Board Rates

[rickross9595]

Hey guys,
I was wondering how the board rates for DMU are always really high (90+% for both Part I and Part II). Is it the faculty preparing the students better than the other schools or is it the students that are trying harder at DMU than other schools?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SLCpod]

Hey guys,
I was wondering how the board rates for DMU are always really high (90+% for both Part I and Part II). Is it the faculty preparing the students better than the other schools or is it the students that are trying harder at DMU than other schools?

https://www.dmu.edu/cpms/program-outcomes/

Every program is required to post the outcomes each year. If you are wondering about the other schools board pass rates, you will find the information on their websites.

 

[ldsrmdude]

DMU is integrated with the DO students which means in general that the basic science professors are high quality and the course curriculum is rigorous and prepares students for boards very well. IMO the DO-integrated schools do a better job for preparing students for Part I. All schools prepare students for Part 2 equally well, which is to say that Part 2 is much less related to the schools since students have been out on rotations.

 

[Weirdy]

DMU is integrated with the DO students which means in general that the basic science professors are high quality and the course curriculum is rigorous and prepares students for boards very well. IMO the DO-integrated schools do a better job for preparing students for Part I. All schools prepare students for Part 2 equally well, which is to say that Part 2 is much less related to the schools since students have been out on rotations.

I've heard two things about Part 1.
1) I can be very random at times question wise.
2) If you study hard in years 1+2 and review properly, you should pass.

Any truth to either of these?

 

[ldsrmdude]

I've heard two things about Part 1.
1) I can be very random at times question wise.
2) If you study hard in years 1+2 and review properly, you should pass.

Any truth to either of these?

Both probably true. The best way to study for part I is to learn the material well the first time

 

[bobtheweazel]

I've heard two things about Part 1.
1) I can be very random at times question wise.
2) If you study hard in years 1+2 and review properly, you should pass.

Any truth to either of these?

Haven't taken boards yet obviously, but I would posit that the exam is not as random as people make it out to be. Every board question is submitted by faculty from the podiatry schools. Each podiatry school has a slightly different curriculum. If a professor from one school submits a question on a topic that is emphasized in their school's curriculum but not in the other schools' curricula, then obviously to students from every other school that question would seem random—even though its a perfectly valid question about a topic that is taught at a school of podiatry. The best workaround I could come up with for this is that you should download the AACPM curriculum guide which is essentially a compiled list of topics taught across all schools of podiatry. As you go through your courses you can refer to the curriculum guide to see what other schools are teaching that your school is not. I do it for every class. It is a fair amount of extra work but I do feel like it gives me an advantage over my classmates—not only for board preparations but even within these classes. I feel like it helps direct me and fill out my knowledge base, especially on things my school doesn't emphasize as much as other schools.

Everybody knows this is a minimal competency exam, not a trivia game, and logically when a professor submits a question and NBPME decides to accept that question there is some level of importance and validity to that topic for it to make it through the process. Furthermore, even if there were a "random" question on the exam, it's nothing to worry about. The Angoff scoring method that they employ BASICALLY means that they don't expect you to get a question right if a "minimally competent" podiatrist would not get that question right (I emphasize the word basically because the scoring method is more complex than that, but very simply put that's effectively how it works).

Overall, I wouldn't stress about the randomness as long as you make yourself aware of what the other schools are teaching.