I know podiatry school is hard but is it doable if i'm an average student?

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FRA

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My friends in the Caribbeans med school are crying from how hard it is,,,so i was wondering if podiatry school is as hard as medical school in the Caribbeans?? i know pod school is very hard but my question is it the same like studying medicine in the carribeans?

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Well I'm not one to rate the difficulty of podiatry. I'm sure the Caribbean is as tough as any medical school. I was and still kinda are an average student in a US med school with 2 months left to move on to MS3. It can be done -- just be persistent.
 
I don't think you'll find many people qualified to answer that question as you'll have to find someone who has gone both to an allopathic school as well as a podiatric school to answer that question fully.

A quick look into podiatry will show you that you're taking five to six classes a semester of science courses. Look at it this way, the first two years of pretty much any professional medical program is to prepare you for the boards. If it's not hard, then the school probably isn't doing something right. (Unless you happen to be a genius)
 
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Pod school is going to be as difficult as your MD/DO school so don't think otherwise. It is the people who come into the program with the attitude that SURELY pod school must be somewhat easier who fail out.

I have several friends who have been at both MD/DO and Pod schools and I will just sum up what they have told me:
-My workout partner went to a DO school for 2 years and he has straight up told me he found the education at Barry more difficult.
-My lab partner attended an MD school (in the United States) for 2 years and though I didn't ask about difficulty he said the teachers and education were much better here than his previous MD school.
-One person failed out of MD school (in state) and came to podiatry school and is failing pod school as well.
-I know two people who failed out of the pod program here and transferred to a Carribean MD school. I haven't talked to them since.

I am not saying that pod school is harder than MD/DO school or vice versa. There will be some DO schools that are harder than MD schools and some pod schools that arent as hard as DO or MD schools etc, that's just the way it is with schools. But all in all, the difficulty is about the same when comparing an Allopathic Medical School vs Osteopathic Medical School vs Podiatric Medical School.
 
I don't have personal experience but from what i have heard...getting in is easy but staying in is the hard. Just look at the high drop out rates.
 
If you are willing to put your time in, it can be done.
 
I went to a fairly reputably undergrad school and was a good student, not a great student, but a good student. When I got to pod school, I was amazed at how the level of intensity and and the amount of material I was facing made undergrad look like junior high. I thought I worked pretty hard in undergrad, but I have to work much harder here just to keep up with the game. Its going well, but as the others above said, its not any easier than MD/DO school. Be prepared for that. I've had so many friends complain that they thought this was going to be easy, and they've been bitter all year because its not easy at all. If pod school is easier, we shouldn't be allowed to call ourselves physicians.
 
It kinda depends; were you an average student because you were partying all through college or did you actually try to succeed? If your answer is the later, then you will also struggle through Pod school.
 
I was/am an average student. Science has always come very difficult to me. I went to UCSD for undergrad, was a music major but knew I was going to the medical field so I took science classes. I did very well in my music classes, but I was a B & C student in terms of science classes. I then went to USC for my MPH and did very well there. I am now a 1st year at CSPM and am not at the top of my class, but still within the upper half. Podiatric Medical School is hard. Very, very very hard. We have weekly exams, and the amount of material that you're expected to know is tremendous. Don't go into podiatry, or any medical field if you're in it for the cash, because you will end up hating your life. Go into it to make a difference and that's what will keep you afloat. Getting average grades in the past is one thing, it doesn't matter how smart you are, Podiatric Medical school is 20% brains and 80% determination.

-J
 
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I was/am an average student. Science has always come very difficult to me. I went to UCSD for undergrad, was a music major but knew I was going to the medical field so I took science classes. I did very well in my music classes, but I was a B & C student in terms of science classes. I then went to USC for my MPH and did very well there. I am now a 1st year at CSPM and am not at the top of my class, but still within the upper half. Podiatric Medical School is hard. Very, very very hard. We have weekly exams, and the amount of material that you're expected to know is tremendous. Don't go into podiatry, or any medical field if you're in it for the cash, because you will end up hating your life. Go into it to make a difference and that's what will keep you afloat. Getting average grades in the past is one thing, it doesn't matter how smart you are, Podiatric Medical school is 20% brains and 80% determination.

-J

:thumbup: Well said!
 
I was/am an average student. Science has always come very difficult to me. I went to UCSD for undergrad, was a music major but knew I was going to the medical field so I took science classes. I did very well in my music classes, but I was a B & C student in terms of science classes. I then went to USC for my MPH and did very well there. I am now a 1st year at CSPM and am not at the top of my class, but still within the upper half. Podiatric Medical School is hard. Very, very very hard. We have weekly exams, and the amount of material that you're expected to know is tremendous. Don't go into podiatry, or any medical field if you're in it for the cash, because you will end up hating your life. Go into it to make a difference and that's what will keep you afloat. Getting average grades in the past is one thing, it doesn't matter how smart you are, Podiatric Medical school is 20% brains and 80% determination.

-J


That's very motivating, thanks jen!
 
