Online Only (Distance Education)

The Public Health to Med Scholars program is offered online only and is only available for students residing in approved States.  

States have varying rules, requirements, and regulations that govern online (distance) education offered by out-of-state postsecondary institutions. As of February 2025, Touro University California is eligible to offer online education to residents in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado*, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana*, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio*, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington*.

*Restrictions apply for programs with field study components.

Interested applicants may contact the Office of Admissions for more information and questions about restrictions at tuc.admit@touro.edu. If you currently reside in a state that is not listed, please contact us so we can explore the possibility of adding your state to our list!

Application Deadline

The Public Health to Medicine Scholars program starts every Fall semester. Applications completed by February 1st will receive priority. The final application deadline is July 15th at 8:59 pm Pacific time. All admissions material must be received prior to this deadline.

How to Apply

You’ll initially apply though the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS), the centralized application service for public health programs. Within the SOPHAS portal, you will upload personal history, academic history and all pertinent application documents.

Shortly after your SOPHAS application is submitted and verified, we’ll contact you via email. Be sure mail from @tu.edu and @touro.edu is not going to your junk folder.

Apply on SOPHAS

Before You Start

Bachelor’s Degree, Minimum GPA’s, and Prerequisite Coursework

At the time of application to the Public Health to Medicine Scholars program, applicants must:

  1. Have an earned Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent, or demonstrate an anticipated completion date prior to July 1st.
  2. Have a Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Life Science GPA of GPA of 3.5 or higher, as calculated by SOPHAS
  3. Have an Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, as calculated by SOPHAS
  4. Have completed or plan to complete the following prerequisite coursework prior to July 1st, with grades of C or better (C- will not count):
    • Biology (8 semester units or 12 quarter units)
    • General Chemistry (8 semester units or 12 quarter units)
    • Organic Chemistry (8 semester units or 12 quarter units)
    • Physics (8 semester units or 12 quarter units)

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required. Recommendation letters may be sourced from any credible reference, excluding family members and relatives. However, it is strongly advised that at least one letter be from an academic reference. In cases where applicants are not able to obtain an academic letter of recommendation, they may submit professional references from their professional work experience.

Application Review

A formal interview is not required. Applicants for whom all application materials are received will be notified via email that their application is complete. Once complete, applications are reviewed by the Admissions and Standards Committee based, in part, on the following criteria:

  • Academic Performance
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Relevant Experience/Exposure
  • Fit to Mission

Notification of Decision

Decisions are typically rendered within two to three weeks of the receipt of all application materials. Notifications are then sent via U.S. Mail and/or email shortly thereafter. Accepted candidates are required to submit a non-refundable acceptance deposit which is typically due no more than two weeks from the date on the letter of acceptance. Upon matriculation, the deposit is credited towards the first semester tuition.

Applying to Medical School

Over the course of 3 consecutive semesters (Fall, Spring, and Summer), Public Health to Medicine Scholars program students will complete 30 credits of coursework, which will include didactive courses, the MPH field study, and either the CEPH certification exam or the capstone project.

At the end of the TUC Summer term, students will have three options:

  1. Transition into the Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUCOM), if accepted. Completing the TUCOM curriculum will then yield 12 units of transfer credits which will be used to complete the requirements for the MPH degree.
  2. Transition into another medical school, if accepted. Students who matriculate at other medical schools will be encouraged to work with the MPH team to identify 12 units of appropriate transfer credit from their medical school curriculum which will be used to complete the requirements for the MPH degree.
  3. Continue with the Public Health to Medicine Scholars program to complete the remaining 12 units for the MPH degree.

Minimum TUCOM Application Requirements

At the time of application to TUCOM, Public Health to Medicine Scholars students must:

  1. Have an earned Public Health to Medicine Scholars program Overall GPA of 3.50 or higher*
  2. Have a composite MCAT score of 504 or higher
  3. Be free of any negative professionalism, behavior, or academic actions
  4. Satisfy all other application requirements as currently published on the TUCOM admissions website. This includes, but is not limited to, submission of an AACOMAS primary application and the TUCOM secondary application. Please refer to the TUCOM Admissions Website for complete details (https://tu.edu/programs/osteopathic-medicine/admissions/)

*For the purposes of determining initial and continued eligibility, MPH Med Scholars cumulative GPA calculations will include grades received from first time course attempts only.  Grades received for repeated courses will not be considered.

