What is the best podiatry school in terms of low tuition, low dropout rate, and good professors?

[doctor in da makin]

I know there is not really a BEST pod school. But there has to be one that stands out from the others.

I was going to apply to Barry but looking at some posts on here are giving me pause. They wrote about the rude and bad professors, but I'm not sure how reliable they are, or if they are trolling.

I just want to be sure I have the best possible education during the next 4 years.

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[Sweatshirt]

Not too sure how to answer your question, but take everything you hear on these forums with a grain of salt. You can be successful anywhere you go as long as you put in the effort

 

[SLCpod]

I know there is not really a BEST pod school. But there has to be one that stands out from the others.

I was going to apply to Barry but looking at some posts on here are giving me pause. They wrote about the rude and bad professors, but I'm not sure how reliable they are, or if they are trolling.

I just want to be sure I have the best possible education during the next 4 years.

There are only 9 schools. 9. You could call all of them in one day. You could even visit all of them if you want. It doesn't matter which ones stand out to me or others on the forum. You need to find the one that stands out to you. We all went through the process of deciding and I am happy that I went with the school that stood out to me. You'll figure it out.

In reality, I think the location of your residency will be more important. Every school has residents at top residencies which means all the schools train their students well.

If you have questions about CSPM PM me.

 

[bobtheweazel]

If you Google the CPME outcomes of the schools, you'll at least find things like 4 year graduation rates and board pass rates. As far as more subjective criteria, you would just have to visit the schools to find what "feels right".

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[doctor in da makin]

If you Google the CPME outcomes of the schools, you'll at least find things like 4 year graduation rates and board pass rates. As far as more subjective criteria, you would just have to visit the schools to find what "feels right".

Sent from my Nexus 5X using SDN mobile

I saw an old post from you that showed the 4 yr graduation rates. You also noted how the avg residency placement is 97 percent. I have the tuition on file as well.

I guess it is really just the quality of the professors and the residencies the graduates matched into that would make or break it for me.

 

[bobtheweazel]

I saw an old post from you that showed the 4 yr graduation rates. You also noted how the avg residency placement is 97 percent. I have the tuition on file as well.

I guess it is really just the quality of the professors and the residencies the graduates matched into that would make or break it for me.

Hmm...indeed.

As far as professor quality, I feel like at any school you'll have great professors and poor professors. Especially in medical school there seem to be a lot of lecturers who just come in to speak on one or two topics and then you never see them again. People on SDN usually say that the classes they share with MDs or DOs are generally better organized than those that aren't shared with them, and that may be the case at those schools. At Temple, we have the same professors as the MDs and DMDs for many of our classes and heck, half of our powerpoints they don't even bother changing the title page from Temple School of Medicine to Temple School of Podiatric Medicine. So that's all to say that we go through most of the same lectures as the MDs, and some of the professors that we share aren't great and some of the courses could be better—though for the most part everything is good. I guess what I'm saying is that even at MD or DO schools, they may not have the greatest professors or greatest curriculums imaginable, and so I wouldn't expect that from any DPM school either.

I think you'd be better to visit a handful of schools and find the one that clicks. Just like probably most people's undergrad experiences, a lot of this is gonna come down to you teaching yourself, not the world's greatest professors somehow cramming all of this info into your head. So I would pick a school based on whether attendance is mandatory, whether they record lectures, whether they have private or group study rooms, what the library situation is, how far you would have to live from campus, so that you can learn in whatever way is best for you, which doesn't always mean sitting in a lecture hall. Forget the teachers, they're not worth choosing a school for.

Also, some schools do seem to place more students in residencies in certain regions and some residencies may be specific about where they take students from because they may have had a poor experience with students from certain schools in the past, at least that's what I've heard. For the most part though, as others have basically said, as long as you're not scraping by in the bottom of your class you can probably go to any school and at least still get placed in a residency in the state of your choice, if not in a city of your choice.

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[Weirdy]

I know there is not really a BEST pod school. But there has to be one that stands out from the others.

I was going to apply to Barry but looking at some posts on here are giving me pause. They wrote about the rude and bad professors, but I'm not sure how reliable they are, or if they are trolling.

