New to this whole podiatry thing... retake MCAT?

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QBoyd

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Hi everyone, so I'm a senior in college and I just recently have considered a career in podiatry. I've been pre-med since the beginning of college but now I'm having second thoughts. I got a 502 on my MCAT this summer, and I have a couple of questions.

1. I've done no shadowing of a podiatrist. How much do I need in order to apply?
2. I got over a 125 in everything on the mcat except CARS. I planned to get a 510+... If I retake it and get in the 508-512 range, and get accepted, would I have a chance at earning good scholarships that I wouldn't get with a 502?
3. When is optimal to apply for full financial aid consideration? I am debating taking a gap year after graduation or not..

Thanks very much!!

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Hi everyone, so I'm a senior in college and I just recently have considered a career in podiatry. I've been pre-med since the beginning of college but now I'm having second thoughts. I got a 502 on my MCAT this summer, and I have a couple of questions.

1. I've done no shadowing of a podiatrist. How much do I need in order to apply?
2. I got over a 125 in everything on the mcat except CARS. I planned to get a 510+... If I retake it and get in the 508-512 range, and get accepted, would I have a chance at earning good scholarships that I wouldn't get with a 502?
3. When is optimal to apply for full financial aid consideration? I am debating taking a gap year after graduation or not..

Thanks very much!!
I would say to get a good 20 hours of shadowing atleast. But the more hours the better, just to make sure podiatry is really what you want to pursue.

As far as your Mcat is concerned, you should be totally fine without retaking. Especially if the rest of your application is fine. You will definitely see some great scholarships, but the earlier you apply the better your chances are.

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What @Keatbaby said.

MCAT is fine, on the stronger side.
Shadow so you know what you're getting into. Not for the hours. This isn't a numbers game like MD/DO shadowing. Quality, not quantity.

Because you are new, scroll through the 16/17 and 17/18 AACPMAS threads on here to get a picture of what stats are competitive.

Make sure podiatric medicine is what you want to do. Don't do it thinking it will replace an MD/DO degree. It is a specialized field of medicine from the get go.
 
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What @Keatbaby said.

MCAT is fine, on the stronger side.
Shadow so you know what you're getting into. Not for the hours. This isn't a numbers game like MD/DO shadowing. Quality, not quantity.

Because you are new, scroll through the 16/17 and 17/18 AACPMAS threads on here to get a picture of what stats are competitive.

Make sure podiatric medicine is what you want to do. Don't do it thinking it will replace an MD/DO degree. It is a specialized field of medicine from the get go.

So how come MCAT's for pod applicants are below the national average of ~500? Is it partially because students don't feel the pressure to get a really high score? Is the mcat for pod school less important than it is for MD/DO?
 
So how come MCAT's for pod applicants are below the national average of ~500? Is it partially because students don't feel the pressure to get a really high score? Is the mcat for pod school less important than it is for MD/DO?

1. Supply and Demand. There is less demand for podiatric medicine from students. Many reasons for this that I will not get into. Schools can only pick from a small pool of applicants.
2. The profession is specialized from the beginning. Not everyone wants to work with feet. Not everyone wants to work with eyes. Not everyone wants to work with teeth. You get the idea.
3. Why would the MCAT be less important for DPM schools? It is a standardized test. GPA tells programs whether you can pass their curriculum. MCAT tells the programs whether you can train for and pass boards.
4. Some students only consider it after they realize they do not have the stats for MD/DO programs.

Again, if the applicant pool as a whole has lower stats (for whatever reason) coming in, programs can only pick from that pool. Averages overall will be lower. Less competition-- lower incoming stats.
 
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