TUCOM Application Timeline

  1. January 15th – Submit the AACOMAS primary application, to include a qualifying MCAT score.
    • Notify the Office of Admissions (tuc.admit@touro.edu) when your application has been verified by AACOMAS.
  2. March 1st – Submission of supplemental application and all other outstanding documents and requirements.
    • Refer to the TUCOM admissions webpage for information about submitting the AACOMAS primary and the TUCOM secondary applications.
  3. March 15th – Decision regarding Guaranteed Acceptance
  4. Late Spring or Early Summer – Guaranteed Interviews

TUCOM Acceptance or Interview

Eligibility for Guaranteed TUCOM Acceptance

Among eligible Public Health to Medicine Scholars students who complete their TUCOM admissions applications by the March 1st deadline and who satisfy the minimum TUCOM application requirements listed above, up to four (4) will be selected for guaranteed acceptance. In order, criteria for guaranteed acceptance will be:

  1. Public Health to Medicine Scholars program GPA
  2. Overall Science GPA, as calculated by AACOMAS
  3. Most recent composite MCAT score

Students who do not wish to be considered for guaranteed acceptance MUST notify the Office of Admissions by no later than 5:00 pm Pacific time on March 14th. After the decision for guaranteed admission is entered into our system, applicants will be required to either accept the offer of admission into TUCOM or they will be required to withdraw their application; they will not be allowed to pursue the guaranteed interview.

If accepted into TUCOM, Public Health to Medicine Scholars students must complete the MPH program with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, without any negative professionalism, behavior, or academic actions.  Failure to do so may result in the offer of admission being rescinded.

Eligibility for Guaranteed TUCOM Interview

Public Health to Medicine Scholars students who are not selected for guaranteed acceptance into TUCOM will be invited to interview for the current cohort on a designated date selected by the TUCOM admissions committee, provided they satisfy the eligibility requirements listed above.

It is important to note that while the interview is guaranteed, the outcome of the interview is not guaranteed. Applicants are advised to prepare for this interview in the same way they would prepare for any other medical and/or professional school interview.

If accepted into TUCOM, Public Health to Medicine Scholars students must complete the MPH program with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, without any negative professionalism, behavior, or academic actions. Failure to do so may result in the offer of admission being rescinded.

Limitations for Guaranteed Acceptance and Guaranteed Interview

The offer of Guaranteed Acceptance or Guaranteed Interview are mutually exclusive and are offered once only. MPH Med Scholars students who earn the Guaranteed Acceptance or Guaranteed Interview and who subsequently withdraw or are not ultimately accepted into TUCOM may choose to reapply but they are no longer eligible for Guaranteed Acceptance or Guaranteed Interview.
MPH Med Scholars students must submit their TUCOM application within the AACOMAS application cycle that is currently open while they are attending the MPH Med Scholars Program or for the AACOMAS application cycle immediately following the current application cycle.  Applications submitted after this time frame will not be considered under this agreement.

Background Checks

Incoming and current students may be required to submit to a background check before and/or during their enrollment at Touro University California. Facts uncovered as a result of a background check which could preclude licensure and/or practice in the profession may impact their ability to begin or continue their education at the University. Details are provided with the letter of acceptance.

Multiples Deposit Policy

Applicants to Touro University California (TUC) may also choose to apply to and submit seat deposits for other programs located within TUC or the greater Touro University System (TU). TUC applicants who have deposits at one or more TUC or other TU programs will be given until April 15th (for summer starts) or June 1st (for fall starts) to decide which program they wish to attend and will be required to withdraw from all other TUC/TU programs to which they have deposited. TUC applicants who are accepted and who submit seat deposits after April 15th (for summer starts) or June 1st (for fall starts) will be required to immediately withdraw from any other TUC/TU program(s) to which they have deposited.

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