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Thank you guys so much. I will be graduating with a M.S. of Environmental science which is heavy on biology and chemistry. As for research I have over 4 years of research and a masters thesis on a heavy science topic. For volunteering I was president of my student government and put on multiple charities for st Jude, MS walk and numerous other great organizations. I don't want to mention everything but I'd like to show the Programs that I was a student that learned from his mistakes and is dedicated to helping his community

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I think you should apply as early as possible. Do whatever you want before school starts. Like I said before. I would work, earn some money and enjoy this time before you start school.

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Hello everyone,
I just wanted some opinions on whether or not I may be okay to apply to some schools. My stats are as followed:

cGPA: 3.1
sGPA: 2.9
MCAT: 490
-Two years of Neuroscience research with about four poster presentations and one publication
-Founded Pre-Health Club at my institution
-Certified Nurse Aide in the past
-Biology Tutor, TA Mentor for underrepresented high school students taking college level classes twice a week
- volunteer at a non-profit organization for about a year
-1st place Oral Presentation in Social Sciences Category at the 26th annual CSTEP Conference
-Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society
I also did a Pre-Health Internship at a podiatry school where I actually got to learn a lot about the profession and even got to shadow a few podiatrists in multiple hospitals.
Would love some feedback if you all think I may be competitive enough for a couple of schools.
I would say that if you apply ASAP, like get everything into AACPMAS by next week for verification, you may have a shot at Barry, Kent, CSPM. I got into Barry and CSPM with a 3.1 sGPA, 489 MCAT, and 3.38 cGPA. You may not get scholarships however.
 
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Hello everyone,
I just wanted some opinions on whether or not I may be okay to apply to some schools. My stats are as followed:

cGPA: 3.1
sGPA: 2.9
MCAT: 490
.

You're fine. If you're planning to start school next year, apply now.

If you want scholarships and are a good test taker, consider retaking the MCAT and getting a 500+.
 
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NYCPM maybe, I don't think Temple will bite this application year. I got rejected within 24 hours, however i did get a 489 MCAT. You could try. Seems like Temple has raised the bar a bit regarding MCAT scores.
 
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Hello everyone,
I just wanted some opinions on whether or not I may be okay to apply to some schools. My stats are as followed:

cGPA: 3.1
sGPA: 2.9
MCAT: 490
-Two years of Neuroscience research with about four poster presentations and one publication
-Founded Pre-Health Club at my institution
-Certified Nurse Aide in the past
-Biology Tutor, TA Mentor for underrepresented high school students taking college level classes twice a week
- volunteer at a non-profit organization for about a year
-1st place Oral Presentation in Social Sciences Category at the 26th annual CSTEP Conference
-Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society
I also did a Pre-Health Internship at a podiatry school where I actually got to learn a lot about the profession and even got to shadow a few podiatrists in multiple hospitals.
Would love some feedback if you all think I may be competitive enough for a couple of schools.
Good chances at most schools.
 
Temple like high mcat scores, so unless you are planning to retake and score 495+, I would focus on other schools.

DMU seems to like high GPAs and is more flexible on mcat. AZPOD really likes high numbers overall. Every other school is a go tho.

Though, not sure how apps are this year, maybe Temple will bite. I’d apply to all schools you are interested in to see who bites.

Your ECs are really good, especially the Pod specific ones.

I see! Thank you for the feedback. What do you think about my competitiveness for NYCPM or Temple?
 
Is interviewing at temple and NYCPM mid December considered late in the cycle?
 
science GPA: 3.68
cumulative GPA: 3.72
MCAT: 491

EC:
EMT Basic Certification
CPR Certification
Volunteer at Office of Services for Students with Disabilties
Omircron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society
Was President of the Executive Counsil of Honors College for a year
Secretary of Pre-Health Club (year)
Secretary of South Asian Student Association (year)
Volunteer Work at Northwell Hospital (on and off for a year)
A couple different work experiences unrelated to medical field but showing leadership position
Just began as a research assistant about a month ago

I applied to present at a National Regional Honors Conference
I applied for a week long research program in winter
I hope to get both of these as it may add to my application

I have not shadowed yet as I will be doing that during my gap year.

