Located in the heart of Manhattan, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Harlem campus offers a vibrant urban medical school experience. Students train in one of the world’s most dynamic healthcare environments — surrounded by academic medical centers, culturally diverse patient populations, and the unparalleled energy of New York City.
Academics & Clinical Experience
At TouroCOM Harlem, the academic curriculum features training in simulation-based settings and structured clinical skills labs, where standardized patient encounters and hands-on osteopathic training help bridge classroom learning with real-world application.
Students complete the majority of their clinical rotations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Fourth-year electives frequently include placements at major academic medical centers such as Columbia, Mount Sinai, and NYU, offering exposure to nationally recognized institutions and competitive residency pathways.
Research
Research at the Harlem campus is deeply connected to osteopathic medicine and urban community health, serving as a hub for osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) research — an area historically underrepresented in medical literature. Faculty and students collaborate on projects exploring hands-on treatments for chronic pain, respiratory function, and clinical skill development.
Students also lead the Center for Osteopathic Research Excellence (CORE), a structured, multi-year program that helps students strengthen their research skills through hands-on experience. Founded by three TouroCOM Harlem students, CORE is designed to sustain research projects across cohorts while strengthening students’ skills as both investigators and future physicians.
In addition to osteopathic research, faculty focus on the needs of Harlem’s urban population through initiatives focused on cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes education, and nutrition as medicine. Harlem’s research labs also foster cross-program collaboration, partnering with faculty and students across Touro programs like pharmacy and podiatry.
“Because we’re a small medical school, students really feel like they’re surrounded by family. There’s a warm, team-player environment here — we teach them early not to compete, but to work together. You can feel that culture throughout the campus.”
— Dr. Mary Banihashem, Associate Professor of Osteopathic Medicine and OMM Course Director
Life in New York City
The Harlem campus is a commuter-style environment — focused, independent, and driven — with the vibrancy of New York City just outside its doors. Students may live throughout Manhattan, Queens, New Jersey, and the surrounding boroughs, but the city becomes an extension of campus life.
- Local Flavor: From cafés and bookstores to street festivals and markets, Harlem offers a dynamic everyday rhythm that blends community character with big-city pace.
- Arts & Culture: From Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater to Broadway shows and world-renowned museums, you can take in arts, music, and exhibitions year-round.
- Culinary Diversity: Harlem and greater Manhattan offer cuisine representing nearly every culture and community across the globe.
- Parks & Nature: Central Park, Riverside Park, and the Hudson River waterfront offer green space for running, studying, or recharging between exams or rotations.
- Historic Identity: Explore Harlem’s historic brownstones, cultural landmarks, and influential civic institutions that have shaped the city’s history.
- Sporting Events: From catching a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden to attending major league matchups, students regularly gather for iconic sports experiences.
“With students moving through campus every year, it's hard to keep research momentum going, but CORE helps keep that momentum alive. By counting on the osteopathic skills of second-year students, we can engage first-year students and prepare second-year students to lead projects in their third and fourth years.”
— Allison Walker-Elders, cofounder of CORE (Class of 2027)
Student Life & Campus Culture
TouroCOM Harlem might be a commuter campus, but the student body is close-knit, passionate, and engaged. The campus draws a diverse student body, which reflects the multicultural fabric of NYC itself, with students motivated by service, leadership, and a desire to work in underserved communities.
Mentorship, Support, and Outreach
Harlem’s osteopathic training includes early clinical enhancement opportunities where students observe and participate in supervised patient evaluations and hands-on care. A large and competitive OMM Teaching Assistant program allows second-year students to mentor first-year students in lab settings, reinforcing osteopathic philosophy while developing teaching and leadership skills.
Students at TouroCOM Harlem also participate in MedAchieve, a multi-year science enrichment and mentorship program for New York City high school students. Through this initiative, Harlem medical students serve as mentors to high schoolers, lead hands-on learning sessions, and introduce participants to the realities of medical training — from anatomy exposure to osteopathic principles.
Clubs and Organizations
The Student Government Association (SGA) at TouroCOM Harlem supports a wide range of student-led clubs and organizations for exploring clinical interests, developing leadership skills, and engaging with communities both locally and globally.
Students participate in specialty and academic groups such as the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) and Artists in Medicine (AIM), as well as interest-based clubs like Clinical Chessmates. Join the International Medical Club and take a service trip to Cusco, Peru, where first- and second-year students, alongside faculty members, provided free health screenings to local community members.
Students also host guest speakers — including practicing physicians from across the country — and organize peer-led efforts that reflect their professional goals and commitment to service.
“At Bard High School Early College, I signed up for TouroCOM’s afterschool program, MedAchieve, for STEM students interested in health science careers. … I benefited from Touro’s programs and now as a first-year medical student I love being able to get back to mentoring; it’s like a full circle moment.”
— Dihara Mohamed, the first graduate of TouroCOM Harlem’s MedAchieve program to matriculate into TouroCOM (Class of 2029)
Community Service
Community engagement is central to the TouroCOM Harlem experience. Led by Director of Community Relations Dr. Kamilah Ali, the campus maintains strong partnerships throughout Harlem and greater New York City, reflecting its mission to serve underserved urban populations.
You’ll have the opportunity to participate in service activities like:
- Health fairs and community-based blood pressure and diabetes screenings
- Educational programming focused on nutrition and food-as-medicine
- Organized neighborhood clean-up and beautification days
- Events in partnership with the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce
- Volunteering in the medical tent at the NYC Marathon
As part of the annual National DO Day of Service and DO Week of Service, students have supported initiatives such as blood drives, Meals on Wheels, blankets for kids, mammogram awareness tabling, and hepatitis B education for high school students.
Students track their volunteer work through the national TOUCH Program (Translating Osteopathic Understanding into Community Health), which encourages osteopathic medical students to engage in meaningful, sustained community service.
Why Choose TouroCOM Harlem
Students choose TouroCOM Harlem because it provides direct access to patients, academic medical centers, and one of the most dynamic healthcare environments in the world. Here, your medical education is shaped by the pace, diversity, and energy of the Big Apple:
- A fully urban medical school embedded in New York City
- Clinical rotations and electives across major hospital systems
- A commitment to serving the health needs of Harlem and NYC
- Strong osteopathic identity with early, hands-on OMM training
- Immediate access to arts, culture, food, and city life beyond the classroom
Take the Next Step
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, purpose-driven medical education rooted in osteopathic philosophy, TouroCOM Harlem is ready to welcome you. Explore admissions, connect with our team, and begin your journey toward becoming a physician.
