Kent vs. Temple vs. Midwestern vs. Barry?

[testosteroneman1]

Hello,
I was wondering if you guys could help me choose the best school for me. I have received offers from all the schools listed in the title and I am having a hard time deciding between the schools. I live in Northern Virginia so I like that Kent is close to home but the program and campus at Midwestern seems really nice but it is also very far from home. I am also considering Temple because it is also close to home and has a good program but I'm not sure how much I will like the Philadelphia area in terms of safety. I have received a $15,000 scholarship to Barry but the programs at the other schools seem better in terms of board pass rate and graduation rate. I would really appreciate any help!
Thank you

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[deleted1097413]

Things to consider in order:

1. cost (tuition and cost of living)
2. Location (close to home vs desirable city)
3. Location where you might want to do residency. (Sometimes not always going to a certain school sets you on trajectory for residency in that city or at least close by)
4. Program strengths (board pass rates, etc, is it a DO school too)?

i’d look at things in this order and decide. Only you can make the final decision. Any school is good enough

 

[Weirdy]

Boards past rate is extremely dependent on individual.

Go with the school that has the best combination of: felt most comfortable with + lowest cost.

 

[LilYoungswick]

work hard, study smart and you will succeed at any school you go to. i agree with the above posts, look for the best fit socially (do you want a large class vs smaller class size), the type of city do you want to live in , tuition/cost of living.

connect with different students at those programs and see what they have to say as well!

 

[Karawak07]

I think what everyone has mentioned above thus far is sound advice.

I will add a few other things to consider:

Barry: Unless the curriculum has changed, it is my limited understanding that Barry's class attendance is 100 percent mandatory. If you're someone that prefers this then it's not an issue, but for me, having a program that created a more moldable schedule has been extremely valuable and helped reduce an already exorbitant amount of demand and workload.

Also of note, I know that the program I chose was willing to match scholarship funds offered to me at other programs. It may be worthwhile to discuss with your top choice the possibility of matching or providing a scholarship offer more comparable to Barry's in exchange for your commitment or a letter of intent etc.

If you don't think you would be comfortable in philly due to safety concerns or otherwise, that is definitely an important factor to consider. Podiatry school is very rewarding, but it also requires a lot of hard work and a large consistent time commitment. If you aren't comfortable with your external environment, thats just one more small stress added to a fast paced and demanding workload. If you're close to your family and having them close brings you comfort, the ability to go home a bit more frequently and see them and to have their support in that sense may be worth quite a lot. But only you can determine that type of value when compared to a new adventure or a new environment you're interested in exploring or that you may thrive in.

I ultimately chose my particular program because I immediately felt like I would get along with the faculty and that they worked hard to provide a rewarding and supportive educational experience.

Everyone else is right, in that if you work hard and stay focused you can succeed at any of the programs you mentioned.

 

[AdrenalineJockie]

Barry: Unless the curriculum has changed, it is my limited understanding that Barry's class attendance is 100 percent mandatory. If you're someone that prefers this then it's not an issue, but for me, having a program that created a more moldable schedule has been extremely valuable and helped reduce an already exorbitant amount of demand and workload.

Barry's attendance is not mandatory! Except for labs which it should be!!

 

[Karawak07]

Barry's attendance is not mandatory! Except for labs which it should be!!

Thank you for correcting me and providing the information for the OP. It has been a few years since I had the opportunity to explore the program

 

[Dr. Little Foot]

You don't have to worry about safety in Philly. Temple main campus is in a terrible neighborhood that gets shot up weekly, but podiatry campus is far away from there, in one of the safest parts of the city. You'll only have to go to main campus 2 or 3 times a year, in a large group in broad daylight. The only people who have had problems are the ones who rent an apartment near main campus (bad idea).

TUSPM's a good school, Philly's a nice city, stay away from main campus and you'll be fine.

 

[Packers4lifeDPM]

Somethings to consider to is if your not the type of person that can handle living far away from your support group (family, friends, ect) then don’t pick somewhere far away. Schooling is hard and I have seen people struggle because they didn’t have that near by. If that’s not an issue, go where you want to live for 3 years. Everyone becomes a podiatrist and passing boards is on you. In the end everyone that passes will be a podiatrist and no one cares what school you went to.