Hey all, feel free to edit the school you attend to bring these up to date.
Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this podiatric medical school is noted?*
- 1st year is completely integrated with DO program, 2nd year is integrated with pharmacology. The entire 4th year is spent doing clerkships away from the University. The school is completely wireless and laptops/handhelds are provided. All logs are electronic.
2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-clinical and clinical years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?*
- 1st - basic sciences, 2nd - systems, lower limb anatomy, principles of podiatric medicine, podiatric surgery and biomechanics, 3rd - clinic, LE dermatology, trauma, community health, and problem-based learning academic rotations (done alongside rotations with DMU and area docs) including: infectious disease, internal med, vascular surgery, forefoot surgery, community podiatric rotation, LE radiology/oncology, rearfoot surgery and reconstruction, 4th Up to 8 off site rotations completely up to the student before residency interviews.
3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?
- YES
4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?
- Note-pool is student run and completely electronic
5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-clinical and clinical years?*
- No, everyone takes the required classes. There are a few electives available to take during your first and second year (problem based biochemistry/anatomy, cranial nerves elective, etc)
6. Has this podiatric medical school, or any of its clinical departments, been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?*
-Never*
7. How do students from this podiatric medical school perform on the National Board Examinations? How does the school assist students who do not pass?*
- 1st time pass rate consistently above 90% (100% last year).*
Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically? How are clinical evaluations performed?*- Academically: students must have 70% or above to pass. Clinically: evaluated on each clinical skill and must get at least a 2 (on scale of 4).*
9. Is there a formal mechanism in place for students to evaluate their professors and attending physicians? What changes have been made recently as a result of this feedback?*
- Students are randomly selected to evaluate each course and those who want to can evaluate any course. Clinicians are evaluated as students rotate through. Courses are reformed yearly according to student input.*
Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?- All types of counseling are available at no charge through the school. The Spousal Support Association (SSA) is an organization completely run by those who have significant others in the programs at the medical school.*
11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisorsfaculty members, other students, or both?*
-Big brother/sister program for 1st years, each student has a faculty (DPM) advisor.*
12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?*
-As diverse as any place is in the midwest! There are support services and organizations for ethnic minorities and women.
Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).*
-Probably the best facilities of all of the podiatry schools. Huge, new library with many study rooms and access to all medical media, collegiate size basketball court, large locker rooms, aerobics room, indoor track, free weights, machines, and treadmills, elipticals, etc with personal flatscreen TV's (cable).*
14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?*
-Each student given laptop at the start of their four years and now will get an iPad toward the middle of the second year. Campus is fully wireless.
15. What type of clinical sitesambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settingsare available or required for clerkships? Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?*
- private practice, county and VA hospital rotation, rural hospital rotations available and required 3rd year. 4th year students are required to do a 3 month core, 1 month private practice, 1 month IM and the rest is COMPLETELY up to them.
16. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations? Is parking a problem?*
- Car is necessary for 4th year, parking not a problem.
Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate?*
-Check website for this.
18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/endowment aid available to students?*
- Stafford loans used by students, many scholarships given throughout 4 years
19. Are there students who have an "unmet need" factor in their budget? If so, where do these students come up with the extra funds?*
- Don't know
20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?*
- Not really but I have a wife and things have been fine.
21. Is someone available to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?
- Yes
22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management?*
-Yes, they bring in tons of speakers about this and give students lunch to come and listen!
Student Involvement
23. What school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?*
- Podiatry is represented on all counsels and committees by students.
24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?*
- Voluntary. Last year, quite a few students did the national special olympics
25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?
- Very active student government. There are a lot of student clubs.*
Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure?
Yes, I think so. I had a few students in my group that cut or poked themselves and everything was taken care of.
27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?
- We must all be current on immunizations before starting school. I think they do cover prophylactic treatments because of an injury sustained in clinic.*
28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?
- Honor codes are posted in every classroom and signed by the students in those classrooms. there is a grievance process that students are involved in.
Residency
29. May I see a list of residency programs to which this school's recent graduates were accepted?*
2012 graduates residency placement site
DVA Central Alabama Healthcare System - Montgomery, AL
DVA Phoenix - Phoenix, AZ
DVA Loma Linda - Loma Linda, CA
Surgical Hospital of Oklahoma - Oklahoma City, OK
DVA Eastern Colorado Health Care - Denver, CO
North Colorado Medical Center - Greeley, CO
Yale/VA Health Care Podiatric Residency Program - West Haven, CT
St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center - Hartford, CT
Aventura Hospital - Aventura, FL
Florida Hospital East Orlando - Orlando, FL
Shands Jacksonville Medical Center - Jacksonville, FL
Dekalb Medical Center - Decatur, GA
Iowa Health Des Moines - Des Moines, IA
Trinity Regional Hospital - Ft. Dodge, IA
St. Joseph Hospital - Chicago, IL
Weiss Memorial Hospital - Chicago, IL
St. Vincent Hospital - Indianapolis, IN
Mount Auburn Hospital - Cambridge, MA
Detroit Medical Center - Detroit, MI
Oakwood Annapolis Hospital - Wayne, MI
St. John Hospital & Medical Center - Detroit, MI
Health Partners Institute/Regions Hospital - St. Paul, MN
Mercy Hospital - Coon Rapids, MN
DePaul Health Center - Bridgeton, MO
University Hospital/UMDNJ - Newark, NJ
Catholic Health System/Sisters of Charity - Buffalo, NY
Kingston Hospital - Kingston, NY
Grant Medical Center - Columbus, OH
Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, OH
Legacy Health/Kaiser Permanente - Portland, OR
Hahnemann University Hospital - Philadelphia, PA
St. Lukes Hospital Allentown Campus - Allentown, PA
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy - Pittsburgh, PA
Western Pennsylvania Hospital - Pittsburgh, PA
DVA Mountain Home - Mountain Home, TN
John Peter Smith Hospital - Ft. Worth, TX
Hunt Regional Medical Center - Greenville, TX
Scott & White Memorial Hospital - Temple, TX
University General Hospital - Houston, TX
Franciscan Health System/St. Francis Hosp - Federal Way, WA
DVA Madison - Madison, WI
Gunderson Lutheran Medical Foundation - La Crosse, WI
Questions to Ask Yourself
30. Does this school have strengths in the type of podiatric medicine (primary care versus surgery versus biomechanics versus sports medicine) that I will want to practice?
31. Would I be happy at this school (for at least the next four years)?