What Are My Chances: WAMC Podiatry

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Pod Zilla said:
The only thing you need is a DPM LOR. From the sound of it, that shouldn't be a problem. You know exactly what you are getting into from your experience as a surgical tech. Just make sure you also like the clinic side of things. Surgery and clinic can be a very different experience. Maybe one of those podiatrist will allow you to shadow them for a couple days during their clinic time.

You should submit your application as soon as you can for this application cycle. Your stats are just fine. Pick a few schools as your top choices and apply. You will get interview invites to all the places you apply.

By the way, you do not need to have a DPM LOR before you apply. But make sure you are working on getting one as soon as you can.
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Is there any schools I'm not competitive??
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OsteopathicHopeful said:
Is there any schools I'm not competitive??
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Asksport said:
I don't think there are any schools are you "not" competitive at. The school you are "least" competitive at would be AZPOD (due to MCAT score).
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I wouldn't say you don't have a shot there. You may not be 'competitive', but if this is a school that you're really thinking of going, then I would definitely apply. It never hurts to try and it's still early enough in the application cycle.
 
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Pod Zilla said:
I wouldn't say you don't have a shot there. You may not be 'competitive', but if this is a school that you're really thinking of going, then I would definitely apply. It never hurts to try and it's still early enough in the application cycle.
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Actually I was thinking Kent State because it is close to home
 
Hey, posting here again...
32 MCAT (10/11/11) and 3.4 cgpa. Sgpa similar, but maybe a little bit lower. Over 2 years in research. Went to the university of michigan and majored in neuroscience.
My shadowing is limited...over 100 hours shadowing a D.O. in the E.R. But only 10 with a podiatrist. I actually really liked it though and I am genuinely interested. Just a bit late in checking out the field.
I really want to attend kent state because it's close to home. I'm worried that because my LORs and ECs are for med school, I might not be accepted. Any thoughts?

Thank you :)
 
akp0088 said:
Hey, posting here again...
32 MCAT (10/11/11) and 3.4 cgpa. Sgpa similar, but maybe a little bit lower. Over 2 years in research. Went to the university of michigan and majored in neuroscience.
My shadowing is limited...over 100 hours shadowing a D.O. in the E.R. But only 10 with a podiatrist. I actually really liked it though and I am genuinely interested. Just a bit late in checking out the field.
I really want to attend kent state because it's close to home. I'm worried that because my LORs and ECs are for med school, I might not be accepted. Any thoughts?

Thank you :)
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Your chances are very good at all podiatry schools, including KSUCPM. You're likely to receive a large scholarship as well. You aren't late to apply, but try to do so early for the best scholarship opportunities. Given that allopathic, osteopathic, and podiatric medical schools all practice medicine, I'm certain your LORs (if generalized to "medical school") and ECs will be fine.

A LOR from a podiatrist is usually a requirement to matriculate, so do keep this in mind. I also recommend to continue shadowing to parse out whether podiatry is a good fit for you and your future goals. Podiatry is a great field and I wish you luck in applying!
 
Asksport said:
Your chances are very good at all podiatry schools, including KSUCPM. You're likely to receive a large scholarship as well. You aren't late to apply, but try to do so early for the best scholarship opportunities. Given that allopathic, osteopathic, and podiatric medical schools all practice medicine, I'm certain your LORs (if generalized to "medical school") and ECs will be fine.

A LOR from a podiatrist is usually a requirement to matriculate, so do keep this in mind. I also recommend to continue shadowing to parse out whether podiatry is a good fit for you and your future goals. Podiatry is a great field and I wish you luck in applying!
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Thank you so much. That makes me feel a lot better
 
I'm sorry but I feel like no one ever looks at the entry stats for pod schools. Are people serious when they come on here saying things "I have a 34 MCAT and 3.9 GPA do I even have a chance??" Often wonder if they're genuinely curious or if they just want show off their stats. A 20 second Google search would let these people know that to get in you need a 3.0+, a 20+ and be a normal person who has shadowed and understands what podiatry entails... End of story pretty much.
Sorry for the rant haha
 
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Hey everyone, just got my MCAT results back and I'm freaking out a bit because I didn't do very well, and wanted to get of sense of how I stand.

