not looking good....

[doctosan]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am a pre-health Biology major, planning to get a minor in Chemistry (it is just one more class). Currently I am taking:

Organic Chemistry II
Physics (non calc) I
Ecology
Precalculus

Precalculus and Ecology are doing fine, Organic Chem is manageable, but Physics is kicking my butt....

GPA: around 2.5....

My friend suggested I take Physics 2, Microbiology, and Calculus at a community college next semester, to boost my GPA up as well as save some money. Also next semester is the last semester for which this option is available, since after that all of the courses will not be available at community colleges. I told him that medical/podiatry schools will take it negatively if I decide to go to a community college one semester after starting at a university (I took a course at the same college the summer before freshman year, as well as last summer, though last summer was for review purposes) . He then suggested that I take Microbio at the univ. but take Physics and Calculus at the community college, but I repeated the same...I don't want them to think I am taking the easy route....not that the community college here is stereotypically easier, I will just have the benefit of s better student to faculty ratio as well as tutoring services for free

Biology classes were fine, it was just Chemistry and Genetics that killed me.... though I did retake them and do better....

The good: I am working as a lab technician at a top university, whose medical school is among the top 25

Medical interests: Cardiology, Dermatology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedics, Urology

The same friend mentioned earlier suggested I look into Podiatry, along with my interest in Orthopedics....since med school is a somewhat far reach...

Any suggestions?
What are my chances?

Thanks

 

[LonghorninSA]

I would not take those courses at a CC. It will hurt you on the long run, both on the MCAT and in the admissions process. The best thing you can do is buckle down and try to improve your grades. Improvement is one key thing adcoms look for on an application. Also, as it has been stated a thousand times before, don't use podiatry as a backup. You will be miserable. If med school is what you want, you can do many things (jobs, internships, etc...) after college that can improve your chances of getting in. Rushing into something you're not sure of will be very draining on your soul. Good luck.

 

[doctosan]

I would not take those courses at a CC. It will hurt you on the long run, both on the MCAT and in the admissions process. The best thing you can do is buckle down and try to improve your grades. Improvement is one key thing adcoms look for on an application. Also, as it has been stated a thousand times before, don't use podiatry as a backup. You will be miserable. If med school is what you want, you can do many things (jobs, internships, etc...) after college that can improve your chances of getting in. Rushing into something you're not sure of will be very draining on your soul. Good luck.

well the community college here has a good rep, many times students take a class at both places, and after a few weeks drop the harder one...and sometimes it ends up being the community college one! so the mcat thing is not the issue, im more worried about the admissions....

also i was originally interested in orthopedics, but dislike surgery, which is another reason i considered podiatry..having suffered from a serious knee injury myself

 

[dyk343]

..having suffered from a serious knee injury myself

Umm, Do you know what podiatry is? ...not to sound like an ass but uhh....

 

[doctosan]

..having suffered from a serious knee injury myself

Umm, Do you know what podiatry is? ...not to sound like an ass but uhh....

Yes I know what podiatry is lol.....I knew when I typed 'knee' that would raise some flags. I know you guys deal with feet, and I have read some things about Podiatry. The reason I put it down is because some places refer to podiatrists treating 'lower extremeties' , which I assumed included the leg. Honestly speaking I do not know as much as someone who has wanted to be a podiatrist from day 1, this came up because I was thinking of some sort of health field to go into, so my friend and I brought all the options to the table, taking a look at things outside the box (box being medicine and pharmacy, since they are so common)..but considering my GPA, I would also like to be practical...

Nonetheless, the main thing is I want to help people, and one of the things we all take for granted is walking, so this is why I have an interest in Podiatry...

I guess a more accurate thing to call myself is 'pre-health'

 

[doctosan]

Also, as it has been stated a thousand times before, don't use podiatry as a backup. You will be miserable. If med school is what you want, you can do many things (jobs, internships, etc...) after college that can improve your chances of getting in. Rushing into something you're not sure of will be very draining on your soul. Good luck.

I agree. I should have clarified earlier: I was originally thinking of pharmacy, and then I was thinking of medicine, and back and forth....then my friend introduced me to the idea of podiatry (which i honestly had never heard of before) and osteopathic medicine. not as backups for allopathic medicine, but to broaden my options, as others have percieved that I am limiting myself to things that are simply more well known. So being a first semester junior, with some time left to recover, but also with the end approaching, I wanted to take a serious look at the health options I was considering. Sorry if you guys got the wrong impression..

 

[ohhyourgod]

I am a pre-health Biology major, planning to get a minor in Chemistry (it is just one more class). Currently I am taking:

Organic Chemistry II
Physics (non calc) I
Ecology
Precalculus

Precalculus and Ecology are doing fine, Organic Chem is manageable, but Physics is kicking my butt....

GPA: around 2.5....

