Interested in Pre-Pod

[Mycoalwin]

Hello everyone. I'm new to this whole pre-pod scene, and I've already done a little research here and there about it. I'd just like some questions answered if any of you could help me!

1) From my understanding, applications season starts in August, correct? When do we usually hear back by?

2) What's "required" for pre-pod? Is research as highly looked upon as it is for medical school?

3) As for clinical experience, what is this comprised of? Specifically shadowing pods, I'm sure. For how long do students usually shadow podiatrists? How about volunteering wise? Do you have to volunteer specifically in podiatry?

Thanks all!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[hughesn2]

1) For the first month it takes about 2 weeks to process your entire application. There has to be other threads on the site that started at the beginning of August that show last year's applicants time table.

2) Admissions Requirements: http://www.aacpm.org/html/careerzone/require.asp
But personally I don't know how many admissions committees would take applicants seriously for a med school if they literally have the bare minimum for the science credits. I know several friends who were in the Kinesiology program at MSU and they left with Chem1, Physics1 with absolutely no biology, orgo or calculus credits who were trying to apply to PA or med schools. And then they realized that they were 15 to 18 credits short of the prerequisites for science courses.

3) You MUST shadow a podiatrist. You need a letter of recommendation from a podiatrist and unless the guy is a family friend you better have at least 30 hours of shadowing to get at least a decent letter. I have shadowed my family friend podiatrist, who was my podiatrist back in 8th grade, for at least 60 hours in the last two summers. It is going to be hard to find a podiatrist who will let you volunteer in his office like you would be able to for a summer hospital internship. They have Patient Care Technicians for that reason. Shadowing is just as good. You can always shadow a DO or MD if you want to see the other side of the spectrum, but for the letter of recommendation you better get it from the podiatrist.

 

[heybrother]

The slowest part of the cycle is waiting for verification. Otherwise, once you submit you will hear from people reasonably quickly whether your application is complete or not (Scholl stands out for wanting a complete application with all letters received before they will offer you an interview). I would recommend holding out on setting up interviews until you've heard back from everyone or at least given them time.

Do you mean admissions requirements or do you mean - what looks good in extra-curriculars? If the latter then anything that looks good for medicine is good for podiatry - volunteering, shadowing, working, research, whatever.

As for shadowing - what you need to have and what you should have are two different things. Someone out there will write you a letter with an afternoon of shadowing. The goal isn't to put a check-mark in a box on the admissions form though. The goal is to learn about the profession and decide if this is really a good fit for you.

 

[Mycoalwin]

Thanks guys - answered my questions!

 

[footNankle]

2) Admissions Requirements: http://www.aacpm.org/html/careerzone/require.asp
But personally I don't know how many admissions committees would take applicants seriously for a med school if they literally have the bare minimum for the science credits. I know several friends who were in the Kinesiology program at MSU and they left with Chem1, Physics1 with absolutely no biology, orgo or calculus credits who were trying to apply to PA or med schools. And then they realized that they were 15 to 18 credits short of the prerequisites for science courses.



I'm not sure I agree with this part. Plenty of people get in with just the prerequisites.

 

[ezking]

2) Admissions Requirements: http://www.aacpm.org/html/careerzone/require.asp
But personally I don't know how many admissions committees would take applicants seriously for a med school if they literally have the bare minimum for the science credits. I know several friends who were in the Kinesiology program at MSU and they left with Chem1, Physics1 with absolutely no biology, orgo or calculus credits who were trying to apply to PA or med schools. And then they realized that they were 15 to 18 credits short of the prerequisites for science courses.



I'm not sure I agree with this part. Plenty of people get in with just the prerequisites.

1. It's extremely difficult to achieve high GPAs in your core pre-reqs (esp. at big Research based Universities), which is why students take additional pre-reqs
2. Some program require more than core pre-reqs
3.

 

[footNankle]

Yes, I agree some people have to take more courses to bring their GPAs up. And I also agree some, but not all, schools require more than the basic sciences. However that doesn't change my statement above, that plenty of people get in with just the prerequisites.

 

[Mycoalwin]

I was mainly asking about research / other experiences needed, but thanks for the information regarding classwork!

 

[hughesn2]

I am just stating that I understand some schools take many students who come from the humanities side with a philosophy degree instead of a science degree. I take a look at what I learned in my chem, bio, orgo, and physics courses (which I all took through an honors college inside MSU) and it barely prepared me for my 400+ level Physio and Biochem courses. The chem and bio courses I took may have been more vigorous than some of my friends who took gen chem through the Natural Science college, but most never took another high level science course.

