Is It Possible to Switch from DPM to DO

[0coolcookiez]

I am a Canadian student looking to attend DPM/DO school in the USA and make a career there as well. I really want to attend the Western University of Health Sciences in California; its my dream to move there while I am still young. The school offers both DPM and DO programs, but based on my GPA at the moment, I am way more likely to get admitted to DPM than DO currently. Is it possible to attend for the DPM program, and then switch to DO after a year or two given my marks are respectable in DPM (I don't mind if none of my DPM course do not carry over and I have to start DO as a first year)? Or should I just do a fifth year and make my application stronger and apply directly to DO later? I personally don't mind being a podiatrist either (its my backup of I can't get into MD/DO, as my dream job is psychiatrist).

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[de Ribas]

I am a Canadian student looking to attend DPM/DO school in the USA and make a career there as well. I really want to attend the Western University of Health Sciences in California; its my dream to move there while I am still young. The school offers both DPM and DO programs, but based on my GPA at the moment, I am way more likely to get admitted to DPM than DO currently. Is it possible to attend for the DPM program, and then switch to DO after a year or two given my marks are respectable in DPM (I don't mind if none of my DPM course do not carry over and I have to start DO as a first year)? Or should I just do a fifth year and make my application stronger and apply directly to DO later? I personally don't mind being a podiatrist either (its my backup of I can't get into MD/DO, as my dream job is psychiatrist).

No.

Improve your app and apply DO.

 

[heybrother]

It would be a very inefficient idea. There was a guy at DMU my year who had transitioned from the DPM class to DO (great guy) and the impression I'm under is they made him repeat everything. Agree with above - if you want to be a DO then apply DO. I don't think there are any talent scouts or people trying to get DPMs who are strong students to transition. If you were to do something like this it would assuredly be entirely initiated by yourself and it would be very, very expensive.

 

[Podstar]

I will echo the two posts above, I can’t recommend this. You would be better off improving your GPA with your remaining college courses and doing well on the MCAT. If needed you could complete a SMP for more improvement and apply DO after.