Thinking of Switching to Podiatry

[DawgToPod]

Hi all,

So I am currently thinking of switching from dentistry to podiatry. I applied to dental schools this cycle and am waiting to hear back, have had some interviews and my stats are 'average' for dental so it is not because I feel that I cannot do dental and want to do podiatry cause I am sure it is not "the easy route" as some may claim. I am writing in hopes of some advice regarding my stats. I heard briefly of podiatry and began to do some research and after watching some videos on the field I am very interested and will be spending my Christmas break finding an office to shadow and observe a podiatrist. Am I too late to apply this cycle if I decide I want to after shadowing? If not too late, I have a 3.43gpa, 3.33sgpa, 20AA, 22TS on my DAT and will be looking into TUSPM and NYCPM because they are still accepting the DAT. Do my scores give me a shot even at this point in the cycle? Also, what is the average # of shadowing hours for podiatry students, as for dental students we were encouraged 200+hrs, and if I do fall for the career of podiatry, I am more than willing to put that much time into it. Thank you all for your advice.

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[amaprez]

There is no requirement for certain # of hours. You will get asked about it in interviews though. Quality > quantity.

 

[DawgToPod]

There is no requirement for certain # of hours. You will get asked about it in interviews though. Quality > quantity.

Thank you, yes I will be sure to know as much as I can.

Any advice on if I'm too late to apply? As well as my chances with these stats, I could not find much information on average dat score for podiatry schools.

 

[iVTECdailyy]

apply. guaranteed interviews at both nycpm and tuspm. if you can honestly explain "why you were first dental" then automatic acceptance.

 

[DawgToPod]

apply. guaranteed interviews at both nycpm and tuspm. if you can honestly explain "why you were first dental" then automatic acceptance.

Thanks for the info!

I called both schools today and their dat averages are in the 18s and 19s so that's good for me. Hoping to see an office soon! One more quick question, are podiatrist recommendations required? I know that it may take a while to develop the relationship necessary for the podiatrist to feel comfortable enough writing me a recommendation.

 

[amaprez]

Thanks for the info!

I called both schools today and their dat averages are in the 18s and 19s so that's good for me. Hoping to see an office soon! One more quick question, are podiatrist recommendations required? I know that it may take a while to develop the relationship necessary for the podiatrist to feel comfortable enough writing me a recommendation.

Yes you will need a podiatrist letter of rec. No you don't need to be best buddies for the podiatrist to write you a letter. Although I wouldn't recommend it, if we're talking about minimum time here, a dozen hours should be enough to secure a letter and for you to decide whether you like the field. Once you've secured the letter you can always keep going if you enjoy it or want to see more.

 

[DawgToPod]

Yes you will need a podiatrist letter of rec. No you don't need to be best buddies for the podiatrist to write you a letter. Although I wouldn't recommend it, if we're talking about minimum time here, a dozen hours should be enough to secure a letter and for you to decide whether you like the field. Once you've secured the letter you can always keep going if you enjoy it or want to see more.

Thank makes sense, thank you. Yes I do plan to see as much as I can before I decide it is the right path for me. Thank you for your help.