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Any profession worth having is going to take work. (ANYTHING worth having takes work, for that matter)

Always take an honest assessment of your abilities, strengths and weaknesses and then try to accentuate the positives and bring up the lagging areas. Easier said than done, I realize. Yet if you have a diligent work ethic you CAN and WILL succeed. Perhaps not top of your class, but far better than you would have had you just given up or not made a determined, concerted effort.

I'm just trying to say in a nutshell, give it hell for 4 years and see what happens. You have all to gain and zero to lose. Before you know it, years will pass and you just might get the title of Doctor.

Sound like a fair trade for your time and stick-to-it-tive-ness?

Does to me. ;)
 
Any profession worth having is going to take work. (ANYTHING worth having takes work, for that matter)

Always take an honest assessment of your abilities, strengths and weaknesses and then try to accentuate the positives and bring up the lagging areas. Easier said than done, I realize. Yet if you have a diligent work ethic you CAN and WILL succeed. Perhaps not top of your class, but far better than you would have had you just given up or not made a determined, concerted effort.

I'm just trying to say in a nutshell, give it hell for 4 years and see what happens. You have all to gain and zero to lose. Before you know it, years will pass and you just might get the title of Doctor.

Sound like a fair trade for your time and stick-to-it-tive-ness?

Does to me. ;)


almost sounds like marriage. haha. but that's very motivating!:thumbup:
 
Any professional school is going to be challenging (MD/DO, dental, Pharm, Pod, OD). I was a very good student in undergrad, mostly As and some Bs in all course work including sciences. My first two years in allopathic medical school I was a bit frustrated that I was getting average grades during the didactic years. Our grading system was Honor, pass, fail. Most of my grades were pass in the first two years, with one or two honors. Luckily I am a pretty good standardize test taker and I excelled during the clinical year. Now I am a fellow in a pretty competitive internal medicine subspecialty (GI).

There is no way around learning the basic sciences taught during the first one to two years of professional school. Be prepared to work and study hard. Most of it is self study. The professors will not baby anybody or wait for one to understand. Get in a good study group. Beef up your study techniques and plow on.
 
I was/am an average student. Science has always come very difficult to me. I went to UCSD for undergrad, was a music major but knew I was going to the medical field so I took science classes. I did very well in my music classes, but I was a B & C student in terms of science classes. I then went to USC for my MPH and did very well there. I am now a 1st year at CSPM and am not at the top of my class, but still within the upper half. Podiatric Medical School is hard. Very, very very hard. We have weekly exams, and the amount of material that you're expected to know is tremendous. Don't go into podiatry, or any medical field if you're in it for the cash, because you will end up hating your life. Go into it to make a difference and that's what will keep you afloat. Getting average grades in the past is one thing, it doesn't matter how smart you are, Podiatric Medical school is 20% brains and 80% determination.

-J

I completely agree, it's the determination that matters most. The only two comments I'll add are that if you enjoy the material it's not just hard work, but can actually be enjoyable. Second, if you do struggle, then many if not all schools offer an extended 5 year program that lightens the load.
 
almost sounds like marriage. haha. but that's very motivating!:thumbup:

Thanks. :eek:

How'd I evoke that word, marriage? You usually try that more than you try a few schools out? :p

You can marry a few ladies over the course of your life, but only graduate from one Podiatry school. ;)
 
Caribbean schools are not easy. Mainly because they a majority of the professors either do not speak english, don't care, the school is there to make money. Or a combination of the 3.

I know this because I have spoken to several students even a few of the professors at these places. Caribbeans schools have a very high attrition rate because of this aswell.

I spoke with a rep from AZPOD today and they told me that out of the 30 students they lose about 1-3 each year, usually NOT for academic reasons. Often times because personal reasons. I heard this from alot of the other schools as well. So I imagine that pod school isnt impossibly hard, but that doesn't mean you can cruise through the exams.
 
Caribbean schools are not easy. Mainly because they a majority of the professors either do not speak english, don't care, the school is there to make money. Or a combination of the 3.

I know this because I have spoken to several students even a few of the professors at these places. Caribbeans schools have a very high attrition rate because of this aswell.

I spoke with a rep from AZPOD today and they told me that out of the 30 students they lose about 1-3 each year, usually NOT for academic reasons. Often times because personal reasons. I heard this from alot of the other schools as well. So I imagine that pod school isnt impossibly hard, but that doesn't mean you can cruise through the exams.

I'd say of the several we lost from our class it was all due to academics. Caribbeans have a similar problem with high attrition and I'm sure most of it is due to academics as well.
 
My friends in the Caribbeans med school are crying from how hard it is,,,so i was wondering if podiatry school is as hard as medical school in the Caribbeans?? i know pod school is very hard but my question is it the same like studying medicine in the carribeans?

I mean no insult for you, but please have some self esteem..As long as you are calling your self an "Average Student", you will have difficulty in any professional school you would attend.

Ask your self a question, what do I wanna be? a podiatrist, dentist, MD, engineer,....Your choice will be your goal and you know what, life will not offer it to you..you will have to earn it by hard work and good planning.

Good Luck
 
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