orthopod vs. DPM

[runnersfeet]

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Honestly, there are a lot of people out there that can score great on the MCAT, but that I would never want as my doctor for various reasons. Obviously, yes, there are others that score great and would also make for a great doc. On the other hand, I know that there are people out there that have not been able to do well on the MCAT, but yet would make GREAT doctors...podiatrists ,or any other type. This is why I think it should all depend on the interview and resume...with some attention towards grades and test scores. I think that the standards need to be incredibly high to get through school and then to get certified, licensed, etc...but I think it is fair to give people a shot at trying who may not have tested well on the MCAT. If they fail out, than that is their deal, but they may very well be a better or just as good, of a doc than those who tested well to get in.

WVSOM, for instance, calls a "competitive" applicant one with an MCAT between 22 and 23. Some of the other DO schools have higher standards obviously (but not that much), but I think the number of applicants would fall significantly if the standards were higher than that of DO schools. Podiatry doesn't yet have a high enough profile in most college graduates' minds that they spend four years planning to go into the field.

There are still a lot of future podiatrists who don't apply until they are left out of both the MD and DO schools. I talked with a pod school admissions committee member about it last year. He was incredibly happy because of the number of early applications in the last couple of years. A lot more people are starting to think of podiatry as a "first" choice. Yet, remember that there are still pod schools who accept applications until August simply because the class hasn't filled up yet. A couple of people on SDN here have admitted that they tried the MD/DO route a couple of times and just couldn't make it-- they settled for podiatry. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but I do believe that it may be a thing of the past. I think that podiatry is only a few years away from exponential growth. The trend of having pod and MD/DO classes together has done quite a lot for the profession. When those DO/MD's get out of residency in a few years, they will remember their pod classmates and referrals will multiply. There is no better expert of the foot and ankle than the podiatrist! Eventually, a lot more people will realize that.

Reality, though, is a tough thing to conquer. I can envision a day when podiatry is such a competitive field to enter that the required MCAT scores will be higher than those of DO school. Unfortunately, I don't believe that that time is now.

 

[OOK]

Are you kidding me? Where did I ever say podiatrists shouldn't be called "Doctor?" And I'm sorry, DPMs do not do the same thing as DOs/MDs. They deal with the foot/ankle. Although they may have some of the same rotations as students, I doubt one can go to DPM school and take Step 1, 2, and 3. Likewise, I doubt a "medical student" could go to DPM school and pass your boards.

The only difference is their title? Does anyone really believe this?
All I'm saying is that it is misleading to say DPMs go to medical school -they go to podiatry school or podiatry medical school.

I don't say we do the same thing bt we learned the same thing with different approach. It is scarry for a podiatrit to touch people'foot if he doesn't know the physiology of the body and the different organs the procedure may affect. I completely agree with you that podiatrists go to podiatry medical school.
A good DPM should be able to pass USMLE I and II but a good MD doesn't. because MD represents the basci of medicine. if any medical school deviate from their standard it would be set for failure.

I amsorry, I thought you said podiatrists are not doctor.

 

[psionic_blast]

Are you kidding me? Where did I ever say podiatrists shouldn't be called "Doctor?" And I'm sorry, DPMs do not do the same thing as DOs/MDs. They deal with the foot/ankle. Although they may have some of the same rotations as students, I doubt one can go to DPM school and take Step 1, 2, and 3. Likewise, I doubt a "medical student" could go to DPM school and pass your boards.

The only difference is their title? Does anyone really believe this?
All I'm saying is that it is misleading to say DPMs go to medical school -they go to podiatry school or podiatry medical school.

You have no idea what you are talking about, We take everything that the DO's take except ob/gyn, OMM and, Intro to OM, we are in medical school (DMU) sorry if you can't except it. That is the way it is! Because your perspective is so limited, why do you think you get to decide what is consider medical school, what authority are you if you don't mind me asking. SPLAT! I hate when there is fly guts on the window it is not to super.

 

[capo]

At one time osteopaths weren't considered to be docs. They were thought of as quacks. Alot has changed, huh? Hence, now pods aren't still widely accepted. Only a matter of time before they get their due too.

It takes awhile for allopaths to understand other disciplines can AND do understand the human body as well, if not better in certain instances. What's my point? It's just that you are living through history as you see, the evolution of another discipline of healthcare -- begin to establish itself to mainstream America, tradtional medicine and the changing landscape of medical paradigms.

 

[psionic_blast]

At one time osteopaths weren't considered to be docs. They were thought of as quacks. Alot has changed, huh? Hence, now pods aren't still widely accepted. Only a matter of time before they get their due too.

It takes awhile for allopaths to understand other disciplines can AND do understand the human body as well, if not better in certain instances. What's my point? It's just that you are living through history as you see, the evolution of another discipline of healthcare -- begin to establish itself to mainstream America, tradtional medicine and the changing landscape of medical paradigms.

 

[IlizaRob]

Are you kidding me? Where did I ever say podiatrists shouldn't be called "Doctor?" And I'm sorry, DPMs do not do the same thing as DOs/MDs. They deal with the foot/ankle. Although they may have some of the same rotations as students, I doubt one can go to DPM school and take Step 1, 2, and 3. Likewise, I doubt a "medical student" could go to DPM school and pass your boards.

