Looking for some advice/insight

[firstgenmedstud]

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Hello Everyone!!

Obviously as you can tell im a new member to the site and the main reason that I must say that I joined is that im a first generation med student meaning I dont really have anyhere to go at times for advice on certain things pertaining to med school and all the good stuff that comes along. At the same time I have been accepted into a few of the Podiatry schools which sometimes I wonder if it is really for me and if im wrong for having those thoughts at times. As some other pre-med students applying to med schools, my grades and MCAT scores werent where I would like for them to be and I was worried that if I applied to any of the other schools such as D.O. or M.D. schools I would have no chance to get in. Now that I have been looking around and doing a lot of research on the different types of schools and their minimum requirements it is basically too late because of the deadlines. So I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what path I should take as far as 1) Go to the Podiatry School and forget about the others, being that it is a great opportunity and I will surely enjoy any medical profession as long as I am able to help others or 2) Bite the bullet and take a year off since ive missed the deadlines for the D.O. and M.D. schools and start applying for the entering class in the fall of '08, seeing as there are times when im not sure if I want to be limited to just Podiatry.....

If anyone has any advice, ideas or past experiences I am open to anything from an outside source at this point.... Because as I mentioned before, I AM a FIRST GEN med student and I cant exactly go asking around the family for help because no one will have any insightful information for me.

Thanks to all who have any info....



FirstGenMedStud

 

[Dr.Inviz]

What's your stats? I received cards from various pod schools and laughed at them. Not something I want to do. It's up to you, do you want to be a foot doctor the rest of your life? Personally, I hate the smell of feet too much ...

BTW, you're not the only 1st gen. med boy around here.

 

[spicedmanna]

Well, I've read many posts similar to yours, OP. I still don't know how to answer your question. Actually, the only guidance I can provide is that you need to dig deep for what you really want. That is, do you really, really want to be a Podiatrist, or a Physician a la DO, or MD? Only you can know that for sure. I wouldn't personally dive into and make a huge commitment of this nature if I weren't 100% aligned with my choice, body and soul. It's about knowing (or as damn well close as possible) that you would love getting up in the morning doing whatever profession you have chosen. Hey, if Podiatry doesn't do it for you and DO/MD does, then make it so. Don't settle for a career you don't think you'll love.

 

[firstgenmedstud]

Stats:

GPA - 3.2
Science GPA - 3.1
MCAT - 22Q

 

[spicedmanna]

Stats:

GPA - 3.2
Science GPA - 3.1
MCAT - 22Q

Well, unless you retake your MCAT and do significantly better, you probably won't fair well with Allopathic schools. Your GPA is marginal for Allopathic schools as well. The average matriculant for Allopathic schools are around 30 MCAT and 3.6 GPA.

As is, you do have some shot at Osteopathic schools, but if you want the optimal experience, you might consider if it is possible for you to improve your MCAT score (by analyzing what happened when you took it, taking practice MCAT tests and studying intelligently based on analysis of your weaknesses, and taking more practice tests until you are scoring in the range you desire). Also, if it is possible and depending on your trends, you would probably also benefit from taking additional undergraduate science classes.

Of course, all this is pending your decision on what you actually want, profession-wise.

 

[poormansDO]

Well, I was in your position recently, I was accepted to the Temple Podiatric school but I really had no interest in podiatry so I deferred my acceptance to Temple for a year, applied to DO schools because I like the DO philosophy and really interested in it and accepted to a DO school and will be attending. I will withdraw my Temple Podiatric school acceptance because I have no interest in podiatry, only applied in the first place to show my family that I wasn't wasting my time going to school. I think if you don't want to become a podiatrist which I didn't then you should try DO or MD. I would regret if I just took the Temple podiatry and didn't apply DO. Now I'm very happy. It's better that you don't have regrets later. If you don't have a problem become a podiatrist, then maybe you should go to podiatry school. Good luck .

 

[nalgie24]

Based on the explanantion you gave of your current situation, I'd say that you really don't want to go into podiatry. I agree with the previous post. Retake the MCAT, retake a few classes or take some more science classes to build your GPA and apply to some DO schools. I have a feeling that you'd be more happy there. Don't live your life wondering what could have been because you never even gave it a shot. One more year will be worth it if you find what's right for you.

 

[lala83]

have you shadowed a podiatrist before?

 

[DoctorMom78]

It really depends on the rest of your application. My stats are similar with strong ECs and LORs. I had a good response from the DO schools. I also have four kids, so that probably helps too. But, I don't think it is impossible for you. Your ECs will carry a lot of weight though. You should post some more information or start an MDapps profile for better feedback. If you do apply, apply early. If it doesn't work out, then don't give up if you feel you are meant to be a doctor. Best of luck to you!!!

 

[firstgenmedstud]

lala83have you shadowed a podiatrist before?

lala83: yes i have shadowed a podiatrist and it wasnt so bad, i think i would enjoy the surgery part of the profession a lot more, but im really just worried that im gonna be limiting myself, because i have never really been in the hospital to do any clinicals or rotations being a pre-med student in undergrad... which is definitely a disadvantage to me.


