I have been posting on this board since ~2008. I deleted my username and restarted my account years ago using the same username. This website has really helped me make decisions throughout the years. I am a graduate of the class of 2014. I grdauted from a strong residency program and I am successful in my career. Podiatry has been very good to me and I do believe its a good career. I am compensated well, I perform 5-10 surgeries a week, I work daily in the hospital with multiple specialties. I enjoy going into work every day. This board and advice of others was instrumental in my path to where I am today.
I feel I need to point out a major issue that is brewing that you may not be able to see. I want you to weigh this information before you decide to take on a 7 year committment with a ~300k price tag.
Podiatry does not typically have a surplus of residency slots. Typically 1:1 graduates to slots with marginal waxing and waning here and there.
Western college podiatric medicine, southern california, graduated its first class of about 40 students in 2013 , and slowly increasd enrollgment over the following years. They had 4 years to create ~50 residency slots and they created almost none (I believe 2-4 positions). This lead to approximately 10% of graduating residents not getting a residency for 3 straight years (edit: fact check 16%). 1 in 10 individuals who met the requirements to graduate had to walk away from the profession with heavy debt, no way to pay it back, and unable to declare bankrupcy on student loans.
Graduating in 2014 I lived through this shortage and it was absolutely misserable. It is heartbreaking to see classmates have to walk away despite meeting all requirements to graduate and obtain a residency because someone with dollar signs for eyes opened a new school and did nothing to mitigate the residency shortage they caused.
There are now TWO new schools Texas/Lake Eerie opening up and going to be both graduating classes in 4 years.
There is very high risk for a major residency shortage looming in 4 years. Be weary of the cheerleaders who have money to be made by filling their school's seats. This is a very serious issue and so far not a peep has been made on how they are going to address the looming residency crisis.
If podiatry is something you really wish to pursue then I think you should go all in and pursue the profession. Work as hard as you can in school, get good grades, be personable, practice interviewing so that you have the best shot at landing a residency during a probable shortage of positions in 4 years time.
I sincerely hope I am wrong about the looming shortage. But history appears to be repeating itself. Best of luck. Feel free to PM me for more information if needed.
I feel I need to point out a major issue that is brewing that you may not be able to see. I want you to weigh this information before you decide to take on a 7 year committment with a ~300k price tag.
Podiatry does not typically have a surplus of residency slots. Typically 1:1 graduates to slots with marginal waxing and waning here and there.
Western college podiatric medicine, southern california, graduated its first class of about 40 students in 2013 , and slowly increasd enrollgment over the following years. They had 4 years to create ~50 residency slots and they created almost none (I believe 2-4 positions). This lead to approximately 10% of graduating residents not getting a residency for 3 straight years (edit: fact check 16%). 1 in 10 individuals who met the requirements to graduate had to walk away from the profession with heavy debt, no way to pay it back, and unable to declare bankrupcy on student loans.
Graduating in 2014 I lived through this shortage and it was absolutely misserable. It is heartbreaking to see classmates have to walk away despite meeting all requirements to graduate and obtain a residency because someone with dollar signs for eyes opened a new school and did nothing to mitigate the residency shortage they caused.
There are now TWO new schools Texas/Lake Eerie opening up and going to be both graduating classes in 4 years.
There is very high risk for a major residency shortage looming in 4 years. Be weary of the cheerleaders who have money to be made by filling their school's seats. This is a very serious issue and so far not a peep has been made on how they are going to address the looming residency crisis.
If podiatry is something you really wish to pursue then I think you should go all in and pursue the profession. Work as hard as you can in school, get good grades, be personable, practice interviewing so that you have the best shot at landing a residency during a probable shortage of positions in 4 years time.
I sincerely hope I am wrong about the looming shortage. But history appears to be repeating itself. Best of luck. Feel free to PM me for more information if needed.
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