3.4 cGPA
3.2 sGPA
22 MCAT (8/6/8)
Shadowed DPM 20 hours
100+ hours volunteering at AIDs clinic.

I feel like i have no shot :(
 
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insaini said:
Hey everyone, just got my MCAT results back and I'm freaking out a bit because I didn't do very well, and wanted to get of sense of how I stand.

3.4 sGPA
3.2 sGPA
22 MCAT (8/6/8)
Shadowed DPM 20 hours
100+ hours volunteering at AIDs clinic.

I feel like i have no shot :(
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Don't freak out, you'll definitely get in somewhere with those stats
 
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Western's stats for class of 2018

3.38 cGPA
3.31 sGPA
24 MCAT

anyone else think they are inflating them on purpose? Those are even higher than the the dental school stats which doesn't really add up to me...
 
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Toadesque said:
Western's stats for class of 2018

3.38 cGPA
3.31 sGPA
24 MCAT

anyone else think they are inflating them on purpose? Those are even higher than the the dental school stats which doesn't really add up to me...
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You're correct the numbers do not match what is presented in the 2015 Podiatric Medical College Information Book put out by AACPM.

http://www.aacpm.org/html/careerzone/pdfs/2015 CIB.pdf


In the book- the stats for 2013 class were:

overall gpa: 3.26
sgpa: 3.12
MCAT: 22 (with range from 17-30)
 
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Toadesque said:
Western's stats for class of 2018

3.38 cGPA
3.31 sGPA
24 MCAT

anyone else think they are inflating them on purpose? Those are even higher than the the dental school stats which doesn't really add up to me...
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I also noticed this discrepancy. Sort of strange. Perhaps those are applicant stats instead of the matriculant stats in the CPM info book.
 
Asksport said:
I also noticed this discrepancy. Sort of strange. Perhaps those are applicant stats instead of the matriculant stats in the CPM info book.
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Perhaps... but I noticed for DMU the stats were relatively similar - their website reported lower GPAs and MCAT scores in fact.

"The class of 2018 has 3.41 average cumulative GPA and a 3.25 average science GPA
The average MCAT score is 23.3"

The lookbook reports:
overall gpa: 3.45
sgpa: 3.30
MCAT: 23.75

Also for comparison's sake Rosalind Franklin reports same gpa, sgpa only discrepancy is MCAT which class profile shows 22.7 while book states 23 (I assume they just rounded)?
 
podkit10 said:
You're correct the numbers do not match what is presented in the 2015 Podiatric Medical College Information Book put out by AACPM.

http://www.aacpm.org/html/careerzone/pdfs/2015 CIB.pdf


In the book- the stats for 2013 class were:

overall gpa: 3.26
sgpa: 3.12
MCAT: 22 (with range from 17-30)
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Well these are the stats for the class of 2017 students. The stats I posted are supposedly for the class of 2018 (i.e current freshmans). It just seems a bit strange to me that the stats skyrocketed like that in one year. I think they inflated them on purpose to look more prestigious tbh. It wouldn't surprise me honestly, when I interviewed there the only impression I could get was that they cared more about being on par with MD/DO prestige wise than anything else
 
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Toadesque said:
Well these are the stats for the class of 2017 students. The stats I posted are supposedly for the class of 2018 (i.e current freshmans). It just seems a bit strange to me that the stats skyrocketed like that in one year. I think they inflated them on purpose to look more prestigious tbh. It wouldn't surprise me honestly, when I interviewed there the only impression I could get was that they cared more about being on par with MD/DO prestige wise than anything else
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Congrats on the interview.. Have they sent any acceptances out yet? I haven't seen anyone comment on their interviews at Western for this cycle. I have not been offered an interview there yet but So Cal would be a nice change of pace... Just super expensive and their curriculum looks very rigorous (from an outsider's perspective).
 