DoctorMom78It really depends on the rest of your application. My stats are similar with strong ECs and LORs. I had a good response from the DO schools. I also have four kids, so that probably helps too. But, I don't think it is impossible for you. Your ECs will carry a lot of weight though. You should post some more information or start an MDapps profile for better feedback. If you do apply, apply early. If it doesn't work out, then don't give up if you feel you are meant to be a doctor. Best of luck to you!!!


DoctorMom78: I was an athlete in undergrad which I believe would help me with the application process. Being that I was able to manage participating in a sport as an athlete and take the rigorous course load and still get decent grades shows a schools that you can handle the rigors of med school, or so my advisor told me. One bad thing I didnt get to do was summer research but I had always held a full time summer job to help pay for school so that was never really an option.


nalgie24Based on the explanantion you gave of your current situation, I'd say that you really don't want to go into podiatry. I agree with the previous post. Retake the MCAT, retake a few classes or take some more science classes to build your GPA and apply to some DO schools. I have a feeling that you'd be more happy there. Don't live your life wondering what could have been because you never even gave it a shot. One more year will be worth it if you find what's right for you.


nalgie24: I have actually been thinking about doing that because I know I didnt prepare well for the MCAT and I can do MUCH better with the proper studying. Anoother thing that I have going for me is my father works for a University where I always took summer classes for me so I was thinking of retaking a couple of those classes over that might have brought my GPA down. And then of course begin applying to the D.O. schools in August or so after I would get my MCAT scores back.

 

[MaximusD]

What's your stats? I received cards from various pod schools and laughed at them. Not something I want to do. It's up to you, do you want to be a foot doctor the rest of your life? Personally, I hate the smell of feet too much ...

BTW, you're not the only 1st gen. med boy around here.

smell of feet? wait til the first time you're in the ED when a homeless guy comes in with a rotting appendage...

Podiatry = giving up on the dream.

I have a buddy who WANTED to go to podiatry school. For the life of me, I can't understand why you would WANT to not be a full physician.. but to each his own.

Then again, if you surveyed pre-allo, I'm sure that there'd be a significant minority that felt DOs aren't fit to be doctors...meh.

Go for it buddy. Take a year of classes or skip it by bringing that MCAT up over a 30 like I did 🙂

 

[Taus]

smell of feet? wait til the first time you're in the ED when a homeless guy comes in with a rotting appendage...

Podiatry = giving up on the dream.

I have a buddy who WANTED to go to podiatry school. For the life of me, I can't understand why you would WANT to not be a full physician.. but to each his own.

Go for it buddy. Take a year of classes or skip it by bringing that MCAT up over a 30 like I did 🙂

I don't know about you...but I wouldn't mind touching feet all day if it got me out of all the pelvics and rectals I'll be doing over the next few years....or manual dis-impactions.....

 

[JimT30]

Hey 1stgen,

I basically did what you were planning on doing. Last spring I was 27 and decided I was going to go back to school to become more clinical and hands on with parients (I was in research and also fitness) so I chose chiropractic school because I didnt want to take the MCAT after being out of those basic science courses for almost 10 years. Here I am a year later and I am taking the MCATs and going through the application process because I realized I didnt want to be a limitied practioner. On one hand Im glad I came to chiro school because its a great experience and I am taking a similar load as med school and really similar classes and it made me realize what I really wanted. Also, I have a 4.0 which will help out my application stats. On the other hand I am now a year older and will be 29 when I start med school, but it will all be worth it in the end. So I say take the year off improve your stats and apply to MD/DO schools.

Excuse the poor grammar and runon sentences I have been in the cadaver lab all day!

 

[youngtraumadoc]

hey

i think you have a good shot at DO schools - some have mcat ranges from 18-26 so..... Since you will have one year before you apply, I suggest you: a. Have plenty of extracurriculars, volunteer and paid experiences to fill up the page and also shadow DOs who can give you LORs. b. MCAT might be hard to change by 10 points if you truly tried the first time but you can defintly help you gpa- TAKE POST-BAC courses. This not only improves your gpa but also shoulds schools that you are serious about med school.

 

[sia_simba]

Wait and reapply to DO/MD school. If you are here asking that question, then somewhere along the line you are having doubt. There is nothing wrong with going into podiatry, however, do you really want to limit yourself to only feet? plus what type of "surgical" procedure did you do while you were shadowing the podiatrist? wound debridement?

One other thing you have to understand though, as a podiatrist, if you work in the hospital, you'll be fighting those ortho guys for cases. However, it depends on where you practice. I think in New York state, its ankle and below is podiatry and everything else above is ortho.

 

[CommanderRiker]

Podiatry is an excellent, low-stress field.

 

[DoctorMom78]

It sounds like you also need to work on your ECs. They really do carry a lot of weight at the DO schools. You should try to shadow a DO or volunteer in hospital or something like that. You will also need a DO LOR as well.