question."
"How would you increase a clinician's time with patients?"
"Why are so many students applying to medical school getting their degree in psychology?"
"Nothing really."
"A question regarding a sentence in my personal statement."
"Why did not make any specific mention of osteopathic medicine in your personal statement?"
"What strengths will you bring to this school"
"You have shadowed a D.O and an M.D., what did you find was the difference"
"Do you think the MCAT predicts how well of a physician the student taking it will be?"
"When was the moment you decided to pursue a career in medicine?"
"Question about healthcare."
"Nothing really"
"Why DO? (Again...pretty much all basic questions)"
"None of the questions were difficult per say, however, the interviews especially one of the PhD interviewers seemed cold and not that interested in what we were telling them. "
"None were difficult."
"I was asked a question comparing Osteopathy where I live (where Osteopaths aren't physicians-outside the US) to that in the US. Then I was asked where Chiropractics and PT fit into the scheme. I didn't really know what to say, so I just told them I couldn't properly answer the question. He seemed to be asking more out of curiousity than anything."
"n/a"
"As a physician's child do you feel you have an advantage when applying to medical school?"
"Is biology destiny?"
"Why apply to medical school when I spend a year abroad doing business-related internship?"
"no difficult questions for me, yay"
"How would your friends describe you"
"I was asked something about eating horseradish and St. Patricks Day."
"none of it was difficult"
"How was you personal trauma affected your choice to become physician? Do you plan to return to you homeland to do volunteer medical work?"
"What is your exposure to DO medicine?"
"See above. I really want to go to medical school."
"See above."
"none. however, another student was asked why medicine was considered to be a manipulative science. "
"Specific questions about activities that I was involved in a long time ago and largely irrelevant to my motivation for becoming a doctor."
"An ethical question"
"nothing was particularly difficult, all was from my file. "
"from file"
"Please explain the descrepancy between some of your lower grades and your competitive MCAT scores."
"Same as above..."
"You went to a very small undergraduate college. Do you think you will have a sense of entitlement to extra attention from professors?"
"the uterus one and if you could be a superhero, which one would you be"
"An ethics question."
"You have a miracle pill that will cure cancer but you only have enough to give to half of your patients. How do you decide who gets the pill and how do you maintain your positive attitude and optimism in this situation?"
"They were all boring and uninteresting"
"If I was a patient who knew nothing about cancer, but was scared because of a family history of cancer, what would you tell me?"
"Given that you have lived in Africa for the last two years, and that there are many needy people in the US, do you plan to practice medicine here or over there?"
"You are a physician and you tell your patient that they have a serious illness, such as lupus. They don't know anything about the disease, how will you help them understand their situation? This question does not seem that bad, but this interviewer was not happy with any response I gave and kept challenging my answers with more questions. This was in the last few minutes of an interview that had gone really well. "
"You said in your application that creativity is an important asset to have as a physician. What is another?"
"Why would a patient want to come see you? (Honestly, the questions weren't hard for my group)"
"Hypothetical: You have a patient with uterine cancer who does not want to take chemotherapy or get a hysterectomy. She is only interested in 'alternative' medicine. How would you interact with this patient?"
"watch out for tons of hard questions from arrogant interviewers"
"Your in biotech making money why would you choose to become a doctor? - Not really difficult but interesting choice of asking it."
"You're interested in becoming a surgeon. What is your opinion on operating on children with ambiguous genitalia?"
"Explain the whole transition between medical school into residency... just talk about it. (Not mine)"
"how has being involved in music and the arts helped you to be a better physician"
"You have a patient/friend with ovarian and cervical cancer. She does not want a historectomy or chemo to prolong her life. What do you do?"
"Your GPA is high. Why your MCAT score is not as good as it can be expected?"
"Which scientist said ....."
"What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your advocacy in Washington?"
"I was asked to explain how being an English major would be an advantage in practicing medicine."
"If not humans or animals, what do you propose we use for research experimentation?"
"nothing too difficult"
"Why did you have no gainful work experience after receiving your undergraduate degree (BA-Communications)? My answer dealt with the concerns of financial need that was necessary for financial aid. They asked the question in a way that made me question what they meant by gainful..."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years? "
"You're PS isn't an osteopathic personal statement, do you want to be a osteopathic physician? (My AACOMAS PS was osteopathic, my Touro wasn't.)"
"How will you help international health?"
"None were super difficult. They did ask me how I would use osteopathy in psychiatry."
"because I had not taken human anatomy/physiology in undergrad, I was asked if I would be able to handle the volume of information in the first year"
"What is your definition of health?"
"How would you counsel a patient who desires only alternative treatment (I could see the bias for traditional chemo/surgury)?"
"Question that pertained to my MCAT score"
"nothing difficult"
"-"
"You have worked in an allopatric environment. When you become a D.O., how will you hope to change the department you are working in to accept the D.O. philosophy?"
""I love trivia pursuit. Let's play. Who is...?" He continued to spout out lots of names."
"why do i have to study medicine to help people"
"I was asked all the 'general' vague questions like why medicine? tell me about your volunteer experience.... What will be your greatest challenge in medicine.. these were difficult, because they weren't too specific so I felt like I was being vague as well."
"Explain cause and effect (not really difficult, but I was unsure as to what type of answer was expected.)"
"The questions I was asked were not difficult. However other members in the group received difficult questions such as: How does the MCAT reflect one's capacity to be a good doctor; How would you advise Ariel Sharon on acheiving peace in the Middle East (yeah, that one was really tough)"
"none really."
"That building right over there is where they did the cryptology, right? (and no, I didn't know the answer and I said so)"
"Nothing"
"No difficult questions, however the above question made me think."
"what was a weakness in our national healthcare system"
"Same"
"Describe the qualities of osteopathic medicine that interest you."
"No questions were difficult! Just know your applications (primary and secondary), your motivations for osteopathic medicine, the differences b/t DO and MD."
"How would you help your patients make health related decisions?"
"All were expected...nothing really hard."
"What have you seen as connections between your public health training and osteopathic principles? (Uh oh...)"
"How would I help serve rural areas? (or something like that)"
"none, really- the above one was weird though!"
"How would I apply Music to my operating room or waiting room."
"MCAT - related. phooey!!"
"What is your position on animal testing in research?"
"How will you give the necessary time to your family and school if you were to be accepted?"
"see above. all my questions referred to my personal statement and application. "
"Explain in detail the difference between osteopathic medicine and allopathic medicine. Why are you applying to MD and DO schools?"
"about 75% of the physicians who graduate osteopathic school, don't continue to practice osteopathy afterwards. What do you have to say about that? How do you explain that?"
"See Question 2"
"How did your degree in economics prepare you for medicine?"
"same as interesting"
"specific to my file"
"what is osteopathic medicine? does anyone really know"
"All questions were straight forward from my application."
"Same as above "
"What do think physicians should do to minimize malpractice issues."
"Define professionalism"
"They gave me a hypothetical situation which the interviewer knew was against my ethics. Be prepared. "
"None. They were all questions from my file. Because I have applied to other schools, including MD schools, I was hoping they wouldn't ask which ones. They didn't."
"see above"
"You said a doctor must be both honest and diplomatic...these words contradict...explain."
"What would I do if I couldn't get into medical school. It was difficult because I rarely allow such negative thoughts creep into my thinking. I probably sounded studpid in answering it."
"You have been at your current job (in clinical research) for 5 years, so clearly you like what you are doing. Whay would you give that up to go $200,000 in debt, and have no life for the next several years?"
"To explain as a Political Science major why the headline noted above was important."
"What type of photography (one of my hobbies) do you enjoy most? I wasn't expecting such a directed question about one of my hobbies. Overall, this isn't that tough of a question...some of my fellow interviewees had some difficult questions though."
"If you were all-powerful, what you do to change the we deliver medical care in the U.S. today?"
"None. One question asked by one of the interviewer was a bone-headed question."
"What do you think are the differences between DO and MD?"
"Why do you want to be a DO and what is the difference between a DO and MD? One interviewer made it hard because he kept asking me follow up questions about MD vs. DO. Personally I thought I more than adequately answered the question, i suppose he was looking for something or maybe he was trying to fluster me. In any case, he was just staring me down the whole time I was gicing my DO speech."
"How do you deal with stress? (I guess- I don't think I got any difficult questions, though I think others in the room did.). One girl was asked what other schools she had applied to and if she would prefer MD over DO. They also asked the same person to name a major problem in medicine today."
"This weird question (can't remember what it was exactly) that the interviewer couldn't even phrase it clearly. Not a really fair question when I didn't understand what he was getting at."
"Asked to explain a very specific sentence in my personal statement"
"If accepted into a DO and MD school, which would you attend?"
"Lots of experience in PT-why medicine and not PT"
"Why do you think the allopathic philosophy and osteopathic philosophies have diverged to where they are today?"
"none. asked me about community college coursework."
"questions about my research"
"See above. Also, "How does your dad feel about you going to DO school when he's an MD?""
"respond to an inappropriate AIDS comment by a famous person"
"What was my most enjoyable military duty station and why? (Difficult to explain b/c my job was Top Secret)"
"What would I do to slove the problems in healthcare?"
"How do you feel about the current situation of America? (referring to possibility/probability of war in the near future)"
""In your essay you stated that you liked to do desktop publishing (invitations, posters, etc.). How would you advertise Touro University to the public?" I believe my answer to this question was pretty weak b/c I stated that I would focus on the people and the positive camraderie I observed. Dr. Haight is a great ambassador. Although I did not include this in the interview, I was not impressed by the campus or the facilities, so I felt that I could not focus on that."
"What do you think about direct consumer advertising by Pharmaceutical companies? (I work for a pharmaceutical company, so they asked me a lot of related questions)"
"same as above"
"The typical, "What are your strengths/weaknesses?" "
"All the questions were very straightforward and from my file. There weren't any "difficult" questions."
" A bioethics question in response to a class I had taken"
"You look like a traditional MD candidate, so why did you apply to a DO school."
"None"
"I understand you grew up in Vallejo. Since Osteopathic Medicine is a growing profession, advertising can be important to let people know what it's all about. How would you advertise Osteopathic Medicine in the Vallejo community?"
"What is the single biggest problem affecting medicine today, specifically osteopathic medicine?"
""What one question should I ask to learn the most about you?""
"How would you handle a moral or ethical situation, especially given our location in the San Franciso Bay area? (this was a very open ended question that I think they wanted me to bite on...my answer was that every patient deserves respect and confidentiality regardless of their life choices)"
"Why not M.D?"
"What does osteopathy mean to you?"
"Why DO? "
"Why Touro?"
"How I thought that all of my experiences would contribute to my being a better osteopathic physician."
"none really"
"Same as above, and I was a Business major, the medical student asked me how he should pay off is $200,000 debt after medical school if he wants to move to underserved area to practice primary care?"
"I really did not have any difficult questions, I guess it would be how I intend to make a difference in the lives of those with whom I practice medicine ( I mentioned that in my essay )"
"If a family member came to you for care, how would you as a physician handle that situation?"
"How my academic experiences have prepared me for DO school."
"None, everything was straight from my file"
"what is the biggest problem in health care today and how would u solve it"
"See previous one"
"This one was the most difficult."
"Explain the research you participated in and how you believe it applies to your future medical career."
"How do you treat terminally ill patients differently than other patients?"
"How do you know that you are a good teacher?"
"How would I juggle a family life with a professional life? Specifically, how would I draw the line between tending to my patients and tending to family needs."
"None for me, although some people in my group got some harder questions. Some delt with caparing the use of manipulation in chiropractic vs' osteopathic medicine and someone in another group got a hard one on cloning."
"None were very difficult"
"None really. The most interesting question above was the most difficult."
"It was about a philosphy course I took - Kant. This was quite a few years ago, and I don't think I recalled 'the categories' as well as I should have."
"Another interviewee had to act like I didn't know what osteopathy was and explain to me what it was."
"mock interviews and free writing to practice answering questions."
"I looked up interview question banks and practiced mock interviews with others."
"Reading SDN interview prompts and performing a mock interview"
"Practiced with family and friends, reviewed SDN, researched the school."
"through other interviews"
"read forums, re-read my application, discussed questions"
"Practice questions"
"Reviewed my application materials, made a list of questions"
"Mock interview, researching the school, reviewing my app"
"Mock interview with advisor, read website, memorized tenants of Osteopathic medicine, practice questions and ethical scenarios"
"I went over the questions found on the SDN Interview Feedback page. I also went over my primary + secondary applications."
"SDN interview feedback. Reciting in the mirror like and idiot."
"Reviewing my app, SDN Interview Feedback"
"Read my file, practiced possible interview questions"
"Reviewing my application and their website"
"Reading my file"
"SDN forum, book called "The Medical School Interview" by Jeremiah Fleenor (highly recommended), and practicing with other pre-med students."
"really refined my why do/why medicine answers by speaking them aloud dozens of times over."
"SDN, looked over secondary/primary"
"Two mock interviews"
"SDN, read the school website, wrote to current students"
"Practice answering questions in front of a mirror and reviewed my file."
"Practice with friends review everything in my file and go over every med-school interview question I could find."
"Looked THOROUGHLY over my application to make sure I could answer anything about it"
"I looked at previous answers on this survey."
"Came up with all possible questions and answers. SDN."
"Student doc and articulating my goals and plans in the medical field to friends."
"SDN forums, reading school mission statements, reviewing all application materials I sent (AACOMAS, essays), speaking out loud to myself about certain experiences, why I want to be a doctor, etc."
"SDN, student catalog, their website"
"Studied my own file and the Touro website."
"Read SDN & my file, mock interview at undergrad school"
"sdn, my other interviews, my application"
"Read SDN interview feedback; Review my files (this is a must!)"
"SDN, reviewed my application"
"sdn, read over apps, cib of school"
"SDN, Dr. Haight."
"Going though questions on here, reading my profile, researching the school."
"SDN, mock interview, reading information about the school, talking to a current student"
"Obviously here on the forum, and I found this book quite helpful: The Medical School Interview: Secrets and a System for Success http://www.amazon.com/Medical-School-Interview-Secrets-Success/dp/0977955907"
"read school website, perused sdn"
"read sdn, previewed touro website."
"SDN, mock interview, and website"
"mock interviews, studentdoctor, researched and answered questions online, practiced daily"
"Friend's advice who interviewed at Touro last year, online sample questions (from UCD and Stanford), practice outloud and into a tape recorder."
"sdn, school's website and catalog, books on osteopathic medicine, read primary and secondary application because they ask specific questions pertaining to yr file"
"SDN, Touro Website"
"SDN, Medical School Confidential. In-laws and friend assisted me by providing me with several mock interviews."
"SDN, News websites"
"Review file. Toured school. Spoke to first year student I knew about what he liked and didn't like. "
"I didn't. If you live for this, you don't even need to re-read your app, now do you? Just be yourself."
"Relaxed and read the entire catalog of the school (except the international student stuff)"
"Student Doctor Network, Practice questions, mock interview, read personal statement and application, spoke to previously interviewed students, and internet"
"Relaxed and laughed as much as possible. Visited the campus a couple times. Read the Weekly World News the nite before to loosen up."
"SDN, re-read my secondary and my primary application."
"Student Doctor Network website, school's website, looked over application and personal statements"
"SDN, tucom website, The Medical School Interview (book) really helped"
"sdn, other interviews"
"Nothing really."
"Read Opportunities in Osteopathic Medicine Careers (Paperback) by Terence J. Sacks which was great and got me really excited about Osteopathy/gave me some good stuff to think about. Read through all of my essays and answered the questions from the interview advice given on here. "
"re-read primary, secondary, read school website, spoke with current students and alumni"
"the norm"
"reading old SDN questions + touro website"
"SDN, mock interview, school website"
"SDN, my application, websites and books regarding osteopathic medicine"
"Mock interview with an unknown faculty member at my university, this website, interview question packet from my committee adviser, The DO's book (but it wasn't that helpful), Opportunities in Osteopathic Medicine (this book was very helpful)."
"SDN feedback, schools website, my file"
"well"
"other interviews"
"Relax and read over some of their mission statements."
"Reviewed my primary, secondary, school website, Kaplan material, Interview Feedback on SDN"
"SDN, touro website, reviewed my file"
"This website"
"SDN,Ethical issues, AACOMAS applications, my publications and research."
"My app, Touro website, SDN"
"Went through SDN, my research,primary and secondary apps, thought of answers for potential typical questions."
"Read Interview feedback on SDN, Went over Primary and Secondary applications, Looked over school's website."
"Review my application, SDN, Andrew Still biography."
"SDN, read my app"
"read over my application and secondary, SDN"
"SDN, Touro website, Mock-Interviews, Job-Interviews, interview books"
"SD, applications"
"Reviewed my application, the school website and tried to relax."
"School's website, SDN"
"SDN, read my application, personal statement, etc."
"Read over questions from my school website, looked at the questions on SDN, and read my application"
"SDN interview feedback, typed up questions and reviewed them in mock interviews, Said answers aloud rather than just thinking about them in my head, Touro website, talked with previous Touro students now in their clerkships."
"Read SDN forums, interview feeedback, reviewed my own file, read TUCOM catalog."
"I choose not to prepare for this interview and to go in with just goals of being myself and confident. "
"SDN Interview Feedback"
"Read SDN, school's website."
"SDN, my application and essays, mock interviews, schools website"
"SDN, read over my file, read over their website "
"Printed out everything from the TUCOM website and read it on the plane; read a bunch of TUCOM threads on Studentdoctor."
"SDN, school's website, review of my application"
"my file, school website, SDN forums"
"practice out loud questions from SDN"
"read over sdn"
"Mock Interview, SDN, Read up on the school and my applications"
"Read over my application, browsed Touro website, good night sleep."
"website, SDN, application"
"scoured the website, SDN, rested"
"Read this website got a good nights rest and ate a decent breakfast"
"read through the school's website, SDN, my application etc."
"i didn't."
"Reviewed my application, read JAMA and other med journals, especially medical ethics and case studies on it. Read the SDN feedback and forums. "
"SDN, other interview, review my app"
"SDN, mock interview "
"I reviewed other postings on this site"
"Went over app, thought about the typical q's. I have already gotten into a higher choice school so I was laidback and relaxed."
"SDN, read my application materials."
"sdn, personal statement, secondary application"
"I looked over the questions on SDN to see if there were any interesting questions I should be ready for. This was my 10th interview."
"SDN, school's catalog and website"
"read my file, and student doctor net"
"from file"
"Mock interviews, practice questions, research the schools interests, location, research opportunities, etc."
"student-doctor, mock interviews, and school website"
"Student Doctor.net "
"Nothing really. I already had two acceptances, so this was just gravy."
"this website, touro's website, reviewed my information and AACOMAS application"
"SDN, read personal statement, the school's website, etc..."
"SDN, reviewing my applications, thinking up answers to possible questions."
"read TUCOM's online catalog, read SDN interview feedback/forums, mock interviews"
"Mock interview, SDN, reading about the school, other interviews"
"read SDN, researched school and stayed calm! "
"School website, SDN, reviewed essays"
"mock interview, SDN"
"SDN, mock interviews, portfolio creation, practice questions"
"SDN, TUCOM catalog and website, primary and secondary applications, practice interview questions with friends, read Dr. Fulford's "Touch of Life" about being a D.O., interview workshops at my undergraduate campus, had lunch with a current TUCOM student"
"SDN, read over my file, tried to answer in my head the questions I thought might come about."
"Read SDN, thought of answers to ethical questions, looked at the website, etc"
"Reviewed school information and read over essays."
"application, SDN"
"SDN and school website and my application info."
"Re-read my application, read feedback on SDN."
"read over application, sdn questions, mock interview with friends, research my interviewers"
"my own prepared questions and answers"
"SDN, primary app and secondary essays"
"my application, this website, practicing with someone"
"SDN feedback, read over primary essay and secondary app. "
"SDN, lots of mock interviews, read application"
"-"
"This was my 4th interview, so I've got it down already."
"read this website, talked to other students, looked over application"
"Read interview feedback, went over my application materials"
"SDN, mock interview, sample questions"
"SDN website, Touro website, previous interviews."
"Read student doctor website, lookec at Touro's website"
"I read my secondaries, read more on the school with regard to clinicals, affiliated hospitals, matches, and rotations"
"Read my personal statement, reviewed the brochure and website, SDN"
"SDN, read my personal statement, should have mentally prepared more."
"read all secondaries and applications I have written, read SDN"
"reading school website and pamphlets sent to me, reading interview tips in book on applying to med school"
"SDN, read app, read touro's website"
"SDN, "The DO's" by Norman Gevitz, Touro's website, other websites describing osteopathy, reviewed applications"
"Mock interviews, Touro website, SDN website, read “The D.O.’sâ€Â, reviewed primary and secondary applications,…"
"Reading on SDN, reading DO resources, drfreely.com"
"SDN, touro's website, various osteopathic sites"
"Looked at SDN, looked over secondary and AACOMAS applications, kept up with current events"
"secondary, practice typical questions out loud, talked to previously interviewed students"
"sdn, The DOs, tucom.edu, etc."
"Reviewed primary and secondary apps, SDN, mock interviews. (read the previous entry to get a good idea of the school)."
"SDN, mock interviews, read through primary and secondary apps."
"sdn, school website, secondary"
"this site"
"SDN, school website, read the news, practiced outloud"
"Read my file and personal statements, read through SDN, talked with a Touro student, meditation!"
"Review SDN (very helpful). Review my personal statements form both primary and secondary applications. Read "The DOs: Osteopathic Medicine in America" by Norman Gevitz. "
"Read my application, read SDN, go over all possible questions they will ask me, go through each question in a mock interview session in my head over and over again."
"went over my secondary, studentdoctor website"
"I didn't"
"Read SDN and the schools website"
"This website, read over application, mock interviews"
"Reviewed the website, looked on here for help, and looked over my application"
"Read my application, spoke to other DO's in my community."
"Know your file"
"Internet, mock interview, five past interviews, etc."
"I read "Osteopathic Medicine: A Reformation in Progress," "Epidemic of Care," Reread my applications and talked to current med students and DO's."
"Praye, read this site, looked over AACOMAS and secondary applications, and looked over topics such as: American healthcare system, and stem cell research. (Both useless, all questions asked of my peers and me were based on applications)"
"Read the DOs: Osteopathic Medicine in America, looked over the website and my application."
"SDN, read about the school (history, curriculum, programs), previous interview experiences, etc."
"SDN, practice questions, reading over application and essays, school's website, articles on school, mock interview"
"SDN, school website, read my secondary"
"Read my application over. Look at the schools website"
"reviewed my secondary application, studentdoctor.net, previous interviews"
"sdn, personal file , read a book on osteopathy"
"SDN, Website, Catalog, Reviewed Application and Research."
"read this website"
"Read over secondary, TOURO website, and mock interviews."
"SDN, princeton book that lists all medical colleges, my file"
"Read my essays, read studendoctor reviews"
"Read this website, became very familiar with TUCOM, was sure to be comfortable in my clothes, researched osteopathic philosophy"
"SDN, mock interviews"
"Studentdoctor.net; my applications;Touro's catalog;reading Galvitz's DOs in America Book"
"They will ask you questions about particular parts of your essays and statement. Read over your application and be prepared to tell them why you want to be a DO instead of an MD."
"Reviewed this site, AOA website, TUCOM website, and my MD & DO applications"
"reviewed my app"
"TUCOM website, SDN and reviewed personal essays"
"Read this website, and looked over my application."
"Reviewed info on the school, info on osteopathic medicine, looked at this site."
"read brochure, read my apps"
"I didn't, I just relaxed and was going to try my best"
"Review primary and secondary. Most all questions are based on what you've written."
"Interview feedback, SDN, school website, my applications"
"Read secondary, primary, looked at TUCOM's web-site. Ask a lot of questions!!!"
"Reread my secondary application material because I read on this sight that they ask specific questions from your file. "
"File overview and book on osteopathy."
"re-read primary and secondary applications, TUCOM website, SDN, reviewed current medical issues and ethical situations"
"SDN"
"Re-read my secondary application and some of the postings on this site."
"This site and reviewed my application"
"Read up here on SDN and remembered that this was a panel interview, and that their would be other interviewees with me at the same time."
"Read over SDN, my application, osteopathic websites, and touro's website. Most of the questions will be directly related to your application so know it well."
"Read this site and went over my secondary application just in case they asked me a question from my file."
"SDN, read over primary and secondary application"
"Reading over my application. Researching about the differences between DO and MD."
"sdn.com"
"Read SDN, my application, mock interviews, reviewed typical interview questions"
"SDN, undergrad's interview feedback forms, school's website"
"SDN, interview feedback, mock interviews"
"Website, my application, studentdoctor.net"
"SDN, School website"
"Mock interview, new my file."
"I familiarized myself with the philosophy behind Osteopathic Medicine, read through my application, and browsed SDN."
"read their website. DO's by Gevitz."
"read SDN, talked to people who had interviewed"
"read interview feedback, read the website, talked to other students"
"student doctor, talked to students"
"Ensured that I knew my application and secondary."
"SDN, application, college website."
"SDN, dinner with current TUCOM students, dinner with acceptees, dinner with fellow applicants, "Complications" by Atul Gawande, "The D.O.s" by Gevitz, mock interviews, went over primary and secondary over and over...."
"Touro website, review of my app"
"Read SDN, read Gevitz DO book, dinner w/ Touro student and fellow interviewees"
"Read "The D.O.'s", reviewed my application, their website, spoke with a current student"
"read sdn, my file, and listened to some tapes"
"Went over my secondary . . . all the interviewers quoted sections of my personal statements and asked me to broaden my views. "
"Read this website, knew my file well, went to the hotel breakfast, made up my mind to enjoy the experience...after all, how many of these opportunities does one get in a life?!"
" Knew my application, SDN feedback, Touro webpage"
"Read up on osteopathic medicine..reviewed my file"
"The usual---SDN, read over my own app.... Watched SATC the night before =)"
"SDN, interview workshops at my school, and practice interviews with friends who are student interviewers."
"SDN, read AACOMAS and secondary applications, read catalog sent to me by Touro and looked at tucom.edu website"
"SDN, TUCOM website, application"
"TUCOM website, SDN interview feedback, read a book on osteopathic medicine (The DO's by Norman Gevitz)."
"Talked to other students and read comments on SDN"
"Read D.O's in America - tells you the history and all the stuff you can potentially plug in for the interview"
"I didnt"
"SDN, read up on my apps and school. "
"Read my application (98% of the qestions asked of me and the other interviewees came from our applications), and the school website."
"SDN network"
"Read SDN, asked friends that are Medical students, KNOW your applications, essays and profile they WILL ask you about it indefinetly!"
"I read SDN feedback and the threads and I read about the school."
"SDN, Knew my supplemental application"
"SDN, and reading my file."
"SDN, read my file, talked to friends"
"Read my secondary application, Read interview feedback"
"Read interview feedback, and knew my file thoroughly."
"Got all the info on web about TUCOM, knew my file well, lots of practice with mock interviews"
"Read through my application (both the secondary and AACOM). They like to ask questions directly (verbatim) from your application. Also read the feedback on SDN."
"Knew my application thoroughly, school's history."
"Read the website."
"I had already had an interview elsewhere - I just drew on that experience"
"Read questions previously downloaded from IF.com, read SDN feedback, and the forums. I really new my file well!"
"Reviewed file, read books on osteopathy, practiced interviewing with others, research as much about school on internet as possible and read school catalog."
"Looked on their webiste, reviewed by application, and activity list/resume, etc."
"Read The DOs by Gevitz, Osteopathic Med:Reformation, went to interview.com - which has been down for a long time."
"Read other interview feedback sites. Knew my personal files and secondaries very very well. Than will pull most of the questions directly from stuff that was on your file."
"The interviewers did a good job of appearing nonjudgmental and facilitating conversation. The long interview day allowed for interviewees to learn a lot about the school and Q&As BEFORE the panel interview."
"The interviewers seemed interested in each of our applications and asked us personable questions from our applications."
"Campus seemed beautiful, seemed like a very collaborative environment"
"Friendliness of staff and students, emphasis on public health and team based learning."
"Student tour guides"
"They seem to value public health issues. Also, the interviewers seemed to spend a great deal of time reviewing our applications and asking us each questions specific to our application"
"The sense of community and the warmth of everyone I met"
"The curriculum, the student community aka team-based learning, pass/fail, the really read your application to ask you questions."
"I liked the unpretentiousness of the campus, public health focus, and flexible policies around dress and attending class"
"The general area was nicer than I expected"
"Faculty seem very easy for students to contact"
"The faculty and staff were very welcoming and seem to care about the students. In particular, the Associate Dean did a great job of answering all of our questions and was very open about the mission/direction of the school and the type of student/physician they wanted to train. Current students that we met during the tour were also very friendly and wished us good luck (Not sure if they were medical students or other health professions)."
"How comfortable they made us feel in the group interview."
"Great curriculum and program"
"Everyone was really nice and engaging."
"The campus was absolutely beautiful and you can tell that they really care about their students. You can really tell that the students genuinely enjoy going to this school. The campus community seemed very supportive of one another and our student ambassador talked about how everyone is friendly and works together to get good grades. The admins who spoke to us were much friendlier and more articulate than other admins who I had spoken to on other interviews. TU also has many amazing opportunities for research and to do rotations and volunteer work abroad. Overall, I had a really positive experience at this school."
"The students and other applicants were amazing"
"Campus was nicer than expected."
"The MPH dual degree and small class size"
"I was impressed by the camaraderie within the student body. Seemed like everyone got along and really tried to help one another."
"The location, staff, and the student body."
"The level of respect paid to the cadavers, anatomy labs and dedicated OMM faculty."
"Our tourguide's honesty and how the faculty described their relationship with students and other faculty."
"The facilities."
"Dean Haight"
"anatomy lab is huge"
"Dr. Haight."
"Everyone that talked to us that day from the school, including the interviewers, was very nice and welcoming."