Even though I didn't do so well in my Physio and Biochem courses I do believe it will prepare me for graduate level science courses. As compared to someone who has a Social Science degree. That is just my personal opinion. At least at MSU the DO and MD school up there will accept the MSU Physio, MicroBio, and Human Nutrition graduates over students from the social science grads from MSU. I know friends who had a GPA that was at least .20 less than someone who got declined and the committee told them that their vigorous undergrad classes were much more impressive despite just getting a 3.0 and even some 2.5 grades. Again, that is also the DO program that tends to accept applicants that have a degree from that undergrad. I just think that if I were an admissions committee I would expect the person with the non-science degree to have a much higher GPA than the science degree applicants. If you were going on just the bare minimum AACPM science requirements you better have at least a 3.2 GPA (in my own opinion) more because a gen bio class is a complete joke in comparison to what a med school biochem or physiology course will put you through.

 

[PsychPod]

Hello everyone. I'm new to this whole pre-pod scene, and I've already done a little research here and there about it. I'd just like some questions answered if any of you could help me!

1) From my understanding, applications season starts in August, correct? When do we usually hear back by?

2) What's "required" for pre-pod? Is research as highly looked upon as it is for medical school?

3) As for clinical experience, what is this comprised of? Specifically shadowing pods, I'm sure. For how long do students usually shadow podiatrists? How about volunteering wise? Do you have to volunteer specifically in podiatry?

Thanks all!

1. Like above you could get your first interview anytime between September to December it just depends when your complete application is submitted and verified.

2. Your 8 GenChem 8 Organic Chem 8 Physics 8 Biology an MCAT score and letters of recommendation. The same things for medical school. Research is not required and is more of an extra + on your application because it's not as prevalent as it is with Med/Dent/DO schools. If you have some it'll definitely help you out, but if you have 0 you'll be along with about 80% of the class.

3. Volunteering is not required so much for decision as you would see it for Med school. It helps to have EC's and specifically volunteering is a great one, but work experience is also another way to obtain that. You will probably not get any real hands on clinical work like you would elsewhere. It helps if you do, but definitely not expected. I'd say you should have at least 40 hours of shadowing a podiatrist before you commit to being one. I'd say 30 hours with one main podiatrist so you can get a good rec, then get 8-10 hours with various other pods in different setting (i.e. pods that work for a hospital, one which is in a multi-practice clinic). It'll help you get a better understanding of what different pod's do and help you shape your own goals.

 

[footNankle]

I am just stating that I understand some schools take many students who come from the humanities side with a philosophy degree instead of a science degree. I take a look at what I learned in my chem, bio, orgo, and physics courses (which I all took through an honors college inside MSU) and it barely prepared me for my 400+ level Physio and Biochem courses. The chem and bio courses I took may have been more vigorous than some of my friends who took gen chem through the Natural Science college, but most never took another high level science course.

Even though I didn't do so well in my Physio and Biochem courses I do believe it will prepare me for graduate level science courses. As compared to someone who has a Social Science degree. That is just my personal opinion. At least at MSU the DO and MD school up there will accept the MSU Physio, MicroBio, and Human Nutrition graduates over students from the social science grads from MSU. I know friends who had a GPA that was at least .20 less than someone who got declined and the committee told them that their vigorous undergrad classes were much more impressive despite just getting a 3.0 and even some 2.5 grades. Again, that is also the DO program that tends to accept applicants that have a degree from that undergrad. I just think that if I were an admissions committee I would expect the person with the non-science degree to have a much higher GPA than the science degree applicants. If you were going on just the bare minimum AACPM science requirements you better have at least a 3.2 GPA (in my own opinion) more because a gen bio class is a complete joke in comparison to what a med school biochem or physiology course will put you through.

You are certainly welcome to your opinion, however I think you're forgetting one important factor here, which is the MCAT. The MCAT is the primary mechanism in which adcoms figure out whether you know your sciences. It enables them to not have to worry about if you took your courses at Harvard, or if you took your courses at the University of Phoenix, because the MCAT is the same regardless of where you went, or what extra classes you have taken. Now if those extra courses you took led you to a better MCAT score, then good for you. But the adcoms are going to be primarily impressed with the higher mcat, not with the fact that you took a couple of extra courses, especially if you did'nt do that well in them. Now I'm not particularly familiar with MSU, they may do things a little differently. However in my opinion this is how most adcoms think. Keep in mind also that we're in the podiatry forum, not the DO forum.