THOUGHTS AND ADVICE ON MY SITUATION

[B-Face]

Hi guys- I'm in my undergrad right now and podiatry has really interested me. I have shadowed a few kinds of doctors and have decided that I want to practice podiatry for my career. I apply next year and I was just wondering if my stats will be competitive enough to get me in? I screwed up early in my college career but I have tried really hard to get things turned around. After my freshmen year I had a overall GPA of 2.9. I had a wake-up call and ever since then the lowest my GPA has ever been for a semester is a 3.6, normally around a 3.9.

My overall GPA will be right around a 3.47 and my bio GPA a 3.8-4.0(depending on how well I finish out my next two bio classes).
I havent taken the MCAT yet but I will also have right around 20 hours of research, 100 hours of volunteering, and hopefully around 100 hours with a podiatrist.

Is this competitive enough to get me into school in my first application cycle? I plan on applying as soon as the cycle opens.

If this isn't competitive enough, what can I do to make my application stronger?

Thank you!

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[hughesn2]

YES....at the moment, but again the MCAT will play a role. Just don't bomb it. And for someone to get such good grades after their Freshman year I doubt you'll bomb the MCAT that bad.

Here is further info from the 2013 class: http://www.aacpm.org/html/careerzone/pdfs/AACPM CIB-2013 Entering Class.pdf
It isn't until Page 26 where you get actual info about each individual school

(Miami, FL) (N. Chicago, Ill) (Des Moines, Iowa) (New York, NY) (Cleveland, OH) (Philadelphia, PA)
2011 Barry University Scholl College Des Moines Univ. New York College Kent State/Ohio Temple Univ.
Cost per yr. $34,030 $31,333 $28,160 $26,100 $32,000 $34,000
Cumm. GPA 3.26 3.21 3.41 3.3 3.21 3.3
Avg. Sci. GPA 3.12 3.05 3.27 3.2 3.05 3.16
Avg. MCAT 21 22.5 23 23 22 23
Avg. Class Size 67 101 55 109 104 104

The tuition may be a bit off, but the rest of the data is straight from that URL.

 

[somehelp]

Overall, you are a pretty competitive applicant. The fact that you were able to show a rising trend in your GPA tells a lot about you as a student. Honestly, if you can hit a 22 or 23 you will have no problem getting in.

 

[B-Face]

Overall, you are a pretty competitive applicant. The fact that you were able to show a rising trend in your GPA tells a lot about you as a student. Honestly, if you can hit a 22 or 23 you will have no problem getting in.

Awesome, thanks! I figured my grades were probably good enough but am I putting in enough hours for volunteering and shadowing? I have called a few schools and they haven't been able to tell me a certain number of hours that would make an applicant competitive.

 

[hughesn2]

100 hours is good, but again it is only late June. You have all of July to continue to shadow before the first week of August when the application cycle begins.

You said you have to take the MCAT, so even if you are working a summer job you can still shadow that podiatrist or even find another one if you are further from that other podiatrist. Make sure you talk to the podiatrist you shadowed about a letter of recommendation...and make sure he isn't writing one of those basic and bland letters. If you have any doubts with the amount of hours you have then simply keep shadowing.

100 hours is good enough in my mind. If you think about it that is about 20 to 25 times shadowing after a podiatrist's lunch period.
And sorry the excel sheet didn't copy and paste to look like cells.

 

[somehelp]

Awesome, thanks! I figured my grades were probably good enough but am I putting in enough hours for volunteering and shadowing? I have called a few schools and they haven't been able to tell me a certain number of hours that would make an applicant competitive.

Yeah you are doing great. Just take the MCAT and apply.

 

[feet2017]

study hard and aim for mid to high 20's if not higher. This will increase your chance of getting scholarships and you will be doing the profession a favor by raising our incoming stats good luck.

 

[T13ones]

I second feet2017. Aim high for the MCAT, first off your paying and studying for it anyways might as well knock it out of the park. Secondly you can only help yourself the better you do with more scholarship money and less money is good money when it comes to cost, and third, which often gets overlooked, if you are truly into and want to be a podiatrist as well as have a love for the profession don't settle for a average score when you could get a above average score (which it seems from your GPA you are capable of) this will help to raise incoming stats and on top of that overall respect for the profession of being a podiatric physician. Good Luck!