"Students, OMM class, staff, dean"
"The location really can't be beat! The cost of living on the island is reasonable ($500 split between some people in a big house) and the weather is great! If you are looking for a dual degree, this is a perfect set up to achieve it and not pay more. Also, the curriculum focuses on being a team member with the PAs, PharmDs, MPH students, etc. The school got back to me as promised with the decision, too."
"Nice location, sounds like they have a great global health curriculum for DO/MPH students, which is what I'm interested in. Facilities technologically advanced."
"I thought the school grounds were nice, actually. It is a coastal area, so if you aren't used to that, then it may be surprising. However, it is very green on campus. Dr. Haight was encouraging and this is the first school that I have interacted with the Dean of Students/Admissions this much. This school is perfect for the person that wants to do international medical aide. They have a global health program and the MPH would mean you could make a difference even after you came back to the states. The students didn't seem as stressed as they were at some of the more competitive schools."
"I really liked the students and faculty member I met. Loved the anatomy lab and OMM room. Campus was beautiful on a sunny day."
"Read SDN, reread my primary and secondary applications."
"They said that the classes coordinated with each other so that you learn about each system in each course at the same time. & there was more group work than lectures."
"dual mph program, integrative cirriculum, smaller class size relative to other do schools i've interviewed at, students seemed happy there, it's an hour away from sf, Dr. Haight"
"The well ventilated anatomy lab; It did not have the strong odor as in other labs i've visited. "
"The facilities of the school itself were nicer than I expected. The students we met seemed happy."
"they're very personable. they memorized your file and you feel really unique. OMM & anatomy lab. the admissions dean!"
"Dr. Haight - Dean of Admissions was awesome & inspiring. The anatomy lab is fantastic. The school has an opportunity to earn an MPH w/ the DO which I really liked. The students I met seemed happy & confident that they were receiving a top notch education."
"School location, buildings, and esp students."
"They took the time to really read my application and come up with focused and specific questions."
"The students at the school seemed to enjoy it there. The school is very near san fran and the town had a generally good feeling to it. The OMM lab is a great facility. "
"Friendliness of students & staff"
"The area is NOT AS BAD as you think. Sure, some of the buildings are a bit old, but you're on an island, there are tons of eucalyptus trees, grass, etc. I like having green on a campus, so I like it. Also, the admissions director was really nice, and the interviewers were more laid back than at other schools. Also the anatomy lab is nice - second floor, windows, light."
"Dr. Haight's assurances were quite comforting, as was the friendly demeanor of all the students we spoke with. The community spirit impressed me as a strong asset of the school. I also got the impression that they are, as a professional school, quite competent at producing quality clinicians, which counts, obviously, for quite a lot. On the other hand, this is not a research institution, there is no associated hospital, and it didn't appear that many faculty were full-time, as has historically been the case at most all D.O. schools. There are trade-off's at any school, so just know what you want and what you're getting into."
"nothing at all."
"Relatively good rotations available in CA. Anatomy is dissection. Dr. Haight is great and helpful, too bad its not for a better school."
"San Fran, school's future plans, anatomy room, and Donald Haight! He is such a great guy and give the best and most honest advice you'll ever get. "
"students, Dr. Haight, facilities, proximity to SF, future development plans including the nation's first heavy ion cancer treatment center"
"The friendly staff, welcoming students, AMAZING OMM room, lecture halls, and really cool segregated anatomy room to ensure Jewish tradition for those in the attached building."
"Don Haight was adorable"
"Potential of the school If you would like to stay in the North Bay of CA, many options in the future. "
"See above"
"The facilities inside were very nice. From the outside they may seem drab but the anatomy lab and OMM tables were really new and well maintained. "
"The Campus. It does not look so great on the outside, but when you walk in, it's a different story. Everything is updated and renovated. The Anatomy lab is awesome, and the lecture halls are well laid out for the students with plenty of leg room, table space allows for laptops and note pads for each student. Library is pretty nice also."
"the area around the school"
"The anatomy lab. We got to watch 2nd years disecting. SF is a great place to live and be a medical student. Close to my family and friends. Vallejo isn't as bad as I thought it would be. "
"anatomy lab, systems based curriculum"
"The student gave the tour was very honest and gave me a good idea of what the school is really like."
"Dr. Haight is a riot, and his experience and honesty make for a great impression. The students are uniformly enthusiastic and straightforward about how changes in the curriculum are shaping the Touro education. It is a small program that seems very open, with plenty of help available and an eye toward the future. Lunch was tasty, too. The weather can't be beat."
"not much"
"Students dissect whole cadavers rather than viewing pre-dissected prosections. There is alot of research going on that students can participate in. The campus is tucked away and remote, very quiet and charming. The students all seemed happy and enthusiastic. Dr. Haight was incredibly insightful and commiserated with our plights this late in the cycle. He offered email notification. The school has so much potential for growth. The group interview was wonderful because they had taken the time to find out about you and ask directed questions they had prepared. They had examined our applications for one week prior. Very impressive school altogether. "
"The anatomy lab. It smelled fabulous! You could eat in there if they would let you. Dr. Haight's very candid in answering any and all questions."
"In my several visits...the anatomy lab has fresh air. The students look healthy and happy despite the constant onslaught of info. The faculty is very available. "
"the friendliness of the staff and students, the campus was pretty neat and not too far from the bay, and I got pretty lucky with the group of people I interviewed with. We all got a long really well and it made things go much smoother."
"the location of the school (San Francisco Bay Area); the school did a very good job of presenting itself positively; director of admissions as well as staff are very friendly as are the students; how well qualified all the other interviewees were"
"How nice everybody was"
"the faculty and administration"
"people there are nice."
"All of the people I met with were great. The students seem really happy and supportive of each other."
"Really great campus. A bit dismal on the outside, but inside, the facilities are great. VERY BIG future plans. They offer an OMM fellowship which is major points for me. They spun their lack of local rotations into a positive (kind of have to). Also they have international rotations available. This school in 10 years will be a serious contender in facilities and will be a very nice campus."
"Don Haight, what a stud. I don't care what you think of the school or the facilities, that man will make you feel good about yourself. He was a stud."
"I actually really liked the location, while it is kind of isolated it's still pretty and not creepy looking (to me anyway)"
"I loved the fact that the students LOVED their school. Many students would randomly come up to us and wish us good luck, and helped prepare us for the interview. DEFINITELYY a supportive student community. I also appreciated the fact that the faculty was extremely supportive, and have an open door policy."
"The anatomy lab is fantastic. The air is turned over 22x per hour and hardly smelled. The students were friendly."
"The school didn't seem as bad at the rating had suggested however this was my first interview. The place was small but the facilities were very new. The school is very progressive and they had a nice cadaver lab. Dr. Haight does a good job on preparing you for the interview, he even did mini mock interviews with our group. "
"Touro's focus on continual improvement. The anatomy lab was awesome. A lot of new things coming for future students to take advantage of. Faculty's open door policy. I actually liked the island...very nice. "
"program director"
"The anatomy lab was nice. Very little fumes. The administration was very nice."
"It is in the Bay area"
"The facilities"
"the interviewers were very nice. Dr. Haight was very helpful. "
"The location. I can imagine myself going into SF to get away from school. I don't know if I'll have time but whatever little free time it'll be quality in SF. "
"The school is going to be great...the dean and facilities are going to be first class."
"Dr. Haight, director of admissions, the anatomy lab, the faculty, the students, the gym, the beautiful location. "
"The close proximity to San Francisco. The dual degree D.O./MPH program. Electives and opportunities in medical spanish, global health, and global internships."
"Touro has an MPH-DO program which sounds interesting, but since its a newer program it does have some accreditation issues which might prevent you from getting a few jobs(mainly government jobs). Overall student's seemed happy and friendly. I thought the faculty and staff were also friendly throughout the day. "
"Dr. Haight, OMM lab, anatomy lab, unbelievable sense of community."
"Nothing, maybe the sun? "
"The office staff was friendly, and the student tourguide gave honest opinions about the school. "
"The camaraderie amongst students and faculty, the research opportunities, the DO/MPH program, the student-planned events, and the OMM lab."
"Overall attitude on campus, anatomy lab, OMM facility, sunshine"
"The admissions director was outstanding. One thing he said I will never forget - you are in charge of the perception today - what ever impression you want to give is completely in your control."
"The anatomy lab is amazing (looks and smells). The students seemed enthusiastic. Most interviewers were down-to-earth and sympathetic toward students (i.e. looking for the good in you) rather than hostile or skeptical. Dr. Haight genuinely cares about enrolling quality students and especially those who have something unique to bring to the school (and he's good at it). The school absolutely has a campus feel to it."
"The great faculty and staff. The interviewers were incredibly nice and layed back. Dr. Haight is hilarious."
"The anatomy lab was really nice. They were setting up for their anatomy test and it didn't smell that bad. "
"Small school, more one-on-one time with professors, the fact that students have a voice, and that the school is trying to expand, which means that if I want to start an organization, or do research the profs and deans are more readily accepting of those opportunities. Small school means very family oriented, and encouraging, and supportive . Outside the city of Vallejo, is San Francisco, which is an amazingly diverse place. Don't have to go far for excitement."
"My interviewers, Dr. Hartwig especially, made it clear that the faculty are a tight-knit group who are dedicated to teaching. Very good OMM instruction is available for those who wish to pursue it, but specialized training is not forced on students. Options in roation sites. Quiet campus with a certain charm."
"The part when Dr. Haight spoke to us about our applications and how we were already screened pretty well prior to being invited to interview. He stated that even if we are not accepted at TUCOM-MI we will be accepted elsewhere eventually. And even though this is hard to believe if you have not been accepted into a medical school yet, his words are true. The anatomy lab was impressive and the student guide was able to show us a cadaver. Students may choose to do their 3rd + 4th year rotations almost anywhere in the U.S. although they are pushing for more students to stay in the Bay area in the future. Also there is a new Genesis curriculum that sounded very promising. "
"Well ventilated anatomy room, the weather was awesome, the facilities are nice, new and clean. Dr. Haight was really nice and gave us unbaised answers about the school which was very appreciated. "
"The anatomy lab was nice. It even had windows. That was about the only part of the campus I liked!"
"Dr. Haight is very funny and spent some time with us explaining the interview process (although very little time compared to the past). I thought the group interview with my peers would be intimidating but it actually went well and was fun to hear about what some of the other candidates had been up to. I was also happy to hear they are switching to an integrated curriculum."
"The student that gave us the tour was very encouraging. Dr. Haight is very nice, the dean of the med school was very very nice and informative."
"Nice, friendly staff and laid back atmosphere. California's beautiful, even the ramshackle town of Vallejo. The facilities seemed adequate if not state of the art."
"I was impressed by the student tour guide...she had a lot of good things to say about the school and didn't shy away from saying what she didn't like (school is a bit disorganized at times). Overall she was happy with her choice there. Anatomy lab seemed good too. Also, I liked the fact that the interviews were done in a group and open-file. This allowed them to ask specific questions about you that you were probably more prepared to answer (I felt). And with other applicants there, it took the focus off of me some. I felt pretty comfortable by the end of the hour. All of the staff seemed friendly and approachable. Also, there's a two-week turnaround on your application status. That's fantastic. "
"Dean of admissions, the interview panel"
"Nothing impressed me positively."
"Dr.Haight, he is very encouraging and is just so nice! I really enjoyed him, he has an awesome personality."
"All of the people we met were really friendly and honest when you asked them about the program. Dr. Haight is great and my interviewers were really laid back and seemed interested in what we were saying."
"Dr. Haight made the experience very pleasant and had some great advice for each of us prior to going to interview."
"the day was organized, the facilities not as bad as i was expecting, based on SDN... faculty seem to be very caring... i thought the campus was fairly pretty actually - it's where "patch adams" was filmed. and i loved that there were grass and trees! (i am from a city)"
"Location, Anatomy lab, growth potential of the site, plenty of parking, it was a nice day, new curriculum that will involve 2 years of anatomy, the old theater, the whole island kind of has a pioneer feel to it"
"The camaraderie between administration, faculty, and students."
"disection, not prosection. not a bad commute from oakland/berkeley or the city, so not far from a great area."
"Students' enthusiasm about the school, how nice Dr. Height was, how nice professors were to us - they all seemed very interested in me and very encouraging during the interview. Also, I love San Francisco and the c ultural life it has to offer. "
"Facilities, the way the students love the school, cohesiveness of the student body"
"The state of art anatomy lab, helpful faculty and students, research opportuninties "
"I could disagree with an earlier positing more. I know who posted that impression. He was a complete jerk. He was negative from the moment he sat down. On the tour he embarassed all of us with his negativity. Dr. Haight saw what was going on before any of us. He just didn't want to be there. He had already interviewed at several schools. He says 10. Who knows. All I know is that he acted like a he was doing us a favor by being there. I was unsure if Dr. Haight would call him on it. All of us really liked each other and we all felt connected. Dr. Haight told him that he should not take that attitude into the interview and he still did it. What a waste of everyone's time. OK, I will buy that the Island isn't what I expected. There is a lot of construction going on. The campus was nice though. The anatomy lab was the best I ever saw. The students were all positive. I didn't get accepted, but if offered a chance to go I would take it. I heard some rumors about the curriculum changing and that concerns me, but only because they have such a good reputation as is."
"Dr. Haight is everything students say he is. If you go to this school based on him then I can say that is a fair judgement."
"the people were unbelievably kind and friendly. dr. haight is an excellent representative of the school and was cordial and professional with all the interviewees. he wants to make you feel comfortable so you can be yourself during the interview. i can't say that about most admissions directors. "
"1) It's near SF. 2) The anatomy lab is really nice."
"Dr. Haight was great all around. The anatomy professors were extremely nice and welcoming."
"the quality of the school and the people I met. Faculty seemd genuine, people seemd happy to be there. "
"The anatomy lab was in tip top shape, state of the art. Great ventilation and very new. Possibly the best I've seen."
"I was incredibly impressed with the state of the art anatomy lab and that the student/cadaver ratio is only 4-5 students per body. I was also impressed with how friendly and family-like the students were on campus. They all were so friendly!"
"its close to san francisco driving-wise"
"Proximity of San Francisco"
"The students were very friendly and laid back. The island is very pretty, and being close to all the good things in the bay area is always a good thing."
"the anatomy lab, dr. haight was very straightforward and friendly, the student tour guide liked her school very much, which was nice. i also liked the research opportunities that are available if you want to get involved"
"The anatomy lab is incredible and seemed much better ventilated than other schools."
"Dr. Haight was very welcoming and encouraging. I liked his straight-forward approach and ability to put us all at ease prior to the actual interview. The campus is small and very tucked away on the island but the anatomy lab is amazing. Our student guides seemed very happy at the school and tried hard to answer our questions. The faculty that interviewed us were firm believers in the benefits of osteopathic medicine. The admin staff even seemed happy and relaxed. Folks I told about the interview were impressed they fed us lunch. :)"
"Dr. Haight epotomizes what an Admissions Director should be. He lays everything on the table and answers any questions. His openness makes you feel comfortable with the school and really boosts its image. Also, the anatomy lab is all that it's cracked up to be, truly wonderful!"
"The proximity to San Fran."
"The genuine camaraderie among students and how courteous Dr. Haight, my interviewers and staff was."
"Dr. Haight is absolutely amazing. I guarantee any stress you felt walking in will be relieved in the first 10 minutes of meeting with him. Very clean (odorless)anatomy lab and block exam schedule. This depends on student preference, some schools give exams every week. Also,the schedule is great for even the most reformed/conservative of Jews (classes end early on Fridays and all holidays off). Also housing off campus seems affordable. Oh yes, one more thing....you will have a decision within 2 weeks. In fact I received notice of acceptance the Friday after my interview."
"Dr. Haight is just as good, or better, than everyone says. If I was to go to this school it would because of the things he said. He really makes you feel good about being selected for an interview. The others I interviewed with were absolutely amazing and talented people. Dr. Haight knows how to pick 'em, I felt good knowing I was selected among such amazing people."
"Dr. Haight is a blast. He is very honest and I frankly learned a lot about the admissions process. All the other interviewees got along and talked the whole time."
"This is old news...but Dr. Haight really is a sincere man who just wants the students to do their best in the interview and he did an amazing job talking with all of us before the interview; he has a great sense of humor and we laughed a lot, so that helped most of us relax. He had us each talk about ourselves with the whole group of 12 students so we could get comfortable with each other since we would have to speak in front of each other during the actual interview (there were 2 groups of 6 people being interviewed that day). This was really helpful; I felt like I knew enough about the other applicants and they knew enough about me that when questions were asked during the interview I was completely comfortable speaking honestly in front of everyone. Also, the anatomy lab is really nice, the odor is tolerable and there's a great view of trees and buildings and some old Navy ships on the water. The lecture halls are nice with comfortable seats. The library was packed with students studying for their block exams this week; there are plenty of chairs and sofas for everyone to find a comfortable spot to study; the library has all of the books that are needed for a great education at TUCOM, and if you need a book that's not there, they will get it for you. All of the staff and students I met were really friendly. "
"Dr. Haight, as has been said time and again, is wonderful. He really makes you feel good about yourself, and is open about where the school is in terms of # of seats available, etc. "
"The new curriculum allows the students to take advantage of more early clinical experiences. I did not rent a car, so I took the ferry into SF. It was definitely worth the $17 round trip ticket. I was bummed when I found out the tours to Alcatraz were booked until the next day. If you are interested in going to Alcatraz, I think you can purchase tickets online before you visit SF. After the interview, a few of us went to the wine vineyards (in Napa), Benicia (where a lot of students live), and downtown Berkeley before taking a flight out of Oakland. I had so much fun touring the area with the other applicants! I am thrilled that TUCOM attracts such fun and interesting applicants, and would be ecstatic to spend the next few years studying with them. Also, I was surprised that one of the faculty members made a joke about the quality of TUCOM’s website. I was actually really pleased by his comment because it showed me that the faculty truly cares about their reputation and strives for continual improvement. "
"Facilities seemed good and the classes we went by seemed to hold student attention."
"good physical location (island), nice facility"
"Dr. Haight! He was extremely helpful and really tried to prep us for the interview portion of the day. He helped warm us up and he really made the day less stressful. "
"The campus facilities. Mr. Haight, the Admissions Director, was also very encouraging and friendly."
"Dr. Haight was enthusiastic, funny, and approachable. The anatomy lab was amazing as expected. It seems that the students are a very close knit group, and the faculty are involved with student life."
"the students, the campus, the faculty, the residency matches of the students"
"Dr. Haight, OMM lab, Anatnomy lab"
"Anatomy and OMM labs"
"enthusiasm of the student guide, the extracurricular activities offered on campus."
"Interviewing proffesors were diverse (a native Spanish speaker, a Dead-head) and interesting. Mare Island is actualy very pretty. "
"The staff and faculty were amazing! The were bright, enthusiastic, and genuinely interested in getting to know me. The interview was more like a discussion with fellow students. The anatomy lab was odorless. They have a nice basketball court with the Touro emblem at center court."
"The anatomy lab was really well lit with natural light and had great air circulation. That's about it."
"The admissions director and his speach. Students were nice."
"The facilities were not that bad, the area is OK, and Dr. Haight was really nice. He's a very genuine person."
"California?? Dr. Haight is really nice and straightforward. I really appreciated his honesty about how the interview panel works and how Touro is. He didn't say anything bad about the school, but he didn't hype it up like other schools do. "
"The student-guided tour, pre-lecture notes, and anatomy lab."
"I like the campus, it has a new Basic sciences building. The area that the school is much nicer than most of Mare Island. The students were friendly, they were studying for tests, but took the time to say hi and tell us how great the school is. They also have a mentoring program for first year students. The anatomy lab is really nice. And of course Dr. Haight is great."
"I love the proximity of the school to some great cities, and the especially opportunities to work in the bay area. The students seemed friendly and relatively laid back. The famous anatomy lab."
"The openness of the community. Even though the students were studying for finals, they all took the time to wish up luck and the teachers seemed welcoming."
"Small, community atmosphere. Openess of students and staff. Students seemed fun, sane, intelligent, relaxed. You obviously get to know everyone. Dr. Haight. The Mare Island Campus is fine. If you can look past some stuff, it's pretty cool actually. I'm definetly excited about going to this school after visting."
"The professionalism of the school, the course we watched for a few minutes, and the overall vibe of the school. The interviewers also had our file for a week, so they really knew each of us. Great interview."
"observing an OMM class for a few minutes"
"everyone was nice, as were the facilities"
"campus isn't as ugly as everyone says on SDN; Dr. Haight really makes you feel good about yourself, your application and your chances of acceptance; anatomy lab was impressive"
"The faculty and students. The non-competitive, supportive atmosphere of the school. The anatomy lab."
"Admissions director was great! The students and staff were very friendly. "
"The auditoriums are pretty nice."
"Dr. Haight was great. He was very informative and helpful. Explained everything clearly and tried to make sure we went into the interview stress free. Also it only takes a few days to find out if you got accepted compared with other schools"
"friendliness of students, Dr. Haight, location"
"professors and anatomy lab, residency matches in many UC med centers and Yale"
"Dr. Haight's fatherliness towards the interviewees."
"Anatomy lab- they have a really good anatomy lab and air circulation system. They had all the bodies out and yet I couldn't smell anything. "
"Dr. Haight, the students, and surprisingly the facilities."
"I was in California!?"
"everything..friendly students and faculty..amazing anatomy lab (MUCH better than nova). free parking :) don't buy into all the negative comments posted here on the school "
"The anatomy lab is awesome, Dr. Haight is obviously amazing as well. The students are so friendly and seem really happy . I liked the lecture halls and the fact that it's near the bay.. I love the school. (the OMM tables were brand new.. so that was kinda cool too)"
"Everything! Group was really accomplished and personable, of course Dr. Haight was the epitomy of a great admissions director, interviewing faculty were warm and very welcoming"
"Simply put, Dr. Haight. He spent an our with us at the hotel and about two hours with us in the conference room at the school. This time afforded us the opportunity to get to know each other and ask questions without fear of affecting the outcome of our application. Dr. Haight doesn't vote, so you an ask whatever you want (no matter how dumb or embarassing). You basically get a 3 hour warm-up for your 1 hour interview. I interviewed for the Las Vegas campus so there was no need for a site visit at the Mare Island interview. However, the staff at the Las Vegas campus was great about making time on a weekend to give me a tour of the new campus during my last trip to Las Vegas. The Henderson location is great. Affordable housing, lots to do and great weather. The facility is also brand spankin' new! Stadium seating in the classrooms, brand new anatomy and OMM lab and 10,000 square foot exercise facility. Having come from a major university with a huge campus, I like the idea of everything being inside a single building. "
"One person, Dr. Haight. He made the interview process very smooth for me. I didn't sleep well the night before and was a bit nervous, but his hospitality and advice helped me relaxed and gave me last minute preparation."
"Dr. Haight, the program, going to a medical school in an area where there is a lack of good doctors."
"The staff and Dr. Haight and Brian (a soon to be student at the new branch who came down to talk to us all). They were all very helpful and kind and really open. It made the day so much better. Also, all the financial aid and information about the school was all done BEFORE the interviews. Recently interviewed at another school where all the information was being given out as applicants were being pulled for their interviews, so I missed some information on the school and its dress code because of it. They also had an awesom anatomy lab at the mare island campus. TUCOM is definitly my first choice school. "
"The time that Dr. Haight spent with us"
"Dr. Haight, meeting and getting to know my fellow interviewees, the previously accepted student who came to meet us at the Best Western in the morning"
"Dr. Haight was really nice and very informative"
"The enthusiam of the Director of Admission Donald Haight, and the admissions staff."
"Dr. Haight, Dr. Haight , Dr. Haight , Dr. Haight "
"Clinicals, location (NV), staff."
"I was interviewing for the Nevada campus but the Mare Island campus is not as bad people say it is. People make it out to be a hole in the ground, deserted, military base. It's quite nice actually but doesn't compare to some other schools I've been to but it was decent. "
"The students, we were able to meet w/a few post interview, and I instantly felt a genuine camraderie; they were the best (Our meeting them was NOT part of the interview/tour). The legendary Dr. Haight (Height, not Hate for those who will be interviewing soon) the hype is justified; the guy truly cares for the applicants, and tells us exactly what to expect during the admissions process."
"nice interviewers"
"Dr. Haight! He is the best! He is very personable and did everything possible to alleviate our anxiety about the interviews. Also, very straightforward about the admission process and what we should expect. A great man! Stressed several times that we would not be there if HE didn't think we weren't great potential doctors."
"Dr. Haight is wonderful and helpful, gives a nice ego boost before the interview. Faculty were nice along with the interviewers."
"Dr Haight was awesome and funny! The student we met was sooo enthusiastic about the school (as was the dean) - it was contagious."
"The new campus in Las Vegas."
"The facilities are much nicer than I had expected. Those of us staying at the Best Western were welcomed to the Mare Island campus by Steve Davis, the Assistant Director of Admissions. He did a wonderful job of calming our nerves prior to the interview. Incredibly nice guy!!"
"the campus, the admission staff, the anatomy lab"
"LV is very excited about a med school coming to town and is doing a lot for the school. i.e. giving money."
"comaraderie amongst the interviewees for that day. i honestly can't think of anything positive for touro. "
"anatomy lab and director of admissions"
"Dr. Haight; community of students- everyone was so nice! ; Anatomy lab- so clean! good vents!"
"Dr. Haight shared some useful information about the admissions process, and his views on the admissions process."
"campus, program, "
"Students are dedicated to the school and teachers seem friednly and accessible."
"nice gross anatomy lab, some of the faculty seemed intellegent and were doing some interesting work."
"The way the interview is conducted. Although the group setting is a little intimidating, you have the opportunity to learn about your fellow candidates and their experiences. Dr. Haight makes this venue a reassuring atmosphere for everyone."
"other applicants at the interview "
"The students are awesome (as well as the staff!). I would advice anyone who is going out to Touro to stay an extra day (or even after the interview) to go to classes/labs with the students. You really get a taste of what the school is like and you get to meet the students and get their feedback about the school. The facilities are very nice too- the labs and even the classrooms."
"the dean seemed real nice, they are opening a branch in LAS VEGAS"
"I was impressed by the cordiality and respect that Dr. Haight, the interviewers and staff extended to each candidate. It was obvious that they had a genuine interest in each of us. The campus was nicely kept. The classrooms and facilities were nice."
"Dean was extremely nice, prepare us for the interview."
"The campus was not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I pictured an abandoned island with sparce vegetation and ugly buildings everywhere. There were actually many trees and the campus looked fine. Dr. Haight was awesome...very helpful and reasuring. "
"dr.haight is straight with you and has breakfast with you at your hotel and then takes you to the interview (stay at Best western) and he hang with you the WHOLE day, students seem very into the school, family oriented, school is developing so opportunities can be created (however also means that some things are lacking like research)"
"I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the interview, the great anatomy and OMM lab, and the proximity to San Francisco and Napa Valley"
"Dr. Haight"
"They were upfront with us, I did not get the vibe that they were trying to b.s. us. Reading the interview experiences had me more stressed than what the actual experience. I liked the school."
"The nature of the interviewers, and of course, Dr. Haight. He was pretty laid back, quite informative, and anxious to answer any questions. He has a great sense of humor and made the day enjoyable. The student giving the tour was pretty cool as well, scenery was nice. They were able to answer specific questions I had quite well. Contrary to a couple of posts, the interviewers were nothing but respectful- I also interviewed with two other applicants-they were awesome! Get to know each other, it makes the process much easier!"
"It has been said before, and I need to say it too, Dr. Haight is a jem. The students were incredible who showed us around the campus and even invited us to stay in touch by email. The faculty acted friendly and one walked us back to Admissions. That was a nice thing to do."
"Anatomy lab was great. Hardly a scent of preservative. Pleasant interview, although some thought otherwise. The admissions director is wonderfully informative and very open."
"The anatomy lab was completely odor-free and had windows. That was nice. Also, to me, the campus itself is not as bad as many say it is. It was nice of Dr. Haight to offer to change the day's schedule to accomodate us. The students that we did meet seemed somewhat happy. I liked the program, where the students got matched up with a pregnant woman and followed her throughout her pregnancy. That was pretty cool. Admissions staff were nice."
"Dr. Haight, current students, anatomy lab, and even though I thought I would hate it the group interview was really good. When the interviewers put you on the spot, the other interviewees are the ones cheering you on. It really chills out the whole process. "
"From the moment Dr. Haight, Dean of Admissions, met us at the hotel until at the very end when we walked us to the shuttle to take us back, I felt that he really wanted me and the others to do well. He is so refreshingly honest. No BS and I love that. One of the people interviewing with my group brought her father. Dr. Haight couldn't have been more hospitable. He invited him to tour with our group and even join us for when we had lunch. I overheard the father tell Dr. Haight how much it meant to him to be included. He wasn't my dad, but I almost cried when I heard what he said. "
"The students all seems to really like the school and the helpfulness of the faculty."
"Honestly, only Dr. Haight. He meets you in the morning and accompanies you around the whole day. I appreciated his honesty and intergrity about the admissions process. He really makes you feel welcome. The actual school is a whole other story."
"Dr. Haight is a very nice person. There was somethings he said that I did not know or think about before about medical school admissions...but at the same time I think he may be overrated by many of the people who post their interview experience here. The anatomy lab is also great."
"Dr. Haight, the Director of Admissions, spent probably the entire day with us making sure that we got all our questions answered in a straight forward way and to make sure that the entire experience went smoothly. I knew how they interview and that it was different than I had done in the past and was anxious. He relieved the vast majority of my anxiety. I've been to schools where I haven't even met the Dean of Admissions, and he spent the entire day with us. I couldn't have been more impressed by his honesty and the way he sincerely cares. If I get accepted, and I accept their offer, it will be mostly because of him."
