Going to Caribbean and Still being able to do Podiatry?

[ToeTag1999]

My stats are not good enough for DO but fall in line for both SGU (Caribbean Med School) and Podiatry.

I have 3.57 overall gpa and 3.67 sGPA (Biology degree) and 495 MCAT. I plan retake the MCAT since my practice scores were higher.

So I plan to start at SGU next Fall IF and only IF I can still get the loans I'll need for Podiatry School if I flunk out and/or don't like it there at SGU.

I do not mind wasting 1 year of my life and/or 60-70K if it gives me an opportunity for the MD. BUT I am not willing to gamble everything on this endeavor. I would just go straight up Podiatry if I can only take out 1 Grad Plus Loan. I also have excellent credit at Sallie Mae (Paying off my undergrad and never delinquent) so I will attempt to get a private loan from them knowing I'm then safe to do the Federal Grad Plus if I flunk out or leave SGU. And I don't have to "Flunk" to decide I can't handle the curriculum. If I'm not pulling at least a B+ or better in all courses I'll consider myself as doing subpar and unlikely to do well on the USMLE.

I'm sure I can figure out by 2nd half of year 1 at SGU how I'm doing and whether I'll leave. At that point I would no longer study I'd just take the rest of my time as a vacation.

So if SGU goes well then great, I have a decent chance at a Family Practice Physician and will be happy.

However, I'm not upset too much if I wind up with the Podiatry backup option for three reasons I am assuming. If my ASSUMPTIONS are inaccurate please correct me

1) Podiatrists have autonomy and top experts in their field of care (foot/ankle)
2) Podiatrist get to do surgeries which I would have likely not matched into if I went DO (do Pods get to do torn achilles ruptures and other cool surgeries?)
3) Pods have full DEA rights to prescribe narcotics for chronic foot ailments
4) Podiatrist have a decent ability to be mobile (at least at the outset) and work in a city/suburb they want
Bonus - I have a legit foot fetish for women's feet and often would smell/inhale my ex-GF high heels and shoes.

OK ALSO I plan to get into Pod school for Fall 2020 IF and only IF my 2nd MCAT goes well because then why waste time at SGU. Now IF my MCAT goes well when I retake this April and I'm SURE I can get into DO (I'll have to improve to 506 to feel certain I'm good....and the 495 no excuses but I didn't study much or take many practice exams I took like 3 only this time I would get UWorld/Next Step and just take like 20-30 practices, I also accidentally got inebriated the evening before though I felt Amazing morning of the exam no headache felt awesome.

So my QUESTION is IF I do well on the MCAT and want to go DO. Can I start at Podiatry School since they have the same curriculum as DO (at Temple where I plan to apply, also applying Barry and NYCPM) and I can just transfer straight into 2nd year DO?

Thanks for you time.

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[de Ribas]

My stats are not good enough for DO but fall in line for both SGU (Caribbean Med School) and Podiatry.

I have 3.57 overall gpa and 3.67 sGPA (Biology degree) and 495 MCAT. I plan retake the MCAT since my practice scores were higher.

So I plan to start at SGU next Fall IF and only IF I can still get the loans I'll need for Podiatry School if I flunk out and/or don't like it there at SGU.

I do not mind wasting 1 year of my life and/or 60-70K if it gives me an opportunity for the MD. BUT I am not willing to gamble everything on this endeavor. I would just go straight up Podiatry if I can only take out 1 Grad Plus Loan. I also have excellent credit at Sallie Mae (Paying off my undergrad and never delinquent) so I will attempt to get a private loan from them knowing I'm then safe to do the Federal Grad Plus if I flunk out or leave SGU. And I don't have to "Flunk" to decide I can't handle the curriculum. If I'm not pulling at least a B+ or better in all courses I'll consider myself as doing subpar and unlikely to do well on the USMLE.

I'm sure I can figure out by 2nd half of year 1 at SGU how I'm doing and whether I'll leave. At that point I would no longer study I'd just take the rest of my time as a vacation.

So if SGU goes well then great, I have a decent chance at a Family Practice Physician and will be happy.

However, I'm not upset too much if I wind up with the Podiatry backup option for three reasons I am assuming. If my ASSUMPTIONS are inaccurate please correct me

1) Podiatrists have autonomy and top experts in their field of care (foot/ankle)
2) Podiatrist get to do surgeries which I would have likely not matched into if I went DO (do Pods get to do torn achilles ruptures and other cool surgeries?)
3) Pods have full DEA rights to prescribe narcotics for chronic foot ailments
4) Podiatrist have a decent ability to be mobile (at least at the outset) and work in a city/suburb they want
Bonus - I have a legit foot fetish for women's feet and often would smell/inhale my ex-GF high heels and shoes.

OK ALSO I plan to get into Pod school for Fall 2020 IF and only IF my 2nd MCAT goes well because then why waste time at SGU. Now IF my MCAT goes well when I retake this April and I'm SURE I can get into DO (I'll have to improve to 506 to feel certain I'm good....and the 495 no excuses but I didn't study much or take many practice exams I took like 3 only this time I would get UWorld/Next Step and just take like 20-30 practices, I also accidentally got inebriated the evening before though I felt Amazing morning of the exam no headache felt awesome.

So my QUESTION is IF I do well on the MCAT and want to go DO. Can I start at Podiatry School since they have the same curriculum as DO (at Temple where I plan to apply, also applying Barry and NYCPM) and I can just transfer straight into 2nd year DO?

Thanks for you time.

With your stats and MCAT retake you will get into DO school if you are ok with FM/IM and such. No need to explore risky Carib route. Even with your current stats, you are ok with about 10 DO schools. Look at the average stats. Lots of DO schools have 3.3-3.4 GPA averages and average 499 MCAT. With your higher than average GPA and lower than average MCAT you can get into some DO schools. If you improve your score to 500+, then you are ok at majority of DO schools. Better study for MCAT for 3 months than wasting more time at Carib. Again, if you are ok with PCP specialties, no need to go Carib.

Otherwise, podiatry is great option for those who researched, shadowed and liked it. Don't take it just because you cant get into MD/DO.

No, you will not be able to transfer from Pod program to DO or MD program even within the same college/university. Even transfers within MD and DO programs are extremely rare.

I have a feeling, based on your post, that you have not done much research about Carib, MD/DO and DPM programs and how they work and such. I suggest reading more about Carib route, shadowing and researching more about DPM route.

 

[gyngyn]

This thread can be followed here: Is Caribbean a one shot MD option? Can I go, flunk out or leave and still go to another health profession?