POD school chances?

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Hi guys I am currently a junior Psych major/chem minor and am currently studying for the MCAT and will take it may 24. I am applying to DO schools this upcoming cycle and am hoping to get in. However, I have recently taken an interest in podiatry, especially since I want to go into orthopedics/surgery. My cgpa is around 3.5 (3.46) and my sgpa is around 3.15. I am hoping for at least a 27 mcat. Tons of ECs, volunteering, shadowing (except for podiatry), research. Would I have a good shot at POD school in the case I dont get into DO? Also what would I have to do in addition if I dont get into DO school this yr and reapply next yr while adding POD schools to my list? Thanks.

Originally Posted by Hockeyfan23

Hi guys I am currently a junior Psych major/chem minor and am currently studying for the MCAT and will take it may 24. I am applying to DO schools this upcoming cycle and am hoping to get in. However, I have recently taken an interest in podiatry, especially since I want to go into orthopedics/surgery. My cgpa is around 3.5 (3.46) and my sgpa is around 3.15. I am hoping for at least a 27 mcat. Tons of ECs, volunteering, shadowing (except for podiatry), research. Would I have a good shot at POD school in the case I dont get into DO? Also what would I have to do in addition if I dont get into DO school this yr and reapply next yr while adding POD schools to my list? Thanks.

You'll garner acceptances to pod schools as long as your MCAT is >24. The only thing you'll be lacking is a LoR from a podiatrist. You could probably get one of those after shadowing for about 3 hours in an afternoon.

Also, unless you're set on DO schools, I would encourage you to apply to pod schools early in 2013 if you don't get into DO school. This will save you from a gap year and if you're interested in ortho and OMM, podiatry is probably a good compromise for you.

[Before people flame me for the OMM comment, podiatrists do treat the foot in a macro-sense and can try many different approaches to fixing a foot problem before going under the knife is absolutely necessary].

Are surgery residencies hard to come by while in POD school like they are in DO? I am from chicago so I would mostly like want to end up at Rosalind if I went this route

The good thing about podiatry is that you are trained as a foot and ankle surgeon. Residencies are there for surgery training, along with other general medicine experiences. POD is a lot different than other medical programs. The specialization on the foot and ankle during your schooling is actually what swayed me over to podiatry. No trying to match with specific residencies to become an ortho or neurosurgeon etc, just competition to get the residencies that you want. Find a local podiatrist and see when you can get in and shadow some surgeries and see if it's something you could see yourself doing for the rest of your career! Good luck!