"TUCOM has the best anatomy lab I have seen anywhere! The lighting in the lab is bright, not so bright that it blinds you, but excellent. You can barely detect the smell in there. Plenty of space in the lab. TUCOM is located in the Bay Area, which contains cities (SF, San Jose) where there's a lot to do. But the city of Vallejo does not represent the Bay Area at all. There's on-campus housing close to lecture halls, but is up on the hill. One student told me there's a cafeteria - meal plans...but I'm still not sure about this."
"The students seem to genuinely help each other. Also, Dr. Haight explained the admission TUCOM's philosophy very well."
"the students and staff"
"I was actually impressed by the campus. I was expecting "deserted military base" to mean cold, sterile buildings on a barren, windswept island. I found the initial parts of the island to be a bit run-down, but the area where the campus was located was historical and stately, but modern inside. The campus area was rennovated, and I thought the buildings were attractive. The campus is surrounded by green lawns, trees, and the bay- I think it was very attractive, and actually is the selling point for me for the school- when we were outside it was so quiet, you could only hear the sound of the sprinklers. I thought it was really peaceful. You can also live on the island and walk less than a block to class. There are no security issues because it is a small community and the island has a security check-point to enter. Just my opinion though. "
"Well, the anatomy lab is well-ventilated. That's about it. The travel accomodations are nice. Stay at the Best Western, it'll make your life easier."
"Dr. Haight is wonderful, he is very honest and upfront, he made me feel very relaxed and optimistic about the day, before we got to the school. Plus, the anatomy lab is great, the students generally seemed happy, one of my interviewers was very friendly and enthusiastic about the interview."
"The students seemed genuinely happy to be there and the facilities were great. Also, Dr. Haight is the best."
"As mentioned by others, Dr. Haight is a great resource. The have great plans for improving the school and the campus."
"The nice gym and entertainment facilities."
"The students were really warm and friendly. Also, Dr. Haight is a great resource! Plus, the San Francisco Bay Area is awesome (aside from Vallejo). "
"nothing"
"Dr. Haight, of course. He let us go to the bathroom alot! :) Also, I really liked everyone (the faculty)on my interview panel. I enjoyed the group interview; it was interesting to listen to everyone's answers"
"the school looks like it has a great OMM program, a high degree of student satisfaction, and a good overall program. Financial aid presentation was quick"
"friendliness of staff & students and how they work together, the tranquility, the centralization of everything, such as offices, gym, class rooms, library, and of course there is an open door policy!"
"Opportunities to study and train at several respected city hospitals. Dr. Haight was really nice and tried to make it as easy as possible."
"Although it has been expressed over and over, you don't understand how helpful Dr. Haight is until you experience it first hand. His candor, comfort, and compassion was unbelievable. He is truthful, but not blunt, reassuring, but will not lead you on. The caliber of the other applicants was amazing. I could not imagine being on the admissions committee and have the responsibility of decide who gets in and who doesnt... The anatomy lab and OMM lab is spacious... Cool electronic paper towel dispensers... Wireless internet in the works... Happy students! "
"Dr. Haight, the interview panel"
"Dr. Haight is the best! His candid comments about the campus and his willingness to answer any and all questions contributed to the great experience. I appreciated the fact that Touro does its best to respect the medical school applicant, unlike other schools that make you feel like beggars in the street asking for handouts. I also like that they provide students the opportunity to do international rotations."
"The staff seemed very friendly and approachable, students seemed happy. Dr. Haight was very open and honest at breakfast and thoughout the entire day. Although the outside of the TUCOM buildings aren't very pretty, the insides have been totally renovated. The anatomy lab was beautiful--lots of natural light."
"As has been said here numerous times, Dr. Haight is great and really does put you at ease. Although the facilites weren't the best, the students did seem very happy there."
"The group dynamic was great. Whenever the interviewers faces were "unfriendly" I could always turn to my peers and see their encouraging faces. "
"I loved the city of San Francisco. It's such an awesome place to be. And Dean H was great. He was so nice, honest, and reassuring. The school treated you very respectfully, and I liked that. The goal was not to intimidate us. And I loved the interviews being conducted in a group format. "
" The friendliness of the admissions staff, in particular Dr. Haight. The anatomy lab, nice peaceful location, close to the water. I was very impressed by the caliber of the students I interviewed with - they were very accomplished and friendly."
"Dr. Haight is a valuable resource...not intimidating and really wants to be a source of information for you, not a critic or judge."
"The students were surprising satisfied with their experience. "
"Dean of Admissions was very supportive through the interview day and the 98% first and second choice residency match rate."
"The friendliness of Dr. Haight and the student tour guide. T"
"The interior of a number of the buildings had recently been remodeled. Dr. Haight was extremely friendly, positive, and helpful. The happiness of the students that I talked to. The professors seemed to love teaching and had close relationships with the students. The warm weather of California. "
"Dr. Haight, the admissions director. He was very amiable, respectful, and straightforward. Overall, the TUCOM admissions process the most humanized you will find at any school."
"Friendly students"
"It is a new school"
"sanfrancisco"
"Anatomy lab, new lecture halls.(huge with great a/v) Honesty of Dr. Haight-great dean."
"The facilities were very nice and the faculty is very proud of their school. The Dean of Admissions, Dr. Haight, is the best admissions staff representative that I have met from any of the schools I have interviewed at."
"How nice Dr. Haight was throughout the day. The happiness of the students at the school"
"Dr. Haight was way cool, he gave us all confidence in that if not accepted here we would be somewhere....being with the other interviewees really helped relax the mood, gave us someone to talk to that was going through the same thing you were."
"Everyone was extrememly friendly and nice and the anatomy lab truly is well ventilated... we were in there for about 15 minutes and did not leave smelling at all :)"
"Parts of the movie Patch Adams was filmed on that campus and the anatomy lab was the BEST SMELLING anatomy lab of any school I had visited thus far!"
"Dr. Haight is a wonderful man. Very straightforward and no-nonsense. "
"The new lecture halls were cool. In ten years, this will be a great campus."
"students seemed happy"
"The faculty and students"
"Dr. Haight was wonderful, really made me feel comfortable. It seems he truly cares about his candidates"
"Dr. Haight was great and made you feel at ease. When you meet him in the morning before the interview (GO TO THE HOTEL FOR THE BREAKFAST) ask him lots of questions about the interview. He will tell if you ask--but only if you ask. Don't be shy. The campus was okay, but the anatomy lab was pretty impressive (no smell whatsoever)."
"The dean, Dr. Haight was very personable and was the host for the day."
"The dean was incredible. He came out to the suggested hotel and greeted us. He was very honest and genuine. He understood all the crap students have to put up with (wait lists etc.) and promised us that he does not run things that way. He respects students a lot. Apparently the school matches well."
"The respect the faculty has for the students, and the happiness of the students"
"The students and their view of the faculty!"
"Openess and welcomeness by staff and faculty. Anatomy lab, golf course."
"The anatomy lab was new."
"How the students and facutly seemed to genuinely like each other. Being a bit of a Trekkie, the cooperative, positive vibe I got from the school, coupled with the location - San Francisco, made me comment to an interviewer that this was what Starfleet Academy must be like - lots of people working cooperatively towards a common goal. I wasn't so much of a dork - I waited 'til after the interview."
"The dean of admissions (dr haight) was very personal and candid about the school, which spoke miles about what kind of program they want to build. Also, the interviewers had one week to really go through the files. The interviewers really knew your files and it wasn't akward at all, in fact the interview (which was panel format) was actually quite fun."
"The interview day was very long (5.5 hours including breaks). Mine was 8:45am - 2:15pm. The panel interview style was awkward and stressful because answering questions in front of other interviewees made it feel more intense."
"We only had 5 questions each. I felt there was not enough time to fully elaborate on why the school should pick you."
"Was not a fan of the group interview format; there is very little on-campus housing available, the nearest houses are a 5 minute drive from campus"
"Nothing. I really love this area of the school. Some people do not like the way this campus looks/the surrounding area. But I actually really don't mind the campus and love the area."
"Interview format, interviewers"
"I thought the group interview was very weird and didn't give each person a lot of time to express who they are. Also, I didn't like that at the beginning of the day, someone asked what colleges we went to and everyone seemed to be from a big name school (Cal, UCLA, Stanford). I, coming from a small liberal arts college, felt a little intimidated by that and wished they didn't ask about that."
"The outside of the buildings are a little shabby but the insides are great"
"I did not vibe well with the campus. Lots of abandoned buildings."
"I don't think they have a simulation lab, which was disappointing. The facilities are humble but I wish they were in a little better shape."
"Parts of their facilities were a little run down"
"Current students flippant about attending class, MPH representative presentation too long"
"Old facilities."
"Since the school is located on a closed Naval base/shipyard, the campus and building aesthetics were not the best. The same can also be said of some parts of Mare Island/Vallejo. The gym and workout facilities were fairly small compared to other schools. The anatomy lab is decent, nothing too fancy. Their simulation center was slated to be ready by early 2018 but forgot to ask about that."
"Facilities and Mare Island in general"
"It seemed like they were avoiding answers about why their students were below average on COMLEX/USMLE and why they keep restructuring their curriculum."
"n/a- this interview was amazing"
"The facilities are less than ideal"
"Very high cost of attendance, you have to find your own clinical rotation sites for year 4"
"Old buildings, but whatever, I can deal."
"The area was awful, car got broken into, offered drugs. Will NEVER go back"
"Some of the facilities are older and they dont' have as much room as some of the other schools I have visited"
"Some of the facilities seemed dated."
"The remaining naval shipyard that surrounds the campus."
"The campus and the buildings."
"looks like you're driving into a ghost town when you drive to campus"
"Pretty much everything except Dr. Haight."
"The school is a little depressing looking since it's on an old naval base. Also they are updating Farrigut Inn so it was a little messy due to the construction, but that's understandable!"
"The school seemed a little run down"
"You have anatomy for 2 full years... and the lab is not as wonderful as everyone says... very primitive. The school closes 3pm Friday until sundown Saturday for Jewish holiday and there is limited/no access to library, labs, etc. All food on campus must be Kosher = expensive! Exposure to clinical opportunites is not overly encouraged in the first 2yrs. There are no cafes, stores, etc on the island - you MUST have a car or take a long ferry ride to downtown. The classes are strictly graded and 88-90% pass rate for boards. The biggest turn-off: NO current students besides our tour guides even said hello, good luck, or ANYTHING! There were students looking super stressed and telling us how hard it is at Touro... ummmm ok..."
"Although technologically advanced, minimal amount of facilities. Campus still in development. Ambiguity about clinical rotations and how they are organized."
"Nothing really stood out as bad, but I'd say look at the next section (know ahead of time)."
"Mare Island is not very nice, is isolated and needs some coffee shops or restaurants. Anything."
"They said it was hard to get residency matches because of the competition with allopathic med schools in the bay area"
"the facilities were not as nice as the other places i've been to, clinical rotations seemed scattered"
"The fact that it's on Mare island and the back yard is essentially an abandoned shipyard. The island has no food/groceries/amenities. You would have to drive off the island, which is only about 20 mins but there is no time for that when school starts. Also, the gym is the size of my bedroom with 2 treadmills. literally."
"They're still working out their clinical rotations. Their assertion that their curriculum is "seven or eight years ahead of the boards" just didn't fly with me as justification for why their board pass rates weren't better than average. The area is an abandoned naval base."
"nothing really.. maybe how old the buildings look from outside. doesn't look like a campus"
"I won't lie - the interview style is abrasive and difficult. I did not particularly like that."
"Nothing."
"Some of the quesions seemed personal and not so appropriate for a group setting. Especially stuff about family issues"
"The professors seemed somewhat pretentious. Although I understood why they did the interview in the manner that they did, I really felt that it didn't allow much personal time to sit with faculty so that they could truly get to know your character. I think that this could have been incorporated into the interview day, but that a personal interview would have been nice too. I really didn't feel that it was worth the trip to just let someone see 8 minutes (one hour of interviews with 6 other people in the room leaves VERY little personal time) of your personality."
"There's no cafe near the campus"
"Well, the buildings ARE old, and the area off of Mare Island isn't the best...the student wasn't particularly enthusiastic touring us"
"I understand the rationale behind why they interview this way now, but I still personally believe that it's not the best way to get to know an applicant. Then again, the personal interview has repeatedly been shown in research to be a miserable indicator of future performance, so who knows, maybe they're onto something!? At any rate, it's not a terribly pleasant experience."
"crappy facilities. they'll be great in 10 years but they suck now. fact that school (all buildings) is closed at 3pm and firdays and all day saturdays. how can u call urself a serious academic institution when there is no real library and no place to study on campus 24 hours a day or even after 11pm? "
"Terrible school facilities. Total lack of an actual campus. Area is run down, derelict. School has NO facilities for studying at night and IS CLOSED Fridays at 3pm and all day Saturdays. This is in observance of Jewish law but Einstein in NYC has 24 hour study areas and they are a Jewish school as well. FYI, hospitals and patients do not adhere to Jewish/Catholic/Hindu/Muslim religious calendars, you will have to go to work. Not a strong academic environment, bad facilities, not even cheap."
"School isn't pretty"
"ambiguous interview questions were pretty frustrating"
"The area (Mare Island seems so secluded), the library has few tangible books (most material is online)."
"the school and facilities are not pretty. vallejo looks scary. But the towns surrounding vallejo (benicia etc..) are gorgeous!"
"out of no where No D.O. interviewer! "
"See above "
"The area around the school is kinda bland. You can see the construction equip from the school and hear ships coming in from time to time. Driving in was a little deserted feeling but they are developing things in the area to bring more people there. "
"You have to drive through the whole island to get to the campus."
"the lack of information the school gives about their program"
"Lack of presentation and organization. I wanted to know more about the school from the dean and from students about Complex pass rates, curriculum specifics, etc. It sounds like it will be difficult to get rotations and a residency I want. "
"lack of clinical exposure in 1st 2 yrs, mare island is not pretty"
"The campus looks rundown. Lack of food on campus."
"This place is in Vallejo, a city that has great potential but is currently an industrial and socio-economically disadvantaged area. However, if you are in the DO business, you probably want to serve as a primary care physician, anyway, so imagine the opportunities to help in the area. The facilities are a mix. The classrooms are great and high-tech, but the campus IS an old Navy base with lots of history, but a very dilapidated look in an industrial area. Google map it - take a look at the satellite view. It gives a good impression. "
"I promised I would not say directly what was said, but during the interview day some extremely inappropriate comments were made to me personally and I felt like I was a trooper for brushing them aside on such a stressful day. These comments were made in front of the group I was with, and was directed towards me from one of the admissions staff. I felt these comments were hurtful and should be frowned upon by any institution, especially a medicial school with a holistic mission."
"Nothing. All positive, even the high security. I arrived two hours early and the campus was closed. I was swarmed by NICE security guys telling me where to park and wait."
"Although I appreciated all of the statistical information given by Dr. Haight, I was really tired of talking about the interview and just wanted to get it over with already. We spent nearly four hours talking about what our chances of getting in were. It was just a little too late to bring forth any doubts about continuing with the interview."
"I totally can't stand Vallejo, and I hate driving cuz i think it's wasteful. I'll either have to live in vallejo (gulp), or drive A LOT! So maybe i'll get a biodiesel car..."
"that the school is not associated with an undergraduate facility"
"lack of discussion of curriculum or clinical rotations; MPH program is still not fully accredited (probably will be by mid-2009)"
"the area the campus was in"
"not much...it's a fine school."
"Facilities = B- "
"The facilities weren't the best but they were good enough and the university has a lot of room to grow. "
"The fact that I'm applying now. Again, the particle lab will probably change a lot of what the school is doing/able to do. "
"Eh, I could be picky and say ''lack of info on rotations, match lists, etc..but honestly, they had the info i wanted and you can find/talk to others to get what you need. Most students sound like they need their hand held while interviewing. Don't be a baby. "
"There was absolutely no mention of the curriculum. No information given about basic science classes/clinical rotations, aside from mentioning that they were switching to a systems-based curriculum (and that info was given by the student tour guide when asked)"
"I wish it were NOT located on mare island!! The area is not quite where I would picture a medical school"
"everything. There is a level of professionalism that is expected from a school when the student is to be paying upwards of 40k a year in tuition. The facilities were horrible in comparison to other schools with equivalent tuition. The faculty seemed indifferent during the interview, and the students when asked questions were not able to answer them, and even went on to say they felt as if they were being kept in the dark about many things. The expansion will not help anyone who is applying within the next 2-4 years. The 3 buildings are subpar at best. It did not feel like a medical school at all. There was no effort by the staff to sell the school they just seemed like robots going about sticking to the schedule, and that was their main concern throughout the day."
"There are some spooky looking buildings on Mare Island. They're historical landmarks from the navy base so they can't do that much about them."
"The school was really small, but it didn't bother me that much since I go to a small university for my undergrad, it was kind of too bad that it was winter break for them so no students were around and there were no classes to sit in on. "
"Cost of living in the Bay area. A lot of bugs to be worked out in their new curriculum, so I would probably be a guinea pig. Tuition is expensive. $2,000 nonrefundable deposit to hold your spot."
"The interviewers and campus feel. Also the research tour and MPH sales pitch."
"The facilities. Workout room on a racquetball court!"
"The lack of discussion on the service aspect of medicine. Everyone seemed focused on remuneration. Also, that no one would frankly discuss the curriculum changes."
"The school is located in an abandoned shipyard. the place is dirty and sketchy. I was surprised there was a medical school located here."
"Dr. Haight is nice but he has a very diplomatic way at answering/avoiding questions. It seems like the school is very secretive about its clinical 3rd and 4th years which are the MOST IMPORTANT years of med school. I don't really care about its campus, but I needed answers on its rotations and board scores but were not answered. The school also has no real tangible plans for the future that they could show us. Students also seemed secretive and protective of what they know very little of what their school is up to."
"Nothing, but I have a huge bias."
"The complete lack of student interaction... my student tour guide couldn't answer many questions. The lack of discussion on the curriculum and rotations... all conversation was about the new MPH program. "
"The entire interview day felt unorganized and they did very little to try and impress me about their school. The scheduled presenters such as the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid person were all unavailable durign our interview day. We spent most of the time discussing the MPH-DO program and then they showed us their research facilities, while trying to scramble and get some students to take us on a tour. Very little was discussed about their new curriculum for next year and people didn't seem to know much about. People in my interview group kept asking questions about the new curriculum and everyone always got a very general response. The school is also in a pretty run down old shipping yard. "
"The smell of my own fear."
"Everything."
"There was no mention of the curriculum or any information on the 3rd and 4th year rotation sites!! I was totally floored at the complete lack of information about the education that the school is supposed to provide. I also had to listen to an extremely boring, hour-long discussion about the DO/MPH program."
"The interview format, the wasted time during the orientation, the negative interviewers"
"Nothing... I had a great time."
"My hotel room burned down and I lost my dress shoes and ties."
"I wish that we were able to see more of the campus while there."
"sincerely nothing."
"The Halloween feel of an abandoned Naval base. "
"The campus and Mares Island is not that bad. Its a work in progress. They are trying to revitalize the city because it was formerly a naval base. In a few years it will look nice. Although some people liked the set up of the interview, I was not fond of it. It made me a bit more nervous"
"There is not much city life in Vallejo, no public transport, not many restaurants/fast food near by. But this can be seen as an advantage b/c then all you do is study, learn, and stay in that environment. "
"lack of intramurals, campus felt a bit dead, lack of nearby restaurants... but SF and Berkeley are nearby!"
"The community just outside of Mare Island, the abandoned military buildings on Mare Island and the campus itself seems a little dated. Now this is an issue because it seems that one may have to live relatively farther away from this school than others to be in a better looking neighborhood. Personally I do wish to live very close to the school I will be attending to minimize travelling times. I was told the campus and the area will be significantly renovated and relandscaped in the next 5-10 years, but as I won't be around then that didn't excite me. Also renovation is slow because the buildings are considered historic, these are just a few things to consider."
"the school is located in what use to be a navy yard. A lot of the old navy buildings are still around. The guide said that they are not taken down because they are regard as historical sites since Ab Lincoln had once visited it. I heard from the student that the food is not good but its Kosher so that can be a plus. "
"Mare Island - shudder. It was creepy. Also, we only got to really interact with one student, the tour guide. Would have preferred lunch with students rather than with the admissions department."
"I did not care for the facilities. I was a little small, and run down looking. The students had just started the block exam week so the tour guide was extremely stressed and basically knew nothing about the school. He kept asking if we had questions but could not answer any of them? Mare island is a little creepy and Vallejo is not the nicest area. Esthetics aside I am sure the education is good but I know I would not be happy there."
"I visited the school last year and nothing much has changed despite all the talk from the faculty that they are working on all sorts of projects with the school. The interviews are open file and we are told in the preinterview that the interviewers have had our files for a week and have been studying them. However, they seemed like they were just glancing at our files during the interview and making up questions. For example, one of the candidates I was interviewing was asked what her parent who was an M.D. thought of him going into D.O. medicine. He politely told the interviewer that his father was dececed and then answered the question. After talking to him after the interview he said he was confused because it was all over his application that his father was dececed. This among other little things makes me think that they were not giving out files as much attention that we are told they are. I also don't feel like the group interview is a very good way to get to know the candidates. "
"The dean of the school along with a lot of the faculty were away at the AOA conference, so in his place the dean of the school of public health spoke to us for 45 minutes and we learned more than most of us wanted to know about the DO/MPH dual degree option. Also, because of the group interview approach, there wasn't much of a chance to converse with the interviewers. I would rather have a more personal and less structured interview. The student tour guide was nice and frank about the school but failed to show us the student housing and cafeteria facilities even though it was on the schedule. Touro is a kosher Jewish campus yet the student seemed to know very little about Judaism, and no one else mentioned it all day, almost as though they were embarrassed about it. The facilities appear to be converted from the old naval facilities and not designed from the ground up as a medical school."
"Mare Island isn't really that nice looking. Driving into the place is a little creepy. I think that things will start to look better though when the construction gets closer to being finished."
"the campus and Vallejo"
"Inferior facilities. No bookstore!! Have to order all books and supplies online. Interview is from 12 PM to 1 PM...not a good time...panel looked hungry and did not want to be there. That they are going to open another campus in las vegas..i think they should close the campus in vallejo and concentrate in las vegas...land in vegas cheaper (anything's better than mare island)...but i don't think this is going to happen...library has so little books...i feel they r in it 4 the money...during the interview process, i was wondering "am i willing to spend so much money and time on a school that does not really care about its students, that's in it for the money, has little to offer... made me think a lot...if no do schools accept me, i have no other choice...but if i have options, i prefer not to go here"
"location of school, small library."
"Location-the school is super isolated and is about 60 minutes from SF "
"The town of Vallejo didn't seem that safe."
"There are letter grades and there are even percentiles for each course completed."
"the community was alright - the guide didn't seem to know THAT many people at the school... you really have to drive for a while on mare island before getting to campus"
"Apathetic tour guide, but helk he had exams that day"
"The location is a bit desolate and eerie."
"technology a bit lacking. no decent dining facilities on campus (only a little room with some kosher-only food)."
"They ask a lot of difficult questions, and they pick one person ( in this case, myself) and ask disproportional number of questions of one applicant comparing to the rest of the group. "
"The location is not pretty--lots of construction and potholes"
"None"
"I only wish I wouln't have had to interview with the guy who was so negative. He tried to dominate the entire interview, and it was all negative."
"Everything that is not Dr. Haight. The group interview was crap and a waste of time. The facilities are subpar to every school I have seen. Underground OMM lab, unimpressive anatomy lab, LOCATION. I don't know why they built a school on Mare Island but it is an abandoned, desolate area with no life in the immediate area. No food or social activity you must leave the island for everything.. it is the midst of construction everywhere and the sight of an abandoned naval yard is depressing."
"See my explanation, it's rather detailed."
"at first glance, touro isn't the most beautiful school on the outside. but, it grows on you and the inside of the buildings are remodeled and modern. "
"1) The judgemental director of admissions. 2) The interview itself was weird. 3) The school is a dump."
"The school seemed very disorganized...it is changing its curriculum next year, yet no one had any concrete information on the changes. The location is awful: one of my tour guides actually said that she is scared to walk from the library to her dorm at night because the island is deserted and scary. Also, the facilities were old and the classroom was dark. I was not happy to hear about the block exam schedule: one student said that she once had 13 exams in one week! "
"Dr. Haight kept on talking about how Touro only invites qualified students and doesn't want to waste their money. However, the $2,000 deposit 2 weeks after acceptance is ridiculous. Also, he talked mostly about how good of a chance interviewers had in being accepted, much less was talked about board scores, matches, and financial aid. The school's location on Mare Island stinks, there is no source of food beside a tiny fruit shack. Campus is smaller than my high school, school library is a joke as was the gym. Only had what, one new lecture hall. While Vallejo is in the bay area, it is nothing like San Fransisco, the area is pretty stale. Without a car then you would be stuck in Mare Island without food, and the city of Vallejo is nothing to sing about. Furthermore, when entering Mare Island there is a warning sign about enter at own discretion, chemicals due to abandoned naval yard may cause health risks. The schools poor appearance, location, and overall lack of communication about academics make you wonder where they spend the money? On opening new schools like pharmacy? Lastly, the students I asked why they were there said that they were not accepted anywhere else. I think just the overall school will not be a pleasurable experience. It is a medical school in California. However, it is a shoddy one at the least."
"The imediate surrounding area in Vallejo is a little run down. But most students I talked to live in the next town over, Benicia, which I'm told is much nicer anyway."
"vallejo isn't too spectacular"
"The area of vallejo."
"The campus buildings are old and unnattractive. At the same time, they have some pretty neat history."
"the location-i did not expect where it was at all. it is definitely not what you think an "island" to be. the campus is not very attractive, no hospital nearby-just a lot of old naval buildings not functioning right now."
"The location. If I wouldn't have gone with the hotel driver, there's no way I would have found this place on time. Also, unfortunately the students were testing so I didn't get to talk to many of them."
"Mare Island is certainly an interesting place! It is like something out of a movie. Construction is everywhere. I wonder how safe it would be at night and on weekends. Except the anatomy lab, the facilities aren't great but I think they are evolving. "
"Mare Island is to put it best a work in progress. There is a golf course there, but not a whole lot else. No family housing on the island"
"Everything. The walls were dirty and had holes in them, it was located on an old abandoned naval base. When I asked students why they were there they said they didn't get in anywhere else. No cafeteria. After the day was over I realized that I had not heard anything about the program other than how they go through their admissions process and the waitlist policy."
"The tour guide did not take us to the residence hall, we could not sit in on any classes due to timing."
"Owning a car is a MUST (coming from a large, metropolitan city this is unique for me). There is nothing on the island and no real cafeteria on campus. "
"Facilities are not near as good as other DO schools, except the anat. lab. Everything else had an old and run down feel, the workout room was a joke. "
"No student ambassadors, no information packets, no curriculum overview. Maybe just a busy day?"
"I had a really great time at TUCOM until that one interviewer asked me the question that I already described. I survived. So, really, I do not have any negative thoughts about TUCOM."
"Driving up to the campus is every bit as ugly as some make it out to be, but once you hit campus, you forget all that. "
"The student guide explained that most of the buildings were not able to be renovated because of historical significance. The school does not have a real cafeteria, so you have to bring lunch and snacks. The gym was not very impressive. "
"Location. Drove around in Vallejo for twenty minutes looking for a coffee shop. Also the route to the school is a mess of construction."
"panel interview...sucks... feels like you're competing with your fellow applicants in the same room"
"There is a lot of construction going on but that can only mean more growth in the future."
"The atmosphere at TUCOM seemed a little impersonal. My tour guide wasn't eager to answer my questions (especially when I asked him if they have wireless connection, which they don't). I didn't feel particularly enthused to be there (especially considering how excited I was to interview at the location in NV)"
"The campus was quite small, and the remaining industrial and military buildings are not attractive. I didn't get to tour the student housing. "
"the school does very little research"
"The city of Vallejo itself. Alot of students live in outlying cities."
"There was no school representatives present at the orientation except Dr. Haight. It was unclear where students have their rotations on the 3rd and 4th year."
"the campus is very isolated and there is just about nothing nearby."
"Depressing rotations. Uninformed tour guide and interviewers. Lecture hall, gym and food facilites. Confusing, contridicary presentation by Dr Haight. "
"nothing. I can't figure out where the negative Touro sentiment comes from. This seemed like a great school. Sure Mare Island was a naval shipyard, and it's not very developed but the medical school itself has nice new facilities! As for location--you can't beat Bay Area weather, and it's not like you're going to have time to "hang out" and do a lot of "city-life stuff" during medical school."
"The director of admissions, Dr. Haight, spent at least 2 and a half hours talking about the admissions process instead of about the school. At other schools, usually faculty and students talk about the curriculum, rotations, etc., but at TUCOM, the only information we got about the school itself was from our student guide. At other schools I've been able to talk to at leat 5 or 10 students, but at TUCOM, it was just Dr. Haight talking about medical school admissions and not medical education. It was a real turn off that they didn't make any attempt to present anything about TUCOM. "
"Campus not the most asthetically pleasing. Not wireless internet wired. Campus kind of in the middle of nowhere."
"Almost everything else. The tour guides were unprepared, didn't know much about their own facilities, we couldn't see half of the things (ie. lecture halls), the students seemed like they were separated into groups (similar to high school days). There's no wireless access on campus, and apparently many professors require the books as assigned reading (ie. they test out them rather than the lecture notes)."
"not as close to San Francisco as I hoped."
"The location, limited computer labs, and the questions asked during the interview."
"I thought the tour was really rushed. I would look inside places and have to run to catch up with the group again. There doesn't seem to be much housing near the campus or on the island right now."
"The lack of "tech", having to organize most clinical experience on your own, 3 weeks to prepare for boards (apparently that's enough, though) "
"Nothing really."