I just want to be sure I have the best possible education during the next 4 years.

What the others said. Take everything you see on SDN with a grain of salt.

Until you have acceptances and go to interviews, only then should you decide. Don't knock a program until you've been there, seen the staff and professors, and talked to the students.

Numbers only tell you so much. MD/DO forums will tell you the same in terms of deciding what school is best for you, but they have greater variability and rumors because there aren't only 9 schools to choose from.

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I saw an old post from you that showed the 4 yr graduation rates. You also noted how the avg residency placement is 97 percent. I have the tuition on file as well.

I guess it is really just the quality of the professors and the residencies the graduates matched into that would make or break it for me.

Just apply to all 9 and when you interview, use that day to analyze the school. It isn't just to sell yourself to the admissions, but rather also for them to sell their school to you!

 

[bobtheweazel]

It isn't just to sell yourself to the admissions, but rather also for them to sell their school to you!

Hear, hear!


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[Sweatshirt]

Which school has the best professors is such a subjective topic. I personally love half my professors, and the other half I can't stand. That's due to many factors like teaching style (or lack of teaching in some cases), quality of notes, etc. One professor who I can't stand, my other friend loves. It all just depends on you. Like the others have been saying, go interview as much as possible and then go wherever feels right

 

[TimmyTurner]

Re: 4 year graduation rates, those don't really matter much imo. Four years is a long time- a lot can happen. At my school, we had three students not move on from the first semester. One was asked to leave after failing two courses. Of the other two, one was a woman who became pregnant mid semester, and the other had an illness of a parent and went back home to support/care for her family. In the case of the latter two students, they were fine students, but won't finish in four years as a result of these circumstances. The students who do not complete the 4 year graduation do not necessarily reflect anything about the school.

Re: SDN posts about Barry and profs- for whatever reason, there is not as strong of a presence of Barry students on this forum as other schools. The ones that make it hear are usually the ones with an axe to grind. Like Sweatshirt said, I may love one professor, another student can't stand them. It's very subjective.

I had the opportunity to meet with other students at all 9 Pod schools. Believe me, each school has their own problems. I met these other students knowing well what the issues at my school were, but after hearing their problems- I'll take mine every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Education wise, it would be splitting hairs to put one school above another. One thing to consider is where, geographically speaking, you would like to see yourself in the long term. For example, as a non-TUSPM student, it was advised that it is not worthwhile to apply to any residency within a 50 mile radius of Philadelphia. It may also be difficult to get a CA residency if not from one of the two schools in that state. That being said, a major Chicago residency took 3 non-Scholl students this year.

Re; the interview, as above posters said- it is two ways. You will actually be a much more desirable applicant if you ask directed questions about the school. For example- somewhere on SDN there is a feedback forum about each school, a survey run by some alphabet soup acronym that represents us. I asked the school I applied to why they believe they scored the lowest in the categories that they did. I also asked about the pricing (why was their price higher than others), and what about board pass rates from this year, etc.

TL;DR- Every school has their own problems. Hard to rank one school over another. Consider where you want to be long term when deciding.

 

[feetsreets]

As I will be going to DMU this coming fall....DMU is the best! really though, all 9 (at least the 5 ive seen in person) are good schools where you can get a good education at and will have the opportunity to go to a great residency program. Like everyone else has said, when you go visit the schools, what really matters is what stands out to you. DMU stood out to me for various reasons. I never thought or even considered a school in Iowa a few years back, but I absolutely loved it when I visited.

 

[gnrh11]

Go to whatever school is easiest to get you the best GPA. thats litterally all that matters. It would benefit you to go to schools where people are failing out because it will be easier to rise to the top and stand out.

 

[SLCpod]

Go to whatever school is easiest to get you the best GPA. thats litterally all that matters. It would benefit you to go to schools where people are failing out because it will be easier to rise to the top and stand out.

Programs are likely to look at your rank rather than GPA. They know that schools may have certain courses that are easier at other schools. If you go to a school with students that don't do well it may reflect on you.

