podiatry school advice/cold feet/debt

[outdoorsyguy]

Little background: I applied to MD and Pod this cycle and have been accepted to all the podiatry schools I applied to with generous scholarship. In addition, I received 4 MD interviews and have been placed on the waitlist at two and haven’t heard back/future waitlist (when they form) at the other two...

I am genuinely interested in podiatry but unsure if the potential risks are worth it or if it is worth applying to again MD/DO next cycle if I do not get it. I’m hesitant about the salary range being so inconsistent even if you do well in school and get a good residency.

Financially I see podiatry being potential cheaper than MD given my scholarships, podiatry tuition compared to potential MD tuition, zero undergrad and grad school debt, and living with my significant other who is a nurse to help with living costs etc.... I am estimating my pod debt would be between 150k and 200k max, is this typically less than the average pod? Is this a manageable debt even if I end up working as an associate pod?

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[deleted1066189]

Surprised you applied to Pod but not to DO.
As someone who did the same this cycle, I ended up choosing DO over my top choice Pod school. I want to work in outpatient medicine, and I am iffy on the idea of a mandatory 3 year surgical residency where many graduates do not end up using the full skillset in the OR.

The salary is very variable...I have a family member podiatrist who is extremely successful, but he also works 14 hour days with 2 practices (and does as many nail debridement appointments as possible). That said, he graduated 30 years ago with a 1 year residency, so most of his OR appointments are bunionectomies and corrective angle surgeries...don't know the name

Are your scholarships for all four years, or just the first semester? Comparing my minimum COA based on earning potential out of residency, it was a no brainer for DO (370k for DO, 270k pre-scholarship for DMU, the school with lowest COL).

 

[DexterMorganSK]

Little background: I applied to MD and Pod this cycle and have been accepted to all the podiatry schools I applied to with generous scholarship. In addition, I received 4 MD interviews and have been placed on the waitlist at two and haven’t heard back/future waitlist (when they form) at the other two...

I am genuinely interested in podiatry but unsure if the potential risks are worth it or if it is worth applying to again MD/DO next cycle if I do not get it. I’m hesitant about the salary range being so inconsistent even if you do well in school and get a good residency.

Financially I see podiatry being potential cheaper than MD given my scholarships, podiatry tuition compared to potential MD tuition, zero undergrad and grad school debt, and living with my significant other who is a nurse to help with living costs etc.... I am estimating my pod debt would be between 150k and 200k max, is this typically less than the average pod? Is this a manageable debt even if I end up working as an associate pod?

If you applied to DPM schools as a backup only, you should have added DO schools. Anyways, apply to DO/MD programs in the next cycle. Once the current cycle is over, make a post in WAMC threads for an MD/DO reapplicant. Depending on your stats, you may have a shot at a DO program.

Re-Applicants

You're going to get in! Join the community of premedical students re-applying to medical school.

forums.studentdoctor.net

Under 200K debt is pretty good, of course, the lower the better. If you are good at surgery, with people, and 'know your stuff', you can do very well as a DPM, but there has to be an interest in the field since you will be learning about the lower extremities for 7+ years.

 

[Weirdy]

What Dexter said.

You should not be entering this field just to be a doctor or to save money.

Your specialty is locked in the day you sign on the dotted line. Apply next cycle to MD/DO programs and see where you get in.

1 year of reapplying is scant in the grand scheme of doing something for the rest of your life.