"The buildings are shabby and there's no wireless internet access. But the schools attitude and professionalism impressed me enough to not care about external appearances."
"the drawn-out welcome session, the drabness of the campus buildings, not feeling a sense of community "
"the surrouding area. Mare Island is a dump."
"nothing really on Mare Island; have to pay a 3.00 toll everytime you want to go to San Francisco"
"The location of the school. "
"No wireless internet. The School is VERY ugly. No real campus feel. Student center is pretty non-existant. "
"the lack of knowledge by the students about the program and the poor facilities except the next lecture halls"
"campus is very industrial looking, cost of living here"
"student tour was horrible. They did not really know too much about the school and were kind of hiding something"
"1. The disorganization of the interview day. 2. The short/unorganized/uninformative tour of the campus. 3. Lack of a clinical/basic sciences education presentation. 4. The cafeteria or lack of. 5. Lack of wireless internet/integration of technology into the curriculum. etc etc"
"Most students lived off campus, which is a good 10-15+ minute drive away...so you definitely need a car."
"The library is way too small."
"The interview format. Although it was an hour, since they were interviewing 5 of us at once, you only got about 10 min. to let them get to know you. The questions did not seem relevant to anything important at all."
"the size of the school...its smaller than my local junior college...let alone being called a university. With the tuition so high..i would like to see what is the money spent on??? only two weeks to reserve your seat, $2000 payment required, all at once"
"Not a whole lot, except the obvious.. you're kinda far away from Starbucks, etc... but whatever... that's not even a big deal."
"Didn't get a thorough tour and since we were in the middle of midterms, students seemed grumpy and sort of rude to us, like we were new freshmen in high school."
"The only negative comment I have is that the interview was held at Mare Island rather than Las Vegas. However I beleive this was due to the fact that the Las Vegas campus wasn't ready. Starting next year I think everything will be done at Las Vegas."
"Dr Haight wont be going to Tucom-LV. He will definitely be a great addition to the school. "
"Mare Island campus but I am not going there so I am not worried."
"Nothing. I loved it."
"The time that Dr. Haight spent with us"
"I really wish they didn't try to squeeze so many applicants into one interview day. When they have to interview five applicants within one hour, there's just not enough time for you to really let the interviewers know all the things you want to get across to them. Each interviewer asked each applicant two questions (as time ran out, some applicants were only asked one), and I didn't think that was sufficient to really let them learn who you are. "
"There was a fellow student previously accepted for the Vegas campus who was there to guide us, but it acutally proved more annoying than helpful. I wanted to get to know more about the people I was interviewing with and Dr. Haight, but this student seemed to want to dominate every conversation and made it hard for us to follow. I know he had good intentions, but I would have preferred to have had a current medical student to guide us. He just talked too much about random stuff. "
"I wish we would have longer times during the interview to present ourselves."
"Mare Island"
"The Mare Island Campus."
"Although the MI campus is on an island and it was quite pleasant and quiet, there is no coffee shop or restaurants around. It didn't matter to me since I was applying for TUCOM-Nevada. I wished they would have had a better presentation of the curriculum considering I've been accepted to another school and I wanted to compare them. Anyways, I am impressed with the match list and entrance requirements as well, so TUCOM was always in the running. One point I do have to make is that the Best Western is NOT across the street from the Holiday Inn like the guy from Evans shuttle told me. It was about a 5 minute walk under the overpass. I also did not know that I could have called the van from the Best Western to pick me up at the Holiday Inn. Oh well, I wasn't in the best of moods when I arrived there (delayed flight, late shuttle, didn't eat dinner, etc.). It was late when I arrived."
"They didn't have Roast Beef sandwiches (only vegi, tuna, and turkey...doh!) Other than that, everything was cool. Yes, the campus is on a deserted Naval Base, but the building that are actually used by the students and the surrounding areas were well kept."
"The physical appearance of the campus. It's on an old military base and you can tell. I know looks aren't everything but..."
"We did not get a tour, they said seeing the Mare Island campus would be pointless since we were all applying to Las Vegas, but we could stay after if we wanted. I didn't have time, but I really wanted to see the campus. But I would have rather seen the Las Vegas campus."
"I wasn't that thrilled with that part of the Bay area- I had been to San Fran before and loved it- Vallejo and Mare Island are a different story! Plus, I was interviewing for Las Vegas, and not being able to see the school is a little frustrating."
"The interview. "
"There are no grocery stores or fast food restaurants, much less full-fledged restaurants on Mare Island. Therefore, if you live on campus, you have to leave the island to get to the grocery store, or any other stores."
"the lack of places to eat near the school "
"I interviewed for the LV school at the MI campus so I did not get to see the campus I would attend."
"not all the interviewers showed. i laughed at the gym. our tour guide was able to answer our questions about transferring after the first year too well. "
"the school itself and the interview format. I felt it was very uncomfortable. "
"the library was kind of small- so was the gym."
"I did not like the group interview format."
"Food services available for housing; type of interview method"
"Small campus, facilities are not that great."
"EVERYTHING! One interviewer was rude, poor location, ugly campus, unhappy students. THE TOUR GUIDE WOULDN'T EVEN ALLWO US TO SEE THE ON-CAMPUS HOUSING! Oh, and if you don't have a car, good luck getting off the island to get some food. There is no source of food on the island, no cafes, no grocery store...ughh, this is no place to spend 4 years!"
"The view from the campus was of the old navy shipyard - expected it to be more serene. Anatomy lab was very nice, though."
"the campus, but I applied to the Las Vegas school."
"The dorms are okay, but after living in an apartment with a kitchen it would be hard to live on campus without one. Ask a student to take you up to the dorms if you have time. Also- there is no such thing as a meal plan- there is no cafeteria- only a small cafe (ask the students)."
"the fact that the school is on a marine base! there's a warning that says there could be hazardous chemicals. The interview was group and the discuss private information for others to hear, that disturbed me."
"N/A"
"The school is not in a great location, but it isn't bad. "
"The facilities aren't the greatest but again, not nearly as bad as I picutured. "
"location of school, library was not that great, not many buildings or campus atmosphere, NO bookstore for medical books, high cost of living"
"The island (outside the campus) is under a renovational period. Mare Island is an old naval base and is visually challenging to look at."
"Since we interviewed for the Las Vegas campus they couldn't give us a tour. This created a lot of questions."
"The location does kind of blow. It is nice in the sense that you are far enough from San Fran that you will not always be there but it is close enough that you can relieve some stress. I don't like the fact that there is a enter at your own risk sign as you drive in."
"The location, it's an old naval base. Classrooms need to be improved as well as their gym, didn't get to see residence halls."
"If you attend TUCOM, bring your car. There is virtually no support business on the Island, not even a Starbucks. It is quiet though and only 10 minutes from a ferry that goes into San Francisco. Bring your car."
"Mare Island is probably 95% uninhabited. Before getting on the island you get a notice not to veer away from your destination due to "hazardous conditions related to ongoing cotnruction and environmental remediation activities". Vallejo is an undeveloped suburb of San Francisco approximately 40 minutes away. You would think since the land is undoubtedly cheap that they would be able to invest more in student welfare. Technology, a book store, and an updated gym are lacking. "
"There were a couple of negatives about the school that I felt were quite prominent. We had barely gotten to speak with students that went to the school. It was quite frightening being that we had to make a make a decision whether to accept/reject an acceptance offer and put down a $2000 deposit within two weeks from the acceptance letter date. It was kind of sketchy when the tour guides merely pointed to the dormitories on the hill and did not show us the actual facilities. We didn't see the student union either. The interviewers were much harder on certain applicants for no reason. Also, since the interviews took place before lunch, you could tell that everyone was pretty hungry and the interviewers kept checking the clock or looking at their watches. I thought that was a somewhat rude. To me, the interview approach was uncomfortable. The structure of the interview undeniably fosters a competitive atmosphere, which is not appealing to me. The library is small and it seems like there is not much studying space available. The gym is just nasty."
"Mare Island, other facilities, and that you only get like 4 questions in the interview"
"I was told to dress warm because the San Francisco area can be really cold. It must have been a 100 degrees that day. Fortunately the buildings are air conditioned, but I was hoping for some famous Frisco fog. "
"Most of the 3-4th year rotations are out of the area. Although I new this going into the interview."
"To begin with, the facilities are horrible. The school is on an old Naval base, and thus many of the facilities cannot be renovated because they are historical landmarks. The area in Vallejo is also a little run down, especially near the island. The library(if you can call it that), is small and has limited resources. I don't mean to sound jaded, but if you are going to be at the school for a few years, facilities are important. Also, the fact that you have to fork over $2000 within two weeks of getting accepted is too much to ask(non-refundable). I got in really early to Touro, and just had to turn them down b/c I needed to know what my other options were before committing to one school."
"Didn't have an opportunity to look at more of the facilities nor housing. The student who led the tour was very nice and laid-back, but I wish we could have seen more and had more of an idea of what to expect as students."
"The $2000 deposit. But I was aware of that before I went on my interview because I reviewed this site. I think it is a joke that people post on this site that they were surprised. First, they don't try to hide the deposit they charge, and second, those same people had to have read the same prior posts that I read. Still,I don't know where I'll get the $2000."
"SO MANY NEGATIVES!!! You have to see and experience it to believe it. Touro is located on Mare Island, a former naval island for ships. This island is full of contamination - nuclear waste, chemical waste that has not been cleaned up. Mare Island (3 miles by 1 mile) has so many abandoned factory buildings, ships, rockets. Looks like a WWII war zone. Stop lights don't function because so little car on island. Roads are uneven on island. City of Vallejo feels unsafe is underdeveloped. Nothing to do in this city. Not much choices to eat. Nobody in area knows what Touro University is. Once you reach the front of the university, which is way inside (north) of island, you see a cheap paper sign with the school's name taped to a concrete rectangular piece. Upon entering the school, you notice many buildings - don't be tricked because the school consists of only 1 library, 1 lecture/lab building, 1 administrative building. Up on the hill, the dorm is located there and on the left side of the dorm is the so-called cafeteria which I'm not sure if this is the case. I recommend staying at the Best WEstern - a shuttle picks you up on the day of the interview. On the day of the interview, at 8:30 AM, Dr. Haight, director of Admissions meets with all students on the 3rd floor and talks a lot on things like how many applications TUCOM receives, his daughter's cat, what are our chances of being accepted, etc.. He is a nice, knowledgeable person, but it's his job to sell you the school. But don't be fooled by this. at 9:00 AM, a person from Best Western takes all the students in a van to Touro, following Dr. Haight's station wagon. After that, we were seated in a room, that looks like an interrogation room in the admissions building and Dr. Haight goes over again what our chances of being accepted, what to do during the interview. we also introduce each otehr. After that, a financial aid person presents a 5 minute presentation, which was extremely inadequate. after that, a student gave a tour of the campus, which was not much. The student tour showed us the library (lack of books), lecture/lab, basketball court (looks like from the 70s), gym (very small, looks like dust accumulated on old equip), raquetball court. He showed us the dorm, but said that we should just look from a distance. I was thinking something is up with this. We had about 30 min before 12, time start of the interview, so we just wasted time. During the whole time, he could barely hear what he was saying even though i was standing next to him most of the time. at 12 PM, a group of us , 5, went with a panel of 4 people to interview in a room. This is when the nightmare became worse. I felt like this 60 min was an interrogation. Other students told me the same. Each person is asked about 4-5 questions, and you have to sell yourself. AFter the interview, we are asked waht further questions we have. During the interview, the panel jus looks at you, don't even smile. I don't think anybody on the panel wanted to be there. AFter the interview, one person , a female professor, on the panel just left without shaking anybody's hands, which i felt totally unprofessional and immature. The questions weren't hard, but the environment of the interview was hard because you don't have opportunities to express yourself, feels like you're rushed, and feels like 9 people are evaluating you instead of 4,. The interview had a competitive nature to it. During the interview, if you talked too long, they cut you off like they're talking to a child. The student interviewer on the panel gave dirty looks at us like he was jealous, and that he was somehow superior to us. After the interview is over, you go back to the orig room in admissions and they feed you some hard like rock sandwiches (tuna, roast beef). Then Dr. Haight tells you what to expect like acceptance, rejection, hold... Then the Best WEstern at 1:30 PM picks everyone up and takes them home. I agree with most of the posts about TUCOM that Dr. Haight is a cool person and with tons of knowledge. But I felt that he was trying to deflect a lot of shortcomings of the school: inferior facilities, unhappy students and professors, lack of clinical rotations in CA (most in other states), ....despite all the negatives, I still believe that if you are ambitious and work hard, you can become a dr. regardless. i highly recommend listening to other students' opinions and experiences, visit the campus, pay close attention during your interview, and make a decision on your best interest. Oh, the $2000 non-refundable deposit within 2 weeks is ridiculous. they try and trap students. other schools give you until the middle of Dec. to make a decision. One more thing, I didn't need to hear like 2 hours of what my chances are to get accepted. I wanted to hear what the school offers, 1st 2 yrs, clinical rotations, residency opportunities, housing situation,-the relevant stuff. one example is when Dr. Haight was talking about the dorm situation, he said that we should not go see it because it's too far away. From my prior visiting experience, there are steps that take like 2 min to reach it. seems like certain things were deliberately being hidden."
"TUCOM is in the middle of no where. I knew that before, i just didn't realize it was really "NO WHERE." the facilties are nice and more than enough room to do whatever you need. North Cal is a great place tho...berkeley's pretty cool. Probably live there and make the 30 min commute to school."
"The library was a bit small."
"A lot! The location, the isolation of being on an old base, the lack of clinical experience the first two years, the look of the campus, etc. They're supposedly opening a campus in Vegas (big red flag when they won't talk about it) while they really do need to concentrate on improving the Vallejo campus."
"Jeeze, where to begin. Poor location, unsafe neighborhood, uncomfortable interview, poor rotation sites, no program to assist students preparing for COMLEX step I, interviewer asked me a question in a very condescending manner, 2 WEEKS TO PUT DOWN A $2,000 DEPOSIT! Ridiculous... "
"The interview was a lot more stressful than I thought it would be. Perhaps it is because public-speaking is my worst fear, but I felt pretty tense throughout the entire interview."
"The students were friendly but not very enthusaistic about the school. The facilities are still being worked on, and won't be done for quite a while it seemed. $2,000 Non-Refundalbe deposit is a joke-Dr. Haight talks about making the admissions process easier and as inexpensive as possible. Then to ask for a deposit like that is very unrealistic and disrespectful to students."
"The surrouding area."
"The aesthetics in the campus leave a bit to be desired. I was also asked the same question two times during the interview, which made me feel like the interviewers werent even listening! Everyone else seemed to get really great questions, though. "
"the facilities, location"
"no ethernet in campus housing and no plans for it to be installed anytime soon...also no places to eat on the island"
"The campus looks like Warsaw, Poland. It's very isolated and old military base looking. The inside of the buildings themselves are fine, but the exterior is sort of depressing. It's hard to believe that you're in Northern California, one of the most beautiful places in the world. Also, the town of Vallejo is totally depressing too. And people say Pomona is bad..."
"3 hours (!) of meetings with the director of admissions and 40 minutes of interview time to share with 3 other students. I wish they would have had less talking about the interview process and more talk about the unique qualities of the school. Besides that mediocre food, ugly campus (they say its getting better, and the inside is quite nice...), and you have to commute to campus."
"the location of the school, the interview (didn't like the group interview), no food on campus, no clinical experience during first 2 years"
"I like everything b/c I can relate with the military base and shipyard--like old times :)"
"1.) Hardly any information or emphasis about the curriculum of the school. The majority of the speech by Dr. Haight was about our chances getting accepted and how to interview. Not why we should attend Touro. 2.) The Best Western the school recommended for accommodations, and subsequently had a breakfast presentation at the next morning, was filthy. 3.) The campus still resembles its former life as an army base. 4.) If accepted, you need 2,000 in 2 weeks! 5.) Students not accepted or wait listed, are given preference for acceptance the following year??"
"Weight room, lack of patient contact in the first two years (will change if i have anything to do with it!) No cafeteria/food service on campus"
"The campus is drab and facilities are limited. No married student housing and no pets on campus. No restaurants or espresso stand."
"The island is a definite sore spot--abandoned naval buildings everywhere. This school didn't seem to have quite the same level of technology/facilities as some more established schools. "
"nothing"
"Didn't get to spend a lot of time with other staff memebers such as those in charge of rotation assignments, financial aid (even though every school has the same stuff to say), and student activities, etc. . . "
" The fact that there is no med. center, the facilities were very sparce (although the anatomy lab was great). I really enjoyed Dr. Haight although it doesn't make sense that the school saves students money by not requiring a secondary if they don't stand a chance, but then they turn around and demand 2,000 dollars (non-refundable) to hold a place. It seems very hypocritical and a large burden to place on students when they know that we could be waiting on other schools."
"It's in the middle of nowhere. "
"The campus and staff---I left wondering what exactly they do with the nearly $30K tuition per student. The facilities are terrible (except for the library and new lecture facility), there are no student services (cafeteria, gym, etc..)..."
"Outer appearance of the campus."
"The fact that students did not have much time to participate in volunteer/outreach activites and the lack of underrepresented students in medicine in terms of admission and eventual class makeup."
"The exterior of all the buildings needed to be improved. Due to the isolation of the campus there is little, if any, contact with the outside community. The block schedule seemed to keep students to busy to participate in other activities. Patient contact is virtually non-existent until years 3 and 4. "
"The physical facilities. See my comments for more detail on this. Also, only one person that I spoke with in Vallejo and San Francisco even knew that the school was there. I believe that the school needs to market itself a little better."
"Poor facilities, NO CAFETERIA- a student's wife sells some food but no official cafeteria, student lounge- piss poor! "
"The interview was in a group setting, and you had to pay attention to what your fellow interviewee just said."
"the poor poor facilities!"
"Cost of living, traffic. Not a huge fan of panel interviews-make sure you have something to talk about off of your secondary."
"The Island and the town of Vallejo"
"The OMM lab and surrounding area of the school"
"The school is REALLY SMALL AND NEW....I came from a big ten university and the thought of studying in a library smaller than my high school library is disheartening....there is only one basic lecture room the overall environment of the college reminds me of high school...which for some people is cool but not for me, I like the big university atmosphere...plus it is almost an hour from anything and there isn't even a grocery store on the island where the school is located. I mean the undergraduate class won't even start until 2005!!!"
"The campus its self is very unorganized and just left me feeling cluttered and there really weren't any formal presentations for the financial aid, so come with your own information about scholarships, they also don't really have any food places on campus or near by, just a taco truck and a little prepackaged sandwich shop."
"The old-style naval buildings and construction going on campus...very unattractive as a school from the outside."
"The location - an old naval base. The lack of ethnic diversity in the student body considering Cali. is such a diverse state. "
"In TEN years this will be a great campus. The workout room was pretty bad."
"my interview---be careful future interviewees....they were not very nice to me..not at all like my other interviews. be prepared to be picked apart..dont back down because they are just testing you."
"The buildings"
"The campus buildings, but who cares?"
"having to pay "2 Gs" if you accept"
"The library left a lot to be desired. The school is fairly new and in the construction phase. The school is the ONLY thing on the island, so you must leave to do anything. Also, the students didn't seem to have any desire to do anything but study--there was a severe lack of things to do OTHER than study (I am not sure how they would vent after tests or a hard week)."
"The looks of the campus, which is kind of worn down since it is an old naval base."
"Mare island is a not very impressive. There is nothing there but old abandoned (recently occupied by Touro) navy buildings. The insides are nice, but if you want a grocery store or a restaurant nearby, forget it."
"Mare Island looks like a war zone."
"The $2,000 to hold a spot if you are accepted!!!!!"
"Nothing impressed me the least."
"The campus was still in the "building-up" stages. Also, the tour was too short and didnt include some key areas like the student center."
"The library - adequate stacks, but I'd like to see a much bigger place that allows a lot of people to hide in their nooks and be able to study away from home."
"I wish that the tour had been longer and more exhaustive. We really didn't get to see, in detail, all the buildings. Also, it would have been nice to meet more of the students and have time talk to them."
"I wish I had studied the principles of osteopathic medicine more in depth before."
"I wished I made sure I had stable wifi for the interview day. My internet kept acting up on zoom."
"Be prepared to reference stuff from your specific application (such as experiences, shadowing, research, etc.)"
"How EASY and FEW their interview questions are. Really, they only asked each person in the group 3 questions (all different questions). It was my own nerves built up in my head that ended up getting to me in the end."
"That one half of the group would have super hard interviews and the other half would get much easier interviewers"
"How weird the group interview would be."
"Nothing, I felt prepared"
"That it was a group interview."
"That the group interview is not as intense as I thought it would be"
"Commuter school"
"Require a non-refundable $2,000 deposit within 2 weeks of acceptance."
"I wish I had known that the interview was going to be a group interview. The interview confirmation that I received only stated that it would be a panel format interview, and it did not mention that there were going to be multiple applicants at once."
"that the interview would be with a group of applicants"
"I would like the information on where students do rotations and the match list to be more readily available."
"That it's a panel interview WITH other applicants"
"That I would only be given 3 questions to answer in the 60 minutes I sat at the table."
"A general agenda. Would have been nice to be able to get a better idea of what to expect before the actual day"
"Information about Vallejo"
"Where the adcom was in filling the class."
"How stressful the 3 vs. 5 interview format was going to be."
"the campus can be confusing so leave EARLY in case you get lost"
"That the interview was going to be a panel/group interview with an open file, intentionally designed to be stressful."
"There is much more encorporation of jewish tradition than I expected - prayer box, closed on weekends, kosher food, anatomy lab "soul catching" room. A bit strange but I guess the students get used to it."
"That no one else would be wearing tennis shoes for the tour."
"Do Not Apply Late to this school. It didn't seem like there were a lot of slots left, and since my chances were low to get in and I'm paying for all of this on my own, I wish I had applied earlier or had not been invited."
"There is so much on the website that I wish I had searched it more thoroughly so I could have asked questions about research, global health program."
"That we had to walk down a hill in the rain to get to the lower campus & that the Marriott charged for breakfast."
"it was going to rain when we were walking outside for a tour of the school"
"While it is located in the Bay Area, the Touro campus itself lends very little to a comfortable environment. The school is very big on convincing students to join the dual MD/MPH program (45 mins explanation of the program), yet strangely only spent 15 mins explaining rotations for 3rd and 4th year."
"That the student tour guides would steal the vegetarian lunches. Or that they would try to convince everyone that comes in to go DO/MPH."
"the medical college dean was less than enthusiastic, especially compared to dean haight"
"how close it is to Cal, otherwise i would not have been waiting in the parking lot for an hour."
"That it was going to rain the ENTIRE day!"
"There were 5 applicants in a conference room and 3 interviewers, 2 faculty, and 1 second-year student. They take turns and then each ask one or two questions to each applicant in turn that are generally based on your file. It seemed that what you said was not nearly as important as the manner in which you responded. We were told directly prior to the interview that it was our subjective poise that was being evaluated, not objective attributes of our applicant file. Really, I think the key is just to be confident and composed, and not get psyched out by the group panel format. This is, of course, sometimes easier said than done! It's also worth noting, and adds something of a twist to the whole affair, that many of the admissions and interview faculty avidly follow the SDN forums, so hello TUCOM adcom folks!"
"How ugly the school and the area was."
"the schools shit facilities, the crappy neighborhood, the terrible school hours."
"I knew the interview would be in a panel format with other applicants; however, I didn't realize I would only have around 10 minutes to speak and wow the interviewers!"
"to eat a big big big breakfast or a snack around 10-11am, because i was starvinggg during the interview"
"Our interviewers were hostile and condescending. There continually took turns asking the 6 of us and asked about weaknesses in our application. (Nothing positive- ex: explain your research/volunteer work/shadowing experience) -which is what I had at all the other schools. The group interview panel format was a very negative experience. It was extremely uncomfortable sharing personal information about our application in front of the other interviewers who we just met. For example, one guy in our group had a poor GPA, and each of the 3 interviewers went through and asked in a different way why he had a poor gpa/grade in class. It made the whole group uncomfortable. The interview we all couldn't believe what a high tension/stressful situation it was. The worst part of the whole day was that we had to sit through a 45 min presentation on the DO/MPH program at the beginning--but were offered LITTLE to NO information about the DO program/curriculum/clerkships that we were applying for! Not to mention the location and Vallejo is horrible- I am definitely not taking my acceptance "
"nothing really. I was more dissapointed with the SDN reviews and I was more impressed with the school then I thought I was going to be. "
"It was my first interview, and I wish I would have known to eat a decent size breakfast. I was nerves, but then was hungry soon after I arrived on campus, some growls from my stomach, luckily not during the interview. "
"The dean wouldn't be there. I wish lunch was before the interview not after. "
"Nothing really. It's what you would expect. The positive surprise is the effort Touro is putting forth to improve and build the school."
"no other comment"
"I learned more about the incredible history of Mare Island."
"All expected."
"Actually after my visit, the deposit is 3000 bucks total. Nonrefundable. When i'm still interviewing, that doesn't seem fair or just. I know they need to know who's coming, but they could at least tell applicants how much to save up or borrow."
"nothing. It went very smooth."
"that Mare Island isn't as bad as everyone says; that the panel interview is not stressful at all (I was less stressed during this interview than most of my other interviews and I've been on 10 so far, including MD schools)"
"that the directions are old. If you are going to interview, as soon as you get on Mare Island, make your first right at the sign that says Industrial District?, follow that road all the way down until it veers right (there will be a sign for some cafe), you will come to a stop, make a left and immediate right and the Admissions building will be right in front of you. "
"i underestimated the time to drive on the 80 -- AM traffic. also, once on mare island there was this crazy detour through the warehouses/shipping yard, crazy in the sense that i felt like i was in a movie junkyard car chase, which it may have looked like because i was speeding like mad crazy to make it on time."
"nothing."
"The campus isn't as hard to find as they make it out to be. I stayed in the hotel near the school rather than with my friend for free in Palo Alto becuase I was worried I would never find it. "
"nothing really, the group interview was pretty unique. But it kind of sells a candidate short. I could tell the other kids were a bit nervous (as was I). "
"After spending over $800 for a round-trip flight, I did a pre-interview drive through the campus the day before my interview. I was shocked at the school's location, the poor condition of the school and the poor local neighborhood. I walked inside the school, and it smelled like an old gymnasium. In turn, I actually cancelled my interview, because there was no way I was going to spend four years there. Realize that this school is run-down and in a very isolated area with a 30-45 minuted minimum commute time from home to school. I've seen dilapidation in Harlem and North Philadelphia, but this place is scary in its own, unique way."
"to bring a jacket, it's cold!"
"nothing...SDN pretty much broke everything down.."
"it was such a poor school in terms of organization, enthusiasm, and the fact that half of the day was dedicated to the MPH program rather than the DO program we were there for"
"Eat ahead of time, they didn't serve lunch until the interview was over, I was hungry."
"Nothing really. "
"If driving up from SFO, the traffic is not that bad! "
"that the interviewer would ask a question regarding a fellow interviewee to see if we were paying attention"
"I wish I would have spent more time in San Fran and not gone to the interview."
"It is a Jewish school"
"That the curriculum was changing."
"...the exact location of Mare Island. it's not your idea of a typical island. it's not San Francisco people! 1 hr ferry ride away"
"That they'd be so secretive about 3rd and 4th year curriculum, when those normally are what schools are proud of and eager to elborate to attract students."
"That I would start my friggin' period!"
"Nothing, I researched the school and SDN, which gives pretty good feedback on what to expect."
"Eat a bigger breakfast, bring a snack - my stomach growled. Often and loudly. Also, wish I had known the set up: 10 people in cohort divided into 2 groups of 5 for the interview."
"To rent a car, nothing was around the hotel in walking distance. Doesn't seem very safe there."
"That the school was going to spend most of the day pushing the new DO/MPH program. I felt like I had gone to the wrong room and arrived at an informational meeting about the MPH program. They really seem to want that extra $12,000 in tuition money."
"How really crappy the facilities are"
"The bus routes and even though I had an idea of the questions they might ask I wish I had known the questions that were asked."
"The exact questions that were going to be asked to me."
"PLEASE GUYS, EAT a hearty breakfast in the morning...Because of my suit and the weather conditions, I was unable to grab breakfast on foot...I opted to drink a diet coke for breakfast and regretted it A LOT. My energy was low during the interview and I kept having to run to the restroom.. Lunch is not served until 1 PM."
"That everything in the Bay area is so close, a commute to Vallejo is no big deal"
"I wish I had rented a car, so that I could drive around. There are not that many restaurants near the hotel."
"That I should have had a bigger breakfast. The interview did not occur until between 12-1, so our stomachs were grumbling pretty loudly during the interview. "
"Vallejo is only 35 mins from the Mission district."
"That our contact with the students was very minimal during the interview day. Dr Haight if you are reading this you may want to push for more time for the interviewees to speak directly with students. At the other DO school interviews I have been on this year we were given our entire lunch time 30-45 min when faculty was not around and a handful (2-3) students from different classes and different backgrounds were present to talk to us and answer questions we have about student life. Those were some of the most helpful times during the interview and speaking with students openly does assist in my decision making of choosing which school to attend. "
"That Mare Island, and Vallejo, are kind of dumpy. Some people commute from SF, but that's a LONG commute!"
"That the students where on a block week of exams. No one wanted to take the time to talk or answer any questions...they where all way to stressed out. I would have scheduled my interview at a different time. I also wish I had known that once you are excepted you have only 2 weeks to decide and then you have to put down a $2000 nonrefundable deposit to hold your seat...most schools give you until December when you interview at this time of the year."
"I pritty much knew what to expect going in. "
"I didn't realize it was a group interview, 5 applicants and 3 interviewers together in a room."
"that there is nothing in the way of coffee or food or anything on or near Mare Island. I drove up from SF without breakfast and hoped to pick something up nearby but had to go to the interview hungry (and sleepy! no coffee either!)"