Toadesque said:
Well these are the stats for the class of 2017 students. The stats I posted are supposedly for the class of 2018 (i.e current freshmans). It just seems a bit strange to me that the stats skyrocketed like that in one year. I think they inflated them on purpose to look more prestigious tbh. It wouldn't surprise me honestly, when I interviewed there the only impression I could get was that they cared more about being on par with MD/DO prestige wise than anything else
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I got the same vibe at my interview.
 
podkit10 said:
Congrats on the interview.. Have they sent any acceptances out yet? I haven't seen anyone comment on their interviews at Western for this cycle. I have not been offered an interview there yet but So Cal would be a nice change of pace... Just super expensive and their curriculum looks very rigorous (from an outsider's perspective).
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Sorry should have mentioned I interviewed for last cycle, I am a pod student at another school
 
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@Toadesque Often schools report the 'accepted' stats instead of the 'matriculated' stats since the accepted stats tend to be a bit higher than the matriculated one. They do that even in the MD/DO world.
 
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OsteopathicHopeful said:
Hello All!

If you read my name you'll realize that I am currently applying for DO schools. I am reconsidering my options and am seriously considering DPM as an option. I am a scrub tech in the OR and have worked with plenty of podiatrists. I have an appreciation for what they do and can see myself very satisfied in the career. It will provide me the opportunity to do what I love, serving the community taking care of patients and doing procedural work (surgical). To start off my quest in deciding if podiatry is right for me, I wanted to post my current stats and see where I am weak and what I need to do to improve. If you could take the time to evaluate my app and provide feedback, it is much appreciated. Thank You!

27yr old male
white
married with 1 son
Indiana resident
BS in human biology minor in chemistry
Surgical technologist for 6 years with lots of surgical assisting experience in all specialties
TA/SI for chemistry and freshmen biology
cumGPA 3.44 / sciGPA 3.65c / MCAT 22 breakdown 6/6/10
I have taken all the pre reqs and received A's and a couple B's in those classes
I have a large upward trend from my CC days
my lowest grades were 3 C's during CC days when younger
I have lots of shadowing experience with MD/DO
I need to start shadowing DPM.....none yet
I have a few other EC and volunteer stuff too


If you have any other questions feel free to ask
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Just so you know I made a 20 on my MCAT and received an interview invite to AZPod, so there still might be hope for you there, too! Just FYI :)
 
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insaini said:
Hey everyone, just got my MCAT results back and I'm freaking out a bit because I didn't do very well, and wanted to get of sense of how I stand.

3.4 cGPA
3.2 sGPA
22 MCAT (8/6/8)
Shadowed DPM 20 hours
100+ hours volunteering at AIDs clinic.

I feel like i have no shot :(
Click to expand...
Don't freak out, I made a 20 on my MCAT and already have 5 Pod school interviews set up within a week of being verified. :)
 
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1. TUSPM, AZPOD, DMU, DSCPM
2. cGPA:3.11 sGPA:3.60
3. MCAT Score: 27
4. Podiatry Experience: Have shadowed a podiatrist for about 16 hours and am continuing to do so.
5. Non-Podiatry Shadowing/Clinical Experience: Have well over 150 hours shadowing other physicians in and out of the operating room.
6. Volunteering -
250 hours volunteering in emergency department and post operative care at hospitals and at urgent care satellite locations.
40 hours volunteering with underprivileged families working on proper nutrition and exercise.
300+ Hours working as clinical lab assistant for Kaiser Permanente.
 
Podicus said:
1. TUSPM, AZPOD, DMU, DSCPM
2. cGPA:3.11 sGPA:3.60
3. MCAT Score: 27
4. Podiatry Experience: Have shadowed a podiatrist for about 16 hours and am continuing to do so.
5. Non-Podiatry Shadowing/Clinical Experience: Have well over 150 hours shadowing other physicians in and out of the operating room.
6. Volunteering -
250 hours volunteering in emergency department and post operative care at hospitals and at urgent care satellite locations.
40 hours volunteering with underprivileged families working on proper nutrition and exercise.
300+ Hours working as clinical lab assistant for Kaiser Permanente.
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You're good.
 