 

[Spotinho]

Hi all,

I am a hopeful applicant to podiatry school (if you want to know more about this part, ask, I'm happy to share). As I begin my school search, I was wondering from those who have made their picks recently or in the past years, what made you choose the school you choose to attend over others you had the opportunity to attend? And so far has this school lived out to your expectations coming in?

I am trying to figure out what are the aspects of each school I should be paying attention at to make a decision, and what stood out from each of the schools to you. Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks in advance all.

 

[Weirdy]

Hi all,

I am a hopeful applicant to podiatry school (if you want to know more about this part, ask, I'm happy to share). As I begin my school search, I was wondering from those who have made their picks recently or in the past years, what made you choose the school you choose to attend over others you had the opportunity to attend? And so far has this school lived out to your expectations coming in?

I am trying to figure out what are the aspects of each school I should be paying attention at to make a decision, and what stood out from each of the schools to you. Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks in advance all.

Use search function.

 

[Spotinho]

Use search function.

Oh common, I've read quite a bit on the topic and admittedly bumped into a couple of threads where something along the lines of my inquiries were touched upon, but it was typically someone asking x-school vs y-school. My question was more to get an insight of what each school is about (like what made them stand out from all 9) and what current students perhaps wish they would have considered or are glad they considered when choosing to attend a podiatry school.

If you think I still need to use the search function, I understand why. I was just hoping someone could share their perspective, that is what this website is about.

Thanks.

 

[feet2017]

I chose mine based on location. I honestly think it comes down to the individual's studying habits rather than the school.

 

[Dr.PatchAdams]

I'll chime in!

I'd like to preface my comment by saying I believe all 9 schools provide you the tools to succeed and if you put in the effort, you will reap the rewards. I'm a WesternU student and very pleased with my experience here. Your entire pre-clinical education will mirror that of your DO colleagues, and you will be held to the same standards, despite your choice to specialize early. This means that you will be pushed hard, but you will come out with a wholesome appreciation and mastery of all aspects of medicine.

Another pro to WesternU's clinical curriculum, is that you can rotate through OBGYN, psych, medicine, orthopedics, plastics, gen surg, vascular, etc. I appreciate the breadth of knowledge I've gained on each consecutive rotation and look forward to externships in a few months.

If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to contact me at any time!

 

[AttackNME]

There may be some personal reasons for choosing a specific school too, not always so much academic. try PMing some people, you might get more luck

 

[DexterMorganSK]

Hi all,

I am a hopeful applicant to podiatry school (if you want to know more about this part, ask, I'm happy to share). As I begin my school search, I was wondering from those who have made their picks recently or in the past years, what made you choose the school you choose to attend over others you had the opportunity to attend? And so far has this school lived out to your expectations coming in?

I am trying to figure out what are the aspects of each school I should be paying attention at to make a decision, and what stood out from each of the schools to you. Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks in advance all.

If you read through the threads on acceptance stats and comparing school a to school b, you can see why some of us chose the programs we attend.
Try reading those threads from last cycle and the current cycle, they should give you enough reasons to make your decision.
Feel free to PM me if you want to know something specific about Scholl.

 

[de Ribas]

If you read through the threads on acceptance stats and comparing school a to school b, you can see why some of us chose the programs we attend.
Try reading those threads from last cycle and the current cycle, they should give you enough reasons to make your decision.
Feel free to PM me if you want to know something specific about Scholl.

Yep, that what I was doing too to collect my information.

I don't think you can expect SDNers to reply with long posts every time someone asks these same questions.

 

[Spotinho]

I'll chime in!

Another pro to WesternU's clinical curriculum, is that you can rotate through OBGYN, psych, medicine, orthopedics, plastics, gen surg, vascular, etc. I appreciate the breadth of knowledge I've gained on each consecutive rotation and look forward to externships in a few months.

Do you know this not to be true for other programs not merged with DOs/MDs?

 

[ftdoc11]

Hi all,

I am a hopeful applicant to podiatry school (if you want to know more about this part, ask, I'm happy to share). As I begin my school search, I was wondering from those who have made their picks recently or in the past years, what made you choose the school you choose to attend over others you had the opportunity to attend? And so far has this school lived out to your expectations coming in?