"That the interview is pretty low key"
"Campus, surroundings, and city of vallejo worst than I expected. Unfriendly panel. If they didn't wanted to interview us, why don't they just tell admissions office they didn't want to do it. i think the vegas campus will b much better and more promising...i hope the campus there will b better because students deserve better...to be honest, i wished tucom offered more because it saddens me to see a school like this...i'm hoping for better opportunities in vegas (facilities, caring professors) to create good doctors...if tucom offers so little now, imagine what it will be like when the vegas school opens...it's going to go down the drains"
"lunch would be so late :)"
"The options for housing are pretty limited."
"An answer to the question is biology destiny? . . . of course the minute the interview ended I knew what I should have talked about . . . genetics"
"Financial aid is only in forms of loans, no scholarship, no work-study."
"that there are lots of negative reviews on SDN but it's not as bad as most people make it out to be."
"You really do need to give yourself 15 minutes to get from the MI bridge to campus"
"How unsafe Vallejo can be and how mu ch construction and road work is on the way to the school. "
"A lot of those who interviewed that day with me stayed at the Quality Inn. They seemed to know each other before they arrive for the interview. I stayed with a friend. "
"I was hungry.. be prepared they feed you at the END. The interviews are in a group-format you will only speak for about 5 minutes total so be eloquent, sound well-prepared, etc."
"That I probably should have saved the money I spent on traveling to this interview."
"i don't want people feeling me up during physical diagnosis class, but i guess if i have to do it, others have to as well. "
"That the director of admissions is narrow-minded and highly judgemental."
"The school seems to take advantage of its location in the Bay area: the students tend to go to the school based on this alone. Ironically, it seems like it is difficult to stay in the Bay area for the 3rd and 4th year. Some students are in mid-western states for these years."
"Nothing really, but I researched it in great detail"
"Wish I knew how convenient it would have been to just rent a car so I could get around to see the area more"
"Quality Inn is an oxymoron. It's cheap and close, but its definatly lacking "quality"."
"How much I would like the school!"
"about the location"
"Nothing, really. There were no surprises."
"I was the only non-traditional student in the interview group. Made me feel quite old! "
"It's understandable, but there's only a 2 week window to accept or decline a seat and the deposit is $2000"
"Horrible school location, unsafe area, students are there by default."
"Do not follow the directions they give you. With all the construction on the island, there are not many street signs. Follow detour signs and leave yourself plenty of time to get there."
"DO NOT USE MAPQUEST the directions were way off."
"You need a car to buy groceries."
"All of my discoveries were positive; great views, golf course, nice labs, great library, comfortable chairs, and the nicest people. "
"nothing really. I wish I captured more pictures of the John Kerry look alike at the airport to show my friends! "
"That the interviews were done in panel format in front of the other prospective students. Highly stressful to be answering questions in such a manner. Not only that but you leave wondering why they asked you certain questions and asked others seemingly 'easy' questions."
"panel interview"
"Nothing. But beware big deposit and group interviews."
"that the interviewer panel would be asking me ethical questions."
"That TUCOM is not affiliated with many CA hospitals in the area."
"the required $2,000 deposit paid within two weeks if you are accepted "
"Nothing... I knew it all. I have a friend who is a 1st year there."
"Since I was driving, the directions were unclear. I got lost. Luckly, I had plenty of time to find the way to school. "
"TCOM has NO affiliated hospitals within commuting distance of the school. The VAST majority of rotations are in other, distant states (IL,AZ)."
"Many students commute from nearby towns like Vacaville and Berkeley."
"That you have to wear nothing buy a sports bra and shorts for OMM lab. Had I know that, I wouldn't have even interviewed. I mean, I have a hot body, but I don't want to be in front of my medical school class in a sports bra."
"See the interview experience question."
"Nothin is goin on at Mare Island or Vallejo"
"That there is no established benefits or agreements with the other facilities on the island (golf-course,etc.)"
"Plan ahead if you drive there...leave plenty of time."
"The difficulty of the panel format of the interview. Very akward. It's not a discussion. They don't ask you follow up questions. You are really on the spot. You really need to review everything you submitted before you go."
"How amazing the anatomy lab is, it is one of the best smelling I have ever been in. And how amazing the other applicants are. My group was full of the most impressive people I have ever met."
"reaching campus--the most efficient, cost-effective way for me to reach campus was to rent a car"
"that a taxi costs 100 bucks from the ariport to the hotel we were staying."
"bring paper and pen to take notes during orientation; fly into Oakland cuz paying a 3.00 toll each way from San Francisco sux!"
"Nothing had really surprised me when I went there. I already knew most of the stuff I wanted to know before the interview."
"That Mare Island is totally a wreck! It is a pathetic clean-up job littered with ugly old naval ship yards and construction hangars. The school should have bought a nice plot in Benicia or elsewhere and build a totally new campus!"
"there is nothing on the island but the school and you need to get off the island to get food, etc...."
"the cost of the deposit "
"When you stay at the Holiday Inn (if you don't have a car, you will be STUCK at the Holiday Inn, without access to food or any real entertainment). And Vallejo is a dead city that is attempting to come back from the grave."
"If you take the Evans bus, it drops you off at the Holiday Inn, which is a good 10 minute walk up hill to the Best Western. Also, STAND OUTSIDE the hotel for the bus...the bus driver left us at the hotel and we ended up having to rent a limo to get to the airport. "
"Don't use mapquest...if you are going to drive, make sure you follow the bus that goes from the hotel to the campus."
"The campus and surrounding area are not pretty at all. You feel really isolated on the campus."
"the hefty deposit"
"None"
"I need to be careful of toxic waste seeping into my drinking water (Mare Island is a dilapidated military complex)"
"I knew what to expect. Dr. Haight was great about responding to my questions via email. Steven Davis was also great as well. Basically, if you asked your questions you got your answers."
"That the amusement park is just 5 minute drive from the hotel. If I had known, I might stay a bit longer and go on the rides there or something."
"nothing, everything was as I expected."
"Mare Island is not what I expected. It didn't matter though-I interviewed for the Vegas site. "
"nothing new...the mare island campus is not that bad."
"Nothing new that I didn't already know."
"Some of the applicants I interviewed with were (in my opinion) fake. They seemed nice and caring during the interview, but outside they were conceited and tried to intimidate others. Maybe this is how some people deal with stress, but I don't think I'd like them as a doctor for myself or my family and friends. I hope the interviewers saw through their act. There were some really nice people though. I enjoyed learning about others' stories. "
"That I should've taken more than one damn pastry at the Best Western during the complimentary breakfast; 'cause it's the only thing I had in me until the end of the interview...at 1:00 P.M. So have a decent breakfast."
"There were too many "I don't knows" or "I'm not too sures" when questions were asked about the Henderson campus, curriculum, etc. I feel better though knowing the AOA is keeping close tabs on things."
"I don't think I knew the class size would only be 75 for Vegas- small, but makes you think they are hand-picking you!"
"The panel-style interview is not as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be. All 6 interviewees and 4 interviewers sat together around a table together."
"N/A"
"That the school is very poor looking. It just does not look like a medical school. I have interviewed at several DO campuses and this one was by fear the weakest."
"If you have done basic science research at any point, and it is mentioned in your application, you shoud review your work and the outcomes. There are two basic scientists on the panel."
"That this was the most pathetic medical school in the country."
"All candidates for that day were interviewing for the Las Vegas campus"
"The connection of between the medical school and the community is very weak. The school is having a hard time trying to make its presence known to the people who live in Vallejo."
"$2000 deposit and only 2 weeks to send it"
"I wish I would not have read the negative remarks or the exagerrated descriptions of the "barren, windswept, potentially hazardous to your health" campus. I found the campus to be clean with nicely trimmed green lawns."
"When you go to the interview, most people stay at Best Western, and then shuttle over to TUCOM. But if you do not go through this route and/or visit the campus on your own, you will have to cross 1 of 2 bridges. At each of these bridge, there is a security personnel that hands you a small piece of paper with the following warning: KEEP THIS PASS IN SIGHT WHILE ON MARE ISLAND GO DIRECTLY TO YOUR DESTINATION You are entering Mare Island, a former Navy base with potentially hazardous conditions related to ongoing construction and environmental remediation activities. In addition, be advised that there are potentially dangerous areas and conditions on the Island, which you should avoid. Therefore, you must STRICTLY OBEY ALL WARNING SIGNS POSTED THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND AND INSURE THAT YOU DO NOT ENTER RESTRICTED AREAS. By entering Mare Island, YOU ARE ASSUMING FULL RESPONSIBILITY for any risk, to yourself or any person within your control under 18 years of age, of personal injury, death or property damage arising from hazardous and dangerous areas and conditions resulting from operation, construction and environmental remediation activities taking place on Mare Island. Under no circumstances are you permitted to excavate or otherwise disturb the land on Mare Island without prior written consent of the property owner and the City of Vallejo. Please feel free to call (707) 648-4302 if you have any questions. When I got this warning, I became extremely scared. When I drove to the campus, my apprehension was warranted. "
"It is one of the top ranked Osteopathic medical schools."
"how hard it is to get there"
"I wish I would have known more about osteopathy and its history"
"That I shouldn't have been as nervous as I was. It is VERY laid back!"
"Not much, I found that the interview responses on this site were over blown. I thought the people were nice and we were able to ask questions of our students. They have an excellent anatomy lab. "
"What the city of Vallejo was like-and ya need to get a shuttle from the Holiday in to The Best Western. Also, if you have three poeple in your group for interviews, be ready to answer a lot of questions, and they will put you on the spot!"
"I didn't even know they were opening a medical school in Las Vegas. Dr. Haight says that means 75 more seats. I'm still confused though as to what that means as far as getting accepted. I don't want to go to Las Vegas, so the option if given to me won't mean much. I loved Mare Island"
"San Francisco is REALLY far from school. It MUST be at least an hour away. Well, maybe 45 minutes. "
"The Las Vegas situation, that the stats they give you about the acceptance rates are not true, and that despite what the website claims there is NO early clinical experience!"
"Two in my group who interviewed said they flew into Oakland Airport and described an experience with a lot less hassel than I had by flying into the San Francisco Airport."
"No real teaching hospital affliation. Distance from San Francisco is greater than I thought. The rundown facilities and the high tuition."
"You have to leave for your rotations...you are only on campus for the first two years and then off. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing."
"That the facilites are really quite modern. You can't tell from the outside. Dr. Haight explained that there were serious restictions on what they could do with the outside of buildings, restriction imposed by the Historical Society."
"students did not appear happy at all. they're closing q-quarters, apartments and studios 1 mile from school. So this means that only the dorms (around 92 rooms) are available. so chances are you have to live off campus which is a hassle, because vallejo is unsafe and it takes some time to get to the campus. there's 2 entrances to the school, both with security guards. dont' use yahoo or mapquest because it will lead you to a hill with houses and apartments. the school is located on mare island, a huge island located adjacent to vallejo. school rents the property and location from city of vallejo. most of the money from the tuition is probably spent on touro college, the parent school of TUCOM in new york. they are also planning to build a DO school in las vegas. This is disturbing because TUCOM has lots of room to improve, yet they focus on another location. I would say finish the work here before venturing somewhere else. "
"Again, didn;t really know how extreme it was when i heard TUCOM was in the middle of no where."
"Don't use the admissions office address on mapquest. You will end up in the suburbs of Vallejo, on some tiny, one-way, winding street with the same name. "
"2 weeks to decide! And why is TUCOM building a branch campus in Las Vegas when their Vallejo campus needs some attention?"
"nothing, all I saw was expected."
"The school is really heading in the right direction, just not there now or in the near future."
"The nice facilities."
"Most of the students live on campus. Also, there is NOTHING on the island, other than the campus. No Starbucks here!"
"nothing it was good"
"That Vallejo was terrible. There's nothing around the Best Western at all (and it's in a kind of sketchy area). You need to drive around to get to any resturants. I wouldn't advise walking around, especially if you're a woman!"
"They are watching you from the time you get there- when they put you in the room for orientation and give name cards, thats when the interview really begins. The orientation room almost reminded of one of the police type interogation rooms with a see through mirror on one side. I didn't look for cameras though. I wouldn't acted much different though, except maybe stuck my tongue out :)"
"clinical experiences, food"
"I heard the interviews were good, but I did not realize how laid back it would be, although my heart rate was high for the 1st 2 questions."
"1.) $2,000 due 2 weeks after acceptance. 2.) Vallejo and Mare are very rural. 3.) They are run by Touro College in NY, which gets the majority of emphasis and money. This severely slows down any additions and changes due to the school bureaucracy. (They have been trying to build additional dorms > 3 years!)"
"Nothing really... Touro is my first choice school because I have researched it thoroughly and feel it is a great fit for me..."
"The breakfast is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow interviewees! I felt that my group in particular bonded really well and so we were relaxed going into the interview. We were very supportive of each other and I believe this helped all of us feel at ease. There were no convenience stores or restaurants w/in walking distance to the Best Western, so it's pretty difficult for someone w/out a car. "
"nothing "
"Nothing surprising . . . the website is pretty decent for finding all you need to know. "
"Fly into the Oakland airport, instead of SFO, if you can. It's closer to Vallejo!"
" I had formed a negative opinion of the school via responses on this website, however I believe a very solid medical education could be acheived at this college."
"I thought they had a hospital affiliation, but you're only on campus for 2 years, with rotations in affiliated hospitals all over the country."
"No vegetarian-friendly lunch provided! I had to eat chips and water for lunch... "
"The fact that you have less than 2 weeks from the time you get your decision letter to pay a NON-REFUNDABLE $2000 deposit."
"The Admissions Committee sends you there decision within one to two weeks. After you receive the letter you have two weeks to send back your decision along with $2000 if you accept. "
"How large Mare Island was, and how little of it TUCOM currently occupies."
"The school does not own their buildings on-campus. They lease it from a private company. Very limited housing. "
"The curriculum and the experience of the faculty"
"That it had such low USMLE scores, and a terrible match list"
"nothing...I knew everything that I could have known."
"That they would let me know by Tuesday ( my interview was on a Wednesday ) because they were making the decisions that the following day; therefore, if I am accepted I have to give them my decision two weeks from the 15th!!! and $2,000 is a lot of money to commmit to when I still have another interview to attend."
"The facilities available for the student in terms of exercise and sports are lacking severely."
"The location of the school. "
"Nothing, I felt that I was well prepared."
"Since it was my first, walking in to the interview my heart was pounding, but it's not that bad.....JUST RELAX"
"Rent a car if you can. Vallejo has very little to do, especially in walking distance and there isn't very much public transportation. I didn't know the school was ranked so high among other schools. Also, 4000 people get applications, 400 get interviews, and about 187 get accepted (pretty good oddsâ€â€about 50/50)."
"That you have 2 weeks to decide from the date of your acceptance letter with a $2000 deposit."
"That you only have two weeks to accept an offer. Unless Touro is your first choice, don't apply there, or interview late."
"That TUCOM follows the sabbath, and that the panel interview isn't 4 of them on one of me (as I saw on this website before). The interview is actually 4 of them on 4-5 inteviewers. They make the decision on whether to accept/reject one week after the interview - from that date you have two weeks to accept/reject the offer. If you accept, it is a $2000 deposit to hold your spot."
"Nothing really"
"There were 8 candidates in our interview group due to unusually circumstances."
"I didn't realize that the interview was conducted in a group-interview style format. "
"How genuinely nice the people connected to this school were. Had I known, I would have concentrated on this school earlier in the application process."
"Traveling to/from/around California can be extremely expensive!"
"Seemed like a good school, but was not a fan of the interview style"
"Panel on panel interview is a joke. Interviewers seemed rude and disinterested, asked us stuff completely unrelated to anything we would need in med school"
"I wish they did the interview earlier in the day so we could enjoy the campus and learn about their programs."
"If you are interviewing here, know your application inside out and prepare answers to generic questions."
"Loved the small school feel, didn't love that students do not live near campus. Mare Island has no coffee shops and the food options are limited."
"Good sense of community and camaraderie among students/faculty. Older/outdated facilities."
"Great school with passionate faculty and students. Plenty of research opportunities."
"Seems like a sad place to go to med school"
"Loved this school- it's my top choice over an MD school"
"The whole day was very enjoyable!"
"Overall, I was really impressed with the school and its programs."
"The interview style was difficult and not my preferred way, although it taught me a lot about how others interview and how they formulate their answers. I thought that the director of admissions was so kind and pleasant and really seemed to feel passionate about his job and the school community. Overall, the school impressed me very much."
"Please stop using the term "low wait-list" If no one has ever been pulled up from the low wait-list then do away with it altogether. You are giving people false hope (regardless how small)."
"location is blah, but curriculum seems awesome"
"The campus is older looking but carries lots of history! The renovations were not explained very much but the grounds are kept very nice. This school would fit students concentrated on work, work, work and that already have friends in the area or are ready to cut themself off from social life for a while. I am not sure about the 3/4th year rotations either."
"I would go here for the location and for the global health program but honestly, it seems like Touro, Mare Island would be a good fit for those who need to stay in the area (one woman in my interview group had a kid and lived nearby, for example) and/or just need the degree. For others who want a challenge and excellent clinical rotations, a lot of guidance and extensive preparation, I think there are better schools."
"This is a good school. It is more competitive to be accepted here than I first presumed (especially late in the game). The interview process is nothing to be scared/intimidated about, every interviewer was very encouraging and upbeat, even though I had blemishes on my record. The facilities are fine, old but not run-down. There seem to be adequate clinical rotations and a good chance to get a great residency if you work hard at it (just like anywhere). Good luck!"
"I thought Touro seemed like a good school. I felt like the interview could have been more thorough. I also would have like more explanation on the curriculum and description of rotation sites."
"first time having an interview in a group format, but it was really ok. just be attentive to your peers and be confident in yourself. I feel like everyone in my group did really well."
"The school was good in general, my only problems were how far you had to travel in to Mare Island and the residency matches not being up to par."
"The interview wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. All of us got really off the wall type of questions. I didn't think mines were so bad, but some of my group members had some pretty tough questions. I do like how the school is the in the bay area which is a really nice area."
"It's a decent school. Be prepared to answer hypothethical questions and use what you know from your experience to explain scenarios. Be yourself; stay calm; and be positive. That is what they are evaluating you for. As Dr. Haight says: the number game is over. This is where we test your heart and passion."
"The interview is in a panel format, three interviewers and six interviewees. Theoretically, they're trying to make it a stressful situation and make you respond to what your peers are saying. In reality, our people were very nice and didn't really challenge or stress anyone in our group."
"this was my first interview, overall my opinion went up a lot after visiting them. Don't judge a book by its cover i guess."
"The school is great overall! For the interview, I think the best advice I have is to be completely clear and confident in yourself about why you want to be an osteopathic physician and why Touro would enable you to do that. Regardless whether they ask you those specific questions, it shows!"
"This school is going to be a forerunner for sure. Dr. Haight told us to be wary of SDN - someone earlier had posted that there is no point applying here since they ration their seats ... obviously this person has no idea what they are talking about. Rationing seats is awesome because everyone has a chance of getting in and they do not interview for just waitlists. Just be confident and do not stress - the interview style is clearly to test your confidence and stress level. Don't babble and make sure you listen - they are always watching you."
"Group interview is not as bad as I thought. After you answer you get some time to calm your nerves and get more comfortable instead of being bombarded with questions. Although you still need to listen to what other people are saying, you dont need to constantly be thinking of stuff to say."
"I liked the school a lot more than I was expecting given the comments on other interview feedback posts. However, there were definitely aspects of the whole day that left me feeling somewhat neutral about the school. The student who gave us the tour seemed to know very little about the program and didn't know the resources in which the school had to offer. He also acted as if he had just gone there because no one else had accepted him. I have worked very hard to get to this point in my life and want a tour guide who knows a LOT about the program and is able to answer my questions and realizes that this is an EXTREMELY important decision for prospective students to make."
"I liked the group interview b/c you are not "on" the whole time. However, this means you need to make your answers quality ones. "
"The school is not as bad as people are making it out to be. And they are aggressively growing, so that's always good. Also, for the panel interview: relax! In a panel interview, it's really easy to tell when someone is confident or not...so practice answering interview questions in a group of pre-meds you know - I think doing that in my pre-med student org helped a ton."
"Having previously read some of the horror stories here on SDN about the interview format, I have to say that I was (sort of) pleasantly surprised by the overall experience. Yes, it was stressful and awkward in the panel interview, but it was somewhat comforting to have the knowledge that this was intentional, and more of a test to simulate the pressures of presenting a patient on rounds. It was also good to hear Dr. Haight's assurances that the interviewers consciously use a "good cop, bad cop" approach. This was very obvious once you knew what to look for, and I actually felt very bad for some of the students on the panel that were clearly not able to handle the pressure gracefully. Overall, don't worry about it too much, just know who you are, listen to what Dr. Haight says before the interview, and hopefully it will turn out fine."
"This schools has a long way to go to be considered anywhere near a decent DO school let along a solid medical school. The pathetic attempt to "stand out" by doing group interviews is lazy and a terrible way to get to know applicant (which is why, they stress, they do it)."
"touro needs to stop trying to expand until the facilities it has are decent. group interview is moronic and a waste of time."
"This school has great rotation sites and therefore a great opportunity to network for good residencies. "
"Touro is relatively new and has a lot of potential. The location is not aesthetically pleasing, but the facilities are up-to-date on the inside. The proximity to SF is definitely a draw."
"Some of these questions were asked to me and others were asked to my fellow interviewers. I can't remember them all!<br> Also, they talked about the dual DO/MPH program, but they didnt try to push it onto us as I had read in other feedback. "
"Group Interview is not bad at all"
"Its a med school. They give you quality education. I just didn't get a great feel for the mission of the school and how it will help me become an outstanding physician. "
"it is 4-6 interviewees vs. 3 interviewers, everyone was only asked 5-7 questions"
"Generally positive, though with obvious aspects reminding me this is a young school making its bones."
"I have nothing else to say about this medical school."
"Altogether a delightful day. Everyone I met seemed happy and enthusiastic. The interviewers were completely top-notch (the Rabbi was absolutely the cutest thing, smiling and chuckling, and he asked the cutest questions!)"
" Not impressed by continental breakfast at Best Western, but room and staff were nice. Beautiful campus, but Las Vegas is going to be exceptionally better in terms of space and future growth. I am so glad I chose Vegas, but not happy that students that interviewed for Mare Island campus were allowed to transfer to Las Vegas (less seats available) Also, I was not too impressed with the actual interview. I understand that the university was pressed for time to fill up two schools at once, but Las Vegas needs 75 COMMITTED students in order to make a good start and impression for the new campus. I have never been an interviewer for a med. school before, but I would not be able to determine a "good medical student/leader" by asking them three or four general questions. On the other hand, Dr. Haight is a very good and extremely intelligent person. His pre-screening of secondary applications for the interviews may have helped to balance out the group interview blunder. On a final note, the interviewers appear to be very serious and intimidating at first, but they turned out to be very nice and made light of the situation (sigh of relief). "
"It was hard to tell how I did. The panel format was kinda choppy and impersonal. However, it was great to learn about other applicants. They were impressive and I felt good about knowing that if i didn't get in, i would understand just how competitive it is!"
"I actually really liked the group interview, and that it was open file so that I didn't feel like I needed to prove myself as much because the interviewers already knew my background. Being in a group was really great too. We fed off each other and all really supported each other in there. Overall, it was the best interview experience I've had. "
"Overall, a very positive interview experience. I was surprised at how impressed I would be with this school."
"Vallejo and Mare Island leave something to be desired. I did hear, however, that Touro is doing some major renovations to improve the campus. Everybody at Touro was very nice and accommodating. The interviewers made the group feel relaxed and spoke to us honestly which I really appreciate. "
"don's a really sweet guy. the group interview that touro-ca does is actually really relaxed. or maybe we just got dynamite interviewers. there were three interviewers and six interviewees. you may get shafted in terms of speaking time b/c they just go down the line and ask questions specific to each individual. interviewers have really read your application, so be prepared. all in all, it was fine. and yes, the turkey wrap was delicious."
"When I saw the school, i was not really impressed with the facilities. But the staff are nice. 35k+ tuition and fees. Very expensive school. Most applicants want to come here due to the location. I felt isolated in the island. They don't have any hospital on the island. So, i guess there won't be much clinical exposure during your first two years. Acceptance fee $2000 (due within two weeks) is a killer to me. So, I decided not to keep this school on my list after getting acceptance. Information about DO/MPH dual program was a little bit too much. I'm not interested. $12,000 for MPH. Their MPH program hasn't even yet accredited until 2009 (possibly). No other dual program other than MPH. I felt that there are not a lot of opportunities here."
"Good but fairly stressful. I wish I could have relaxed a little more. Just remember that if you are there it is becuase you are qualified so RELAX!"
"So basically the interview process is so. They bring you into a room with around 4-5 other interviewees. They spoke to us in a line one question each, a total of about 4-5 questions a person overall. They'll ask you what you think about what the other person said, which means you can't daze off at all. Overall, I came into the interview a bit hesitant, but felt like the school presented itself in a great way, opportunities are abundant, and I think I did a good job in presenting myself in an honest fashion. I feel like I know and have been around enough osteopaths to have my own opinion about the profession, which I feel is essential for the more competitive osteopathic schools. "
"So unimpressed that I cancelled my interview, and spent the day in San Francisco and the Redwood Forest instead."
"You've already read this by now, so I'll throw in some things for fun. Kosher food is pretty dang good. The turkey wrap they gave was excellent. The day is how everybody says it will be. The group interview was cake. Wait your turn, give a thought-out answer and listen to your fellow students answer. The info sessions were boring but thats what you get. I interviewed on Tues Nov 13 and just got the email of acceptance today Nov 16. I don't care what you say, that quick of a response scores high marks in my book. Wait to judge the school til you get inside the buildings. "
"I think the school could have done a better job in representing itself regarding their mission and how their curriculum reflects that. I was really excited about the school after looking over the website but they didn't relay any of that information at the interview. Disproportionate time spent on MPH, even though im interested in it, my main reason for coming is the D.O. program. The interview was 3 interviews and 6 interviewees in one room, we each got less than 10 min. to talk. But I like Mare Island, it's kind of cute, and the facilities weren't bad. The OMM room and cadaver lab look new almost. I just wish they provided us with more information than what I could already learn on their website."
"okay this is going to be long, but I figure it might be helpful. I drove by the school the night before to check out the location. I must say, i was QUITE terrified. It looked scary, and haunted, and the area reminded me of an Amityville horror scene. Saying all that, I was bummed about my interview the next morning. But, you can't judge a book by its cover nor a school by its surroundings. The next morning, we entered a conference room, where we met the other interviewees ( 9 total). Everyone was extremely nice, and well qualified. Dr. Haight was great, and really made me comfortable - definitely eased any tensions I had about the interview. I didnt enjoy the talk about the MPH program, nor the financial aid presentation ( mainly due to the fact that they spoke to us like we were 5 years old). But, I did enjoy meeting the students, the faculty, and even the interview! I left feeling really good about the school. They provide many opportunities and a supportive community to promote excellent physcians. In the end, I found that the school fit my needs and the things that mattered more to me - curriculum, early clinical experience, student life, and faculty - quickly made me forget about its location :)"
"horrendous I felt as if I wasted 500 dollars in order to see this school. The good part is that they will tell us if we got in by the end of this week, but I am 100% not going to this school. "
"Good school, friendly people, hard workers, good stats."
"I was really nervous but I think I did well, I got an email of acceptance the day after the interview. "
"Overall, I was somewhat impressed by the school. Great atmosphere, lots of improvements coming, and beautiful area. However, the clinical rotations are kind of a lottery (literally), so you would have to move around a lot. "
"The campus is relatively nice, and the students seemed positive about their school. I was a bit peaved during the interview because of the comments of one of the interviewers. I come from a relatively good-sized town in east Texas, and one of the interviewers had lived in my home town for a year (and didn't have too many good things to say about it). I shared many of the same feelings as she, mainly that the town is restrictive, and that if the bible belt had a buckle it would be in my home town. However, without knowing anything about my religious background she began bashing southern baptists. Later I thought to myself, what if I were a southern baptist? Such a culturally diverse place is supposed to be tolerant of another's religion right? Think again. I was questioned whether I would be able to handle the ''culture shock'' of northern california. Although this might be the case, I really don't feel that this had anything to do with my abilities as a potential physician. On a positive note, San Francisco is a great place, and all interviewees should take the time to experience the city."
"Dr. Haight was wonderful. The interviewers were very nice and the students enthusiastic. I wasn't bothered by the location just the items mentioned above."
"strange. Touro looks like an abandoned prison.. The inside of the school was more up to date. Outside, the air had this metallic taste because the school is located in a shipyard. The professors seemed nice. Students seemed neutral to the school. Overall, i left the school hoping i wouldn't get in because i didn't want to think about putting down 2000 dollars for the deposit just to secure my place in a med school."
"I'm quite disappointed by the school. It seems like the school is full of students that need to be in the bay area more so than caring about their clinical rotations and board scores. To be fair, I know it is only a personal feeling but the admin definitely did not help to improve that feeling by avoiding talking much about those topics."
"Well, I am very bias. Let me tell you right off the bat that Touro is my number one choice. I had the privilege of meeting some of Touro's faculty and students last year at my own school and fell in love. This school fits me like a glove--the anatomy lab is incredible, the faculty have an open door policy, the food is kosher, the students love basketball, and it is on the cutest old military base. What's not to like?"
