Dilemna

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cpinkows

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So I'm in a bit of a decision pickle and from my experience with this forum, you guys tend to have what I consider a more down to earth perspective and more generally informed on this issue than your allo counterparts. Up until yesterday my decision was set in stone, I would be attending Azpod in the fall. However, I recieved an interview to a 1 year post bacc with guaranteed admission (as long as I maintain my grades) to a US MD school thats ranked fairly highly (although that last part can be seen as meaningless). Im split 50-50 for multiple reasons which I will delve into. Im looking for your guy's perspective in all this because its driving me crazy honestly. So here it goes (please correct anything I state if its a misconception):

DPM:
Pros:
Developed an interest in diabetic limb salvage (although on a superficial level at this point, simply with reading research articles, etc.)
Controllable lifestyle
I have a stronger than average academic background in ugrad compared to other dpm matriculants which possibly could carry itself into performing well.
Encouragement from pods and MD's I know personally about entering this field
Near significant other and family and significant others preferred choice of grad school.
Cons:
Unstable residency numbers
Reduced opportunity to research (at least in school) compared to my md option
Locked into podiatry
State to state, country to country inconsistencies in scope of practice
Hard limitation on scope of practice (limits career movement possibly example: some er docs I know are freely able to run a medical cosmetic clinic in addition to traditional er work)
Azpod has no summers

MD (essentially inverse to dpm)
Pros: Greater research opportunity (at least in school)
Greater career flexibility
Potentional pay could be higher depending on match (keep in mind is us md so not quite as frightening of a prospect compared to DO and carib)
Greater potentional to move/practice internationally (personal situations make this a possibility if I so choose to do so)
School has large summer for first 2 out of 5 years and short summer in the third
Many strong psyd and masters programs in the city for SO (will attend in 2 years)
Cons: Extra year of school
More loans
Further away from family and SO
Slight uncertainity in future match
Middle of the pack academic background (demographics killed me in applying straight to md schools)
Possible lengthier residency/fellowship

I will add details if I forgot any. And please, the schizophrenic troll that keeps making 10000 random accounts, please be quiet, i know this thread is your equivelant of fly attractant.

Thanks for your input! I appreciate it greatly.
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Also, the interview is basically an acceptance statistically. 40 interviews with 35 plus matriculating each year.
 
Can you tell us the actual requirement for guarantee acceptance into the med school after post bac? Also, it is a SET IN STONE WRITTEN guarantee acceptance or is it more of an "unofficial" acceptance?

The few MD postbac that I know require a 28-30 minimum on the MCAT and a 3.5 GPA from post-bac classes. So will you have to retake the MCAT and are you sure you can obtain a 3.5 gpa?
 
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jonod1107 said:
Can you tell us the actual requirement for guarantee acceptance into the med school after post bac? Also, it is a SET IN STONE WRITTEN guarantee acceptance or is it more of an "unofficial" acceptance?
?
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This. I remember researching one of the post bac programs for a DO school. It was worded like you have a great opportunity to get into their school upon completion, and after doing some digging, I found a bunch of pissed off students that came out 30k lighter in the wallet without their spot they thought they were a shoe-in for.

If you truly want to practice out of country one day, I would go the MD route for sure.

As for research, you might not have the opportunity an MD student would during school, but since there is a lack of research in this specialty relative to MD,you could quite possibly carve yourself out a nice niche in whatever you decide to do with research.
 
Seems like you are interested in being academically stimulated, want to make an impact in your career of choice, and also want a comfortable lifestyle with your SO. Honestly both professions can give you that. With the MD route, you have more uncertainties along the way with having to first of all maintain a gpa to get into the MD school, and then having to compete against your peers to get a residency of your choice. Pod does have the uncertainty of residency shortage, but that is also a problem for MD/DOs, and there are successful pods that have not done residency. IMO it comes down to figuring out exactly what it is that you want. For me, I sacrificed the option of sticking it out a few extra years to try to get into MD school because I wanted a surgical subspecialty, didn't care in what. I realize that with podiatry, I could get what I want it sooner rather than later, which made the decision easy for me.
 
hematosis said:
Azpod has no summer?!
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Azpod is on a quarters system rather than a real semester system so there is no summer break between first and second year, just the typical one or two week break between each quarter. I guess they figure its too hot to be outside anyways, so you might as well be in class. :)
 
ldsrmdude said:
Azpod is on a quarters system rather than a real semester system so there is no summer break between first and second year, just the typical one or two week break between each quarter. I guess they figure its too hot to be outside anyways, so you might as well be in class. :)
Click to expand...

We will get almost a month in November when the weather is nice and football is in full swing :D
 
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