Touro California is an EXCELLENT medical school and we tell all our students (even those who seem set on MD schools only) to apply. Touro has excellent residency match lists! Because Touro California is in California + it’s a great medical school, it is competitive to get accepted. Submitting an EXCELLENT Touro California secondary application is imperative.
Get started and read our Touro California secondary application tips below. Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta, your Cracking Med School Admissions advisors, have a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to Touro each year! Contact us using the form below or at info@crackingmedadmissions.com if you have any questions!
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Touro California Secondary Application Questions: 2024 – 2025
- Are you a TUCOM re-applicant who has previously interviewed? If yes, what was the result of that interview and what changes, if any, have you made which should effect a different outcome? (3,000 characters max)
- Have you attended any TUCOM information sessions on campus, at another location, or virtually? If yes, please list the event(s) in which you participated. (3,000 characters max)
- Please describe your understanding of osteopathic medicine including osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Please include your personal exposure to osteopathic medicine (if any) and demonstrate your understanding of the osteopathic principles and history of the profession. (3,000 characters max)
- Please discuss how your life experiences and personal characteristics will contribute to your future success as an outstanding osteopathic physician. This is your opportunity to include information you may not have included within your primary application. (3,000 characters max)
- When considering medical schools, what criteria are important to you and how does TUCOM align with those criteria? (3,000 characters max)
Tips to Answer Touro California Secondary Application Essays
Touro California Secondaries Pre-writing Guidance: Since you’re thinking about pre-writing this secondary application, GOING TO AN INFO SESSION before applying. After you go to an info session, how it’s time to start thinking about the Touro California secondary application essays. Osteopathic schools are not stringent with submission timelines and we advise our premed mentees to submit their allopathic (MD) secondaries first before DO schools’ secondaries.
- Download our Cracking Med Secondary Essay Workbook and Examples.
Touro California Secondary Application Tip #1: Do not submit your Touro California secondary application until you go to an informational session and you have talked to current or former medical school students at TUCOM.
Touro Secondary Application Tip #2: If you are a re-applicant, it’s important to emphasize the difference between this year’s application and your previous application. The Admissions Committee is really looking for this difference between cycle. Just because you got an interview invite the first time you applied does not mean that you will get an interview again.
Here are aspects to emphasize if you are a re-applicant:
- If you took additional science courses. If so, where, which ones, and what was your overall GPA.
- If you re-took your MCAT. What was your score improvement? You can discuss how you studied differently.
- Additional clinical activities and patient experiences you’ve had.
Touro Secondary Application Tip #3: Tell stories to convey your clinical experiences, impact, and leadership. For example, if you conducted research over a gap year, tell a story about a challenge you faced. We also recommend putting in as many patient stories as possible.
You can put patient stories in the following essays:
- Are you a TUCOM re-applicant who has previously interviewed?
- Please describe your understanding of osteopathic medicine including osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Please include your personal exposure to osteopathic medicine (if any) and demonstrate your understanding of the osteopathic principles and history of the profession.
- Please discuss how your life experiences and personal characteristics will contribute to your future success as an outstanding osteopathic physician.
- When considering medical schools, what criteria are important to you and how does TUCOM align with those criteria?
Touro Secondary Application Tip #4: To answer the Touro California secondary application question, “Please describe your hobbies (or non-academic pursuits) and how they will influence your success as an Osteopathic medical student and/or Osteopathic physician in the future” it’s important to read this U.S. News Article written by Dr. Rachel Rizal: Link Nonclinical Experiences to Medicine On Your Medical School Applications
Touro Secondary Application Tip #5: When answering the Touro California secondary application question, “When considering medical schools, what criteria are important to you and how does TUCOM align with those criteria,” it’s important to discuss very specific aspects about Touro. Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine stands out for its commitment to social justice and community health. With a focus on serving underserved populations, Touro provides unique opportunities for students to engage in hands-on clinical experiences in diverse healthcare settings, including free clinics and community outreach programs. Additionally, Touro’s emphasis on holistic healthcare and integrative medicine equips graduates with a comprehensive understanding of the mind-body-spirit connection, fostering a patient-centered approach to medicine. Moreover, Touro’s small class sizes and collaborative learning environment ensure personalized attention and mentorship, facilitating the growth and success of each student as they embark on their journey to become compassionate and culturally competent physicians.
We’ve seen patients discuss specific research, specific clinical electives, and the surrounding patient population as reasons they want to go to Touro. And these are good reasons. We would not say something like “diverse surroundings” and “early clinical exposure.
- It’s important to read this blog post and learn from the examples we wrote: How To Write “Why this Medical School” Secondary Essay Example
Touro Secondary Application Tip #6: Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta have a strong and consistent track record of getting students accepted to several MD and DO medical schools. Touro NY and Touro CA are popular osteopathic schools our advisees get into each year! Get our help to edit your Touro California secondary application essays. We can help you through our secondary essay packages. Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below.
