TCOM 2013
Dear Student Doctor,
I want to take this opportunity to personally welcome you to the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. I know you have waited a long time to be called student doctor. Congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. My goal is to excite, prepare, and challenge you in your pursuit to become the best physician possible. We are very proud of our students’ accomplishments here at TCOM. Our students are frequently accepted into nationally acclaimed residency programs. They often become chief residents at many hospitals. They are respected as being among the “best of the best”. I am certain that your class will carry that vision and banner forward. A couple of questions always come to me from incoming students this time of year. How should I prepare for medical school? How can I succeed? Also, there is always a great deal of anxiety about starting new programs. First things first: You are now coming into a profession, not just “attending classes in a school”. In less than four years from your starting date, you will be responsible for caring for a patient who will be someone’s father, brother, sister, child, or loved one. That’s an awesome responsibility and the learning to become a great doctor never ends. It’s really not about the grades; it’s about an attitude of life-long learning and commitment to become a great physician. Your education here at TCOM will help you achieve that. The first couple of years of medical school are often compared to “getting a drink of water from a fire hose”. There is a great deal of material and it comes at you faster than you can imagine. No matter where you went to school, you have not experienced anything like this before. Just remember, we would not have accepted you, if we did not think you were capable of handling the work. My first recommendation is to read. It doesn’t really matter what you read (it could be technical material or even Tolstoy), but get into the habit of putting in four hours per week night of dedicated reading and comprehension. You want to build up your endurance and ability to handle this material, and that is a skill that is improved with practice. Secondly, spend time with your family and loved ones over the summer. When the school year begins, you will spend much of your time with your classes and studies. Let them know that, so they can understand the demands that are being placed upon you. Time management is extremely important in medical school because, quite frankly, there aren’t enough hours in the day. The first years starts off on a slower pace, but believe me, it builds up quickly. You will amaze yourself at the amount of material you can read and comprehend at the end of the first year. It will probably be more than double where you were when you started. Year two even doubles again. To help you, we have developed a couple of pre-matriculation workshops, designed for those of you who would like to have more preparation. You can find out more about these courses below and register at: http://www.hsc.unt.edu/Sites/TCOMSummerWorkshops/ I look forward to meeting each and every one of you soon. We have a wonderful family here at TCOM, and I can’t wait to have you join us in this terrific medical community. Best wishes, Dr. Bruce Dubin Interim Dean Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hey ya'll! On behalf of the Class of 2012, I would like to welcome you to the TCOM family. Over the next four years, your class will learn together, cry together, and most importantly, make some great memories together. Take advantage of the unique opportunity that you have been afforded and make the best of your time. Always strive to help each other succeed in the classroom and push your fellow classmates to become the best physicians that they can be. Take advantage of the numerous organizations that are available on campus and get involved in anything that you are passionate about. If you have any questions, please email me at abarzin@hsc.unt.edu. Have fun, and we all look forward to meeting and getting to know you over the next few years. Amir Barzin, MS Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, OMS-I