The only difference is their title? Does anyone really believe this?
All I'm saying is that it is misleading to say DPMs go to medical school -they go to podiatry school or podiatry medical school.

This has been discussed a few times before but it is usually limited to one or two premeds or an MS1 in opposition. Its not that big of a deal. Its just a title. You seem so passionate about it superfly. Sounds like an insecurity issue. I dont care if you think I go to medical school or pod school or even pedicure school. I will be doing triple arthro's in the OR either way. Just as there are poeple who think we dont go to medical school, there are many that say we do, like the dean of the college of osteopathic medicine at DMU. Its all about perception, whether its based on ignorance or fact. Just let it go...just let it go.

 

[jonwill]

Are you kidding me? Where did I ever say podiatrists shouldn't be called "Doctor?" And I'm sorry, DPMs do not do the same thing as DOs/MDs. They deal with the foot/ankle. Although they may have some of the same rotations as students, I doubt one can go to DPM school and take Step 1, 2, and 3. Likewise, I doubt a "medical student" could go to DPM school and pass your boards.

The only difference is their title? Does anyone really believe this?
All I'm saying is that it is misleading to say DPMs go to medical school -they go to podiatry school or podiatry medical school.

DPM's do a lot of things that MD/DO's do (medically and surgery) and at the same time, they don't. There isn't much of a difference in the first two years (as has been discussed), thus making passing part 1 of the USMLE no big deal. In fact, our Step 1 is so similar to the USMLE step one that we use the USMLE study material. Step 2 would be a different story because, for the most part, the DPM curriculum focuses more on the foot and ankle years 3-4. This differs greatly from the MD's 3-4 years in which they rotate like mad! However, our first year of residency is spent largely doing general rotations (I-med, radiology, ER, general surgery, etc).
But, the bottom line is this: after graduating, MD/DO's will go on to specialize and will forget nearly everything that they don't use in their specialty (just talk to someone whose been out a few years if you don't believe me). Pods will be dealing with the foot, cardiologists will be dealing with the heart, IM will be dealing with body chem, etc. None of us are going to remember the majority of what we learned on our other rotations. We will all be specialists, doctors, and yes, on a level playing field.
That's why this whole "doctor" issue is fought about amongst the pre-meds and MS1's. They think that there is some "super doctor" out there that knows and does EVERYTHING. When you get into the clinical aspect of medicine, you go to the hospital and see that each doctor has an equal and important role. On difficult impatient cases, we're consulting IM and cardiology just like everybody else. When a lower limb trauma comes into the ER, we get the call. When our patients have neuropathic issues, we refer to a neurologist just like everyone else. I could go on and on.
Medicine is a profession of specialties and egos, nobody does it all but many think they can!

 

[Blade Plate]

Respectively, I feel this discussion is pointless. There are poor students across the board MD, DO, DDS, and DPM. In the end everyone who graduates will be called Doctor and will practice in their chosen field. The DDS will do dentistry, the DPM will do podiatry, the MD and DO will do whatever they have decided on. To conclude, admissions committees will use alot of latitude when it comes to admitting students to upcoming classes this is actually a good thing in that it creates diversity within a class.

 

[IlizaRob]

Respectively, I feel this discussion is pointless. There are poor students across the board MD, DO, DDS, and DPM. In the end everyone who graduates will be called Doctor and will practice in their chosen field. The DDS will do dentistry, the DPM will do podiatry, the MD and DO will do whatever they have decided on. To conclude, admissions committees will use alot of latitude when it comes to admitting students to upcoming classes this is actually a good thing in that it creates diversity within a class.

👍

 

[dawg44]

Respectively, I feel this discussion is pointless. There are poor students across the board MD, DO, DDS, and DPM. In the end everyone who graduates will be called Doctor and will practice in their chosen field. The DDS will do dentistry, the DPM will do podiatry, the MD and DO will do whatever they have decided on. To conclude, admissions committees will use alot of latitude when it comes to admitting students to upcoming classes this is actually a good thing in that it creates diversity within a class.

There are 3 "A's" to being a successful physician the first is Affability, second Availability and the third is Ability. Ability is last for a reason

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

The DDS will do dentistry, the DPM will do podiatry, the MD and DO will do whatever they have decided on.

Not to be argumentative but a DO/MD will do whatever they are told they can do, not what they decide to do.

 

[jonwill]

There are 3 "A's" to being a successful physician the first is Affability, second Availability and the third is Ability. Ability is last for a reason

Dawgman, you bring up a valid point. As a doc once told me (concerning affability), no one sues a doctor they like, regardless of whether they're truly a good doctor or not.

 

[dawg44]

Not to be argumentative but a DO/MD will do whatever they are told they can do, not what they decide to do.

as an orthopedic surgeon who is telling me to do something. If I don't want to do spine. I don't do spine. If I don't want to do joint replacements. I don't do joint replacements. It goes on and on. If I want to do 3 elective cases a week or 30 its up to me.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

as an orthopedic surgeon who is telling me to do something. If I don't want to do spine. I don't do spine. If I don't want to do joint replacements. I don't do joint replacements. It goes on and on. If I want to do 3 elective cases a week or 30 its up to me.

I don't mean that you don't choose once you've got into a residency. I was making a joke about the residency matching program. You can't just say, I'm going to be an orthopod. They tell you if you can be an orthopod.

 

[dawg44]

gotcha