Preparing for the Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine interview

How a group panel is different

In a one-on-one interview you are compared with a mental image of a good applicant. In a group panel you are also compared with the person next to you, in real time. That changes what good looks like:

• Your answer is shorter than you think. One hour for up to five candidates and three interviewers is not much talking time each. Aim for answers of about a minute and a half and let follow-ups go deeper.
• Listening is visible. If another candidate says something you can build on or politely disagree with, doing so shows the collaboration TUC says it wants. Repeating the same example as the person before you does the opposite.
• Don't talk over anyone. A group format tests whether you can make a point without dominating or disappearing.
• Everyone is watched, all the time. You are being observed while others answer. Keep your video on, stay engaged and avoid looking at another screen.
• Your file has been read. Interviewers have your essays and activities five days ahead, so expect them to ask about specific things you wrote.

What TUCOM is looking for

TUC's admissions page lists what applicants are evaluated on throughout the application and interview: academic competence; exposure to, experience with, or knowledge of osteopathic medicine; personal and professional achievements; demonstrated leadership; creative abilities; experience in health care; and likelihood to practice in underserved primary care areas.

The admissions video on that page adds specifics from people who read your file. TUC's director of admissions says it's important to show passion for the profession in the primary, secondary and interview, and asks "Why do you want to become a physician generally? Why do you want to become an osteopathic physician specifically?" The assistant dean of academic affairs says the school looks for "fit to mission": social justice, primary care and caring osteopathic physicians. She also warns against copy-pasted statements that say "MD" at a DO school, and says many applicants can't explain osteopathic medicine beyond what they read on Wikipedia.

TUC's mission is "to prepare students to become outstanding osteopathic physicians who uphold the values, philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine and who are committed to primary care and the holistic approach to the patient." Its core values spell out WE SCORE: Wellness, Engagement, Service, Community Health, Osteopathic Distinction, Research and Education.

What TUC states	How it might show up (our suggestion)
Understanding of osteopathic medicine	One concrete thing you saw osteopathic care do, such as an OMT session or time with a D.O., and what you noticed
Primary care and underserved communities	Experience with a community that lacks care, and what you would want to do about it
Social justice and community health	A time you saw an inequity up close and what you did, not only what you thought
Leadership and creativity	A project you started or reshaped, even a small one
Wellness and engagement	How you look after yourself and stay engaged with a long commitment

Timeline for the current cycle

• AACOMAS opened May 4, 2026. The primary deadline is March 15, 2027.
• TUC pre-screens primary applications. Applicants who meet its minimums (a 3.0 science and cumulative GPA, and an MCAT of 500 or better, with tests from 2023 on for this cycle) are invited to a secondary application. TUC says successful candidates are typically at 3.3 or above for GPA.
• The secondary application costs $100, with a waiver for AACOMAS fee-waiver recipients, and is due April 15, 2027.
• Admission is rolling. The Admissions and Standards Committee sends interview invitations on a rolling basis, meets about every other week and emails decisions within a few days of meeting. Accepted candidates have up to two weeks to respond with a deposit.
• Letters: one pre-professional advisory committee letter or two letters from biological or physical science faculty. A physician letter is recommended, not required.

What the numbers say

TUC's class statistics for the Class of 2030 list an average cumulative GPA of 3.58, a science GPA of 3.49 and an MCAT average of 507. The class is 89% in-state, with an average age of 24 (range 20 to 40). TUC says it receives "far more applications than we have seats for" and does not waive requirements.

How to prepare

1. Reread your own file. Interviewers have it. Make a list of every experience you mention and be ready to add one new detail to each.
2. Build a "why osteopathic" answer from something you did. TUC says it wants real understanding. Shadow an osteopathic physician or student if you can. TUC's student-run ShaDO program offers a half-day shadowing experience, and TUC says it doesn't give special consideration for admission.
3. Practice a group. Run mocks with three to four friends where each person answers the same question and the next person has to respond to what was said.
4. Prepare a second example. If another candidate uses your best story first, you need another one ready.
5. Set up for video. Camera at eye level, a quiet room and a test call at the same time of day. Stay visibly engaged when others speak.

Practice questions (written by us, not TUC)

TUC doesn't publish its interview questions. We wrote these around its stated criteria and mission. They are for practice and don't predict what you'll be asked. Questions 9 to 11 are group questions.

1. Why do you want to be a physician, and why an osteopathic physician specifically?
2. Tell me about an experience from your application that you want us to understand better.
3. What did you observe the last time you saw osteopathic medicine practiced?
4. Describe a time you worked with a community that had limited access to health care. What did you notice?
5. Tell me about a time you led without a title.
6. Describe something creative you made, organized or fixed. What made it work?
7. What does social justice have to do with being a primary care physician?
8. Tell me about a time you were wrong and someone told you.
9. Group: Take turns. Each of you name one point from the previous speaker that you would build on, then add your own. The topic is what makes a good doctor-patient relationship.
10. Group: A patient insists on a treatment the three of you think is unnecessary. How would you work together to decide what to do?
11. Group: Your team is behind on a project and one member has stopped responding. Walk us through how each of you would handle it.
12. What question were you hoping we would ask today?

Our free question bank preview has more medical school interview questions, and the full bank has over 500.

A 60-minute practice run

1. Recruit three to four people. One plays the clinician, one the science faculty member and one the student. Two others sit in as fellow candidates.
2. Choose ten questions, including three group questions, and set one rule: each candidate answers every question in under 90 seconds.
3. Run it for 60 minutes on video, cameras on. Rotate who answers first.
4. Record it. Afterward, watch your answers and check three things: were you under 90 seconds, did you ever respond to another candidate, and did you answer what was asked.
5. Ask the group who they remembered at the end and why. Repeat the next day with a different order.

Practicing alone? Confetto's AI mock interviews run traditional and panel-style interviews as well as MMIs, ask follow-up questions based on what you said, and give rubric-based feedback afterward. You can start with a 7-day free trial.

TUCOM interview FAQ

Is the TUCOM interview an MMI?
No. TUC describes a panel format, and AACOM's profile describes a group interview of up to five candidates with three interviewers.

Will interviewers have read my application?
Yes. AACOM says interviews are open file, excluding grades and MCAT scores, with materials shared at least five days before.

Is the interview virtual?
AACOM lists virtual interviews only. Check your invitation.

How long is it?
About one hour, according to AACOM.

Do I need Casper or PREview?
Neither appears on TUC's admissions page or its AACOM profile.

Is Touro Nevada the same interview?
Check it separately. Touro University Nevada's College of Osteopathic Medicine has its own AACOM profile and admissions information. See our Touro University Nevada interview guide.

Applying to other California DO schools? See our guides to the Western University COMP and California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine interviews, or our medical school interview prep page.

Confetto isn't affiliated with Touro University California. Details about the college come from TUC's public admissions pages and its AACOM Choose DO Explorer profile as of October 2026. Formats can change between cycles, so go by what your invitation says.