My friend suggested I take Physics 2, Microbiology, and Calculus at a community college next semester, to boost my GPA up as well as save some money. Also next semester is the last semester for which this option is available, since after that all of the courses will not be available at community colleges. I told him that medical/podiatry schools will take it negatively if I decide to go to a community college one semester after starting at a university (I took a course at the same college the summer before freshman year, as well as last summer, though last summer was for review purposes) . He then suggested that I take Microbio at the univ. but take Physics and Calculus at the community college, but I repeated the same...I don't want them to think I am taking the easy route....not that the community college here is stereotypically easier, I will just have the benefit of s better student to faculty ratio as well as tutoring services for free

Biology classes were fine, it was just Chemistry and Genetics that killed me.... though I did retake them and do better....

The good: I am working as a lab technician at a top university, whose medical school is among the top 25

Medical interests: Cardiology, Dermatology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedics, Urology

The same friend mentioned earlier suggested I look into Podiatry, along with my interest in Orthopedics....since med school is a somewhat far reach...

Any suggestions?
What are my chances?

Thanks

bring your GPA to AT LEAST 2.75 (preferably 3.0) and study like hell for the MCAT (26+) and you will probably get some interviews with a few good letters of recommendation and a genuine interest in podiatric medicine.
good luck

 

[runner0382]

Nonetheless, the main thing is I want to help people, and one of the things we all take for granted is walking, so this is why I have an interest in Podiatry...

Please don't ever say "I want to help people" in a health professions interview. If you want to help people, why don't you work at a food kitchen?

You sound like you need shadowing experience and obviously have to improve your GPA. I would not recommend taking CC classes because adcom's look down upon it. I've taken classes at the best CC in the country, which is better than a whole lot of universities but had to limit initial science coursework so as not to deter adcoms. It's just not recommended.

Good luck.

 

[justtesting]

For someone who dislikes surgery, keep in mind that surgery has a lot to do with podiatry nowadays. Unless I'm mistaken I believe all podiatric residencies include some amount of surgical training (some more than others).

 

[jonwill]

For someone who dislikes surgery, keep in mind that surgery has a lot to do with podiatry nowadays. Unless I'm mistaken I believe all podiatric residencies include some amount of surgical training (some more than others).

Correct. The shortest residency you can do is a two year surgical residency but the majority of residencies are now three years.

 

[165007]

If you dislike surgery, then Podiatry is not for you. lol

Why dont you consider DO schools? They are less competitive than MDs.



From what I have seen at some of these schools is that the people who struggle the most are the ones with low undergrad GPA. Pod school is expensive, and the drop out rate is pretty high. GOODluck

 

[doctosan]

For someone who dislikes surgery, keep in mind that surgery has a lot to do with podiatry nowadays. Unless I'm mistaken I believe all podiatric residencies include some amount of surgical training (some more than others).

Thanks for letting me know, I was unaware of this. I thought that like medicine, Podiatry had options of specilizing in surgery or (since I do not know the term) non-surgical.

 

[doctosan]

Please don't ever say "I want to help people" in a health professions interview. If you want to help people, why don't you work at a food kitchen?

You sound like you need shadowing experience and obviously have to improve your GPA. I would not recommend taking CC classes because adcom's look down upon it. I've taken classes at the best CC in the country, which is better than a whole lot of universities but had to limit initial science coursework so as not to deter adcoms. It's just not recommended.

Good luck.

lol thanks. Shadowing is a good idea, I'll see the real thing, something you can't learn from reading

 

[NatCh]

i was originally interested in orthopedics, but dislike surgery

Podiatry is largely surgical nowadays, so if you dislike surgery you might want to look elsewhere.

Theoretically you wouldn't have to do surgery in your practice, but in practicality you need hospital privileges to be on an insurance panel, and to be on an insurance panel you would probably be required to be Board Qualified or Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. To be BQ/BC you have to do surgery.

Pharmacy is a great field. So is dentistry.

 

[mytoehurts]

Please don't ever say "I want to help people" in a health professions interview. If you want to help people, why don't you work at a food kitchen?

You sound like you need shadowing experience and obviously have to improve your GPA. I would not recommend taking CC classes because adcom's look down upon it. I've taken classes at the best CC in the country, which is better than a whole lot of universities but had to limit initial science coursework so as not to deter adcoms. It's just not recommended.

Good luck.

I agree! you want to lose the "I want to help people" bit during an interview...There are tons of ways to help others; social work, volunteer, service industry, feeding Buddhists...

I too would also recommend staying away from CC course this late in the game. Starting at CC and finishing at CC is 1 thing, but you would be going from University to CC...not good, the last thing you want to do is to bring doubt to your abilities. I know from my own experience speaking with different advisers they recommend "if and when" possible to take courses at a 4 year university. I am a post-bac- my 1st bac was in Sociology, it would have been a lot cheaper going to a CC but I was strongly admonished against it.