I’m trying to figure out what I would be a good applicant for. I recently visited a podiatry school and it was definitely more interesting than I expected. I was initially MD/DO but now I’m delving further into different respective fields so I was curious where I stand as an applicant?




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Yeah, with that MCAT Pod is about your only option if you wanna be a doctor, unless u take the OAT or DAT.

chances are good at all schools though and you might even get scholarships with that GPA.

Find out if this is something you wanna do vs just not being able to get into MD or DO school. Lots of smelly gross stuff, but super rewarding in terms of patient interactions (from what I shadowed. Pods were regularly thanked and blessed).
 
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What Gypsy said.

You're fine stats wise.

Make sure you aren't using this as a replacement for your original MD/DO goals simply because your MCAT is low and you do not want to retake.

This profession is very different. It has its limitations in scope but has a huge variety regarding the foot alone.

You will not be doing surgeries day in day out. You will also be clipping nails, nail avulsions, diabetic ulcers, etc.

Shadow and set up a realistic expectation of what this profession offers.
 
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Hello, i am new here so forgive me if this questions has already been addressed. i was pre-med but have switched to pre-pod. currently i have a 493 MCAT score and 3.4 cGPA and 3.3 sGPA. I am set to retake the MCAT in January 2018. i have not yet submitted my application. is it too late? should i wait until my january mcat? my top school is Scholl as it is in my hometown. all the help would be greatly appreciated

I don't think its too late to apply. I would hit that submit button sooner the better! Submit your new January score when it comes out. If you have any questions about the school feel free to reach out!
 
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Hello, i am new here so forgive me if this questions has already been addressed. i was pre-med but have switched to pre-pod. currently i have a 493 MCAT score and 3.4 cGPA and 3.3 sGPA. I am set to retake the MCAT in January 2018. i have not yet submitted my application. is it too late? should i wait until my january mcat? my top school is Scholl as it is in my hometown. all the help would be greatly appreciated

I have stats a smidge lower than yours and I have had interviews + acceptances this cycle. But always shoot for that higher MCAT if you have the means to do so. :) best of luck
 
I have posted about this in the past but I would like to get more opinions. So I plan to take the MCAT in January. Should I submit the application now without the MCAT score or should I just wait to submit my application in January after I've taken the MCAT?

I have a 3.506 CGPA, 3.27 SGPA, and I have all my transcripts and LORs submitted to the AACPMAS portal. I have over 500+ hours of community service, I work for the state government, and I have shadowed a DPM and a dentist.
 
I have posted about this in the past but I would like to get more opinions. So I plan to take the MCAT in January. Should I submit the application now without the MCAT score or should I just wait to submit my application in January after I've taken the MCAT?

I have a 3.506 CGPA, 3.27 SGPA, and I have all my transcripts and LORs submitted to the AACPMAS portal. I have over 500+ hours of community service, I work for the state government, and I have shadowed a DPM and a dentist.
You're fine.

Apply now.
 
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Hi all, I'm new here. I would like to apply to Western and CSPM, but I'm not sure if I should...

cGPA: 3.20
sGPA: 3.16
Post-bacc GPA: 3.89
MCAT: 499

-3 years of Evolutionary Biology research with about six poster presentations, and one undergraduate journal publication
-Received highest undergraduate research award "excellence in research",
-Received $1000 grant after submitting abstract to do personal experiment
-400+ clinical hours working as an MA and as a volunteer in the ER
-200+ non-clinical hours volunteering with food pantry and beach cleanups
-25 hours shadowing podiatrists
-Treasurer of pre-health fraternity
-Anatomy TA in post-bacc program
-Part of post-bacc program admissions committee as an interviewer
-Already have 2 strong letters of rec from podiatrists who happen to be the alumni of the schools I want to get into (I honestly don't know if that helps, but I thought I'd include)

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!
 
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Hi all, I'm new here. I would like to apply to Western and CSPM, but I'm not sure if I should...

Your stats are fine! I got an II from Western and my GPAs were similar and my MCAT was a few points lower.
 
