Western vs DMU

[dibliab]

Hey guys,

I’ve been accepted to both and I’m having difficulties choosing which one I want to go to. Both are great schools in their own ways.

DMU is cheap, great stats, free fitness center.
Western is sunny and felt like home when I arrived for my interview. However their low graduation rate scares me a little and i’m not sure about the curriculum .

When I was at Western, they said the curriculum is going to change.

How did you guys narrow down your choices?

I guess I would like insights so I know how to organize my priorities. I made a pros and cons list already and I felt like it didn’t help much.

Thanks in advance!!

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[I Drink Riesling]

I chose my school for a variety of reasons:

1. Money- They gave me more scholarship money and its renewability is contingent on class rank.
2. Pathology- A podiatrist I shadowed is an alumn and believes that the pathology the students encountered was an excellent learning tool.
3. Climate- I favor cold much more than hot weather, so it was easy to pick a school in the Northeast.
4. Happiness- After assessing other qualities, I concluded that I would be more happy at my chosen school than the other one.

I have heard great things about DMU. Western is the youngest podiatry school, so maybe they are still working through some kinks that come with the status.

 

[7K584D]

Its 4 hard years that you want to be able to make the most of while also having a good time.
In my opinion I think you should be most concerned with board pass rates, residency match rates, and cost. While it is true that a lot about school is what you put into it, sometimes it helps when you have stronger classmates to help motivate you and a better curriculum to set you up for success during externships 4th year.
I agree with @justici that happiness is very important as well. You're going to be grinding from day one and being somewhere you're happy will make a huge difference. You don't want to be sitting in class the middle of your 2nd year wishing you went to the other school.
DMU is a great school and there is a lot more than what you mentioned that also makes it great.

 

[dibliab]

I chose my school for a variety of reasons:

1. Money- They gave me more scholarship money and its renewability is contingent on class rank.
2. Pathology- A podiatrist I shadowed is an alumn and believes that the pathology the students encountered was an excellent learning tool.
3. Climate- I favor cold much more than hot weather, so it was easy to pick a school in the Northeast.
4. Happiness- After assessing other qualities, I concluded that I would be more happy at my chosen school than the other one.

I have heard great things about DMU. Western is the youngest podiatry school, so maybe they are still working through some kinks that come with the status.

Thank you for your tips!! I appreciate it.

 

[dibliab]

Its 4 hard years that you want to be able to make the most of while also having a good time.
In my opinion I think you should be most concerned with board pass rates, residency match rates, and cost. While it is true that a lot about school is what you put into it, sometimes it helps when you have stronger classmates to help motivate you and a better curriculum to set you up for success during externships 4th year.
I agree with @justici that happiness is very important as well. You're going to be grinding from day one and being somewhere you're happy will make a huge difference. You don't want to be sitting in class the middle of your 2nd year wishing you went to the other school.
DMU is a great school and there is a lot more than what you mentioned that also makes it great.

Thank you for your tips! I think my mind is a bit clearer now.

 

[de Ribas]

Hey guys,

I’ve been accepted to both and I’m having difficulties choosing which one I want to go to. Both are great schools in their own ways.

DMU is cheap, great stats, free fitness center.
Western is sunny and felt like home when I arrived for my interview. However their low graduation rate scares me a little and i’m not sure about the curriculum .

When I was at Western, they said the curriculum is going to change.

How did you guys narrow down your choices?

I guess I would like insights so I know how to organize my priorities. I made a pros and cons list already and I felt like it didn’t help much.

Thanks in advance!!

My extremely biased opinion - DMU.

I wanted to stay in midwest so I haven't even applied anywhere else besides Scholl and DMU.

That's how I narrowed my choices. DMU is cheaper, COL is cheaper, DMU has better stats all around.

That's not to say Scholl isn't great. I like Scholl very much. Scholl has a lot to offer.

 

[de Ribas]

Yea I had an interview at Scholl too but I ended up canceling it because I really like DMU a lot....I’m definitely leaning towards DMU very much right now. The only thing stopping me is the weather. I’ve lived in Wisconsin all my life and I hate winter. But I think I’ll suck it up again like how I do every year lol

Ultimately, I want to live and settle down in the Midwest so maybe I’ll just do a clinical rotation in Cali.

What about weather?

 

[dibliab]

What about weather?

Winter. I’m not too fond of the Midwest winter even though I’ve lived here all my life. But I’ll have to continue making my pros and cons and call admissions for more curriculum clarifications