Seeking Advice

[NoStress]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello!

I'm new to SDN, so please forgive me if I miss some steps. I'll try to keep my first post short.

I've always been interested in science, then later in medicine, and now I find myself at a crossroads, so to speak. Initially starting my undergrad, I was pursuing MD schools. I later realized there was much more to medicine than what is made popular. I'm really interested in pursuing surgery, but that is a feat in itself with my current scores and such. I'm becoming increasingly interested in the field of podiatry, so any insight would be very helpful.

I've already graduated with my B.S. in B.S. (Biological Sciences, but I thought I would add in some humor.) I have a 3.13 cumulative GPA, and around a 3.0 science GPA.

My MCAT scores are a little disappointing to me personally, but here's what I'm working with: 22Q (1st attempt) and 20O (2nd attempt.) I thought I could do better, but apparently that wasn't the case.

I'm hoping to shadow a podiatrist soon, (for some reason it's difficult to find cooperating physicians in Vegas,) so I'll be getting more insight soon.

My extracurriculars are quite balanced. I'm looking at getting published after more than a year of research, and I have volunteered at a free clinic for 200+. Also, I was the president of a student organization for one year that focused on educational outreach in the sciences for underprivileged schools. With that said, I am also a minority woman.

Now that you have a little background info here are some of my questions:

1. Are my chances decent for getting into a podiatry school?

2. Should I be considering taking some post-bacc classes? (I wouldn't want one year off of taking classes to look bad. Although, I could spend that time saving money, continuing extracurriculars, and just taking a break in general. Thoughts?)

3. Will getting a lower score on the MCAT for my second attempt affect me in any way?

4. Does being a minority (Latina) improve my chances in any way? (It doesn't seem the AACPM makes it as big of a deal as, say, AAMC or AACOM)

5. Is it true that surgery is much more plausible for DPM's to practice than MDs/DOs?

6. (For established DPMs) What's the most negative aspect of your profession?

Thanks guys! 🙂

 

[skyboy99]

Make sure that podiatry is the career you want to get into before applying. You should shadow and experience it first hand. Your scores will not get you into any MD/DO school in the U.S. Do Not use podiatry as a Substitute, if you really want to be an MD, take a Masters Program and improve your grades. You will also have to increase your MCAT score by at-least 4 points for DO school and i'd say about 6-8 points for MD. You could also consider Carrib MD. The avg MCAT for Pod Applicants in 2010 was about 21.4 and Cum. GPA around 3.3, Science GPA 3.1. So your hovering around the same average as all the other applicants. I don't think a lower MCAT score will hurt you, applicants usually score around 18-25 on the MCAT. I'm not sure regarding minorities, depends on the institution and what they look for. Not all DPM's perform surgery, to become any type of surgeon, you have to be very skilled. All DPM's currently go through a surgical residency, only if they get through the 4 years of Pod school and pass the boards and secure a residency. MD/DO orthopedic surgeons get 5 years of training covering the entire body, however they don't receive as much training as pod's in the foot/ankle. I can't answer the last question since i'm not a DPM. Hope this helped.

 

[RATM2010]

Now that you have a little background info here are some of my questions:

1. Are my chances decent for getting into a podiatry school?

YES

2. Should I be considering taking some post-bacc classes? (I wouldn't want one year off of taking classes to look bad. Although, I could spend that time saving money, continuing extracurriculars, and just taking a break in general. Thoughts?)

NO

3. Will getting a lower score on the MCAT for my second attempt affect me in any way?

NO

4. Does being a minority (Latina) improve my chances in any way? (It doesn't seem the AACPM makes it as big of a deal as, say, AAMC or AACOM)

NO

5. Is it true that surgery is much more plausible for DPM's to practice than MDs/DOs?

Umm, you are guaranteed a surgical residency in pod vs matching derm.pathology,fp, im, etc.