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Hello,
I have a really low gpa and mcat and was wondering what my chances would be of acceptance to pod school. My gpa is a 2.5 probably now 2.6 after one semester of postbac classes and my mcat is a 487. I was really sick when I took the mcat and it was my first time. I have great ECs with shadowing, research, work experience, volunteering. I got an email from Barry to consider a career in podiatry. In the email it said on the bottom that they sent me the email from having my information from the mcat services. I'm willing to apply to all the pod schools but I don't know whether I will get accepted. Some threads here show that people have been accepted with my mcat and gpa but I haven't seen a lot.
I'm also willing to retake the mcat before the Fall 2019 semester. I don't know whether I should pursue a masters for a year to offset my gpa. If I did pursue a masters I don't know which one to apply to but I have received emails from a view masters programs.
I don't want to have to wait another year to apply but I'm willing to in case I don't get in. Appreciate tips and feedback from anyone with information. Also I contacted one pod school and they said it's still not too late to apply. I've started the application and the schools have been emailing me to complete the application. I know this doesn't happen with MD or DO schools but three individual pod schools have emailed requesting to complete the pod application.
Hoping for feedback that will help.
 
Just my two cents, but I suggest not applying this cycle. Unfortunately, your GPA and MCAT will most likely yield very little results if you were to apply this cycle. Some people do a masters, but I like DIY postbaccs. Take upper level science classes that mimic professional school classes, such as cell biology, immunology, virology, etc and do well in them to demonstrate competency. Retake your MCAT and score as high as you can. If you want a benchmark number, a lot of people on this forum like 495+. You can change your study schedule, use a different third party company testing resources (don’t forget AAMC materials though), and take/revise more practice tests to achieve a higher score. Again, this post is just my opinion, but I hope it helps!
 
Do you think if I state in my application that I am retaking the MCAT that I may have a better chance if I apply this cycle? It’s just because I already took a year off after graduating and I don’t want to not be trying to apply. I was thinking to try again if I don’t get accepted. I already did a small diy postbac for one semester after graduating and it hasn’t improved my gpa much at all that’s why I was considering a masters. I would have to take two years to raise the gpa with a diy postbac and I don’t want that. Thank you for the MCAT tips that helps a lot!!
Would it be possible to just retake my MCAT and be able to get in this cycle?
 
Hello,
My gpa is a 2.5 probably now 2.6 after one semester of postbac classes and my mcat is a 487.
Hoping for feedback that will help.

Ohhhh boyo....here we go.

You have no business applying to any type of professional program right now.
Your GPA would be a reach even for SMPs or regular M.S. programs.

I am not trying to be mean, I am trying to get you to be realistic.

You will not survive in any type of medicine program with a 2.6 GPA.
You will not be able to pass standardized exams such as boards with a 487 MCAT.

Your best bet, if you really want to do a healthcare related field, is to retake courses as justici mentioned and get at the minimum- all Bs in them.
Retake the MCAT and get 493+.

Your GPA is an indication of how well you will do in the courses after you enroll.
Your MCAT is an indication of how well you can prepare for a standardized exam.
Right now they are no where near what they should be. Even IF you get in, you will struggle and potentially fail out.

Regarding Masters programs- programs know not all graduate programs are equal. If you do something easy like an MPH or something with no heavy science courses, you are only faking the GPA and lying to yourself. Because once you get in, 99% of the courses you are taking will be heavy science intensive.

Again, I am not telling you to give up. I am telling you to focus less on getting in and focus more on fixing your habits so you can finish after you get in.

The programs who are telling you to complete your application are doing you a disservice. It pisses me off to hear them egging you on without giving you honest and genuine advice.
 
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I do know that conditional acceptance upon a higher MCAT score has been documented in the past, but that was post-II, so I’m not sure about pre-II. If you did retake your MCAT, you would need a well above average score to gain attention. AZPOD and Temple will auto-screen you right now, that I am sure. I understand that you want to get the ball rolling since you already graduated, but being patient and delaying gratification goes a long way in medicine. I do believe that most MS programs are two years, unless they are one year Special Masters Programs (SMPs) that are used to get into MD/DO programs, so you’re going to spend at least a year remediating your transcript. I know @Weirdy completed an MS, so he could maybe give you some insight on that matter. Sorry if I didn’t give you answers you needed, but definitely keep posting until you get them!
 
