Pre- med to podiatry

[ttwil117]

Hi guys,

So right now, my major is premed, but lately after doing some research and shadowing a podiatrist, podiatry has me interested. I know that most pre-reqs are the same between the two and I also know I need to take the MCAT, in addition to knowing the most basic parts of podiatry. However, I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you guys can help me out with.

1) What extracurriculars should I do and what should their focus be? Clinical exposure, volunteering, research, etc? I'm already leading worship at my church, working 20 hrs a week, and volunteering at a hospice.

2) I know there's only 8 podiatry schools in the US, so when it comes time to apply, should I apply to all schools and hope to get in, or depending on my stats, could I pick and choose which ones to apply to? How many schools should I apply to to have the best shot at getting in on my first application cycle?

3)I know podiatrists can prescribe drugs, but what kind of drugs do you prescribe and in what situations do you prescribe them?

Thank you all so much for your time!

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[hughesn2]

So your major is pre-med....Taking a guess you are a Freshman?

These are all in my own opinion.
a) You need to shadow a podiatrist but you may want to get a good amount of hours of shadowing a year before applying so that when a podiatrist writes you a letter of recommendation it isn't 2-3yrs old or coming from a doctor who faintly remembers you and is writing it 2-3yrs after you shadowed him. You NEED to have a LOR from a podiatrist. The volunteering stuff is good for now.

b) 9, but close. Like you said, it will depend on your stats and also where you would see yourself being for 4yrs. If you live in the west and you have good enough stats for the three smallest class size pod schools it would still be a good idea to pick a backup plan among the larger class size schools. I think it costs about $50 each additional school to apply to and I think $100 for the first one (someone knows the actual details). "could I pick and choose which ones to apply to?" Did you think podiatry schools are like schools in China and North Korea where you are told where you can apply to? If you're looking for current info on the schools average c&sGPAs, MCAT scores, and class size here is some stuff from 2012 (I think)

So this didn't come out so well when I put this on this post.
(School: cGPA, sGPA, MCAT, Class Size)
Barry: 3.26, 3.12, 21, 67
Scholl: 3.21, 3.05, 22.5, 101
Des Moines: 3.41, 3.27, 23, 55
New York: 3.3, 3.2, 23, 109
Kent State: 3.21, 3.05, 22, 104
Temple: 3.3, 3.16, 23, 104
Midwestern AZ: 3.51, 3.37, 24, 31
Sam Merritt: 3.23, 3.12, 21, 46
Western CA: 3.27, 3.12, 22, 35


c) http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/pod/podiatryguidemedications.htm If you want to read about NY laws here you go.

 

[Leira23]

It currently costs a total of $540 to apply to all 9 schools (I am currently applying)

 

[ttwil117]

Thanks for the replies... I'm actually a sophomore, but my school doesn't have a "pre-podiatry" curriculum. Is podiatry school like medical school in the sense that the schools are friendlier to in state students? Also, I've done some research and found that the job outlook for podiatrists is really good. I know that job outlook is different than the actual job market, so can anyone speak as to what the job market actually is, especially in the southwest? Thank you guys so much for your help!

 

[Pod Zilla]

Hi guys,

So right now, my major is premed, but lately after doing some research and shadowing a podiatrist, podiatry has me interested. I know that most pre-reqs are the same between the two and I also know I need to take the MCAT, in addition to knowing the most basic parts of podiatry. However, I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you guys can help me out with.

1) What extracurriculars should I do and what should their focus be? Clinical exposure, volunteering, research, etc? I'm already leading worship at my church, working 20 hrs a week, and volunteering at a hospice.

2) I know there's only 8 podiatry schools in the US, so when it comes time to apply, should I apply to all schools and hope to get in, or depending on my stats, could I pick and choose which ones to apply to? How many schools should I apply to to have the best shot at getting in on my first application cycle?

3)I know podiatrists can prescribe drugs, but what kind of drugs do you prescribe and in what situations do you prescribe them?

Thank you all so much for your time!

1) Anything with leadership experience will look good. Preferably clinical related, but it doesn't have to be.
2) hughesn2 already corrected you on the number of schools. Depending on your stats when you apply, you don't necessarily have to apply to all 9. I actually suggest that you don't. If your stats are within range, you will get interviews to all of them and traveling to all of them is costly. So I would suggest research all the schools, rank them however you want to (location, tuition, board pass rate, etc) and pick 4 or 5 of them and apply to those.
3) I'm not really sure where you're getting your information BUT podiatrist can prescribe all medications, however, it has to be pertinent to the treatment plan, of course. Also a side note, I know this is a long ways away for you, but when you do get into a residency, it will be a surgical residency, meaning on top of your podiatric residency you will also have off services. When you go on your off services, you will be treated like you a surgical resident and most of the time, they won't know the difference. My point is, although our scope of practice varies in many states, you will be doing a lot of "doctoring" during your residency training, especially that first year. Just something to keep in mind.

To answer your latest question: no, it is not like traditional medical schools where tuition will be cheaper if you lived in that state.

And finally to your last question: go shadow some podiatrists (multiple), get a feel for what the profession is about. Ask them what they think the outlook is. Just remember that this profession is changing dramatically, therefore everyone's opinion will be different.

 

[Pod Zilla]

These are the correct numbers, per CPME:
**Keep in mind these are the max number of students each of these schools can have enrolled.

(School: cGPA, sGPA, MCAT, Class Size)
Barry: 3.26, 3.12, 21, 67
Scholl: 3.21, 3.05, 22.5, 98
Des Moines: 3.41, 3.27, 23, 53
New York: 3.3, 3.2, 23, 109
Kent State: 3.21, 3.05, 22, 125
Temple: 3.3, 3.16, 23, 100
Midwestern AZ: 3.51, 3.37, 24, 30
Sam Merritt: 3.23, 3.12, 21, 48
Western CA: 3.27, 3.12, 22, 50

 

[ttwil117]

Thanks @Pod Zilla! I'm an AZ resident, and what I meant earlier by asking if pod schools are friendlier to in state applicants is if they accept a larger number of in state applicants than out of state. For example, Midwestern is my ISS and they're pretty similar to Des Moines (stats wise), so if I had starts within both schools ranges, would I have a better shot at Midwestern than Des Moines?

 

[Pod Zilla]

Thanks @Pod Zilla! I'm an AZ resident, and what I meant earlier by asking if pod schools are friendlier to in state applicants is if they accept a larger number of in state applicants than out of state. For example, Midwestern is my ISS and they're pretty similar to Des Moines (stats wise), so if I had starts within both schools ranges, would I have a better shot at Midwestern than Des Moines?

The answer is still no. Acceptance is based on your application and interview. State residence do not play a role in determining admittance.

 

[ttwil117]

OK, thank you so much!