Podiatry Application Questions: Honors/Awards

[FuturePod?]

I am applying for Fall 2015 but I have a few questions:

My stats:
3.5 overall and science (would be considerably higher if not for my freshman year)
21 MCAT

What would be some examples of appropriate awards/honors to list?

Where should I put my publications (I have 5 after my two years of research)?

What did other people post for experiences? I have been out of college for 3 years now, so I am worried that if I list extracurriculars from college, they will be less relevant.

And finally, I come from a long line of flat feet and bunions. Is it appropriate to discuss my own experience of having flat feet and having a bunionectomy in my personal statement? Or is that too personal?

Thanks in advance!

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[MAD SCI3NTIST]

Hey FuturePod, I am not a guru here, so please note this is just an opinion based on my experience. I am a non-trad as well, so I had some of the same issues deciding what to include in the application.

Honors or awards to list on your application could include promotions, financial awards, special recognition received, awards for accomplishments in school/work/research/sport/extracurriculars, scholarships won, grants, etc.

Not sure if it's the right place, but I put publications under the achievements section, listing each individually. In the Name box, you could put 'Research Publication' and use the description space to elaborate.

For experiences, include everything you think is relevant. Admissions definitely want to hear what you did three years ago and in college, but high school experiences might be pushing it unless they’re extremely pod-related. General examples: research, volunteering (clinical and non-clinical), shadowing, employment, sports/extracurriculars, leadership positions held, relevant mission trips, etc.

And lastly, absolutely include anything that has drawn you to podiatry. If you choose to write about something very personal, be sure to address the situation from the perspective that it motivated you to pursue podiatry and made you a better person. Be positive and optimistic about it and keep it professional. I’m sure you know this, but you’d be surprised at what some people put on paper.

I hope this helps!

 

[MAD SCI3NTIST]

And for the sake of your application, you should probably change your question mark to an exclamation point. The stronger you believe you're going to be an excellent podiatrist, the more convincing you'll be to admissions

 

[FuturePod?]

And for the sake of your application, you should probably change your question mark to an exclamation point. The stronger you believe you're going to be an excellent podiatrist, the more convincing you'll be to admissions

Thank you! I appreciate the advice. And I thought about the question mark after I hit submit for the name! You're right, I should change that!

 

[MAD SCI3NTIST]

Where are you applying?

 

[FuturePod?]

I decided to apply to Temple, Des Moines, Scholl, and Kent. Hopefully I still have a shot this late in the cycle. I am hoping to have everything completed and submitted by April 1st.

I would like to go somewhere that offers classes and/or training with other health professions, as well as the opportunity to continue doing research.

What are your plans?

 

[MAD SCI3NTIST]

AZPod and Western students also take classes with other health professions. Best of luck getting in this cycle!

I will be at Western this Fall. If you like warm weather and friendly people you should consider applying there as well.

 

[FuturePod?]

AZPod and Western students also take classes with other health professions. Best of luck getting in this cycle!

I will be at Western this Fall. If you like warm weather and friendly people you should consider applying there as well.

That's awesome, congrats! I did consider applying there.

How was your interview? Was it relaxed?

I really appreciate all the advice

 

[MAD SCI3NTIST]

Very relaxed. Admissions just want to get to know you on a personal level to ensure you'll be a good fit with the school's culture. The entire interview day is more of a conversation. It was my favorite interview by far.

 

[starsofv]

I decided to apply to Temple, Des Moines, Scholl, and Kent. Hopefully I still have a shot this late in the cycle. I am hoping to have everything completed and submitted by April 1st.

I would like to go somewhere that offers classes and/or training with other health professions, as well as the opportunity to continue doing research.

What are your plans?

What are the advantages to having classes with other health professionals?

 

[MAD SCI3NTIST]

I think the main point is to provide early exposure to other health professions to teach how each field contributes to the health care team. Collaborating with professionals from varied backgrounds while discussing cases also increases the groups collective IQ to make more informed decisions.

Obviously it’s also advantageous to network and make contacts in other fields to refer patients to, receive references from or just keep in touch with for personal/professional reasons.

Taking classes with MD/DO students is an avenue for achieving the Vision2015 goals of equality and recognition for our skills and education, as taking the same classes and exams demonstrates our level of competence. That is, if you really care what people think…

There are many reasons that some think it’s better to have classes with other health professionals. I’m sure there are others who would rather stay focused on podiatry with pod-only classes. I suppose it’s a matter of personal preference.

 

[SandersCalc]

What are the advantages to having classes with other health professionals?

Additionally, I would venture to say that classes with DO/MD programs tend to be more rigorous than those with DPMs alone. They tend to be taught by experts in the field and not strictly practicing physicians. Passing the same exams and rigor that our DO/MD counterparts are subjected to gives DPMs more validity (as MadScientist said)