If your good at bio course then I would recommend adding bio courses each quarter to bring up your gpa. I am also very good at biology course and did this to help bring up or maintain my gpa with horrible course like physics!!!

Nothing is impossible, just put in the EXTRA effort!

 

[geoff325]

remember, take anything on SDN with a grain of salt....with that in mind, taking a CC course says to me that you want the easy way out. it is that simple. People on here who say go ahead probably took CC courses and are trying to justify why they did. CC Courses = Bad Idea

 

[doctosan]

remember, take anything on SDN with a grain of salt....with that in mind, taking a CC course says to me that you want the easy way out. it is that simple. People on here who say go ahead probably took CC courses and are trying to justify why they did. CC Courses = Bad Idea

Generally speaking it seems that Podiatry and Medical schools dislike it when one takes courses at a community college, for the reasons you mentioned. Pharmacy schools seem not to care, I know a few people who never attended any university (took all pre-pharmacy requirements) at community colleges, and got into pharmacy schools.

I may just take some non-science classes at the community college to boost my gpa over the summer

 

[DPMstudent]

Generally speaking it seems that Podiatry and Medical schools dislike it when one takes courses at a community college, for the reasons you mentioned. Pharmacy schools seem not to care, I know a few people who never attended any university (took all pre-pharmacy requirements) at community colleges, and got into pharmacy schools.

I may just take some non-science classes at the community college to boost my gpa over the summer

Maybe this is because you can get accepted to pharmacy school straight out of high school (6yr pharmD program).

 

[sguiliana]

Please don't ever say "I want to help people" in a health professions interview. If you want to help people, why don't you work at a food kitchen?

hahahaha so true

 

[allenmarchallo]

remember, take anything on SDN with a grain of salt....with that in mind, taking a CC course says to me that you want the easy way out. it is that simple. People on here who say go ahead probably took CC courses and are trying to justify why they did. CC Courses = Bad Idea

No offense, but I believe this is an ignorant statement

Community courses are great, if not better than going to a typical university (for lower-division classes)..Having done BOTH I realized that doing C.C. courses, the professors are just as qualified to teach me bio/chem/ochem...I loved the fact that all my science courses had no more than 20 people in it....Try and get that @ a big university....You won't...

Pros:
1) Small class sizes.....I can process info better when I actually have the ability to ask questions in class...Try doing that in 100+student OChem1/2 class @ a big university...

2) professors (Ph.D=Ph.D)...All my CC science profs. had Ph.D in their respected field... 😱....Just like my university profs...

3) Cheaper & they are just as accredited..

4) Bio=Bio...Chem=Chem..OChem=OChem...I mean really....How much different is bio1 CC and bio1 Univ???? Can you tell me??.....Oh I forgot, most use the SAME books! ...

5) CC is NOT easier, especially in Chem/Ochem.....I had research papers, projects, experiments, just as my univ. buddies...

6) No stupid T.A's teaching my classes!!!

7) If you don't know this....But usually big univ. professors get paid primarily for their RESEARCH..Secondary=teach!!..Most couldn't give a crap about you or any other student...lol....

8) Ever try getting a GREAT LOR from a univ professor when he see's 100's of pre-med/pharm/pod/etc students a day??....Good luck with getting that in a timely manner....

I have 75 cc credits & about 20+ upper-level classes from a university...Take a look @ my DAT score...I think I learned the material just fine...When I take the MCAT in Jan., I still believe I won't have any problems...

Oh, lastly.....I did not have a single question to why I went to a CC....I also didnt have any problems securing interviews to AzPod, DMU, Barry, & OCPM.....Oh, & I also didn't have problems getting an interview to Dental Schools either.....

So, let's get over this myth that CC are bad...etc...etc...You can/will get a quality education from a CC as long as YOU do the work...

I'm not trying to "justify" CC vs. Univ, but I can't sit here & let people bash away on CC...

Let the flaming begin...

*****Of course, these are my PERSONAL observations & not reflective of all universities & community colleges*****


-HM2

 

[geoff325]

you make a lot of valid points. unfortunately, often time the perception will win. Obviously you have succeeded, but I am guessing you are in the 10 percent or so minority. If a MD and a DO are competing for the exact same residency and all else is fairly equal, who gets the spot?

 

[dtrack22]

I agree! you want to lose the "I want to help people" bit during an interview...There are tons of ways to help others; social work, volunteer, service industry, feeding Buddhists...