"I'm very torn about Touro. There are good things about it, yet I left the interview not feeling as if I had learned about much pertaining to the D.O. program - only the MPH program - which I am interested in, but that's not my reason for being there. I really didn't get a feel for what the curriculum set up is like, if they have patient simulation practice in any form, or if they have boards prep programs. The buildings are dated, pictures of the nice building on the website actually belong to the pharm program, because they have private funding... somewhat deceiving. I can deal with dated facilities, but the biggest thing, which has been mentioned before, is that there was no student interaction. My tour guide had chosen Touro because she wanted to stay in the Bay Area, and withdrew all other apps, so she couldn't give me any good reason as to why she chose the school or any answers really. Dr. Haight was whitty and nice, as everyone says. He says he reads these frequently, but I feel as if he's not using the suggestions... I could be much more convinced if I were given the opportunity to see some student interaction. In fact, I had a hard time finding students! Overall though, the day was very laid back, and I had a very welcome feel from the admissions staff and the interviewers, who seemed amazing. Also, though I was very leery of the group format, I actually found it nice, just make sure to be listening to other applicants, and not staring into space. Touro is a good school, they just need to sell it more on interview day and brag about what they do have. "
"It was fabulous. Dr. Haight was phenomonal- candid, kind, informative, instructive, and funny. He was incredibly forthcoming about our chances of getting in. They interview 20 people per week and the admissions committee meets every two weeks to vote on 40 candidates at a time. Based on the # of seats they have, up until around winter break, Dr. Haight is able to say ''you can accept all 40 candidates'' (which never happens.) But soon after winter break, he has to start rationing seats and has to tell the admissions committee ''of the 40 folks you interviewed, we can only accept two.'' So try to get in early! Check out the ''interview cancellation'' thread in the Premedical Forum. If you see an earlier slot at a school where you have an interview, call the school and take it. "
"First, we found out that the Dean, director of admissions and the financial aid officer were not there. Next, the only person on the agenda aside from the interviewers that was actually there was the MPH director who then gave us a sales pitch on the MPH program that is Self-accredited, meaning you may not be able to be apply to some jobs. B/c no one on the agenda was there, they were trying to figure out what to do with us until the interview. The student tour guide was our only outlet to learning about the school. However, even she was in the dark about the new curriculum, the clinical rotations, and the board preparations. The location isn't even appealing (or safe) to me. My purpose of going to the interview went unaccomplished and left still wondering what the heck the school's about. The school definitely didn't have it together to me. "
"I live near the ports of LA/LB so I wasn't shocked by the appearance of the former naval base. Vallejo is really boring and somewhat sketchy. The group interview wasn't too bad. Just make sure to listen to the other interviewees when they talk. I noticed one of the other guys looking bored and zoning out while another girl was talking - not a good way to make a positive impression. That said, I was totally unimpressed by the school. How can you have an interview process where there is no information given about the curriculum or clerkship sites? Especially at a DO school which normall don't have a feeder school to do rotations at? I tried to press the new dean of the medical school for information about the changes to the curriculum that he mentioned, but he could give me no details. I also asked about how the school prepares you for boards, and they said they have a class that reviews the material presented in the last two years, but it's not a board review per-se. They also only give you 2 weeks on your own to study for boards - not enough time, especially if you want to prepare for the COMLEX and the USMLE. At that point it was obvious that this school just doesn't have it together. I have too many unanswered questions about the quality of the education and access to local rotation sites. If you're really interested in going to Touro-MI, make sure to ask questions about the curriculum, assistance in board preparation and clerkships at the interview! These things will make or break your medical school experience."
"The day started early. The school is located on a literal dump. The school is small, doesn't have a real library (it does, but its comparable to the size of the hotel room i stayed at), the gym is joke, the interviewers do not seem to be there and the students do not seem happy at all."
"This was my first interview and I had a wonderful time; it felt like a mini-vacation. I arrived at SFO the day before and spent some time with family that lived in the greater SF area. It was exciting to finally get to the Quality Inn and as time went by the interview experience become more real. The staff and the actual room at the Quality Inn were awesome. The day of the interview, it was nice to meet and get to know other people from different parts of the country. Dr. Haight was great. He really did make us feel at ease by coaching and teaching us what to expect throughout the day. The Financial Aid and MPH portions were very informative. The tour guides were great; open and honest. Everyone that I met seemed to really want to be there and after that interview experience I can see why. You can really feel the non-competitive atmosphere in the air and if accepted that's where I'll be attending."
"Dr. Haight was great. Provided a lot of information and even did some mock interviews with us. The entire staff at Touro was very friendly, the student tour guide was very helpful."
"Excellent. At first I was somewhat concerned about things I had read regarding the surrounding areas (i.e. ''creepy,'' ''abandoned naval base,'' ''warehouse'')...In my humble opinion at least, those comments are grossly exaggerated. Yes, the area immediately surrounding the campus is still being developed...But the campus itself is fine...The surrounding areas and Vallejo are not GHETTO (at least not if you know what a real ghetto looks like)...It is a green, working class, ex-naval families city. The facilities of the school are just fine. The student atmosphere is laid back and welcoming. The Bay Area is gorgeous!"
"Despite the creepy island, the school is really great. The teachers and students are super nice, and they are working hard to overcome the atmosphere. Their anatomy lab is not stinky at all. I can't wait to go to this school"
"The Shuttle dropped us off at Touro, and the interview started at about 9 AM. Dr Haight, who is truly awesome, told us about the admission process and said we should be proud to have reached this far as we are in the top 10%. Then there was a presentation about their new DO/MPH program. This will be the first year they are offering it and it seems pretty cool. Then Dr Haight prepared us for the interview by having everyone introduce themselves and asking questions along the way. He also gave us feedback on our answers. Some people actually got those questions. Then there was a presentation on financial aide. Following this we got a tour of the facility by a student who was really nice and enthusiastic. Then our interview started at noon (It was a long morning, so have a good breakfast). It is a group interview. There were 5 candidated in my group and three interviewers (usually there are four, one being a student, but they were in the midst of finals). Each interview asked one question. Some of the questions were picked from some part of your application. One interviewer would quote a line from your essay and ask the respective person to comment on it, so know your application. Dr Haight said that they are looking for a beginning, middle, and end. He also said that they know that you are cognitively capable, but want to see that your heart is in medicine. He called it the non-cognivite aspect of your application. He said that they are looking at your interaction in a group. So you should pay attention to what the other canidates are saying and be interested. After the interview we had lunch and Dr. Haight did a wrap up of what happens next. They take two weeks or less to make their decision. If accepted you have two weeks to decide and mail in your deposit."
"Dr. Haight does a good job of easing tensions during the pre-interview speal he gives. They have the dean of the MPH program come and speak about joining the MPH program, and then we talk to the financial aid lady, and then we go on a tour with a student around campus, then the group interview with 3 profs and one med student (5 interviewees & 4 interviewers) and then we come out and have lunch, and leave. I would have preferred a different schedule for the day: 1-Meet Dr. Haight, have the pre-interview speal, 2-Actual Interview 3-MPH program/benefits of MD/MPH 4-Financial Aid 5-Tour w/Med Student 6-Lunch w/Med Student to ask more questions, and have the bus back to hotel come about 10-15 minutes later than it actually did. "
"The other comments on SDN seemed to make TUCOM out to be totally ugly and the students to be unhappy. I did not find this to be the case at all. The students I spoke with had other options and were generally happy attending TUCOM. There are plenty of trees and grass on campus, right near the water. The big abandoned NAVY buildings aren't crumbling or anything, and they impart a feeling that could be eerie but wasn't for me. Seems like the campus would be a great place to study, nice and quiet, few distractions. SF is very close and there is tons to do if one looks for it. Seriously considering attending..."
"The morning began with talks with Dr. Haight as well as Dr. Assefaw who is the director of the DO/MPH program. Though I am a believer that the combination program will lead to better physicians, I do feel that many medical school applicants are concerned enough with just a medical education and we were told about the MPH program a bit more than necessary. Dr. Haight told us how we got to the interview stage which was great, and we went around the room introducing outselves and this was helpful because Dr. Haight asked us some interesting questions each so we were prepared to answer more questions at the actual interview. We had an one-hour tour with a student guide and was able to see the entire campus then (which was not too big). We then were led to our group interviews in groups of 4 or 5 and even though it seemed like everyone did only okay on the first question asked, the rest of the interview went pretty smooth for everyone. We then had lunch and spoke a bit more with Dr. Haight, and that concluded the day. The interview day was very nice and relaxed. The shuttle that dropped me off from the hotel in the morning picked us up and we left the campus then. "
"The interview was good. The Dean is new to the school, but he has a lot of hopes and changes he would like to make to the school, one being more research, especially research in OMM. Although he was new, he was able to answer most of our questions. It was nice that he took the time to actually meet with us and answer questions unlike other schools where the Dean would just pop in to say ''hi'' or not show up at all. Dr. Haight was really incredible. He answered all of our questions without being bias. He also made sure we were prepare for the format of the interview and answered all our questions. The student guide was enthusiastic about the school and seems to really enjoy her experience there. "
"The dean is new, but pleasant enough to talk to; I felt some of the answers to our questions were vague. Dr. Haight is swell and no-holds-barred, which I liked. We had a presentation on the public health dual degree program, then a tour with a student who was enthuastic but in a somewhat contrived way, then the group interview, then lunch...I think it was in that order. It was my first interview of the season, and it was a good start, but I just couldn't see myself going there. I declined the acceptance for another school. "
"Overall it was good. I was excepted so it must have gone well. "
"The Quality Inn that they recommend we stay in is not bad. It is really convenient that they offer a ride to the interview. The information we get in the morning about financial aid and the MPH program is good. The interview is not that great of an experience. I say this because the pep talk Dr. Haight gives us before the interview makes you more nervous about the interview in some ways. For example when he tells us don't give yes no answers but don't talk too much, keep eye contact with everyone, they are judging your every move, ect, ect. Also, a group interview does not give you a real chance to talk to the interviewers, I think. It is supposed to give the interviewers a chance to see how you interact in a group but I don't know if putting people under pressure like that really shows how much of an interacter you are. The island and Vallejo are kind of creepy. The school is modern in some ways for sure. Going to school there will be like camping out in some ways I think. Many students that I saw really were enjoying their education there. I am assuming the most appealing thing about the school is the location. You do have to pay a toll every time you go into Vallejo when you cross the main bridge in. It will be a very expensive place to live. If we are given acceptances we have to make a decision about whether we want to attend the school within 2 weeks. All that said I would be exited to get an acceptance there and may very well take it. "
"Touro California seems like a nice laid back school with limited opportunities for clinical exposure in the first two years. They are very interested in their students and listen carefully to their feedback. They have begun to incorporate PBL into the curriculum, but just for one course so far. I would expect this school to keep progressing and expanding over time."
"Overall I think I had a good interview. It was nice to have the other applicants there to mitigate my nervousness. I think they truly are interested in getting a better sense of who you are at the end of the interview. I didn't sense any bullying on the interviewers part. I left feeling really good about the whole experience."
"It was a good experience. I liked the school more after a tour, talk with the students, and dean of admsissions. Also, all the other interviewees were very cool. "
"I really thought the group interview would be bad, but it was rather enjoyable, i just wish the other students being interviewed didn't go on and on and repeat themselves, i wish they were more to the point..."
"It was very relaxed. Dr. Haight is great and is very honest about the admissions process. I can see how the group interview could be nerve racking but our interviewers did a great job of making the environment relaxed "
"Pleasant. They were very interested in finding out more personal information about each of us than the other interview I had which asked general questions such as why DO and why our school etc. "
"Dr. Haight makes a very impressive job preparing students for interview. He makes a good point about how Touro only takes students who they have a good chance of accepting. The other major point he stated was that one should apply as early as possible because there are no slots. If one applies late, the statistics that would have put them in would probably not get in because maybe only 1 out of 40 would get in at that point, where as applying early would have been 20 out of 40, etc."
"it's as everyone says it is. dr. haight is great and he definitely has favorites. i was not a favorite, but i was conscious enough about that fact so as not to let it worry me too much. as he said, he doesn't vote anyway! it's strange though because i got a rather negative vibe from one of his favorites. ah well. anyways, i've been interviewed by three interviewers before so that didn't bother me, though i'd never had another person in on my interviews before. as others have complained, you reveal personal stuff, but that's ok, i don't think anyone really cares and if they "judge" you or whatever on it, they're looking into the wrong profession. in the end, i was accepted and it was a really difficult decision to turn them down because i did like the school a lot."
"For some reason this was the most stressful interview I have ever had (work world included). It wasn't that the questions were difficult but that you feel like you are competing with the 10 other people who also came to interview (which of course you are). The introductory session with Dr. Haight gave me a period to relax a little and get to know the other applicants. I was surprised that out of the 10 of us there was only one other Californian, everybody seemed pretty sharp. I liked that Dr. H was up front about the admissions process. He also made it pretty clear what he thought of you from the get go. He took a few good natured jabs at some of us. I thought it was pretty damm funny even when it was my turn. Apparently I am disengenuine (I'm not sure that's a word), cocky, non-traditional (old at 28) but very articulate. Nevertheless, Dr. H is pretty likeable guy It was actually good to hear this going into the real thing. They broke us into groups of 6 and 4 respectively and took us into conference rooms for the interview. In the interview it was clear that all of the interviewers had gone over our apps. very thoroughly. Which was a first for me relative to other joints where I have interviewed. The interview panel consisted of three faculty members and one student, all were very solemn and serious. With 6 of us in the room we spent most of the time listening to each other which is hard for a cocky SOB like me. Fortunately, the southron gent in our group burst out in a ranting soliloquy before I had a chance to bury myself and my interview was saved. I got to hand it to the interviewers throughout this tirade, despite my best efforts to illicit a smirk, they all kept a straight face. I was very impressed. I was excited to learn that the curriculum will be changing next year so that 1st and 2nd year students will be able to get into the clinic early on and there will be two years of anatomy as well. I had a nice conversation with a couple of the other interviewees in the parking lot. Again, the other interviewees really seemed to have their acts together. Which is what impressed me the most about this interview. I just ponied up the big check and I am excited to start at TUCOM in the fall "
"The interviewees gathered in a conference room, where we were greeted by Dr. Haight. He gave us some insight about the school and the schedule for the day. We had a brief talk with financial aid and then went on a tour. Next we had our group interviews. Then we ate lunch and after that we were done ."
"none of it was difficult, just annoying. the attacking and condescending nature of both the questions and tone in which asked were a turn off, even though I was pleasantly surprised by the school itself, the method of interviewing I found to be disrespectful. I also felt that having to get there so early, when the better part of the morning was a group prep for the interview, was a waste of time and a little juvenile -- if we can't handle whatever's thrown at us in an interview, no matter the format or situation, without being coached, what's the point in the interview at all? "
"Everything went smoothly, Dr. Height did mock interview and really helped us see what coming our way, and they all were very honest about their numbers, our chances and the two weeks timeframe to let us know their decision about our application. "
"Dr. Haight is very frank with everyone, and it definitely puts you at ease in going into the actual interview. However, the interview itself leaves a lot to be desired. I understand that the group format allows them to see interactions between people, and how an individual functions in a group setting. However, because the questions come from so many sources and are just fired at you, I felt like I was under attack sometimes. Also the body language and personality of one of the interviewers made it seem like they were uninterested in what I had to say, so I flustered, and it was all downhill from there."
"The interview started with Dr. Haight gave us a brief introduction about the admission process and he explained very clearly where exactly we are in the admission pool. Dr. Haight is really nice and makes the interview goes really smooth for me. Basically he prepared everyone for the group interview by asking possible questions the panel might ask. During our group interview, there are one DO, two phd and one student interviewers. The questions they asked are really interesting. Basically Dr. Haight told us that what the interviewer are looking for is not only dependt on answer itself but also depends on how you manage to answer the question. Overall, I had a great time visiting Touro. It's a great school with over 98% passing rate of step one and there are many support groups that help students both academically and socially. The neighboring area such as Bernicia, Napa also has a lot to offer."
"Some have said Dr. Haight is a legend. I agree 100%. We had a great day, inspite of someone who was only interested in spoiling it for all of us."
"There were 6 students and 3 interviewers since the student interviewer was unavailable. I am not a fan of the group interview b/c I feel they didnt hear enough about me to really know me as a candidate. It was tiresome listening to everyone else stutter out some lame answer to a simple question. Learn to be direct and answer effectively.. They need to have these interviews in smaller settings. I think they want to pit you up against your peers to see how you do under pressure but since the questions are open-file and specific, this does not achieve anything except diffuse your personality into a group of six people whereby they are difficulty discerning who you are. I got in, was not surprised and am definitely not going. "
"I agree completely with the person who said they interviewed on 2/7/06, and was not at all impressed with this school. The facilities are shoddy, at best. The school sign consists of a tarp banner strung between two 4x4's. The reception by Dr. Haight was nothing more than telling us about their admissions process, where they were in the process, and how lucky we were to be interviewing at the time we were. He spent over an hour talking about this...talk about over-kill. There were ten students being interviewed that day. Most of them were right out of college, and most were younger than I. I agree that Dr. Haight is a very rude person, and not someone I would choose to associate with. He had read my file thoroughly, and knew me before he met me. He took the fact that I wasn't begging him to let me into his school as being apathetic to my cause. He stated, in front of all candidates, that I "exuded a quiet confidence that he admires, but many will take as apathy". He then told me that he would be willing to bet that nine out of the ten students sitting in the room with me would agree that I "didn't really want to do medical school". He was very unprofessional, and not very welcoming. This was before I even got to the real interview. I noticed that he took this negative approach with about three of the candidates in the room. After our three hour session with Dr. Haight, which should have been over in an hour at most, we split up into two groups for the campus tour. This was a joke, as well. We had a whole 20 minutes for the tour. Once again, the facilities were extremely run down. I'm not quite sure what your tuition funds at this school, but it's certainly not campus improvement. There isn't a single place on the campus that has wireless internet. The library is the size of a football fieldhouse. The tour guide was quick to tell us that a lot of potential students say the library is small, but once they get here, they find that they have everything they need. The biggest joke came during the tour of the gross anatomy lab. We were introduced to a guy who actually said that he started "working in the lab as a technician...moving bodies and stuff...but I studied real hard and now they are letting me teach classes". I almost fell over at that statement. If you don't get into medical school here, just "study real hard" and then you can go back and they will let you teach. After the tour, we were again divided into two groups and sent for our interviews. In my group there were six interviewees and three interviewers. The interviewers were very nice and none of the questions they asked were of a judgmental nature. They do read your file thoroughly, so be prepared for that. I was prepared for all of their questions and felt as if it went really well. I don't really like the group interview format, as I spent about five minutes talking and fifty-five listening to other students. I've been on medical rounds before, and this is in no way similar. Oh, another thing about this school is that, if you are accepted, you only have two weeks to give them an answer and your full deposit. Dr. Haight spends about a half hour explaining why they do this. Basically, it's so they can lock someone into the slot before they have a chance to consider their other options."
"great. it is what you make of it. if you're nervous and discouraged from the beginning, you'll establish a negative perspective for yourself. however, if you enter the tour and interview with an open mind, it can be a wonderful experience. i honestly think some people exaggerate their experiences on sdn. in reality, i was ready to pee all over myself, but it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. the group interview is great because it teaches you to work in a group and be perceptive to another person's opinions. most importantly, be yourself and speak from the heart. memorized answers can only take you so far. "
"There are so many things wrong with this school. Before detailing them, I want it to be known that this is not sour grapes. I withdrew my application before it went to the committee. 1) The school itself stinks. It is located on an industrial island near Vallejo, CA, which is itself the armpit of the Napa Valley. First and second year classes are held in a run down building with poor lighting and a lack of locker space for students. The students did not seem to very enthusiastic about the school. When I asked the tour guide for his top three reasons why he went to Touro, he couldn’t even come up with one. I also got the impression that the tour guide was trying to hide various parts of the building from our view as if there were skeletons in them. Speaking of dead bodies, although the anatomy lab looks really great, students will have to spend two years dissecting cadavers starting with the entering class of 2006. Very little information was provided about the pre-clinical curriculum, and the clinical sites seem to be spread out over hill and dale. I never thought a school could be worse than Western University, but Touro Vallejo is. 2) Dr. Haight, the director of admissions, is rude, judgmental, and not particularly helpful. Most of the information that he provided during the early morning session dealt with the admissions process itself instead of discussing the school’s strong and weak points, the curriculum, or why students elect to attend the school. I must admit that I did tire of this exercise rather quickly, as it was my 10th interview. Dr. Haight jumped upon the boredom he inflicted upon me to conclude that I wasn’t interested in the school, quickly shared that conclusion with the other interviewees, and then hinted that he would be sharing that conclusion with the admissions committee. Although I don’t think much of the school now, my mind was still open to considering the school at the time because he made those comments only one hour after my arrival. More revolting were the rude comments and gestures that he made as the various applicants introduced themselves. All and all, I believe that Dr. Haight’s behavior was extremely unprofessional and worthy of sharp rebuke by schools and students alike. 3) The interview itself was very weird. There were four interviewers, six interviewees, and 60 minutes of time allotted. Dr. Haight justified this unusual arrangement on the grounds that it would let the interviews see how we might interact with fellow students while on clinical rotations. Of course, he failed to omit that doctors spend more time talking to patients one-on-one, and that it might be better to study how students interact in that type of environment. Anyway, since there were only 10 minutes per interviewee, I assumed that they would focus on the most pressing and important questions on my application: unique experiences that lead me to choose medicine, my illness in college, my research last summer, etc. However, they wanted to focus on the most irrelevant parts of my application like extra-curricular activities where I only put in 2 hours per week and stopped doing three years ago. It really seemed like the committee was missing the forest for the trees. All and all it was a very disappointing interview day. I really wanted to go to school in the bay area, but it’s just not worth going to this terrible school to live near SF."
"Dr. Haight talked to us about the interview and the school and prepped us for questions. We had a tour with students, had our interview, then our lunch."
"I thought the day was well planned and executed. We met were given an introduction by Dr. Haight, who was very helpful and kind. Then we had a tour, then we had the interview, then lunch make sure to eat a good breakfast before you come! :)"
"Group interview did not allow for faculty to know the individual deeper. I was asked 4 questions only. And by the end, there was very little time to ask questions to the interviewers. "
"The interviewers were friendly and enthusiastic. I liked that they were not all from the same back ground. One DO, two PhDs, and one student. It made for any interesting conversation and well rounding questions. I liked the group panel format because it gave you time to think about your next answer, instead of being bambarded with question after question."
"Interview had 4 interviewers (1 PhD, 2 DO's, 1 student). It's a group interview so be prepared to answer every question like you're interview depends on it because in essence it does. You only get 3-4 questions throughout the entire interview so it makes every question crucial. Dr. Haight was funny and he made the entire day less stressful. The tour guide was a student, although she didn't seem to know too much about the school or the program."
"Dr. Haight was funny and made the whole day very informal and welcoming. Interview was alittle stressful knowing that it was a panel asking questions not individually but to a group of your fellow peers. However, each question was personalized to your file and after it started, the stress lifted (wasn't as bad as I thought). The interview consisted of 1 PhD, 2 DO's, and a student. Questions were open-file so definatly know EVERYTHING in your file. But the questions weren't that bad, and you end up only answering about 4 questions throughout the hour because of the nature of the type of interview."
"The interview was very laid back. Four interviewers with four interviewees, and they went around the table asking questions. They asked very specific questions about our files, which was great. It gave me an opportunity to talk about the really unique things in my file- my undergrad major, my masters program, etc. I was very impressed by all four interviewers, including the student interviewer."
"honestly i was not very impressed with the interview. i did not feel that afterwards they had really learned much about me, but yet i still got accepted. there was only one other student interviewing with me, and so i thought they should have gotten to know ME better. instead there were more questions about random things that i did not feel were really important. i have gotten in other places, and so i do not intend on going here."
"We started the first few hours with Dr. Haight who initially told us about the interview process and then had us introduce ourselves and then gave feedback. The financial aid advisor then spoke with us briefly, we took a student tour, and then interviewed for about an hour. There were only five us us there that day, so I interviewed with only one other applicant and had plenty of time to be interviewed as well as ask the interviewers questions. Typically, I was told that students also sit in on interviews but they were testing that day so none were able to do so."
"I throughly enjoyed myself, even during the actual interview part! It was a great experience. I am looking forward to finding out if I am accepted or not. "
"The whole process was great. 7 of the 10 interviewees stayed at the quality inn and took the shuttle over to the school, so we were all pretty comfortable with each other. Dr. Haight made us feel even more welcome by overviewing the school and the interview process. We went around the room and introduced oursleves, with Dr. Haight giving input on each person. Then we had a campus tour by a student who answered many questions. The group interview was low stress since we all knew each other by that point and were asked different questions so it never felt like we were competing with each other. We got asked about three questions each. Oh, there's a brief financial aid overview, a boxed lunch, and a wrap-up by Dr. Haight"
"I was interviewed in a group and I only got asked a few questions 3 of which were the same question reworded. They shouldn't make people spend time and money to visit if they are only going to give you less tan 10 mins. of speaking time."
"The day was spent with Dr. Haight letting us know about the admissions process, a short financial aid presentation, "dry-run" of a group interview, tour, panel group interview, lunch and exit interview with Dr. Haight."
"Very different than what I expected from SDN (except for Dr Haight, who unanimously is loved by all). The 4 people who interviewed me (3 professors and 1 student) were great, relaxed and not stress provoking at all. "
"I was one out of 6 students interviewed to 3 faculty. I was asked 3 questions in about an hour's time. The interviewers were cordial and seemed interested, but they didn't have a chance to get to know us at all with 5 other people in there."
"Okay. I was a little surprized that the interviewers believed that HIV is no longer a problem in the US, but this is a common misconception. I liked this format better than one on one as I am more used to talking in groups."
"Overall, I had a really good experience at TUCOM. I believe I did a lot to prepare for that day, I knew for 9 weeks that I would be going there for an interview, so I did not waste any time getting all of the information I could about the school and faculty. I called ahead and found out the names of my interviewers so I could find out about the work that they do. That way I already had an idea of their backgrounds while I was speaking with them during the interview. I think everyone should try to do that before any interview. The TUCOM website recommends reading the entire catalog that is online if you are invited for an interview; if they recommend it...DO IT! It answers many of the questions that students were asking. Any information you can learn about the school and faculty ahead of time can only help you have a better experience. If, for some reason, I do not get accepted to any schools this year, I will definitely reapply to TUCOM in the future! I met 11 other excellent applicants that day (well, 10, I knew 1 from my undergrad college!). They all have interesting and diverse backgrounds; I hope they are all successful in getting accepted to medical school. "
"The anatomy lab is quite impressive and world-class. They were pinning the cadavers for first-year exams, so our tour guide wasn't allowed in, which was actually kind of nice because the professors preparing the exams talked to us for a while. The library is big, really nice, and set up kind of like a coffee shop. Lecture halls stadium seating, overall the campus was fantastic! Wish that there was more on the island than just a golf course, though. No restaurants, but there is a small cafe on campus. I was apprehensive going in, but coming out I have to say that I would seriously have to consider going to this school if accepted. "
"I thought the day was pretty smooth. Dr. Haight’s session on how to interview at TUCOM was extremely helpful (Hi Dr. Haight! Thanks!!). (FYI, you will find out that most of the admissions personnel read this website). I was surprised that one of the faculty members made a joke about the quality of TUCOM’s website. The interview was not stressful for my group, but I know the other group had several ethical/difficult questions (If you were presenting a case to a colleague, where would you go to get more information on the topic? Only acceptable answer was pubmed). Overall, I really liked this style of interviewing because you get to learn more about other applicants. Plus, I was really happy to hear that students know of their application status within two weeks of the interview."
"Stressful. The Dean of Admissions was really very nice and informative but the group interview style was needlessly unpleasant."
"initially good, but arrogant interviewers at TUCOM ruined everything....."
"Started at 9 am , and if you are driving I would leave early or go a day before to check it out because with the construction it can be confusing. The first hour Dr. Haight gave an introduction. Then he gave us a Q&A section to warm us up and give tips regarding our personal applications. Then we had the student tour. And then the group interview for an hour. Each student was asked 3-5 questions depending on your file and who they want to ask more about. I interviewed on a Monday and was accepted that Friday. They meet every other week on Thursday to make a decision on the last two weeks of apps. They rarely take off the waitlist but if you are waitlisted you could be picked up for the following application cycle via early decision. "
"The interview was average. I didn't like the whole group interview atmosphere, I thought it was really impersonal. Also, it seemed like the interviewers were more interested in attacking the students then getting to know them."