@Weirdy Thanks for the honest comment. I know the advice is to make sure I succeed in the long run.
So I actually already retook the classes I did poorly in and made a B or higher. I should have mentioned that in the original post. I retook all prerequisite courses I did not pass with the exception of two courses which were not prereqs for pod school. However due to no grade replacement my gpa is still a 2.6. This is why I am hesitant about a diy postbac because I already just now took a semester of classes and have retook courses. I have not enrolled in classes for the next semester.
KCU ms biomedical science grad program doesn’t show a 3.0 prereq but passing of prereq courses is needed which I have. I was considering applying there and any other masters program with a similar requirement. What is your opinion?
 
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@justici yes my goal is to retake and get a higher score. Should I aim for a certain time to have the scores in by before the Fall 2019 cycle closes? I don’t have anything to do in the upcoming months so I can study during that time.
I’ll consider what you mentioned about the MS programs. Still trying to see whether I should apply for a one year MS now or do DIY postbac.
 
Hi guys,
I am new member so would you mind if i have question about application. I am junior in Biology major now but maybe graduate in winter 2019and plan to take Mcat next year before summer. So I am ok to apply podiatry school in fall 2019 before I graduate . Thank you
 
Hi guys,
I am new member so would you mind if i have question about application. I am junior in Biology major now but maybe graduate in winter 2019and plan to take Mcat next year before summer. So I am ok to apply podiatry school in fall 2019 before I graduate . Thank you
Yes, you will be ok if you will have your app ready.
 
I will try for a masters program. If I don’t get accepted to the MS I may continue with diy postbac. Thank you for the advice.
 
I will try for a masters program. If I don’t get accepted to the MS I may continue with diy postbac. Thank you for the advice.
Hey man I was in the same boat. If you really want to go for a masters like I did I'd suggest taking the GRE. Your stats are low for getting into masters program that require at least a 3.0 but most all will accept you if you do above average on the GRE which isn't difficult in my opinion. Then go through your masters and keep atleast a 3.75 and you'll see alot of doors open up. Don't give up, there's still hope. Alot of people, including my self, were on that hole. In the process of applying now to podiatry school. The key here is to get a good GRE percentage.

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3.2 cgpa/sgpa
502 MCAT
7500+ hours of emergency room experience
I do not have any LORs yet, should I submit my application without them or wait a month or so to get them?
What are my chances of getting in this late in the cycle?
1. You are not late

2. Your stats are good enough to apply even a month later, but for scholarship purposes you might want to apply as soon as possible.

3. I would look at what individual schools say about LORs. Some can interview you without DPM LORs while some require all LORs before interviews are sent.

4. Submitting an app and getting it verified is done rather quickly. My app was verified the same day I submitted my application and received my first invite that same day.

5. Just make sure all parts of your app are ready, transcripts are received, PS is uploaded and you are ready to submit.

6. I am a proponent of sending a complete app with all required LORs. I do not see a benefit in submitting incomplete app. But maybe I am wrong.

7. As far as I understand, scholarship amounts are announced at the time of acceptance notification. So, I would guess it is more important when you are interviewed rather than when you have applied. But I might be wrong.
 
C or above is ok as far as core prerequisites go.

Below C's in core prerequisites will usually make you retake them.

In terms of competitiveness, it is your overall GPA that gets looked at rather than isolated C's. More C's -> lower GPA -> lower chances.
Thank you so much. I will keep GPA as high as possible
 
@Ghoubrir

Thanks man! Gives me hope that someone else was in the same situation. Hoping to get into some masters program and go from there.
 
1. Haven't looked into the schools yet, just looking at my chances
2. 3.3 cgpa/3.2 sgpa
3. 508 MCAT
4. 0 podiatry experience but could get shadowing if I looked
5. 50 hours shadowing plastic surgery MD, 50 hours shadowing surgical oncology DO, 10 hours shadowing sports medicine DO.
6. Volunteering: 400 hours blood lab, 1200+ hours volunteering for church, 3 years research at my university.
 
1. Haven't looked into the schools yet, just looking at my chances
2. 3.3 cgpa/3.2 sgpa
3. 508 MCAT
4. 0 podiatry experience but could get shadowing if I looked
5. 50 hours shadowing plastic surgery MD, 50 hours shadowing surgical oncology DO, 10 hours shadowing sports medicine DO.
6. Volunteering: 400 hours blood lab, 1200+ hours volunteering for church, 3 years research at my university.

