CSPM vs AZPOD

[dogmomlife]

Hello! I am very excited that I got accepted to both CSPM and AZPOD. Both are offering the same amount for scholarship. But I am hoping I could get more input on the schools from current students to help me choose!

Curriculum:
AZPOD pro: Classes with DO students which they say would provide me a more thorough medical education as compared to DPM specific schools like CSPM. I was wondering how do current students feel about classes with DO students and does having curriculum with DO students really make it more superior than CSPM's curriculum?

CSPM pro: Earlier clinical exposure (2nd year) which I am very interested in. But do current students feel like they are not as prepared for boards because of this?

Board scores:
AZPOD has been having 100% board pass rates which is impressive.
CSPM I heard recently has not been doing as well. I was wondering if this is reflecting any changes or issues with the current curriculum?

Tuition/cost of living:
Both schools have about the same tuition/fees. But cost of living for CSPM will be significantly more.

Area:
California: is more preferred due to weather, outdoor activities I do, I know more people there, and my husband's job. But my husband is being very supportive and saying he can always find a job anywhere we go.

Scholarship:
CSPM: scholarship renewable based on my standing
AZPOD: scholarship just for the first year.
I was also accepted to another school that is giving me a slightly higher scholarship but I thinks these two would be a better fit for me. Is it acceptable to ask these two schools if they would be willing to match the other scholarship offer that is higher?

Would really appreciate the help, I'm just so torn between the two right now. Thank you so much!!

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[Weirdy]

Am from CSPM.

Feel free to PM for more details. Regarding your questions:

DO Association:
Did not feel I lacked anything by not being associated with a DO school. Have externed with both DO/Non DO schools. No one gives a **** and knowledge base is equivalent. The only time I have seen it brought up is when premeds/prepods do their pissing contest. I can tell you the clinical experience I got at CSPM was much better than what I saw when I interviewed at Midwestern. By the time most students were working up their first podiatry patient, we had already seen, presented, treated a whole year's worth of patients. Every school has very strong students and great people, Midwestern being no exception. No hard feelings for them. Just rubs me a bit wrong when people assume non-DO associated schools are somehow inferior? Laughable that premeds/prepods come to that conclusion when they have no clue what their world is going to be like after they start.

Schools like to tout board pass rates. Midwestern being a smaller school (until recently) has always favored high stat applicants. This self selection means more of their students are already strong to begin with, and would pass boards first time no matter which 9 schools they go to. Does this make sense?

This is the 5th time I am typing this statement this month: Boards pass rate has 99% to do with how hard the individual student is prepared to train, and little to do with the school. Each school will provide you with the materials to pass. I have seen 4.0 students fail first time and 2.8 students pass first time. There is no rhyme or reason to it. You will understand if you search "APMLE" in the Podiatry Student forums. The questions are asinine and full of minutiae. They are written by professors in ivory towers. The harder you train, the better chance you pass, no matter what school you go to.

At the end of the day, go with your gut. You don't want to look back and say "What if?". It will be the hardest 4 years of your life, until you hit residency. Go with the environment that will set you up for success.

 

[Packers4lifeDPM]

4th year from Midwestern. My overall advice: Go where you feel comfortable. Overall, I felt like Midwestern set me up very well to succeed but at the end of the day, it’s on you to study every day and learn the material you need to know. No one will hold your hand anymore.
As for my two cents on Midwestern: We start seeing patients 2nd year at different free clinics and have other volunteer opportunities to work up patients. Seeing them earlier in an academic setting is kind of pointless if you don’t have a good enough baseline of knowledge in my opinion. I felt very comfortable going into externships and being able to work up a patient and present to an attending so I’m not sure what the person above was getting his info on that aspect of Midwestern. I also felt that the academics and testing schedule was very rigorous but when I went to take boards, I thought it was the easiest exam I had to take over those two years. You will definitely be taught everything you need to know to be successful.

 

[Weirdy]

I’m not sure what the person above was getting his info on that aspect of Midwestern.

Apologies if I spoke inaccurately. Times have probably changed since interviewing 4 years ago.
All of the Midwestern students I met on clerkships were extremely knowledgeable.
Your school has a reputation for churning out some of the highest academically achieving students.

Congratulations on being your own college now. Still remember Dr. Jensen talking about it during interviews and the push to get there.

Point still stands regarding DO/non DO.

 

[deleted930254]

Hi, I'm also from CSPM.
I like our clinical exposure and it is definitely something our school sells in the interview process. I feel confident in being able to work up patients, and report to attendings. However, I think the most important thing to do if you decide on CSPM is how to cut down on costs. My initial projected loan amount at the end of the four years was astronomically high. There are creative ways around this, and I would recommend asking other CSPM students what they do to cut down on cost of living. Feel free to PM me as well!

Board preparation does depend on the student, but our CSPM is doing a lot more that it has previously to help us prepare for boards.

I have friends that go to Midwestern and they are doing great with externships. Upperclassmen at my school are performing well in externships. I believe a lot of their performance has to do with the person, and not the school. Good students succeed wherever they go.