1. All pod schools
2) cGPA 2.81 sGPA 2.88
3) MCAT : 31
4) Audiology research, podiatry volunteering, volunteering with children

Whats my chance?
 
the1studentyup said:
1. All pod schools
2) cGPA 2.81 sGPA 2.88
3) MCAT : 31
4) Audiology research, podiatry volunteering, volunteering with children

Whats my chance?
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Tough to say. This is a situation that you need to call the schools and see which ones will take a look at your trending GPA. I say you have a shot but others may disagree.
 
My grades have been going up in my junior year to pretty much all 3.5's. When do you think I should apply to the schools. Now or at the end of my winter semester?
 
3.4 cGPA, 3.3 sGPA, 24 MCATs, Masters in Bio, published in paper, and presented at collegiate science conferences, volunteered at various hospitals since sophomore year of HS (~600 hours).

Looked at NYCPM yesterday. Does anyone know where else my stats would give me a decent chance at getting accepted to pod school?
 
owl2882 said:
3.4 cGPA, 3.3 sGPA, 24 MCATs, Masters in Bio, published in paper, and presented at collegiate science conferences, volunteered at various hospitals since sophomore year of HS (~600 hours).

Looked at NYCPM yesterday. Does anyone know where else my stats would give me a decent chance at getting accepted to pod school?
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Your status says pre-med... Anyway, you probably have good shot at all pod schools and some low tier DO schools.
 
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1. Applying to Kent, NYCPM, definitely more but it will depend on seat availability.
2. cGPA is at 2.9.... close to 3, but after this semester, assuming I get over a 3.5 it will be up.
My sGPA is around 3.2, give or take but it is not under a 3.0
3. MCAT- Haven't taken it- trying to register still, if I have to take the new one, so be it.
4. Pod Experience is pretty good. I've shadowed/observed surgeries....etc..
5. Non-pod experience, I've shadowed D.O./M.D./DDS
6. Volunteer.. weak here, little volunteering aside from a blood drive, I'm sure I can come up with something I've done..

So really, I want to know where I need to be on the MCAT, My science GPA should turn out around 3.3 considering this semester is going well. I don't have much time to study for the MCAT so I am worried about that.
What I am most worried about is if/when I take the MCAT and get scores back it will be very late in the cycles and that my score won't be the best. I do have an open month to study, but one month is not a lot of time considering the content comprehension and strategy required to do well.

Where do I need to be for late cycle interviews?
How well can I do with 1 month of hardcore studying (45-50 hrs./week). I'm confident I can grasp the content, however, the test-taking strategy may end up being be my weak point due to my small time frame.
 
P.S.
I have started to study for the MCAT, but very minimally. Just content overview here and there when I get an extra hour to outline something and brush up on terminology and concepts, but nothing major yet.
 
Yeah... I know that the score is key. Just looking for some inspiration really. The buddies I have in D.O or M.D have pretty high scores, but they all set aside a solid 3 or so months and focused on nothing but studying.

How long did it take some of you in the studying process until you started seeing consistent 21-23s on full lengths?
I'm hoping to get a day soon where I can do the AAMC #3 completely cold just for somewhat of an idea and maybe some other diagnostic to see if I'm strong in any of the sections purely by content knowledge from courses.
Anyone start studying and 3-4 weeks in start seeing 20s on full lengths?
I would like to score mid to upper 20s, but thats easier said than done. I'm just gonna bust it and hope I get at least >20.. If so, I'll know I have the ability to improve with more study time for next year.
 
I'm in a similar situation as fdpm1, what sort of score should we aim for.
 
