3.52 overall, 494 mcat 2015

[DocHopeful1]

Hi I just found this SDN podiatry forum, so please bear with me

I started becoming interested in podiatry not too long ago, so I am relatively new to the field. I will start shadowing a podiatrist starting this month. I wanted to apply for the Fall 2016 entering class, and wanted to know what my chances are. I don't want to apply to all 9 schools, and end up getting rejected by all of them. So if you could give me any input, I would greatly appreciate it.

Here are my numbers:
cGPA=3.52
sGPA=3.0
2014 MCAT=20
2015 MCAT=494

Also, for an LOR from pod, do all pod schools only need it at the time of matriculation?
Another question on LORs: since I am relatively new to podiatry, all my previous letter writers were told that I was applying to medical school. I want to use their letters instead of having them change anything. Would their letters negatively affect my chances at podiatry school? Do pod schools only take students that have been committed to podiatry for years and years? (because my first experience with podiatry will be when I shadow a pod this month)

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[Podman16]

You should actually shadow a podiatrist and get a feel for the field before you decide to jump in.

 

[DocHopeful1]

You should actually shadow a podiatrist and get a feel for the field before you decide to jump in.

Yeah, I have already contacted a pod and will officially be starting this month. Plus I have been researching this field non-stop with every other faucet of information I have available to me. I was asking just to think ahead. Do I have a chance of getting in? Will my LOR negatively affect my application? etc etc questions on the original post

 

[Podman16]

Your cGPA is above average and your sGPA is below. The schools that I have talked to said that they are looking for MCAT scores to be around 496 to be competitive but obviously applicants will be looked at with scores below this number. I would say that you have a fair shot at an acceptance but I'm no expert. I believe all schools need a LOR from a pod except for AZPOD but I could be wrong. It all depends on what kind of letter the doc would write for you, could be very beneficial or not so much. In regards to experience, I think that it all depends on how strong of an applicant you are. My friend applied last year after limited shadowing and exposure to the field and he was accepted, granted he was a stellar student with a very competitive GPA and solid MCAT.

 

[skim25]

From my experiences so far, all your stats look good. Overall GPA is pretty good,but your science GPA is lacking. It's good that it's not under 3.0, but it is still quite low. Once you get some experience and hopefully a LOR, then the only weak point is that science GPA.

In my situation as of now, my GPA is fine, but my mcat is my weak point and because of one low score (489), I already received a rejection at Temple and am put on hold for other schools. It might be a similar case for your in terms of GPA, but I don't know how admins weigh those sections on your application.

Think extra hard if you really want to consider podiatry. It sounds like you were aiming for MD/DO originally and decided to fall on podiatry due to your numbers (only assuming, I'm not bashing that you are). You could work harder to achieve a high score on your mcat and possibly go DO/MD for the 2017 entering class, if that is something you truly desire. Of course, you will find out if podiatry is for you once you shadow.

Most of the schools I've contacted stated that you should get around 494 (score roughly around 21), so your mcat score is fine.

Try to ask the people who wrote your recommendation if they wrote it in a specific manner. Podiatry is a medical school, so if they wrote their letters in a generic way, then they should be fine to use (a bad letter to use would be like " he/she would be perfect for your school to achieve MD degree, etc..). However, make sure to get LOR from a podiatrist. It will help you.

If you would like to do more research, based on applicant's stats, there is a "what are my chances" thread on this forum and maybe you can compare numbers. However, take all advice on here with a grain of salt. We are not the admins, so we are giving you our opinions, usually based on experience (like mine). You should call the schools directly for a somewhat better accurate advice.

NYCPM, Kent state, Scholl, and Temple are the schools with the biggest class size (roughly around 100 each). If you apply after January, for any reason, you should still be ok with these schools. you will have less chance with the other schools, due to seats filling up quickly (other schools have around 50 seats each, AZPod has around 30).

I'm the kind of person who wants to make sure I get in somewhere, so I applied to most pod schools. It's up to you whether or not you want to apply to all 9 schools, but I would recommend applying to as many as you can to increase your chances. If interviews starts rolling towards you, you can decide then which school is suitable for you and go from there.

Good luck with your application process.

 

[hellcat12]

You need to apply to all 9 schools, the lower than avg mcat and sci gpa hurts you. If you apply to all 9 relatively soon you will probably get a few interviews and a couple of acceptances somewhere. And yes the DPM letter is important. You don't need to be involved in the field for years, but you have to make sure you know everything there is to know about the field and have to show that pod school is not a second option in your interviews.

 

[bobroberts]

You need to apply to all 9 schools, the lower than avg mcat and sci gpa hurts you. If you apply to all 9 relatively soon you will probably get a few interviews and a couple of acceptances somewhere.

I disagree -- applying to all 9 will be a waste of time if there are schools you are not interested in going to. Keep in mind when looking at averages, HALF of the accepted students have scores and GPAs BELOW that number. These are not cutoffs, they're statistics.

Most important thing is to get shadowing experience!!

 

[hellcat12]

I disagree -- applying to all 9 will be a waste of time if there are schools you are not interested in going to. Keep in mind when looking at averages, HALF of the accepted students have scores and GPAs BELOW that number. These are not cutoffs, they're statistics.

Most important thing is to get shadowing experience!!

I don't think half the students have both mcat AND sci gpa lower than the avg, many students have one lower and one higher. Also, applying to all 9 is not a waste of time in this situation, because it's not like you have to fill out a separate application for each school..if anything it might be a waste of money. The reason to apply to all 9 is for safety, if you are below avg in something. When this is the case a person shouldn't be too picky until they get a couple acceptances. It's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[DocBlin]

Agree with hellcat12, if you are not in the race you would NEVER know how you might finish. It just takes one interview and one acceptance letter... Seek in person POD experience for over 100 hours, maybe retake science courses with low grades to improve, take advanced science courses get A's.