It's been a long time since my last blog entry, way back in September of 2011(!)

Back then I was a totally naive 1st semester podiatry student. Now I'm just a (slightly less) naive 4th semester podiatry student, lol. My routine is still pretty similar, though. Class during the day, and studying in the library until 11pm almost every night.

School has been going extremely well, both in terms of academics and involvement. Unfortunately I missed the Dean's List by a slim margin, but I've come to terms with it. I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from the school for academic excellence and community involvement. I am participating in a work-study job with a professor and another one with an associate dean. I tutor biochemistry, genetics, and immunology for the 1st year students. I am VP of a student org. And now I am about to start some research with one of the clinicians. The benefit of being in a small school is that it's really easy to stand out. The bad part is that if you screw up, EVERYONE knows about it, including all the faculty lol. I've also shadowed at some top-tier residency programs in various places around the US, and I plan on hitting up several more in the Chicago area in April before I start studying for boards in earnest.

In retrospect, 1st year was a mixed bag. I had a few really good professors, a couple terrible professors, with the majority being ok. 2nd year has for the most part, been much better.

Here's the curriculum I've done so far:

1st Semester
Histology w/ lab
Biochemistry
Bacteriology
Neuroscience
Genetics

2nd Semester
Physiology w/ lab
Gross Anatomy w/ cadaver lab
Immunology
Molecular Biology

3rd Semester
Lower Extremity Anatomy w/ cadaver lab
Pathology I w/ lab
Physical Assessment w/ lab
Infectious Diseases
Medical Ethics
Research Methodology and Epidemiology

4th Semester
Podiatric Surgery I
Podiatric Medicine I
Pathophysiology
Pathology II
Pharmacology
Functional Orthopedics I
Dermatology
Neurology
Anesthesiology
Podopediatrics I
Biomechanics
Clinical Skills

As you can see, the curriculum has been getting progressively more clinically relevant. 4th semester has been tough due to the sheer number of courses I'm taking, but it's all extremely relevant for practice, so it's interesting and motivates me to study. The funny thing is that Gross Anatomy was probably the class I hated the most, while Lower Anatomy was my favorite class lol. I probably feel that way because head and neck anatomy sucks.

I only have 7 weeks to go until the end of the semester, and then we have a short time off before we have to come back for clinic, workshops, board reviews, and then finally Part 1 of the APMLE, which is the podiatry equivalent to the USMLE. The APMLE is much easier and shorter though, so they aren't similar tests by any means. They do however, cover the same material and so we study off of the same test prep books.

[image loading]

This arrived in the mail the other day. I'm going to need an extra study material for pharm and infectious disease though, as those are two REALLY important subjects that I'm weak on.

I don't want to bore people with more school stuff, so I'll just post a bunch of pictures lol.

If you have any questions about podiatry (or anything else, really) feel free to ask! I'll try my best to answer. Just a little over 2 years to go before I get my degree!

+ Show Spoiler [lots of photos] +

celebrating the end of 3rd semester with my classmates with terrible (but cheap) beer

TL-NYC meet up for the final ()OSL finals

6x beer pong champs with my partner. one of my friends that lost in the back

Shadowed at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle

physical assessment practical

passing out after classes in the student lounge

in miami for...

...my sister's wedding!

at the foot ball, our school's annual formal, with my gf

getting in some volunteer work with habitat for humanity

a really fat bird in an airport

at the bean in chicago with my gf

post-nemo in manhattan

central park is really pretty when it snows

studying for my neurology final in style

bonus baby pic. my gf says i look like a lollipop lol

That's all for now, hopefully I'll blog more frequently than once every 1.5 years in the future lol.

lokiM

United States3407 Posts

February 23 2013 17:01 GMT

LID HALP

Aerisky

United States12129 Posts

February 23 2013 18:38 GMT

Dude, that's awesome! I recognize some of the pics from random places around the forum lol. You have an insane work ethic, good luck and go get that degree :D

monk

United States8476 Posts

February 23 2013 18:39 GMT

Wait, how is it possible to take 12 course in a semester? Are they that much different from a typical university class?

LosingID8

CA10829 Posts

February 23 2013 19:11 GMT

On February 24 2013 03:38 Aerisky wrote:
Dude, that's awesome! I recognize some of the pics from random places around the forum lol. You have an insane work ethic, good luck and go get that degree :D

thanks! i'm excited to start in the clinic this summer. i know clinic is going to be tough with residents and attendings pimping you and having to deal with difficult patients. but this is what anyone who has aspirations of going into healthcare has been waiting for, getting out of the lecture hall and finally seeing patients.