We gotta shoot high! One month for prep isn't the best but we'll know where we stand when we're getting toward our test date.
For now.... Anyone have any insight on how this 1 month cram session will go?
I am nervous to see my cold diagnostic.
theconzumer, have you taken MCAT or any full lengths yet? If so, how are they looking?
 
You really don't have to study very hard to get a 21-23...Once you get the format of the exam down you should be in that range if have a decent science background. I studied for a month for only a few hours a day and ended up with a 25. The hard part is getting in that 30 range, but thankfully you don't have to worry about that for pod school.
 
fdpm1 said:
We gotta shoot high! One month for prep isn't the best but we'll know where we stand when we're getting toward our test date.
For now.... Anyone have any insight on how this 1 month cram session will go?
I am nervous to see my cold diagnostic.
theconzumer, have you taken MCAT or any full lengths yet? If so, how are they looking?
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I'm planning on doing the new 2015 MCAT. A lot of the new sections are something I'm very familiar with and hopefully it benefits me. Are you doing the January MCAT?
 
I'm working on taking it in January.. All seats are taken so I'm hoping people will drop out eventually and just opt for the new one. I'm not completely opposed to taking the new test but I want to take the current one, mostly due to time. I would prefer to have it done at the beginning of next semester so there is no interference.
Toadesque, how complex is the format? Are passages/full lengths, and constant repetition of the two the best way to get used to the format? I have Kaplan, TPR, and Exam Krackers for study sources.

My plan was going to be:
Exam Krackers for science content/passages.
Kaplan/TPR for verbal and any practice passages they have in the books.
Kaplan and AAMC for full lengths.
 
November 7th is wide open! Guess I could take full lengths for 10 days and go in cold and pray for a 21! Haha! not paying $300 to witness first-hand failure and potentially making myself look worse to the schools, wish I would have implemented some studying this summer/ throughout semester, could be taking it now with chance for a retake:unsure:
 
fdpm1 said:
November 7th is wide open! Guess I could take full lengths for 10 days and go in cold and pray for a 21! Haha! not paying $300 to witness first-hand failure and potentially making myself look worse to the schools, wish I would have implemented some studying this summer/ throughout semester, could be taking it now with chance for a retake:unsure:
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Awe man, well I'm sure you can get a great score. I have two years left before I would apply (in a 5 year co-op program) so I'm not stressed out about it but, there isn't any period of time I am free to study because I'm either on a work term or school term.
 
At least you have some time! Just slowly start spacing it out. Buy review materials here and there as they're made for the new exam and continuously study over a year, especially during the work terms! When you have courses relative to the test, review and make outlines and neural connections between the information and you'll always have that to look at come crunch time!

Spartiatis, I'm going for fall '15 cycle as well. I don't know enough about admissions, but I'd bet that 30 MCAT is gonna look darn good to admissions. If they look around the GPA and to the MCAT you'd be in luck. I'd apply asap if I were you and just go over some interview questions and be ready to explain away your low GPA, you obviously have the ability, just prove that you have the drive to go with it.

Now, how the heck did you go from 19 to 30? and how was studying to get a 19 different from a 30? I'm clueless to this test still so I have a deep fear of how mysterious and unfamiliar it is to me. Can I get a 21 in a month.........
 
fdpm1 said:
At least you have some time! Just slowly start spacing it out. Buy review materials here and there as they're made for the new exam and continuously study over a year, especially during the work terms! When you have courses relative to the test, review and make outlines and neural connections between the information and you'll always have that to look at come crunch time!

Spartiatis, I'm going for fall '15 cycle as well. I don't know enough about admissions, but I'd bet that 30 MCAT is gonna look darn good to admissions. If they look around the GPA and to the MCAT you'd be in luck. I'd apply asap if I were you and just go over some interview questions and be ready to explain away your low GPA, you obviously have the ability, just prove that you have the drive to go with it.

Now, how the heck did you go from 19 to 30? and how was studying to get a 19 different from a 30? I'm clueless to this test still so I have a deep fear of how mysterious and unfamiliar it is to me. Can I get a 21 in a month.........
Click to expand...

