This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Truth. Nothing gets my blood boiling than the 90% of the kids in my class posting "med school this and that".

but back to your original post.

a 23 is an excellent DAT. You be accepted into both programs and my magic 8 ball says scholarships are definitely a possibility.

NYCPM still takes the DAT. We like to talk about how we are phasing it out, but we still take it. I met quite a few students interviewing with DAT scores for the class of 2017. So as long as the e-aacpmas is still allowing you to submit your DAT for NYCPM, they are still accepting it.

Scholarships you say? What kind 🙂
 
GPA 2.3
MCAT 18

and lab experiences and shadowing

Should I apply? or wait and take MCAT again?

Thank you
 
Might want to raise both. Try to get a 2.8+ gpa and 20+

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
 
GPA 2.3
MCAT 18

and lab experiences and shadowing

Should I apply? or wait and take MCAT again?

Thank you

Very low chances at any program, even if you applied early. I would try to raise that GPA to AT LEAST a 2.5 (if you can) and get that MCAT to the mid-twenties.
 
Obviously you know you have a very low gpa and mcat. Some program have a cut off of 2.75-3.0 range. Azpod, DMU, etc. are pretty much out of reach. Your objective will be to move your gpa and mcat up to the 2.8-3.0 range and an mcat of 20+ (which is 30th percentile of test takers). I think the average gpa/mcat for most podiatry schools is 3.3 cgpa and a 24 mcat. Sorry if this sounds harsh but I do not want to give you false hope. I got wait listed at 2 programs and accepted at 3 programs with a 3.1 gpa and 25 mcat.
 
Last edited:
Do not waste your time or your money please.
 
Pod school isn't med school?
Someone is in for a surprise!

That's a might fine DAT score -why aren't you sticking with Teeth?
 
With a sgpa lower than 3.0 - kent and azpod won't even look at you (even with a high MCAT)

Raise MCAT with hard work and raise gpa with easy science classes and apply to temple.

Also have a damn good reason that your stats are so low - otherwise I would pursue other options.

Good luck!
 
Pod school isn't med school?
Someone is in for a surprise!

That's a might fine DAT score -why aren't you sticking with Teeth?

Well it's not medical school for M.D., it's for a DPM.

But it's a good profession, nonetheless.
 
Podiatric medical school or Podiatry school would be the most accurate. Referring to it as medical school isn't wrong, but can definitely be misleading.
 
OP, I refer to it as podiatric medical school. I proudly say podiatric and will rarely say medical school solely. As you said, we are not getting an M.D. I do believe it should be considered some
sort of medical school because legally we can amputate your foot 😉.

To boldly go where no foot fetish has gone before! (Kidding, I just saw the new movie and studying for the MCAT is makin me crazy!)
 
OP, I refer to it as podiatric medical school. I proudly say podiatric and will rarely say medical school solely. As you said, we are not getting an M.D. I do believe it should be considered some
sort of medical school because legally we can amputate your foot 😉.


To boldly go where no foot fetish has gone before! (Kidding, I just saw the new movie and studying for the MCAT is makin me crazy!)

Hahaha.


Yes the MCAT is a beast and you will literally feel the burden lifted off of your shoulders once you leave the Prometric testing center.
 
Podiatric medical school or Podiatry school would be the most accurate. Referring to it as medical school isn't wrong, but can definitely be misleading.

It's very misleading.

I just say Foot School or Pod Pod School. Whatever works in the given situation.
 
I thought every school had a minimum GPA of 2.75 to even apply??
 
Vision 2015 should be 3.2 minimum GPA and 24 MCAT...but then again opinions are like....
 
Im not sure if there are enough people applying to podiatry to raise the GPA and MCAT score? Because it would be nice to raise the standards
 
Im not sure if there are enough people applying to podiatry to raise the GPA and MCAT score? Because it would be nice to raise the standards

If you raise it...they will come...