I am trying to figure out what are the aspects of each school I should be paying attention at to make a decision, and what stood out from each of the schools to you. Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks in advance all.

For me, it was location and class size. I wanted a big city and a larger class size. In my opinion, if you work hard, every school will provide you with an education adequate enough to pass boards and get a residency spot. If you agree with me on that, then just ask yourself what type of environment you'd prefer to spend the next 3ish years of your life in before clerkships and away rotations start.

Secondarily, some schools may offer earlier clinical experiences, or be integrated with DO/MD programs, or have a different mix of clerkships, but I do not think those are worth having to be in an environment that's going to make you miserable.

 

[Spotinho]

From what I've gathered from reading these forums in relation to my question, as well as some of the few answers from this post, it seems to me is mostly about location. Hence, probably why I initially asked the question. Reading the school websites and some of the commentary from students in sdn I couldn't really see how one school stood out from the others; other than my school does or doesn't record lectures or my school has or doesn't have mandatory attendance.

As a hopeful applicant they all seem pretty uniform with what they offer their students. Maybe I should have phrased my question differently: Can anyone (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th year student) speak to the things that their program does that is helping/has helped them succeed so far in their journey as a podiatric student? Or maybe things that you have found your school does that you really appreciate and is advancing this field.

 

[Spotinho]

.

 

[Weirdy]

.

You forget how much of an impact the student themselves have in their success.

Want that B? Put in the hours and manage your time wisely. It is difficult because of the quantity of material.
Want that A? It may take exponential effort increase compared to the B.

Statement above does not take into account so many other variables such as:
- Some classes are harder for different people.
- An extremely bright individual may excel in one class and completely fail another
- Students with already high stats coming in may perform better regardless of program/location/services offered
- Backgrounds of each student coming in are relatively different. A student who performs extremely well academically may have difficulty during clinicals.
- The opposite of that can also occur. You can't expect to get to clinicals if you don't pass your courses and try to do well in them.

I have literally outlined what I saw from every school I interviewed at regarding faculty, interview process, students, campus, location in the last cycle.
If you perused through them more carefully you may find the information you are looking for. Every program offers tutoring and support counseling. Every program tries to get their students to pass boards. Some do it differently than others and some carry different attitudes regarding how much their student is responsible.

You should also consider PMing students at the different programs on SDN, contacting those schools directly through email and asking them to put you into contact with current students, and talking to DPMs who have graduate from programs you are interested after you have narrowed what matters to you in a program instead of making a thread and bumping it after 20 minutes.

Some threads you may be interested in looking through again carefully:

aacpmas 2016/2017 cycle
AACPMAS 2015-2016 Cycle
Pre-Podiatry Ask Me Anything (AMA) threads
Podiatry Interview Feedback List | Student Doctor Network
APMLE Part 1 2017 (c/o 2019)
Class of 2020
Class of 2021

 

[CappnNono]

Hi all,

I am a hopeful applicant to podiatry school (if you want to know more about this part, ask, I'm happy to share). As I begin my school search, I was wondering from those who have made their picks recently or in the past years, what made you choose the school you choose to attend over others you had the opportunity to attend? And so far has this school lived out to your expectations coming in?

I am trying to figure out what are the aspects of each school I should be paying attention at to make a decision, and what stood out from each of the schools to you. Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks in advance all.

Honestly, the choice for school is not an easy one and it's not one where anyone can tell you the "right" school to attend. I interviewed at 2 schools and after the second interview I made a pro and con list for both and I calculated how much it would cost me to go to both of the schools (including tuition, cost of living, if I needed a car or not, etc.).

As for how schools help you, I am pretty sure they all have tutoring services and some classes may have TAs. The bulk of the work is on you though. If you truly aren't putting in the time then nothing is going to make you magically pass a class. But there definitely is support out there. I think I posted by specific school pro and cons list somewhere but if you have other questions you can PM me!

I would say I am fairly happy with the school. I like 4 our of my 5 professors this semester which I think is pretty good. Sometimes I do think about if I went somewhere else instead but at least I know that I don't want to live in NYC for the rest of my life lol