I went face-first the first time and then took an MCAT course the second :)
 
Nice, if I don't do well I'll likely go with the Kaplan tutor/course bundle for the new test. I'd say you'll be alright though, if you see the average MCATs of acceptances and the min and max scores, you're up toward the max. If GPA is the problem then I would just enroll in something for a year and make sure its something I'd get a 4.0 in and raise it, one year is worth your career but hopefully they see that 30 before they think of tossing the app. Applying to all 9 should help and I'd say the sooner the better.

Note all: this is what I think, I do not know for sure.
 
spartiatis said:
(for Fall 2015 cycle)

- Applying to all 9 schools
- 2.8 cGPA / 2.4 sGPA (Biochemistry Major with one year informal post-bacc)
- 30 MCAT (retake, up from 19)
- Shadowed 2 podiatrists (good LORs)
- Campus EMT, academic research w/ thesis, hospital clinical research intern, many other scientific/leadership ECs
- Volunteered at hospital in post-op surgical care for some summers (multitude of patients and scenarios)

When I calculated my GPA I included old classes which I retook (an F and a D). I know my GPA is bad (no real trend, all over the place honestly), but will everything else make up for it?
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This doesn't look good. Yeah you have a high MCAT but you can't just ride that into podiatry school. If you get in I would be worried about being able to stay in a school. Pod school is HARD and not just another go at undergrad. I would talk to some school advisors and see what they think. I would hate for you to end up without a degree and 100K of debt in couple years down the road.
 
fdpm1 said:
1. Applying to Kent, NYCPM, definitely more but it will depend on seat availability.
2. cGPA is at 2.9.... close to 3, but after this semester, assuming I get over a 3.5 it will be up.
My sGPA is around 3.2, give or take but it is not under a 3.0
3. MCAT- Haven't taken it- trying to register still, if I have to take the new one, so be it.
4. Pod Experience is pretty good. I've shadowed/observed surgeries....etc..
5. Non-pod experience, I've shadowed D.O./M.D./DDS
6. Volunteer.. weak here, little volunteering aside from a blood drive, I'm sure I can come up with something I've done..

So really, I want to know where I need to be on the MCAT, My science GPA should turn out around 3.3 considering this semester is going well. I don't have much time to study for the MCAT so I am worried about that.
What I am most worried about is if/when I take the MCAT and get scores back it will be very late in the cycles and that my score won't be the best. I do have an open month to study, but one month is not a lot of time considering the content comprehension and strategy required to do well.

Where do I need to be for late cycle interviews?
How well can I do with 1 month of hardcore studying (45-50 hrs./week). I'm confident I can grasp the content, however, the test-taking strategy may end up being be my weak point due to my small time frame.
Click to expand...

Get a 35.:)

You should be trying to get the highest score that you can as to make yourself a better candidate. If you plan on taking the MCAT soon then you will probably be aiming at mid 20's (less studying = lower score) but if you have time to prepare then why not aim for above a 30? Don't limit yourself. If you are on the border of a 3.0 then you need to make sure to do well on the MCAT.
 
SLCpod said:
This doesn't look good. Yeah you have a high MCAT but you can't just ride that into podiatry school. If you get in I would be worried about being able to stay in a school. Pod school is HARD and not just another go at undergrad. I would talk to some school advisors and see what they think. I would hate for you to end up without a degree and 100K of debt in couple years down the road.
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I understand that completely. Does it make any difference that my sGPA could potentially be a ~2.7 and cGPA a ~3.0 (all upper-level science courses) after I complete my post-bacc this academic year?
 
spartiatis said:
I understand that completely. Does it make any difference that my sGPA could potentially be a ~2.7 and cGPA a ~3.0 (all upper-level science courses) after I complete my post-bacc this academic year?
Click to expand...

Sure your scores may be trending up but your science GPA is still quite low. You won't be getting into a school with a small class size. If you want to get into a smaller class then apply and see what happens.
 
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