On February 24 2013 03:39 monk wrote:
Wait, how is it possible to take 12 course in a semester? Are they that much different from a typical university class?

this semester i'm currently taking 12 courses for 28 credits, with courses being worth anywhere from 1 to 4.5 credits. there have been courses worth a crazy amount of credits, though. for example, physiology was worth 8, lower anatomy was 7.5, gross anatomy was 7, and histology+lab was worth 6. and even though the a 1 credit course may only meet once a week for 2 hours, i would say that the amount of material we cover in those 2 hours is the equivalent of 4 hours of undergraduate lecture. i know it sounds impossible to study that much material but the human brain is capable of much more than you'd expect when you really test its limits. if i had applied myself back in undergrad (say 1/2 the effort i currently put in on a daily basis) i would have easily had all A/A-s.

WaveofShadow

Canada31495 Posts

February 23 2013 19:20 GMT

Wow this sounds remarkably similar to my optometry curriculum in terms of how hard the workload ramped up this semester (also my 4th!). Best of luck to you!

LosingID8

CA10829 Posts

February 23 2013 20:14 GMT

On February 24 2013 04:20 WaveofShadow wrote:
Wow this sounds remarkably similar to my optometry curriculum in terms of how hard the workload ramped up this semester (also my 4th!). Best of luck to you!

nice! coincidentally, my sister actually graduated from optometry school in may 2012. best of luck in your studies too!

faiza

United States451 Posts

February 23 2013 20:25 GMT

Congrats and good luck on your boards! I'm a 4th yr medical student and did pretty well on the USMLE step 1 so if you want any study tips, feel free to PM. Dunno how much easier the APMLE is, but you better thank your local deity that it's shorter. :p

LosingID8

CA10829 Posts

February 24 2013 15:16 GMT

Thanks for your offer

I will definitely have to ask you some questions lol

The APMLE is considered much easier because it's only a 4 hour exam with 205 questions and apparently there are a significant number of 1st order questions.

bh.

United States342 Posts

April 01 2013 02:06 GMT

#10

step 1 is complete trash =.= take it in 4 days aghagagagagagagagagagagaga

how does podiatry residency matching work?

Cornstyle

United States147 Posts

April 01 2013 03:23 GMT

#11

Best of luck man, I'm also studying for the USLME, taking it May 30th (2nd yr medical). Fucking sucks to say the least! Just think how much better clinicals will be though!

Edit: Just looking at your First Aid pic makes me want to puke, have a massive test in our hardest course tomorrow, so I really haven't accomplished any board studying this weekend

LosingID8

CA10829 Posts

April 06 2013 03:28 GMT

#12

On April 01 2013 11:06 bh. wrote:
step 1 is complete trash =.= take it in 4 days aghagagagagagagagagagagaga

how does podiatry residency matching work?

pod residency match is different from allo/osteo match in a few ways.

1. we don't have board scores. our boards are simply P/F.
2. we don't match into a specialty. all pod residencies are either PMSR or PMSR/RRA (podiatric medicine and surgical residency/reconstructive rearfoot and ankle). the non-RRA programs tend to be less competitive. all programs are 3 years and have to have a minimum number of surgical procedures of various types along with a minimum number clinic stuff dealing with various pathologies. that being said, programs all have different emphases, so if you're interested in wound care, you probably don't want to apply for a surgery-heavy residency, etc.
3. our interview process is centralized. there are only 9 schools and 600 graduates every year. therefore it's possible for everyone to meet up in one central location. the past couple years it's been somewhere in texas. sometime in january, all the 4th years and residency directors show up at a hotel and basically something equivalent to speed dating occurs.
4. we don't have prelim years or anything like that. you're either in a 3 year program or you aren't.

there are also some similarities though.
1. the ranking process is the same as med. students rank, programs rank, and whatever algorithm they have spits out the match results.
2. if you don't match, you have to scramble... a very nervewracking experience for those involved, for sure.
3. there are definitely tiers of residencies apart from the RRA/non-RRA. there's no official ranking but people know which ones are considered top tier. there isn't as clear of a stratification like there is in MD/DO with step 1 scores, but the top programs won't even invite you for a 4th year externship if you aren't top third of your class. and if you don't do that 1 month externship at most programs, you have almost zero chance of matching at that program for residency.

LosingID8

CA10829 Posts

April 06 2013 03:29 GMT

#13

in other news, only one more week then i'm done with this godawful semester.

last week i took my finals for anesthesiology and pathophysiology. this week i had my finals for biomechanics and podopediatrics. next week is pathology II, pharmacology, and surgery 1.

i feel like i'm dying.