This isn't entirely true. Most of us want to go into medicine because we want to help people, by not stating it you are lying by way of omission to the interviewers. What you have to be able to do is tell them why the medical field is different from being a social worker, janitor, volunteer (stupid example because it is not a career), etc. All you have to do is say something like, you want to help people in the greatest capacity possible which for you includes an ever-evolving field that is in the forefront in terms of technology and the services it provides to others (patients), providing you with a work environment that is enjoyable where your skills can be optimized. Of course then you have to defend your certainty of this being an "enjoyable" career and explain what skills you bring to the field...but to say it is wise to lose the "I want to help people" bit is ignorant, it works fine for hundreds of MD students every year. There are literally hundreds of different ways to answer the infamous "why medicine?" question, don't eliminate an answer that is genuinely true. Just be prepared to explain and defend it.

 

[sguiliana]

This isn't entirely true. Most of us want to go into medicine because we want to help people, by not stating it you are lying by way of omission to the interviewers. What you have to be able to do is tell them why the medical field is different from being a social worker, janitor, volunteer (stupid example because it is not a career), etc. All you have to do is say something like, you want to help people in the greatest capacity possible which for you includes an ever-evolving field that is in the forefront in terms of technology and the services it provides to others (patients), providing you with a work environment that is enjoyable where your skills can be optimized. Of course then you have to defend your certainty of this being an "enjoyable" career and explain what skills you bring to the field...but to say it is wise to lose the "I want to help people" bit is ignorant, it works fine for hundreds of MD students every year. There are literally hundreds of different ways to answer the infamous "why medicine?" question, don't eliminate an answer that is genuinely true. Just be prepared to explain and defend it.

All he is saying is there are better ways to show that you're passionate about becoming a podiatrist, or any healthcare provider, other than pulling the old line "I want to help people". To me that's a given, nor I find it an overly impressive response from an applicant.

 

[NAVYLABTECH08]

No offense, but I believe this is an ignorant statement

Community courses are great, if not better than going to a typical university (for lower-division classes)..Having done BOTH I realized that doing C.C. courses, the professors are just as qualified to teach me bio/chem/ochem...I loved the fact that all my science courses had no more than 20 people in it....Try and get that @ a big university....You won't...

Pros:
1) Small class sizes.....I can process info better when I actually have the ability to ask questions in class...Try doing that in 100+student OChem1/2 class @ a big university...

2) professors (Ph.D=Ph.D)...All my CC science profs. had Ph.D in their respected field... 😱....Just like my university profs...

3) Cheaper & they are just as accredited..

4) Bio=Bio...Chem=Chem..OChem=OChem...I mean really....How much different is bio1 CC and bio1 Univ???? Can you tell me??.....Oh I forgot, most use the SAME books! ...

5) CC is NOT easier, especially in Chem/Ochem.....I had research papers, projects, experiments, just as my univ. buddies...

6) No stupid T.A's teaching my classes!!!

7) If you don't know this....But usually big univ. professors get paid primarily for their RESEARCH..Secondary=teach!!..Most couldn't give a crap about you or any other student...lol....

8) Ever try getting a GREAT LOR from a univ professor when he see's 100's of pre-med/pharm/pod/etc students a day??....Good luck with getting that in a timely manner....

I have 75 cc credits & about 20+ upper-level classes from a university...Take a look @ my DAT score...I think I learned the material just fine...When I take the MCAT in Jan., I still believe I won't have any problems...

Oh, lastly.....I did not have a single question to why I went to a CC....I also didnt have any problems securing interviews to AzPod, DMU, Barry, & OCPM.....Oh, & I also didn't have problems getting an interview to Dental Schools either.....

So, let's get over this myth that CC are bad...etc...etc...You can/will get a quality education from a CC as long as YOU do the work...

I'm not trying to "justify" CC vs. Univ, but I can't sit here & let people bash away on CC...

Let the flaming begin...

*****Of course, these are my PERSONAL observations & not reflective of all universities & community colleges*****


-HM2

My friend, I agree with everything that you said. People need to stop bashing CC. I would recommend CC to anyone who is not going to allo/osteo med school interviews. They really bash you during your interviews about CC classes and they actually give extra points for students at universities. Congrats on your acceptances. Where are you going?

 

[allenmarchallo]

Congrats on your acceptances. Where are you going?

I was hooked to OCPM the day I interviewed...Absolutely loved it there 😀 (and Ohio has a great cost of living)---which works out great for me...

 

[dtrack22]

All he is saying is there are better ways to show that you're passionate about becoming a podiatrist, or any healthcare provider, other than pulling the old line "I want to help people". To me that's a given, nor I find it an overly impressive response from an applicant.

glad to see the pre-pod, who labels him/herself as a "podiatry student" on their profile, is pretending that they are student who helps with interviews at a pod school and is thereby justified in telling us what they feel is an "impressive" response.

 

[215512]

glad to see the pre-pod, who labels him/herself as a "podiatry student" on their profile, is pretending that they are student who helps with interviews at a pod school and is thereby justified in telling us what they feel is an "impressive" response.