Applying to Pod schools and in need of advice

SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads)

Hello Everyone,

I am planning on applying to Podiatry school this august and I have a couple of questions. First off I have a 3.13 cGPA and a 2.95 sGPA and I haven't taken the MCAT yet. I am currently enrolled in an Kaplan MCAT on site course. I got 18 on the Kaplan diagnostic, which is pretty bad. I was wondering with this GPA what would you think the least I need to score on the MCAT to get in somewhere. Also I only have 4 hours of shadowing experience and I am really having trouble finding more doctors willing to let me shadow for a while so I am also wondering how much I should do and how to ask for recommendations. I know that these are annoying questions that are not easy to answer, but I would really appreciate any input.

Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by PrePod11

Hello Everyone,

I am planning on applying to Podiatry school this august and I have a couple of questions. First off I have a 3.13 cGPA and a 2.95 sGPA and I haven't taken the MCAT yet. I am currently enrolled in an Kaplan MCAT on site course. I got 18 on the Kaplan diagnostic, which is pretty bad. I was wondering with this GPA what would you think the least I need to score on the MCAT to get in somewhere. Also I only have 4 hours of shadowing experience and I am really having trouble finding more doctors willing to let me shadow for a while so I am also wondering how much I should do and how to ask for recommendations. I know that these are annoying questions that are not easy to answer, but I would really appreciate any input.

Thanks in advance.

You need a MCAT of 24+. The higher the MCAT, the better your chances.

Just call a lot of podiatrist offices and the secretary will probably answer. You tell her you're interested in shawoding Dr. So and So. 95% of the time she will ask for your number and tell you that he/she will call you back.

Several podiatrist wouldn't let me shadow them because of HIPAA. I asked them if they could put me in touch with a podiatrist who might be interested. Many of them did and that is how I was able to shadow at a diabetes care center that employed MDs and podiatrists. It was really cool and I would never have had the opportunity had I been shy or not persistent.

Good luck.

Also, you ask for a LOR after you have shadowed the doctor long enough so that he can speak of your character. You'll just know when this is...usually after about 10 hours at the minimum but its almost impossible to know put a number on it. I asked for one after I shadowed for about 20 hours and the pod gave me his cell phone number. He told me to call him if I needed anything or any advice about podiatry.

one of my kaplan practice exams was a 16, I scored a 25 a few days later on the real thing.

dont be discouraged by a bad practice exam.
Sent from my SPH-D600 using SDN Mobile

Thank you for the feedback

Originally Posted by RockFoot

one of my kaplan practice exams was a 16, I scored a 25 a few days later on the real thing.

dont be discouraged by a bad practice exam.
Sent from my SPH-D600 using SDN Mobile

good to hear that.

My cGPA and sGPA were almost identical to yours and i got a 22 on the MCAT and i got interviews to most of the schools i applied to. So, i think if you get at least a 20 you should be fine.

Originally Posted by Toro5050

My cGPA and sGPA were almost identical to yours and i got a 22 on the MCAT and i got interviews to most of the schools i applied to. So, i think if you get at least a 20 you should be fine.

That's great to hear. Thank you.

Do you mind sharing how many hours of shadowing you did and how many interviews you went to and how many acceptances??

Originally Posted by PrePod11

That's great to hear. Thank you.

Do you mind sharing how many hours of shadowing you did and how many interviews you went to and how many acceptances??

Cgpa 3.56 sgpa 3.8 mcat 22, I got interviewed at every school and accepted to all but one. I racked 200 hours of volunteering, countless hours of club work, and 2 years of internships. My meats aren't the best but my grades and ec pulled through.

Originally Posted by PrePod11

That's great to hear. Thank you.

Do you mind sharing how many hours of shadowing you did and how many interviews you went to and how many acceptances??

I shadowed 2 podiatrists for a total of about 6 hours... You just need to get a letter of recommendation from a podiatrist, there's not a minimum of hours you need to meet. I applied to all of the schools except for the one in NY and in San Fran. I got interview invites to most of the schools but only went and interviewed at AZPOD and Scholl. I got accepted to Scholl and wait listed at AZ, so i am attending Scholl this fall.

Just study like crazy for the MCAT and get at least a 20 and you will definitely get accepted somewhere if you apply broadly. Good Luck!

Originally Posted by Toro5050

I shadowed 2 podiatrists for a total of about 6 hours... You just need to get a letter of recommendation from a podiatrist, there's not a minimum of hours you need to meet. I applied to all of the schools except for the one in NY and in San Fran. I got interview invites to most of the schools but only went and interviewed at AZPOD and Scholl. I got accepted to Scholl and wait listed at AZ, so i am attending Scholl this fall.

Just study like crazy for the MCAT and get at least a 20 and you will definitely get accepted somewhere if you apply broadly. Good Luck!

Thank you for all the info! Good luck at Scholl!

I have been able to shadow 4 podiatrist for a total of 12 hours so far and one of them offered to write a recommendation which was great and I am planning on asking another one since that they need two at Temple. Also I have scored 26 and 27 on my last two practice MCAT full lengths 26 on Kaplan full length and 27 on AAMC.

Also one doctor recommended that I go and talk to the admissions office of the school in this state. Anyone tried that? does it help your chances at all??

Originally Posted by PrePod11

I have been able to shadow 4 podiatrist for a total of 12 hours so far and one of them offered to write a recommendation which was great and I am planning on asking another one since that they need two at Temple. Also I have scored 26 and 27 on my last two practice MCAT full lengths 26 on Kaplan full length and 27 on AAMC.

Also one doctor recommended that I go and talk to the admissions office of the school in this state. Anyone tried that? does it help your chances at all??

I actually called Ohio last week, and it's actually one of my top schools. I spoke with an admissions counselor for the school and it was a pleasant experience. I told her my stats, when I was going to take my MCAT and other questions regarding the school's programs. She was very eager to answer my questions! You should def call if you want to ask some questions that are geared towards your application. They won't tell you straight up whether or not you will be admitted but they will give you a good idea.

Hope that helps, and good luck!

Thank you! that's helpful. I spoke to most schools and a lot of them told me not to send the application until i get my MCAT scores back (i'm taking them tomorrow). i am really worried about the MCAT because two days ago I took AAMC #10 and got a 24 which is much lower than the other scores I've gotten in practice which are 26, 27, 28.