@starrainaight Hello! I’m Oluwatosin and I study podiatry at the University of Huddersfield : )
Congratulations on your offers! Of course, I would recommend that you
check out the University of Huddersfield but it’s great that you are planning to study podiatry!
I haven’t heard about universities trying to fail students during clinical exams, but of course it’s important that students can treat and practice safely. They need to follow high standards of health and safety to keep them and their patients safe.
In my first year, there were about 60 people on my course, but this year the number has reduced because the second year is more intense! Any healthcare degree is demanding and it is the same with podiatry.
From my experience, lecturers are definitely not trying to fail students to keep numbers down. There is a huge shortage of podiatrists in the UK, so the more podiatrists the better! There are not many places in the UK that do podiatry, it is not well-known (a lot of people still think of it as chiropody) and podiatry is not as popular in comparison to the other allied health professions. When I tell someone that I study podiatry, they find it weird that I spend my time touching people’s feet!
Year 1 clinical exams are all about demonstrating good communication with the patient, some understanding of their medical history and how it might impact your treatment, applying knowledge and safely and competently treating the patient.
In a clinical exam, you can haem (cut) a person and still pass (!), as long as you follow the right procedure after cutting them. (It is something that happens in normal practice, so as long as you know how to handle the situation safely it’s not a problem.)
Year 2 is the same as Year 1 but you are expected to have good understanding of their medical history i.e. knowledge about the medical conditions they have, knowledge about the medication taken and how this knowledge should affect treatment. For example, whether that is asking about their last blood glucose test, their INR ratio (are they likely to bleed a lot, if you cut them) or whether they may have delayed healing as they are a heavy smoker or on immunosuppressants. It is also about knowing how to perform vascular and neurological assessments and being able to interpret them and how that may impact your treatment e.g. writing a letter to their GP or referring them for further investigations.
I am not yet in Year 3, but again it’s taking it up a level in preparation for graduation in terms of diagnosing, treating and managing patients who may be high risk e.g., a diabetic patient with deformity and neuropathy.
I haven’t seen the reviews you refer to, but COVID may have had an impact on the number of people who graduated. Online sessions are very difficult when the subject is practical and when you need to practice the skills being taught.
It’s very difficult to say what you should do as inflation is high at the moment in the UK and that is affecting home students as well as international students. So you do have to consider your financial situation as there is a lot to learn on a podiatry course. You are not in every day but you are expected to put in the work outside of lectures and seminars. You may consider getting some part-time work but you are limited as to how many hours you can work as a student, and of course working too many hours may affect your studies and the potential to gain a full scholarship.
Are you hoping to work as a podiatrist in the UK, in your home country or elsewhere?
Like any degree, if you are prepared to work hard and have an interest in the subject, then you are more likely to do well.
I was really nervous about studying podiatry. My background is art and though I am good at science, I am naturally stronger on the creative side. It has been difficult to memorise so many things and to learn so much new information, but it’s also been really fascinating! I don’t regret studying podiatry. I almost wish I had studied it earlier!
In answer to your questions:
Is aiming for first class achievable for podiatry? Is it worth pursuing?A first class is achievable, but you do have to be willing to put in the work. Whether that is working in the evenings or putting in time on the weekend, though of course you need to balance this with rest!
The first year of a degree in the UK does not count towards your final result, but you still need to pass the year to make it on to the second year. The second year and third year do count. To pass a module, you need to get 40%. If you fail, you can resit the exam or assessment in the summer, but for a resit, you cannot get more than 40%. You need to get at least 40% in all your modules to make it to the next year.
If you are hoping to do research, then a first will look good and may help with furthering your academic career. Of course, you can practise podiatry without getting a first, though some private clinics, in an attempt to showcase their credentials do highlight that they got a first.
if there’s many who failed, why is it that in the website of GlasgowCale said 94% are satisfied with their course & 94% students said the staff are good at explaining things?It may be the timing of the reviews. COVID had a negative impact overall on student life, so this may have contributed to people failing especially when the country was in lockdown. It is good that you are critiquing your research! It might be an idea to check how many students did the survey in comparison to how many students were on the course and if they are talking specifically about podiatry.
are podiatrists highly needed still?Yes! They are still needed. There is a shortage in the UK as many podiatrists are nearing retirement age and not enough people are training to be podiatrists. We also have an ageing population with multiple comorbidities. With increasing levels of obesity, Type 2 diabetes is also on the rise, with more young people being diagnosed. You can As a podiatrist, you could become a diabetes specialist as it is a huge area of podiatric care.
You can find out more about specialisms and pay
here.
I hope that helps. Sorry it’s such a long read.
Please feel free to reach out again / to private message me.
All the best!
Oluwatosin