"I actually enjoyed the interview, as crazy as it sounds, and would have like to have it extended. This was my first medical school interview, however I've done many job interviews before so it feels very similar. When people post "the panel was not friendly", its just the normal setting for any serious interview so you shouldn't freak out. I enjoyed the panel setting because I was able to intergrate other student's answers with my own. Best advice that I can give to anyone interviewing is the following: research the school, know your application and be prepared to talk about anything you've done, PRACTICE by doing mock interviews with other people, get there a day early and explore the school by talking with the students, and for goodness sake call ahead and find out who will be interviewing you! Its just common sense, because you will be able to eliminate any possible variables that might throw you off. In addition, you can do some research on your interviewers and come up with some well thought out questions. "
"overall very positive, althought the "group interview" of five students all interviewing at once was new"
"This was my only interview and it was great. Dr. Haight was everything that I expected and more. The entire group of interviewees (9 total split into a group of 4 and a group of 5) were awsome. Whitney (UCLA), Steven (BSU), Justin (Akron), Emily (Austin... Hook 'EM Horns), Sonja (Berkley), Mijo (Boston by way of Chicago). Josiah (Camas), and Rashna (Chicago) I wish you all the best of luck. On another note... I wound up getting extremely ill after my interview in Monday. My plan was to attend classes on Tuesday with my friend (OMS I) and about 10 minutes into OMM lab I had to go to the bathroom to get sick. I was not able to hold anything down and being diabetic that is not a good thing. My friend was studying and I was laying on the bathroom floor in the library because it was cool when Mike (a second year) asked my how I was doing. He suggested that we go to the OMM lab to try to help with some of my symptoms. It helped a little bit, but not much. Dr. Cislo was also there and suggested that I be taken to the Cove Island Clinic to have my blood glucose checked. Gerard (another second year) offered to drive me there. It turned out that my sugar was fine and I have a viral infection of some kind. The physician at the clinic said to stay hydrated and drink alot of gatorade. I was still dresses for OMM lab from that morning so Gerard paid for my Gatorade. The point to this long story is that the type of caring and dedication to the health of others I witnessed at Touro is exactly what I am looking for in a medical school education. If I do not get in this time around Touro will be the only place that I apply to next year. "
"In general, the interview was easy. People who were interviewed with me got more difficult questions than I did. You should really know what you wrote in your both applications. It is important to support other students who are interviewed. It creates better impression about you as a person. I wish more useful information was given during the orientation. We even did not have a presentation by a Financial Aid representative. "
"Dr. Haight was wonderful, he was informative, professional and funny. As for the interview session itself; the panel of interviewers were not at all friendly. The interviewers looked bored, unhappy and intimidating the entire time. About 90% of the questions we were asked were general questions; slightly related to our personal file but not quite. This interview was not as "laid back" as I was anticipating, it may be b/c i'm a very nervous person esp under pressure. I felt as if I wasn't able to express myself and allow the interviewers to learn about me at a more personal level. From this point on... their impression of me is 100% subjective and i believe the questions I was asked were random and have very little pertinence to me and are difficult to use as a gauge to measure my 'fit' and abilities to being an integral part of TUCOM-MI campus. "
"Haight was sweet, but contradicted himself many times during his presentation. For instance, he spent twenty minutes talking about how other,less competent schools over-enrolled their classes - a few mintutes later he then admitted TCOM over-enrolls by >30%, but tried to call it something else. He seemed so eager to please I didn't trust him at all by the end of his presentation. He dodged a question about board scores. Friendly tour guide was a first year who didn't show us student center/ housing. The group interview is actualy kind of cool because you can see what other people say during their interviews and judge how you are doing compared to the rest of the group. Interviewers were very cool, but I was taken aback when interviewers got into a short discussion between themselves about whether or not nursing school was starting in fall. It seemed like something proffesors would be at least minimally informed about. I was accepted but also got into CCOM same day and chose CCOM, in part because TCOM wants $2000 deposit within 2 weeks. "
"Out of five, this was my best interview. I felt at ease, people were friendly, and the school was much nicer than I expected. Everything about the interview went well. It will be difficult to choose between Touro and DMU."
"The other interviews I've had were more chatty and informal. I felt like the panel was grilling us. They weren't very friendly, and to be perfectly honest, considering this was my only interaction with the faculty of TUCOM, they didn't strike me as a very friendly or helpful group. "
"It was a positive experience. The panel both relaxed me but I think also made me do worse than I would have otherwise. Questions were mostly directed about experiences listed in application. Interveriewers were nice, little emotion was shown."
"My interview was not that great. I answered all of the questions fairly well, except one. I had an answer to one interviewer's question, yet the other interviewer proceeded to ask me another along the same lines of the topic - except he was shoving words in my mouth. I had to correct his misconceptions of what I was saying, and I believe he got offended. Our panel of interviewers were not friendly. One guy constantly kept interrupting interviewees, repeating their question in a rude tone, waving hand signals to tell the student to stop, and others just flat out telling the applicants that they were "wrong." Three of the four interviewers spent much of their time grilling one applicant in particular, one with an economics degree, as to his qualifications and the rigor of his study habits, etc. Again, when the interviewer did not like his answer, he flat out told the applicant "uh uh, no, no, that's not what I was looking for. Let me repeat it again." Imagine this, with an interviewer waving his finger, pointing directly at you. I was so surprised. I was also even more surprised at how horrible all of my other interviewee's answers were. I don't even know how they ended up at the interview. I suppose some people are just not well developed in public relations, or speaking, in general. I will tell you though, some of their answers amazed me - I wanted to laugh so hard, but unfortunately there were too many people around me. One interviewee went even so far as to mock osteopathic medicine by saying it was similar to Eastern herbal medicine, in his attempt to explain why he was interested in the profession. I also did not like one of the interviewer's questions either. If someone has good statistics, you should not ask them why they are applying to osteopathy and not an allopathic institution (as if there was something wrong in having good numbers and being interested in becoming a D.O.). The interview experience was just a disappointment. I truly was amazed by the interviewer's lack of courtesy, and by the interviewee's lack of common sense."
"There is a lot of hype on this website about the interview panel grillin students. The interviewers were nice, and of course they are gonna ask tough questions. This isn't suppose a cake walk. Almost every question they ask comes from your profile. Be prepared to answer anything about your application. If you did research, volunteer, anything, be prepared to talk about it. You just gotta realize that they also want natural answers, don't make up some jargon cuz they'll know. "
"Overall the interview seemed to present questions in a less than pleasent manner. 2 out of the 3 interviewers asked the typical questions."
"It was probably my best interview so far. I have had this type of interview before. It's nice because you get a break between questions and compare yourself to other candidates. The questions were still tough though."
"I was pretty disappointed with how I thought I did. There were some tough questions, mostly implying that my current lifestyle was not preparing me for medical school."
"Because I had known about the style of interview, I was able to prepare well for it. All of the questions will pertain to your application. "
"I was really nervous, for some unknown reason. "
"Met with Dr. Haight for ~1.5 hours to discuss the application and interview process. Talked about financial aid briefly, then toured the school with student. Followed up with panel interview and lunch."
"Each answer had to be stellar because of the limited time within the group. It was helpful to see how other people presented themselves, as TUCOM was my first group interview experience. "
"affected me positively, I got in and I may go there. The 2000 dollar deposit thing is rediculous (have to pay it within two weeks or your spot is taken away). I think thats kinda mean. Especially since my interview was so early. If you dont mind the dumpiness of mare island, than you could have a good time there."
"Dr. Haight is a great admissions director. I liked how he took the time to personally meet us at the hotel before we went to the campus. He was very informative and was very encouraging. He made us feel proud that we were there for an interview. All they needed to know now was how we were like in person. I liked the panel format. We had 3 doctors and a student to 3 interviewees. I felt that the easiest questions came from the student. Overall, it was a good interview day. "
"The panel was composed of the librarian, a DO, a student and a pHD. I am pretty sure that the pHD mixed up my file with another student's. They did take the time to read our files however..."
"The interview day was nice. Dr. Haight met us at the hotel and gave us information about the school and the admissions process. We then went to the school for more information sessions and a tour of the campus. The people in my interview group were hella cool which made the panel interview more comfortable. Plus my interview panel were all really nice. "
"Overall good experience. Make sure you are able to talk in front of your peers and listen attentively. Know yourself and your motivation for osteopathic medicine or you will be drilled with questions. An overall relaxing day "
"I interviewed really well - but I didn't learn much about the school no matter how many questions I asked. No one was willing to talk about the basic science curriculum (except that they have letter grading), no one was willing to address the horrible board pass rates nor how the school controls/sets up a clinical curriculum; the tour was lead by an MSI - who knew NOTHING about the inner workings of a medical education (but in his kindness he did offer to ask someone else and email us) etc."
"Overall, my interview experience at TUCOM was surprisingly more relaxed than I expected it to be. Dr. Haight did a really good job of explaining the interview process and even asked us mock interview questions and gave good interview tips before we interviewed. Both students and faculty were extremely nice and the interview was low stress. Also to clarify about their group interview: although you are interviewing with a group of people, the interviewers don't pose one question to the group...they ask each candidate individual questions so don't worry about having to compete with other candidates. I also recommend meeting the other students at the hotel before going to TUCOM, even if you're not staying there. Dr. Haight gave us a lot more information and prep tips than at the school."
"After some negative comments on SDN about Touro facilities and classes, I came in with a disenchanted view of the school. This was my first medical school interview, and I appreciated Dr. Haight talking to us about the entire admissions process as well as things we should be careful of. He was very forthcoming about saying that Touro's diversity is not where it should be, but they are working on it. Touro is placing a heavier weight on more clinical/research/volunteer experience rather than just the academic portion part of your application file. Everyone who gets an interview has the grades and the scores to go to medical school. Sure we have our holes in our files, and they will be explored in the interview. But the purpose of the interview is to see how well you communicate with people around and when you are underpressure. During the day, there were 10 people interviewing with me. We were split into 2 groups of 5, and then we proceeded with the interview. There were 3 doctors, and one student representative. They asked great questions, and responded to question posed to them with great responses. The campus isn't as bad as most people seem to say it is. Does it have faults? Yes it does...but it is the people and the teachers that make the school."
"I did not enjoy it. Comments were made to other interviewees that offensive."
"low stress"
"Overall good experience. Hotel was nice, Dr. Haight helps you out so much. The interviewers are nice, the students are very friendly, basically it was a great day. I liked the panel format, but I just didn't feel like my interviewers were asking me interesting questions. For example, one interviewee has been abroad, is an artist, and got to speak about teaching. Those things are fun to talk about, but no one asked me about my art background or my college athletics experience, or my teaching. It just seemed odd."
"It was my first interview, and thanks to an early acceptance, my last! I still have 7 interviews scheduled, but why bother? Touro is relaxed but academically rigorous, its close to my family and I feel like all the students play critical roles in the positive dynamic of the school. I can't wait until next August!"
"This interview was boatloads of fun. I know that sounds strange but it really was. The interviewers both had a good sense of humor and the other candidates were eager to share their stories. So it was a very collaborative experience. This interview is not so much about you as it is about how well you play with others. Keep in mind that throughout medical school and beyond you will be faced with group interview and feedback situation (can you say ROUNDS) and the ability to be yourself around others is an important trait to develop. This interview is very low pressure and any anxiety I had going in to the interview quickly disappated after a few hours talking to Dr. Haight and the others in the group. "
"Before I went to the Tucom-LV interview at Mare Island, I had done some research online about the research experience of others through SDN. I read the negative ones first, since I figure it is best to know what is bad about the school and prepare myself for the worst. But those reviews are wrong. I actually had an enjoyable time during my interview. The drive from the airport to the the hotel was amazing, especially the drive over the bridge across the bay. The hotel wasn't that bad either. I just hoped the front desk could give better driving directions to local restruants, I almost got lost trying to find a place to eat. The campus at Mare Island wasn't as bad as what people say. Eventhough we didn't get to tour the campus, everything looks fine to me. Now the best part, Dr. Haight. I had read a lot of reviews saying Dr. Haight was great and I finally had a chance to meet him myself. I have to agree with others. I strongly believed he made the interview process much more easier to go through. He mentioned that he hand picked all the interviewees based on qualities that he believed each student pocess that will make them a good doctor. I believed he does, such can seen in the students interviewing with me. We were a great group and we supported each other through the whole process even though we just met that morning. I seriously hope we all get in so we can all party together down at vegas. Oh, last but not least, Brian was great also. I know some other reviews complained about not been able to talk to other students on campus about the school. However, I personally think Brian is a great example of the student that will be attending Tucom-LV. He made us pumped for the interview and I hope I will get the chance to be one of his fellow students."
"The interview was by far the best one I attended. The reason I had such a great experience was the motivation that Dr. Haight gave us, the students that interviewed with me. I am usually around a bunch of uptight people but these people rocked. It made the panel/The"Apprentice" type interview very comfortable. I hope all of us get into medical school together because this group was made up of selfless and non-judgemental people, the same type of people that deserve to be doctors. Dr. Haight is a great person and also encourages staying in shape which is very important to me. Overall I loved it and hope to get in very soon. Also the interviewers were very easy to talk to and not at one point did I feel intimidated."
"I was interviewing for TUCOM-LV but the interview was conducted at the Mare Island Campus. TUCOM is full of energetic, helpful people. Dr. Haight is wonderful and helpful. Very open about the school, our chances, where the process was currently and what to expect, so we had a good idea where we were standing. He made it a wonderful experience. It is a very humbling experience to sit with a group for an interview and listen to everything these other people had done. The manner in which everything was done and conducted was logical and efficient. My group got to know each other and we seemed to all hit it off and it was a lot of fun, even though I was very nervous. TUCOM-LV is definitly my first choice school and, although I have been waitlisted, I hope I can get picked up off the waitlist, and if not and i have no other offers, I will just reapply."
"I know that this website is read by not only students, but by the schools themselves at times. That being said I was overall dissapointed with the interview experience. Please do not stay at the Best Western. There are Motel 6's for about 25$ less in the area. The hotel is not even very close to the school and the continental breakfast is absolutely pathetic. I would have paid maybe 2 bucks to eat that food, which made the effective room rate 63$ as opposed to $65. The staff was nice, and the room was fairly clean (the bathroom had alot of hair in it). The price and the breakfast weren't the only things I didn't like about it. Dr. Haight is a very nice man and I am impressed that he meets with the students. However, not to hurt any feelings, I felt like he was holding our hands all day just trying to make us feel good about ourselves. We met around 8:30 and didn't leave to go to the interview for quite a while. The whole time we really just talked about nothing. I really wished I just slept longer and met everyone at the school. Trust me, you don't learn anything that will help in the interview or to learn about the school. You get to the school and because we were interviewing for LV we didn't go on the campus tour. We just sat in the confernece room for hours talking about ourselves for no reason but to "feel more comfortable". Well, excuse me, but if you need to warm up for an interview, you may have more than just that to worry about. Anyways, we sat around for a long time, just stretching out the time till the interview at 12pm. For about 10 minutes the financial aid guy came in. He really didn't tell us much, and couldn't even give us handouts about anything. One of the other interview I went on was for LECOM. LECOM passed out these huge packets that gave us information about renting in the area, a huge financial aid package with specifics about students budget for their school, a packet on the student organizations on campus with descriptions of them all, a bunch of informational packets on the city itself, and most importantly a packet on the specifics of the cirriculum and an academic calender. I was most impressed with the process at LECOM and my experience at Touro left alot to be desired. Additionally, Dr. Haight gives the impression that he wants to see us through the day to be available to us to answer any and all questions. It is under the guise of being open and available to us. However, it kind of struck me that we didn't have any interactions with other office staff or any students. Almost as though we were being shielded from the poeple that work behind the scenes. Even though it was an interview for LV, there is no denying the fact that by interacting with other students at the Mare Island campus we could have had a feel for how they enjoy the school. At a minimum they could have had a couple students host us for lunch and just talk to us. At LECOM they provided lunch for us in their cafeteria where everyone eats together and one student sat with each table to speak to us and answer questions, it was awesome. If you are still with me thank you and if you don't believe me, I just say to you wait and see. The last thing is that the group interview is incredibly pathetic. I put that the interview was 10 minutes because when the interview is 60 minutes and you have 4 to 6 people with you that means about 10 minutes for you. They do it with the suggestion that it is similar to presenting a patient while you are on rounds. Well, that is a load of baloney. It was incredibly comfortable to be in the group environment and would have felt exponentially more nervous if it was just me with the three interviewers. One thing I can say is that I was very impressed with the inteviewers and their knowledge of my file. So in conclusion, don't stay at the best western and don't be nervous...it is mostly just a waste of time"
"The Best Western is a nice place to stay at. I was pleasantly surprised to find a fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker inside the room. I enjoyed my day, and met some really cool people. I just wish TUCOM would have a maximum number of students who interview with the panel. I think anything more than four applicants with one panel is too many. I felt like I answered my questions fairly well, but when I walked out of the interview, I felt like there was so much more about me that the interviewers didn't get to hear because there wasn't enough time. "
"Overall the interview experience was not as bad as I expected. "
"My interview experience although rather short was challenging. The interview process consisted of 3 interviewers and 5 applicants simultaneouly. I was personally asked three questions, where I had evaluate my responses in order to present myself in the most effective way possible. I feel that being able to also evaluate the responses of my fellow peers was a stress reliever. It gives you time to think of your potential questions and responses. As well as allows you to meet your potential fellow students. I feel everyone that interview with me on May 5th, would be a pleasure to have a my colleague."
"Let me start with Dr. Haight...Wow...When you look up in a dictionary the word Admissions Director...they should have his picture...He is everything people say he is and more...He might be the reason why I choose Touro over another campus. "
"Overall it was a fun experience. Dr. Haight is straight forward. He does not beat around the bush and he wants you to get in. There is some negativity about the school; however, it is all what you make it out to be. If you get into this school and you have a negative outlook, your going to have a bad medical experience. I am very excited about hearing some good news."
"First off, don't fly ATA...you pay for cheap and you get cheap. My flight was late and they start seating from the back. I was seated in the front and it took a long time for me to board. By the time I got to my seat, there was no place to put my carryon in the overhead bin...the air didn't work and it was MAJOR HOT in the plane. We sat in the heat for so long before we even taxied out of the gate! Read above for the shuttle. I really do suggest staying at the Best Western to meet and get to know the other candidates. Also, MAKE SURE YOU EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST at the hotel before you leave. Don't worry about looking like a pig because you don't get to eat anything until after the interview. You don't want you stomach to growl during the interview! hahaha (has happened to me before, not here though). Dr. Haight meet all of you around 9 AM and you talk for a bit and then are shuttled off to MI campus. More talks ensue, financial aid and someone from the curriculum. Then you get to introduce each other and get a feel for talking in front of other people. Relax and enjoy yourselves! Dr. Haight then tells you the truth about the interviews and give you some clues about how to answer certain questions...No, it's not as in-depth as you think...although, if given a scenario about a patient (ethical or not), it is your responsibility to stabilize and assess the patient first, then deal with the ethics later. HINT HINT :) The panel format was actually FUN and at noon! I was in a group of 4 and there was another group of 3 for a different panel. It's great to hear what other people have to say and you do have a chance to include their answers in yours and elaborate further. Another HINT HINT. So pay attention to what is said. Answer short and sweet but be thorough enough to get your point across. I really did enjoy the panel interview. I wish more schools did this. After the interview, you have lunch and Dr. Haight tells you what to expect...no sugarcoating here. I think he is very passionate about what he does and it shows! He has put alot of effort to select the best candidates and I think they do a good job! I'm really excited for TUCOM-Nevada!"
"For the Las Vegas site, it was pointless to go to the Mare Island site and sit in a room all day before the interview. All of this could have been accomplished easily by a telephone interview and thus saving students money on transportation and hotel to go to a medical school site that they're not even going to be setting foot in. I do agree with a previous response on sdn that said that the experience was based mostly on statistics of getting in and admissions/interview advice which is great, but I would have liked to know more about the school, what makes it stand out, the curriculum, how they plan on making it great, etc. etc. If I get in, I will be happy that they considered me, but I have to seriously think hard about going there as opposed to other DO schools."
"I live in the local area, and still recommend staying at the Best Western, you get to meet the other applicants, and get to meet Dr. Haight around 0900. You then hop in the shuttle which takes you to the Mare Island campus. I asked Dr. Haight if I could follow in my car 'cause I wanted to stick around post-interview and ask the students their thoughts on the school; and he was cool w/it. Looking around the campus was useless, we all interviewed for Las Vegas; it seems like that's the way it goes; all Vegas people together, and Mare Island people together. So, we didn't tour, and instead talked a bit w/ the dean of pre-clinical education. The good news is: The Vegas professors are experienced, and will NOT be teaching med students for the first time. Dr. Haight also got us all to introduce ourselves, prepping us for speaking in front of each other. Then came financial aid, med students borrow a LOT of money. Fortunately, if I'm short on cash, I can take some of the loan money and shoot dice. Finally, at 1200; the panel interview. I'd say it went well, just relax, speak slowly and pay attention to the other applicants' answers. After the interview, lunch arrives and Dr. Haight tells you when Admissions and standards meets to vote on your standing. He then tells you that the letters go out the next day, and offers email notification for those who request it (Highly recommended). Keep in mind that you should have a decision on Touro by the end of the interview day, 'cause the $2000.00 deposit is due in the admissions office two weeks after the letter is SENT! This means you only really have a week + or - a few days to decide when you factor in time spent in transit; coming and going. After that, everyone hops in the shuttle and goes back to the hotel (TUCOM interviewees get late checkout at 3:30 PM) I ended up going right back to the hotel 'cause the students had to spend the night there, and that's where I got to meet them. Overall, it was great, and I can't wait to go. "
"I was really really nervous. I didn't know what to expect and thought the group interview would be horrible because if I messed up...it would have been in front of a bunch of people, but it turned out to be okay. The interviewers were so nice and they nodded when we answered to make us feel comfortable. Nothing like I expected."
"The day started at 8:30 in the conference room at the Best Western. We introduced ourselves and Dr. Haight joined us soon after. Dr. Haight was incredible! He really cares about the students and does everything he can to make them feel comfortable and alleviate anxiety about the interview. There were ten of us and the panel interviews were started at 12:00. Were we divided into two groups of six and four. I prefer the one on one style but the panel wasn't as bad as I thought. The interviewers know your file very well as they have it for a week before you get there! It was definitely nonconfrontational. The interviews ended at 1:00, we had lunch they provided, and the hotel shuttle returned to pick us up. Overall a good day. "
"The campus is really not that bad. It is an old naval base, and the buildings (non-campus) are a little run down, but the whole island is clean and pleasant looking. Once you get to the school there are flowers and trees and I think it's quite nice. The panel interview was not so bad either. It was like the others were there for moral support, not to compete or intimidate. Everyone did a great job. The questions were all based of our applications and why we chose osteopathic medcine."
"I actually liked the panel interview- it was 4 students and 3 interviewers- a clinician, a PhD, and a rabbi- head of student life. They each asked their questions of us- it really wasn't bad. Most were to clarify our application or tell more about ourselves. We had really gotten the chance to get to know our fellow interviewees, so it wasn't competitive at all- I was trying to root them on! Everyone was so nice, I wanted them to do well. We had had a great discussion before even going in to interview, so I knew it wouldn't be bad. The questions themselves were a little stressful at times, but really not bad. Overall the staff seemed great and the students seemed to like it. If they do as good a job on the school in Las Vegas it will be awesome."
"The group interview was badly done. It gave you no time to sell yourself and the 3 questions I was asked were horrible. The interview would have been much better if it was just one person in front of the panel. The campus was a little odd but I was interviewing for the Vegas campus, not Mare Island."
"I had a wonderful time at Touro. Although I thought that I would despise having to interview in a group, it turns out it's not half bad. Yes, group interviews shorten the amount of time that an interviewer spends getting to know you, and yes, you have to be quick with your responses. However, a group interview lets you see how other applicants act during their interview and how you compare to them. It also allows you time to re-group after answering a question. You don't have questions being fired at you constantly."
"I personally liked the panel style interview. The interviewers were interesting and personable. Be sure to pay attention to the other interviewees responses."
"We ended up sitting around talking for most of the time. It was pointless to take a tour of the MI campus. Dr. Haight blew a little too much sunshine up our butts."
"i'm not sure where the tuition goes. "
"Interview was uncomfortable and stressful. Every other interview I have been on we were not required to interview with and in front of other students. I don't understand the reasoning behind this. Campus appears to be poor and students were not enthusiastic...Gym and weight room were in poor shape...We were not allowed to see certain buildings...There is no on campus housing. Not my first choice for a medical education. "
"I was really nervous because this was my first one but everyone tried to make us as comfortable as possible. Dr. Haight was GREAT! if you've had any doubts about being a doctor- he'll erase them for you with his talks! I stayed at the best western, so I got to know everyone before the group interview. The tour of campus was nice. During the interview I was the only student who didn't get asked personal questions about research, or my file. Most of my questions were theoretical. But I still got in- yay! Like Dr. Haight said- the interviewers already know your answer, they just want to know how you react and explain. Great day overall- my impression of the school improved."
"During the actual interview there were six prospective students (ps), and four interviewers. Each interviewer asked one question of each ps. Which means that each ps only had four real opportunities to speak, and could only speak to address the question. There was not time for dialogue. There was very little interactive conversation. Several times people were cut off by an interviewer mid-sentence. Because each ps was asked only four questions, the pressure is very high to answer each well. One stinky answer and you feel like one fourth of your interview is in the toilet. Also, if you do not know an answer or flub something, it is humiliating because ten people are watching, instead of just one. I think this is why Touro ends up with so many bad interview reviews. I can imagine the reasons for using this format, but if you are accustomed to the one-on-one interview the group format is a shocker. I hope that they realize the limitations of this system and take them in to account when they discuss our files. Before and after the interview we spent a lot of time with Dr. Haight, the dean of admissions, who does not vote on our file. I would have liked more time talking to current students, and the ability to poke areound the campus a little bit."
"I knew I would accept if they offered, which they did. However, the interviewers seemed to know their decision upon our first answers. And due to the four-on-five interview, you don't really feel like they paid good attention to you. Also, the representative that replaced Mr. Haight did not have the best answers for everything. He seemed vague on many issues."
"Overall I felt it was a good experience. The panel interview is somewhat nerve racking, especially if you are not an extraverted type of personality. I think Touro will become a very good school one day, the only drawback is that it is so new right now. The students seems to like the curriculum and also sound like they study a LOT. It seems like Touro is starting to establish itselg in the West Coast, although it still has some way to go."
"Not unlike some of the comments posted by others, not only is Mare Island a dump, but I get a real BAD feeling about the school and how they're opening a branch campus in Las Vegas! Wake up Touro! Your 1st campus needs work, don't let your greed affect the medical education of the poor saps that already attend this school. Seriously, its worng what they're doing, they should at least wait a year until the LV campus is opened. Nobody, ever, in the history of the world should ever attend this school...unfortunately I spent over $300 attending this waste of time interview. Don't make the same mistake."
"The interview was a positive experience. I think they have it down to a science, and Dr. Haight's experience with admissions and premedical students resounds while he is casually talking with the group. He also puts any uneasiness to rest, answering questions, etc. The interview itself was good. I was asked more questions than I expected to be asked (going from previous feedback here). I thought each candidate was given a reasonable and equal amount of time for answering questions. "
"I believe that the majority of the people that have posted statements about Touro are probably spoiled rich kids. The Best Western is not that bad of a motel. I've seen much worse. They offer continental breakfast, which is coffee and danishes. I don't know what these kids were expecting. "
"Although a group interview sounds scary, it was actually more relaxing. You get to know the fellow candidates during the morning so that by the time you reach the interview you feel at ease with them in the room. Also it is very interesting to hear what other people had done that had gotten them to that point. The interviewers were nice and tried to make you feel comfortable by talking to you like they were really interested."
"it seemed like touro bashed on western and MD programs and they gave u the feeling that osteopathic is way better than MD. and they keep asking why osteopathic over MD. The school was not very appealing, i would pick vegas over vallejo any day of the week. The dean was nice as well as 2 of the interviewers, however one of the interviewers i felt was givin an interrogation and the other one's cell phone went off and he left the room, i thought that was rather rude. but all in all, it is a med school, be it DO or MD.. and if you want to practice medicine you can't really be picky"
"The interview day was well organized. Dr. Haight did his best to comfort us. He is a caring person with deep insight and truly wishes the best for each candidate. The tour was brief and was given by a staff person who is the wife of a TUCOM student. She was wonderful, spoke highly of the school and provided us with a unique perspective. During the interview, I was a bit nervous. I could not have asked for a better group of people to be interviewed with/by. My group consisted of four guys interviewed by two women and one guy. Again, the interviewers were professional and cordial. The questions were fair and straight forward. The interviewers were interested in what I had to say and I never felt rushed. They emphasized how TUCOM is looking for people who can lead but yet work together to make this new school successful. I interviewed for the Las Vegas campus. It will be awesome to be part of the charter class. Las Vegas is growing at a rapid pace and with TUCOM as the only medical school in town and the second in the state, students will have many opportunities. With blessings from AOA, Las Vegas leaders, and the dedication of the TUCOM staff and students, I am confident this will become a great school. If granted acceptance, without doubt or hesitation, I will accept this opportunity to be part of something great and exciting."
"I've noticed that recent feedback comments have given positive reviews to Dr. Haight and the school. Some are warranted and some are not. I agree that Dr. Haight is a nice person who stays with interviewees most of the time so they won’t be nervous. Plus he’s also funny to keep us less nervous. But you, as a student that is choosing a medical school to spend 4 years of your life, must decide based on relevant factors. Are you going to choose a school based on a “wonderful†Director of Admissions, who won’t teach the core classes and assist you with clinical rotation assignments and who is only responsible to admission purposes? Are you going to pay approximately $30,000 in tuition only to go to a school that looks like a combination of a jungle and a war zone instead of schools that offer much more (in terms of facilities) such as NSU? I believe that everybody considering TUCOM should visit the school in his or her own car, talk to other people that go there or considered the school, etc.. I highly recommend that you should not base your decision on my comments alone. My comments were only meant to give everybody insights on the truth of this school. I do think that the campus in Las Vegas will be much more promising than the one on Mare Island. I wish that all DO schools would be wonderful campuses that offer students great facilities, so that DOs everywhere can be even prouder of their profession in terms of medical school. I hope my comments will open everyone’s eyes so that maybe TUCOM could improve in the future (maybe move to the LV campus and focus all their resources there). "
"I thought it was a positive experience, not the best interview, but not a terrible one either. The other individuals in the interview had done some pretty amazing things, so it was a little intimidating. LIsten to what the dean tells you because he will prepare you in the best way possible, with some excellent insight. The students giving the tour were wonderful - very honest. Be sure to ask lots of questions. "
"The 4-on-4 style was interesting. I can't say if it was more or less comfortable than a one on one style. I think it was easier in that the spotlight was not on you the entire time and you had less questions to ask, but it was harder in that when you were in the spotlight, you had seven people looking at you, and because you had so few questions each (four) you had to make each response count. Overall people were very friendly and the interviewers made it fairly comfortable. My hometown is about 3 hours from the campus and Touro was definitely high on my list for a few reasons (climate, location, etc.) I was accepted and I will be attending. "
"VERY ORGANIZED DAY. But I did not like interviewing with 3 other interviewees in the room and 4 interviewers so much. But it went well. "
"It was a panel interview with 3 faculty members and one student. The questions asked to the student panel were very personal and based on the student's individual file. I was very impressed with the library, the OMM lab room, and the anatomy lab. We were informed by a student there that in Histology lab you are given your own microscope and slide box for lab and a lot of lab work is virtual on the computer. The school's faculty seemed to be their greatest asset. They seemed more focused on you as an individual then on your exam scores, past research, or MCAT marks. I think the students that performed the best during the interview were calm, talked slowly, and kept eye contact with both the interviewer, the whole interview panel, as well as the student panel. The students seemed to be very connected and relaxed. The day I interviewed was some sort of "funny hat day" and a large % participated. I also heard they get out of school early (12:00) on Fridays. After the students finished with their questions, the interview panel let us ask questions about them. My question was, "What are the best and worst features of TUCOM?" They responded that TUCOM's surrounding area was not the prettiest, but that the school was new and undergoing lots of changes, including adding new buildings, expanding, and renovating. They also mentioned that the faculty and adminstration listens to student's suggestions and makes changes highly based upon them."