[Read More Secondary Essay Tips: Nova Southeastern University Patel College of Medicine; Wayne State; University of Hawaii Medical School; UC Irvine Medical School Admissions ]
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Touro California Secondary Application Questions: 2023 – 2024
- Are you a TUCOM re-applicant who has previously interviewed? If yes, what was the result of that interview and what changes, if any, have you made which should effect a different outcome? (3,000 characters max)
- Have you attended any TUCOM information sessions on campus, at another location, or virtually? If yes, please list the event(s) in which you participated. (3,000 characters max)
- Please describe your understanding of osteopathic medicine including osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Please include your personal exposure to osteopathic medicine (if any) and demonstrate your understanding of the osteopathic principles and history of the profession. (3,000 characters max)
- Please discuss how your life experiences and personal characteristics will contribute to your future success as an outstanding osteopathic physician. This is your opportunity to include information you may not have included within your primary application. (3,000 characters max)
- When considering medical schools, what criteria are important to you and how does TUCOM align with those criteria? (3,000 characters max)
Touro California Secondary Application Questions: 2022 – 2023
- Are you a TUCOM re-applicant who has previously interviewed? If yes, what was the result of that interview and what changes, if any, have you made which should effect a different outcome? (3,000 characters max)
- Have you attended any TUCOM information sessions on campus, at another location, or virtually? If yes, please list the event(s) in which you participated. (3,000 characters max)
- Please describe your understanding of osteopathic medicine including osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Please include your personal exposure to osteopathic medicine (if any) and demonstrate your understanding of the osteopathic principles and history of the profession. (3,000 characters max)
- Please discuss how your life experiences and personal characteristics will contribute to your future success as an outstanding osteopathic physician. This is your opportunity to include information you may not have included within your primary application. (3,000 characters max)
- When considering medical schools, what criteria are important to you and how does TUCOM align with those criteria? (3,000 characters max)
Touro California Secondary Application Questions: 2021 – 2022
- Please describe your understanding of osteopathic medicine including osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT). Please include your personal exposure to osteopathic medicine (if any) and demonstrate your understanding of the osteopathic principles and history of the profession. (500 words max)
- Please discuss how your life experiences and personal characteristics will contribute to your future success as an outstanding osteopathic physician. This is your opportunity to include information you may not have included within your primary application. (500 words max)
- When considering medical schools, what criteria are important to you and how does TUCOM align with those criteria? (500 words max)
Touro California Secondary Application Questions: 2020 - 2021
- Within the last seven years, do you have any academic or legal records available under a different name? If yes, please provide any additional names under which your academic records may be listed. (250 words max)
- Are you a re-applicant who has previously interviewed? If yes, what was the result of that interview and what changes, if any, have you made which should affect a different outcome? (250 words max)
- What is the size of your home town or area – 2,500 to 10,000, 10,000 to 50,000, 50,000 to 100,000, 100,000 to 500,000, 500,000 to 1,000,000+), or Other (please specify)? (250 words max)
- Do you have any relative who is an Osteopathic Physician? Please list their name, relationship to you, COM attended, and year of graduation. (250 words max)
- Please list your favorite hobbies and/or non-academic pursuits. (250 words max)
- Within the last three years, please provide the name of previous employers, your occupation(s), and the duration(s) of your employment. (250 words max)
- Within the last three years, have you been engaged in any volunteer experiences? Please include the type of experience, sponsor, duration, and position. (250 words max)
- Within the last five years, what awards or recognitions (academic or other) have you received? (250 words max)
- Why have you chosen to apply to the TUC College of Osteopathic Medicine? (250 words max)
- Why should the Committee accept you into this year’s class? (250 words max)
- Please describe the personal characteristics you possess and the life experiences you have had that would contribute to your success at becoming an outstanding Osteopathic Physician. Please include information that will enable the Admissions Committee to understand your unique qualities. (500 words max)
- Please describe your exposure to and understanding of Osteopathic Medicine. Content may include your initial introduction to the profession, its history, use in medical practice today, or any other aspects that may highlight Osteopathic Medicine’s uniqueness and synergy with your envisioned future practice of medicine. (500 words max)
Touro California Secondary Application Questions: 2019 – 2020
- Please describe the personal characteristics you possess and the life experiences you have had that would contribute to your success at becoming an outstanding Osteopathic Physician. Please include information that will enable the Admissions Committee to understand your unique qualities. (500 words max)
- Please describe your exposure to and understanding of Osteopathic Medicine. Content may include your initial introduction to the profession, its history, use in medical practice today, or any other aspects that may highlight Osteopathic Medicine’s uniqueness and synergy with your envisioned future practice of medicine. (500 words max)