Nice MCAT score. Your chances are great. Get some pod shadowing and be able to explain why Podiatry and not MD/DO. Good luck!
 
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1. Haven't looked into the schools yet, just looking at my chances
2. 3.3 cgpa/3.2 sgpa
3. 508 MCAT
.

You're fine.
Shadow and make sure this is want you want to do.

You are committing to a specialty from the first day you start.

Have some confidence. You can't get through school without confidence.
 
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I am not sure. I have not applied there. I guess within a week after your app gets verified. Was your app complete and verified already?
It was. I ended up hearing from MWU three days after applying, scheduled my interview for a week after that. Two days after the interview I got a call congratulating me on being accepted. Super excited!
 
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Any time now.

Heard back within 1 week and it was a reach school for me.

They like high stat applicants like you. Even if MCAT is 499, your GPA more than makes up for it.

Have fun and enjoy the journey.

If you can, I'd like for you to share why you chose podiatry over MD/DO. For prospective readers.
Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. Life sure is busy this time of year. I chose podiatry over the other two because I loved the combination of being a physician, surgeon, and having the freedom to own my own practice. I worked in a hospital for over a year and I know that I would hate spending my entire career in one. I want the freedom to take care of my patients how I want to, and I sure as hell don't want to deal with hospital bureaucracy. I also never really considered MD/DO anyway. My father was an electrician (when he wasn't laid off) and my mother was an LPN. The process of getting into med school always seemed way too expensive for someone like me. Podiatry school is less expensive all around, and it gives me the freedoms I want. For me it's a perfect fit.
 
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Echoing what others are saying. Stats are solid, that MCAT will land you some sweet scholarship dough at most schools.

Good for all schools, even the picky ones.

All the schools will love your healthcare experience.

Make sure to shadow and decide if you want Pod life, both pluses and minuses. Don’t use it in place of MD/DO, but if you jive well with the Pod lifestyle, apply ASAP.

1. Haven't looked into the schools yet, just looking at my chances
2. 3.3 cgpa/3.2 sgpa
3. 508 MCAT
4. 0 podiatry experience but could get shadowing if I looked
5. 50 hours shadowing plastic surgery MD, 50 hours shadowing surgical oncology DO, 10 hours shadowing sports medicine DO.
6. Volunteering: 400 hours blood lab, 1200+ hours volunteering for church, 3 years research at my university.
 
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Once people were verified, how long did it take to hear back from Kent, Temple, New York, or Barry?
 
Posted on here before, but GPA dropped this quarter after getting C+ in human physiology and was wondering with 3 Cs on my transcript am I screwed?? Worried that they will look heavily on this one grade since the course is reflective of courses in med school...

cGPA: 3.38
sGPA: 3.21
-15hrs shadowing podiatrists
-50+ hrs shadowing MD
-150+ hospital volunteering
-officer for 2 pre-med clubs for 2 yrs
-NCAA athlete
-1.5 yrs working as behavior technician alongside OT and BCBA for autistic children
-foot injury allowed me to see a podiatrist more which really helped me decided podiatry is what I want to do

Haven’t taken MCAT yet and wanted to know what I need to aim for and if I should skip next year’s cycle to get more clinical experience?
 
Last edited:
Posted on here before, but GPA dropped this quarter after getting C+ in human physiology and was wondering with 3 Cs on my transcript am I screwed?? Worried that they will look heavily on this one grade since the course is reflective of courses in med school...

cGPA: 3.38
sGPA: 3.21
-15hrs shadowing podiatrists
-50+ hrs shadowing MD
-150+ hospital volunteering
-officer for 2 pre-med clubs for 2 yrs
-NCAA athlete
-1.5 yrs working as behavior technician alongside OT and BCBA for autistic children
-foot injury allowed me to see a podiatrist more which really helped me decided podiatry is what I want to do

Haven’t taken MCAT yet and wanted to know what I need to aim for and if I should skip next year’s cycle to get more clinical experience?
Take MCAT and apply.
 
Hey everyone, hope you all are having a great holiday season!

Cgpa 3.01
Sgpa 2.8
Mcat 485 retaking it
60 hrs pod shadowing

Am i screwed??
Anything else i can do to enhance myself as a candidate?

Thank you!
 
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