"The cost of living is what made me not choose TUCOM. It was not anything else!!!!! Go into the interview with an open mind. The group interview was better than I thought. You can see how others are doing. Get to know your fellow interviewees. I had a great experience at TUCOM and would recommend the school on an academic basis."
"Basically enjoyable. I believe I interviewed with a superb group of individuals whom were all conversive. A word to the wise-get to know your fellow applicants, that is key when interview time rolls around. It lowers the stress level incredibly!! And when interviewing, formulate your answer before you spit it out-think about it, keep it to point and don't ramble!! JUST RELAX, it's gonna go well!! "
"First, Dr. Haight (Dean of Admissions) came out to meet us at the Best Western for breakfast, meet and greet. Best Western--nothing to write home about, but what they lacked style was more than made up for in convenience and friendliness of the front desk people and shuttle driver. Dr. Haight said we could talk about anything we wanted to, but most of us wanted to learn more about the opening of the medical school in Las Vegas. Some of us, including me, wanted to know how this might affect our chances of getting into the Mare Island program and why some of us were being given the option to apply to Las Vegas and not others. Dr. Haight assured us that, if we are accepted, steps were being taken to give us the chance to shift our acceptance to Las Vegas. We were shutteled onto the Island. Again, nothing to write home about, but thankfully the environment is quiet and safe. Met with Dr. Haight and others being interviewed who didn't go to the hotel for breafast. He was extremely informative and his candid answers to our questions was refreshing. What everyone says about him is true. I've been on 4 interviews and he is head and shoulders the very best. We then toured the campus. Spartan, but the labs and new classrooms were beautiful, especially the anatomy lab. Then came the interviews. It seemed like they knew more about each of us than I expected. With 4 faculty listening to each of my answers the pressure was more than one-on-one's that I have been used to. After interviews we all ate lunch together and Dr. Haight prepared us for what decisions the Committee could make and how we should respond to each option. All in all, the best interview day I have experienced to date. I think its great that they let Dr. Haight spend all day with us. He was a great comfort. I only hope I interviewed OK and get accepted. "
"I had gotten a very negative impression of Touro. Please look at the negative impression question for more info. Although it was not as bad as many people make it out to be (yes, I have heard worse than what I had listed for the negative impression question), I know that I wouldn't be happy there. It may be a good school for some folks, but not me. Maybe Vegas will turn out better for Touro."
"I don't want to repeat what everyone else said, so I'll keep it brief. Dr. Haight does rock! Mare Island does suck! But all-in-all I really liked the school. The students are all so freakin nice, and they all seem pretty pleased with their decison to be at TUCOM. MY ADVICE to people interviewing is to not get too relaxed after meeting Dr. Haight. He tends to boost your ego, so when you get to the interview you get sideswiped. Also, don't believe that the interviewers won't ask you about MCAT, GPA, and personal issues (like Dr. Haight assures). Because everyone in my interview group (all 8 of us) got asked about low MCAT scores, GPA or what other schools we applied to. One of my interviewers even told one girl she probably shouldn't pursue medicine!!! "
"Everything that has been said out Dr. Haight is true and more. I've seen better facilities, but not a better anatomy lab anywhere. The students I talked to love the school and the teachers were friendly. I hope I get accepted. We are suppose to know within 10 workdays according to Dr. Haight."
"This interview was stressful because of the group interview setting. It felt as though they asked questions specifically to put you under pressure. One of the students in my group was asked how her learning disability would affect her ability to succeed on the boards. I thought it was completely inappropriate to mention her learning disability in a group setting. Questions were definately asked to make you feel uncomfortable and to see how you would respond when put on the spot. This was much different from my other interview experiences where interviewers tried to determine if you were a good fit, rather than tried to make you uncomfortable. Also, 2 of the interviewers on my panel seems to have issues with earch other. This also added to the discomfort of the process."
"I believe Touro is a good school, but just not a great match for me personally. Dr. Haight is a great guy and really direct with you, which is refreshing. The panel interview is not as bad at it might seem. Just talk ahead of time with your fellow interviewees, and you will be a lot more comfortable with them and not feel the desire to "give a better answer" than them. Just be aware that some of the panelists can be a bit rude. One of our panelists more or less embarrassed another interviewee in my group by talking about some bad grades he had received. I thought it was really rude, especially in front of other applicants. Just remember to stay cool if they put you on the spot like that."
"I was accepted, but I am declining. The deposit is so large, and Touro is not my number one choice. I don't want to lose $2,000 in order to go to a school I'd rather go to later. I should mention that I was also accepted into another school that I ranked higher has a much lower deposit. I think Touro is a FINE school...but don't be fooled by the statistics they throw at you."
"This was my best interview so far and I'm sure that it was because of the Dean of Admissions. He honestly cares."
"see above"
"Great school...the staff and students are nice. the north cal area in general is pretty cool. The interview was somewhat stressful only because of the one interviewer...the three others were pretty chill. "
"Long morning listening to the admissions director, and then the interviews come in the afternoon. It's like a lot of waiting and then a big rush. I thought it was a bit tedious listening to advice from the director on how to do an interview. It made it a bit more stressful because it felt like he was giving a lot of last minute dos and don'ts- it just seemed like more pressure. I think the group interview was a little bit more stressful going in, because you are marched up to the interview room together, and everyone is pretty tense. I was hoping I wouldn't be asked the first question. During the interview I relaxed a lot though, because I had time to listen to what other people were saying. It seemed less interrogation-style than one on one. It is hard though because you need to "sell yourself" with only a few questions. I think the deposit is harsh, and it makes me think twice about the administrative policy at TUORO, but it definitely does not mean they are a worse med school. I am more concerned about the quality of education I will recieve at med school than the fees I have to pay to accept my deposit. I think that I would love to go to school there. The students were really enthusiastic about the school, and that made me want to go there. "
"Definitely will not be going here. I feel my $30,000ish tuition would be going nowhere productive. The $2,000 in 2 weeks--they're crooks. They know how the application process works. They need $$ to build on the school (if you see it, you'll know what I mean) and they have this ridiculous deposit to take $ for those who need to just secure a spot SOMEWHERE. Don't let the "friendly" dean fool you. Evaluate the school carefully."
"Panel interview was very uncomfortable, it was like we were being lined up for a firing squad..."OK, Dr. X, why don't you take the next shots at interviewees #2 and 3, and I'll take #4". It was just weird, and my interviewers weren't enthusiastic (except one of them). Again, as everyone comments on, the campus is pretty nasty, the military base feel makes it seem like a boarding school. And seriously, the $2,000 deposit in 2 weeks thing just completely disregards the best interests of the student. If TUCOM wanted the welfare of the osteopathic community to be maximized, they would have a later deadline (like December, which all other DO schools do) which enables students to go to their preferred school; when someone attends their preferred school, both the student AND the school are best off. By trying to force students into TUCOM with their high deposit and short time to accept, they are effectively reducing the overall happiness of the DO student community. This is, in my view, a very selfish practice on the part of TUCOM."
"As I mentioned before, I was VERY nervous. But the other students seemed very calm so perhaps it was just me. "
"The whole day was a fair experience. Dr. Haight was helpful and the curriculum and focus of the school is good. The facilities are fairly poor though improving. The 4 on 4 interview was interesting but OK. I was still fairly enthusiastic about the whole deal until Dr. Haight mentioned the $2,000 non-refundable deposit to hold a spot in the class within two weeks of notification. That basically gives 4 weeks to come up with the money and commit without weighing the options of other schools. Not a good deal."
"I thought the facilities were nice. On the tour we had the opportunity to see an OMM class in progress so I thought that was interesting. We also saw a cadaver and the student messed around with the cadaver's heart. It's a nice school and the dean of admissions was really friendly."
"I really liked Touro, and I will be attending there. However, I was a little disappointed with the interview questions. Aside from that, I thought that the panel style interview would be nerve-wracking, but it was actually rather pleasant. It takes the pressure off of you. "
"I was not crazy about the school. the clinical rotations seemed sketchy. interviewing with other interviewees was uncomfortable."
"What really impressed me about TOURO was the excellence of Dr. Haight, who is such a vetran in the pre-med world. I really think the man should write a book! He has so much knowledge about the process and is really a motivating and encouraging person. I also liked all the faculty I met (Dr. Schwartz, in particular) and thought that they seemed very warm and welcoming. All the students I talked to said that they thought the clinical instruction was excellent and that they felt well prepared for the boards. Ultimately, the reason I decided to not stick it out for TUCOM is that it is still so new (has only graduated one class) and the depressing location. Other than that, it seemed like a great place to go to school."
"First off, the deluxe contenental breakfast at the Best Western was NOT deluxe. They ran out of pastry and the apple was mushy. With cereal and coffee/tea, thats all they had though. Be prepared to supplement your breakfast if you stay there. Overall, I liked the school itself and the bay area. That said I didn't trust the admissions officer. It felt like they were watching us from the time we came to campus. The schedule was very rigid and we had to be rush for time to go to the bathroom (and we were there for four hours!) My wife and another wife there were not treated very well either- they were stuck in a corner and were not allowed to use any of the facilities. Then when they left a Navy security guard wouldn't let them walk around. To make matters worse, the director forgot that they weren't students, although he had been introduced and told like 4 times! They also seemed a bit flippant with the Jewish heritage of the school too, which turned me off too. They weren't derogatory at all, but I guess I expected a bit more "Jewishness" and respect of those traditions. It seems there are only a few vestiges of it left around. OK, bottom line- the school itself seemed ok , but our interview experience was bad. As that reflects on the school though.... "
"Dr. Haight talked to us most of the day, and he's a very nice guy, the tour was okay, and then we had our interview during the lunch hour, and then we ate while dr. Haight talked to us again"
"The interview was excellent and the interviewees and interviewers were phenomenal. I hope I get in Touro."
"The school definitely has some bright spots, but the admissions process leaves something to be desired. I was turned off at the beginning by the terrible hotel, the day was too long, and I would have rather herd about the merits of the school, rather than a presentation on how to impress the interviewers. Since it was a group, everyone only answered about 3-4 questions, much less than any of the other schools."
"The interview day is fairly long, especially since the very last activity of the day is the interview itself. The day starts (can start) at the Best Western hotel (the recommeded hotel for out-of-towners) at 800AM. From 8-9AM the interviewees assemble for the 9AM greeting from Dr. Haight, during which everyone gets to learn a little about each other. At 9AM Dr. Haight gives a the first of several short talks, where he answers the questions that we all have in our heads, but forget to articulate. The group is then shuttled from the hotel to the school (which is across a short draw brigde and security checkpoint) Once at the school, more little talks are given on financial aid, etc. The little meetings continue until 11AM, at which time a one hour student lead tour of the school is given. After the tour, the interview takes place(12-1pm), then there is a short debriefing/lunch, then you are sent on your way! Pros: Dr. Haight and student that gives tour has no say on admissions, so all questions are game. School admin seems very respeceptive of students desires. Reported that faculty has an outstanding working relationship with students in that "they seem to go out of their way to make sure that thier students succeed." Sweet OMM and anatomy labs... The very best of Nor Cal (SF, Tahoe, Napa, Sacramento Kings) just a short drive away.. Cons: First and second year clinical experience not readily available... No cafertia/food service on campus (yet) Not much going on in Vallejo. Personal Comments: Most everyone that I have talked to that has been through the panel interview (and manyy of the previous feedbacks) have rated the interview with a very low stress level... I have no idea why my interview was very stressful for me.. was it the fact that i was asked a question i didnt ever think i would be asked? was it the fact that Touro is my first choice? whatever the reason, although Dr. haight did everything in his power to relax us interviewees (basically telling us what and what not to say, and how to say or not say it, although we all already knew everything he had to say) I was still very very very stressed out... My biggest piece of advice I have is to really listent to the question that has been asked, and answer the question, short, sweet and to the point... Do what you need to do to let the interviewers know who you are... And ask lots of questions!!!! (to Dr. Haight, your student tour guide, and especially the interview panel!)"
"Best interview experience ever! They are very respectful and will not ask embarrassing questions in front of the other interviewees. The students were very happy at the school and future plans of expansion are impressive, but probably would not benefit me as a member of class 2007. I was accepted to this school and would have loved to attend, but b/c of family I chose to attend elsewhere. Decisions are sent out really fast (so the 2K deposit is also due really fast). "
"Overall I had a great day. I was a little more nervous than I should have been because it was my first interview. Everyone was very nice and friendly. I stayed at the Best Western the night before (as suggested by TUCOM) and I would encourage everyone to attend the breakfast that is held there. I recieved a lot of valuable information during that time with Dr. Haight. After breakfast, we took a shuttle to the campus where we had a very brief overview of financial aid followed by a tour. Our student tour guide was very helpful and honest. The interview followed the tour which is a panel interview. 5 students vs. 4 interviewers (one was a student) sitting across the table. It seems as though the students are very happy to be there and the faculty is motivated and friendly. For a new school, I think they have it pretty together academically. They don't yet have a very extensive list of activities/organizations, but that will come with time. Definitely go with an open mind and try not to let the appearance of the island sway your decision. "
"The questions were straight from my file, they were very friendly and made me feel like they really did wan't to see who I am as a person."
"The dean of admissions is a straight-shooter . . . he'll tell you the way things are and won't bullshit you. That in and of itself took the edge off of the interview from breakfast on. The group interview was interesting and much more relaxed than a one-on-panel or one-on-one. "
"It was an awesome experience to meet other interviewees and to finally be taken seriously as a medical school student prospect. The school and interviewers are on your side--I promise they are not out to get you! If you get the interview, they are impressed with your file and you don't have to worry about "weaknesses" in your file. "
" There were five students to four interviewers, and we basically went in turn answering the various questions. It was really interesting to hear other applicants respond to questions - although I started to compare myself with them and worried about how I would look next to them."
"Good. It was my first interview, so there are always cobwebs when going through the motions for the first time, but I didn't find the interview stressful. However, I feel comfortable in groups. For others who aren't extroverted, I can see how the setup would be intimidating. Their response time is fast and much appreciated. I was notified about their decision within 14 days. "
"Visiting TUCOM was quite an unusual experience. The Hotel shuttle guy was the best part of the trip! He was hilarious and somehow knew everything about the interview day... We met with Dr. Haight at 9am at the hotel where he was supposed to give us a briefing about TUCOM. Basically, he spent about 45 minutes talking about our chances of acceptance. He went over all the numbers...over and over again. Sure, it was nice knowing that we had a good chance of acceptance (which I received the following week) but he hardly talked about the school.... and throughout the entire day, not one person told us anything about the curriculum!! I was pretty nervous about the panel interview, but it is really nothing to worry about as long as you are bringing interesting experiences to the table. It was also really interesting to hear how your fellow applicants answer similar questions. It seemed to me that only the people who didn't have a lot of experiences were asked the standard "Why DO not MD," "Why Touro" etc... types of questions. But, there are no "personal" questions asked about specific grades, or MCAT scores... "
"I met with all the other interviewers at the hotel before the interview to interact with them a little bit. It made the group interview less intense and nerve racking. Make sure you know how to relate your job and/or research to osteopathic medicine."
"Low-stress group interviews that are really fun and enjoyable. Dr. Haight was so friendly, informative and most of all down to earth to all of us. We were the last group of interviewees in this half of the admissions cycle and are going to hear back from Touro by tomorrow. That is so fast and such a relief to the applicants. The other interviewees were so cool and made the whole day so much more enjoyable and low-stress."
"Going into the interview day I had a negative view of the school, mostly due to the comments that I had read on this website. However, after the interview and visit I was left with a much more positive view of this institution. Although still developing TUCOM seems to have a good program and attracts good students. The interview itself was very informal, the interviewers made us all feel relaxed. The questions mostly pertained to what each person had written in their essays. One of the interviewers was a M.D. and wanted to know why we all wanted to be D.O.s. Outside of that questions they were given specifically and individually. Although some do not care for the panel interview I rather enjoyed it. It was nice not to be in the spotlight to whole time and to see how your colleagues answered interview questions. I think that this school will prove to be a great match for some people, but it is not the place for me. "
"Overall, I was disappointed with the school, but impressed with the faculty and the admissions office. The students were all very enthusiastic about the school, and more than one of them said that their decision to attend TUCOM was based partially on their experience with Dr. Haight. I concur with this; if I am acceped and decide to attend, it will be in no small part due to the atmosphere that he has created through his efforts. Unfortunately, I was not impressed by the facilities. From my other campus visits, most notably Nova and AZCOM, the school is behind the times technologically. Very small library, no monitors throughout the labs, no ethernet connections in the buildings (wireless or wired), etc. There is a lot of construction going on, and there are plans in motion to open a Law School this August and an undergraduate program in 2004. There is no doubt that in 5-10 years TUCOM will have an amazing campus, but the fact of the matter is that current students are paying for property improvements that they will not benefit from."
"Supposidly the school is renovating an old building and converting them into dorms but - NO MEAL PLAN. From what I found out from some students, there was rather an ugly housing issue with on-campus housing where students had to vacate on a short-notice. The dorm rooms were supposed to be ready last month but no move-in date as of yet. I saw the new classrooms but nothing impressive. I talked to a few 3rd years who said that they were very unhappy with the way the rotations are handled, given that the school does not have its own medical center. I have a few other interviews but my decision is already made. You won't see me at TUCOM."
"The interview was fine. But my purpose of posting this message is to let everyone thinking about applying/coming to TUCOM know that you should investigate the quality of the faculty. In my opinion, the first year faculty are fairly well organized, but the second year faculty...well, good luck! The second year clinical systems course is an intergrated course that includes various systems (respiratory, renal, cardio etc.) but the faculty is primarily a non-board certified self-proclaimed internal medicine D.O. and a family practice D.O., and then there are a few outside physicians who come in and lecture who I think are a lot better than in-house faculty. The course includes handouts that are given in every lecture, compared to first-year where all the handouts are given as a packet. The second year is taught in a very unorganized manner so most of the learning is through self-teaching. They have built 2 new class rooms but even then audio-visual systems don't often work. Overall, if I had to do it again, I would NOT choose TUCOM. But everyone makes their own decisions...Either way GOOD LUCK!"
"Nice people, but awful place. "
"Good, impressive school with great scores and match results. "
"If it wasn't for Dr. Haight I don't think that I would have liked the school as much as I did. If possible stay at the Best Western (as suggested by the school), that way you'll get to meet other candidates before hand. I think that it is important to talk to the other candidates before the interview, it makes the group interview more comfortable. Know who A.T. Still is! "
"Overall, I think it's a good school, but probably not right for me. Dr. Haight and everyone there was extremely friendly. The interview itself was not very stressful...a lot shorter than most interviews, because they only ask each interviewee 3 or 4 questions. "
"It was good, people are nice, school has future potential."
"The interview experience was a positive one in that they really made us feel comfortable with the fellow interviewees. I think they would definitely promote a friendly group environment at their school and that the classes will probably form cohesive teams."
"I thought it would be better as individual interviews because it makes the situation competitive and it adds unnecessary stress for an interview when you are already a bit nervous. "
"All though TUCOM's panel interview format is innovative, it does not work well for all personality types -it can be intimidating and impersonal. Some people's personality is more well suited for the one-on-one interview style and comes out better in those settings. In our group, it was obvious which students can hold their own in a panel interview style and can do well in that format. "
"Definately stay in the hotel. Try to hook up with other interviewees ahead of time. Come with an open mind. Remember that you will only be on campus for two years. Despite the shortcomings in facilities TUCOM seems to foster a very friendly environment. Dr. Haight is really great, he wants to be an advocate for you. Make sure you listen to his suggestions."
"it definitely changed my view of the school. before the interview i felt positive..afterwards i couldnt wait to leave."
"First off - Dr. Haight is awesome. Except for the tour and interview, he's there with you for the entire day. He explains the admissions process, and calms you down, gives you some numbers to chew on. There some things that bothered me, though: 1) He talked about the total number of medical school seats in the area - but *never* mentioned COMP. I know that Cali is the only state with 2 DO schools, so there is bound ot be competition, but to deliberately not mention the other school is disingenuous. 2) If you interview early in the admission cycle, he will mention that from Sep to Dec, 212 interviewees are competing for 150 of the 187 total acceptances for TUCOM. This sounds like great numbers - greater than 70% chance of admission by numbers alone. However, at the end of the day, he will also mention the very cool way TUCOM operates their waitlist. In a nutshell, if you get placed high enough on the waitlist, even if you don't get admitted that year, there's a good chance that you will be offered early acceptance for the following year. Now, that's one of the most awesome and humane ways of running a waitlist, IMHO. However, what this means is that you aren't *really* competing for 150 seats in the first part of the year, but 150 minus whatever early acceptances they offered to peole who interviewed the previous year and were placed on waitlist. Never got that number, but the point is that there aren't really 150 seats to start with, but less. All in all, the school, the staff, faculty, were all very nice! Good luck!"
"I enjoyed the interview, however it was more stressful than the other ones (even AZCOM) which I heard would be one of the most stressful."
"Be Prepared, be yourself and you have nothing to worry about (a little cliche' but it is true)"
"The interview experience was pretty good overall. This was my first interview so I was pretty nervous going into it, especially since it was a panel interview. However, it wasn't bad at all. They don't try to make you look bad in front of anyone or put you on the spotâ€â€it’s pretty laid back and relaxed. All the questions were from my personal statement on my secondary or AACOM. They mostly focused on activities and words / qualities that I used in it. Be sure to know what you said and why you said it. The campus and school are new and it is hard to see what it will be like when things get rolling. All-in-all it was a good experience and a lot less stressful than I had anticipated. I cannot stress enough to ask Dr. Haight all the questions you have about the interview, because he is very good at telling it like it is and being honest about it. I was a bit curious about how Jewish the school would beâ€â€but it isn’t a big part of itâ€â€just an affiliation."
"The dean is great, the students truly love the faculty as well. Wished the tour was more thorough. Did not see cafeteria, student union, or student housing. Yet, the anatomy lab has the best ventilation system I have seen. I did not like the group interview, which seemed stressful. Some people in my group got some tough questions and really had to hold their ground."
"It was OK. I wish I had the $300 I spent on applying to Touro back though."
"The insides of the school have been completely remodeled - and if the outside looked as good the school would be at the top of my list. The upside is that Napa is 10 min north (incredible wine) and SF is 30 min south (amazing city)"
"The interview went really well I thought. I was a bit scared of the "group interview" before the interview, but that was unneeded worry. The facilities do not "look" great from the outside, but the interiors of the buildings are great, and the school is renovating constantly. I would love to go there if I get accepted, but I doubt that I can afford it. Dr. Haight is simply great! He went above and beyond to make the day go smoothly and easily for us, and he was always there for advice and Q & A throughout the interview day."
"This school is great. The campus has historical significance and the location is incredible! Right in the bay area and a ferry ride away from San Francisco. Everyone was so nice and willing to tell you anything that you wanted. On-campus housing is incredibly inexpensive. Make sure you stay at the recommended hotel that the school has provided. The room was only $50 plus tax for my entire family and it was right down the street from Six Flaggs/Marine World. I went to the interview, they went to the theme park."
"TUCOM is poised to be a great school and they already are making strides for a school that just graduated their first class. However, it all depends on where one fits in the best. Go to the school - meet the great admissions staff (Dr. Haight is awesome) and then decide. "
"Nice people. Nice school. Nice location! "
"It was a great experience. I felt that many of the buildings weren't as asthetically pleasing as it could be, but the buildings that were remodeled were very nice. The anatomy lab was the best smelling of all 6 MD/DO schools I've toured at; the ventilation was great. Like I said earlier; the tour should be longer and more detailed. The interview day starts around ~9am to about 130pm, so there actually could have been quite more time tour the campus. Overall, it was just great. Students/Staff/Faculty were very honest and candid about everything. The most candid of all the schools I've been at. If I get accepted, I'm going. "
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 257 |
| Faculty member | 4 |
| Admissions staff | 22 |
| Other | 10 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 120 |
| Neutral | 46 |
| Discouraging | 5 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.97 | 172 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 79 |
| Out of state | 87 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 37 |
| 2-3 hours | 35 |
| 4-6 hours | 36 |
| 7+ hours | 57 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 95 |
| Automobile | 67 |
| Train or subway | 5 |
| Other | 4 |
Concord
Sacramento
Oakland International Airport
ORD->SFO
San Jose Airport
SJC, but SFO is closer
Oakland Aiport
San Franscico - SFO
San Francisco
San Francisco Inter.
Oakland
Oakland International
SMF
SJC
SAN
SFO
OAK
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 1 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 24 |
| Hotel | 99 |
| Home | 6 |
| Other | 2 |
Embassy Suites in Napa
There's only one.
Quality Suites
Quality Inn Vallejo
Quality Inn (hotel info came w/ interview invite)
Quality Inn (came with interview packet)
Best Western
Quality Inn, Vallejo
Courtyard Marriott in Berkley
Quality Inn (at Vallejo)
Whichever suggest
fairfield inn
Comfort Inn
GoodNite Inn
courtyard marriot
one in Nobb's Hill, San Francisco
Ramada Inn
Marriot suggested by the school
Vintage Court in San Fran
Marriott Courtyard
Mariott
days inn
Marriot
Courtyard Marriott
Use Hotwire.com
Courtyard Marriot (a MUST)
Double Tree in American Canyon, CA
Motel 6, Vallejo (DO NOT stay here)
Courtyard Mariott
Yes
Embassy Suites in Napa
There's only one.
Quality Suites
Quality Inn Vallejo
Quality Inn (hotel info came w/ interview invite)
Quality Inn (came with interview packet)
Best Western
Quality Inn, Vallejo
Courtyard Marriott in Berkley
Quality Inn (at Vallejo)
Whichever suggest
fairfield inn
Comfort Inn
GoodNite Inn
courtyard marriot
one in Nobb's Hill, San Francisco
Ramada Inn
Marriot suggested by the school
Vintage Court in San Fran
Marriott Courtyard
Mariott
days inn
Marriot
Courtyard Marriott
Use Hotwire.com
Courtyard Marriot (a MUST)
Double Tree in American Canyon, CA
Motel 6, Vallejo (DO NOT stay here)
Courtyard Mariott
Yes
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 37 |
| $101-$200 | 21 |
| $201-$300 | 14 |
| $301-$400 | 17 |
| $401-$500 | 26 |
| $501+ | 29 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.14 | 179 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.17 | 181 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.45 | 180 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.21 | 86 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.46 | 85 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.71 | 75 |
"Stop with the panel style interviews"
"Stop doing group interviews. They are not good and provide no info about an applicant. If one person talks for 15-20 minutes, that doesn't give enough time for the others to talk. Also, the questions that were asked are not appropriate. One interviewer asked "If you don't get accepted here, where would you rather go?" You should not be allowed to know where else I applied."
"Provide coffee and pastries in the morning"
"Decrease the deposit or make it refundable."
"There was an issue where I was accidentally told to disregard my initial interview invite. I had to email the admissions office back in order to confirm that the interview invite was indeed for me."
"Switch to online interview confirmation system."
"Respond to emails faster and have an online system to set dates for interviewing. Calling isn't awful, it's just more work rather than logging in and picking a date."
"Make the secondary application more eco-friendly"
"Make your application online!"
"Create an online application."
"Lynn Huckle in the admissions office is super nice! She always responded to my emails promptly too."
"Keep up the good work.:))"
"Please explain more about 3/4 yr rotation options. I understand you are advocating for the MPH dual degree but how does completing that program fit with rotation years? Perhaps display a model or poster of what the school will look like after renovations also. It's hard to envision the finished product with words."
"Nice interview day."
"Do more electronic applications, instead of snail mail. It saves paper & it's faster. But Dr. Haight was awesome & really helpful on interview day!"
"They need to enable applicants to send secondaries electronically."
"Don't spend 45 minutes and most of the literature on the MPH program. Few people care."
"Go electronic, if not, please be nicer when students call."
"The admissions office is wonderful on interview day. Though, I'd note that the secondary application"
"None, Dr. Haight was remarkable. Don't let him retire!"
"Seemed a little unorganized and rushed in the middle of the day"
"I liked how at other school's interviews we had the names of our interviewers in the material given"
"skip the useless cancer tx presentation, have less downtime."
"Spruce the place up. It look so shabby and thrown together. Not a very reassuring sight."
"Don't send secondaries in a Brown envelope. It does not look very professional. Overall, they did"
"Online resources- currently just by mail"
"I wish the dean of the program would have had time to speak to us about the mission of the school, t"
"Treat others with respect and integrity."
"None. Dr. Haight and Ms. Huckle were both fantastic and everything ran very smoothly."
"none"
"Keep up the good work!!"
"None. The admissions staff was extremely nice."
"Ease off the MPH selling. It's a bit much. Personally an MBA program would be of more use than an MP"
"Requiring a $2500 deposit within 2 weeks should be eliminated."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?