 

[NoStress]

Make sure that podiatry is the career you want to get into before applying. You should shadow and experience it first hand. Your scores will not get you into any MD/DO school in the U.S. Do Not use podiatry as a Substitute, if you really want to be an MD, take a Masters Program and improve your grades. You will also have to increase your MCAT score by at-least 4 points for DO school and i'd say about 6-8 points for MD. You could also consider Carrib MD. The avg MCAT for Pod Applicants in 2010 was about 21.4 and Cum. GPA around 3.3, Science GPA 3.1. So your hovering around the same average as all the other applicants. I don't think a lower MCAT score will hurt you, applicants usually score around 18-25 on the MCAT. I'm not sure regarding minorities, depends on the institution and what they look for. Not all DPM's perform surgery, to become any type of surgeon, you have to be very skilled. All DPM's currently go through a surgical residency, only if they get through the 4 years of Pod school and pass the boards and secure a residency. MD/DO orthopedic surgeons get 5 years of training covering the entire body, however they don't receive as much training as pod's in the foot/ankle. I can't answer the last question since i'm not a DPM. Hope this helped.

Thanks, that definitely helps. I recently got in contact with a DPM, so I hope to get a better feel for this field in particular. I'm very aware of what GPA I need, as well as how much more I need to improve my MCAT score to be more competitive MD or DO school, but time and finance are a huge setback. I have no doubts in my passion for medicine, and somehow I believe the sooner I get into it, no matter the specialization, the better. MDs, DOs, DPMs, PAs, Nurses and other health professionals are operating under a similar credo, so I don't think podiatry would be a huge deviation from an ambitious plan. I guess I'll find out soon enough. Again, thank you for the response.

 

[NoStress]

Now that you have a little background info here are some of my questions:

1. Are my chances decent for getting into a podiatry school?

YES

2. Should I be considering taking some post-bacc classes? (I wouldn't want one year off of taking classes to look bad. Although, I could spend that time saving money, continuing extracurriculars, and just taking a break in general. Thoughts?)

NO

3. Will getting a lower score on the MCAT for my second attempt affect me in any way?

NO

4. Does being a minority (Latina) improve my chances in any way? (It doesn't seem the AACPM makes it as big of a deal as, say, AAMC or AACOM)

NO

5. Is it true that surgery is much more plausible for DPM's to practice than MDs/DOs?

Umm, you are guaranteed a surgical residency in pod vs matching derm.pathology,fp, im, etc.

Thanks! Interesting to see you are a pod student already. If you don't mind me asking, do you see a possibility in contributing to the expansion of the capabilities of a podiatrist since it is a relatively young field? For example, it seems that old pods dealt more with treating ingrown nails, etc, while the younger more recently graduated pods are actually involved in sugeries, sports medicine, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong, of course. Also, being already in the field, would you say it's worth the shot you gave? I made be treading on personal thoughts, so feel free to ignore, or possibly answer privately.

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

Thanks! Interesting to see you are a pod student already. If you don't mind me asking, do you see a possibility in contributing to the expansion of the capabilities of a podiatrist since it is a relatively young field? For example, it seems that old pods dealt more with treating ingrown nails, etc, while the younger more recently graduated pods are actually involved in sugeries, sports medicine, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong, of course. Also, being already in the field, would you say it's worth the shot you gave? I made be treading on personal thoughts, so feel free to ignore, or possibly answer privately.

Is podiatry changing? Yes. Is it a young field? No:

"the licensing of podiatrists began in 1895 in New York, and in that year, America’s first association of podiatrists was formed."

http://www.cwru.edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Podiatry.htm

 

[NoStress]

Is podiatry changing? Yes. Is it a young field? No:

"the licensing of podiatrists began in 1895 in New York, and in that year, America’s first association of podiatrists was formed."

http://www.cwru.edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Podiatry.htm

Got it. Thanks for the link!

 

[347932]

4. Does being a minority (Latina) improve my chances in any way? (It doesn't seem the AACPM makes it as big of a deal as, say, AAMC or AACOM)

NO

5. Is it true that surgery is much more plausible for DPM's to practice than MDs/DOs?

Umm, you are guaranteed a surgical residency in pod vs matching derm.pathology,fp, im, etc.

These last two responses are not exactly accurate.

Some schools (maybe all?) do have minority groups that monitor admissions. I'm not sure whether this can increase your chances or not, but it's possible. When I was in school I was part of group that monitored the group that monitored the minority admissions if that makes any sense.

There are NO guarantees. Currently there is a residency shortage and as I've mentioned in many of the posts about this topic, it is a pendulum that swings from not enough, to just enough, to too many positions.

There are some thing in life that you have no control over, like residency positions. There are some things that you do have control over, like your grades, your work ethic, your personal interactions with those of influence...etc. Do the best you can that the cards are stacked in your favor and you have a better chance that the outcomes you seek will be favorable.

Good luck!