Kevin_Costner_1(1).jpg
 
i never say that i'm attending medical school. i always make it very clear that it's podiatry or podiatric medical school.

some people prefer just to say med school not because they intend to mislead people, but rather because it's a hassle to explain to non-healthcare people what podiatry school is. i figure i might as well use it as an opportunity to educate another person about the profession.

the easiest 1 liner to explain it is "it's like dental school but for the feet." it's not entirely accurate but i'm probably not going to have a 30 minute conversation explaining the all similarities and differences.

as for the OPs chances, i think they are decent due to the nice DAT score. it just depends on the caliber of remaining candidates and the number of available seats.
 
i never say that i'm attending medical school. i always make it very clear that it's podiatry or podiatric medical school.

some people prefer just to say med school not because they intend to mislead people, but rather because it's a hassle to explain to non-healthcare people what podiatry school is. i figure i might as well use it as an opportunity to educate another person about the profession.

the easiest 1 liner to explain it is "it's like dental school but for the feet." it's not entirely accurate but i'm probably not going to have a 30 minute conversation explaining the all similarities and differences.

as for the OPs chances, i think they are decent due to the nice DAT score. it just depends on the caliber of remaining candidates and the number of available seats.

Thanks, I wasn't talking about this cycle but the one opening up in August. Thanks,
 
Well it's not medical school for M.D., it's for a DPM.

But it's a good profession, nonetheless.

I would argue that Pod school is the closest to Med school out of any other schools out there. Pod students have the same classes as MD schools but with more emphasis on the lower body. But more importantly, the Board exams are also very similar to the Boards that med students take. The only difference is that there is no behavior and biomechanical questions and it is 3 hours vs 8 hours for med students. But you still have anatomy, biochem, neuro, etc on there.

Then there is the 3 year residencies. The Pod I shadowed was a very recent graduate and he said the Pod residents were pretty much together with the Ortho residents during the surgical part of the residency. He thinks that is a good thing since it gives the future Ortho docs personal and first hand experience that Pods are well trained and competent.
 
But more importantly, the Board exams are also very similar to the Boards that med students take. The only difference is that there is no behavior and biomechanical questions and it is 3 hours vs 8 hours for med students. But you still have anatomy, biochem, neuro, etc on there.

USMLE and APMLE are very different.

I believe they allowed some kids from the california school to sit for it years back and they got butchered. We cover similar topics but the exams themselves are different beasts.

USMLE is full of a bunch of big long case studies...patient presents with this and that. here is an example of a USMLE step 1 question.

"A 52-year-old woman presents to the physician, because she has been experiencing multiple episodes of facial flushing for the last month. The episodes typically last 2 to 5 minutes, and she has reddening over her face, neck, and upper chest. She has noticed that they are associated with an increase in her heart rate. She is unable to predict when these episodes occur, but they are now increasing in frequency and occur 3 to 5 times a day. Additionally, she has been troubled by diarrhea for the last 3 weeks. The diarrhea is described as watery and voluminous. She denies any mucous or blood in the stool or bowl. On examination, she has several telangiectasias over the face and neck. Auscultation over the precordium reveals an S3 heart sound, as well as a blowing high pitched pansystolic murmur best heard over the left lower sternal border. The abdomen is diffusely tender and distended. The liver is notably enlarged with a span of 16 cm in the midclavicular line. No abdominal masses are palpable. What is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?"
a.Computed tomography (CT) abdomen
b.Liver function tests (LFTs)
c.Plasma-free metanephrines
d.Somatostatin
e.Urinary 24-hour 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)


Here is an example of APMLE question...

10. The glomerular filtration rate can be decreased by
(A) increased systemic blood pressure
(B) increased renal blood flow
(C) hyperglycemia
(D) constriction of the afferent arteriol


Our exam is straight spit back. You either know it or you don't. The only thing I could compare it to is the DAT. Which is also straight spit back.The med students exam is more intuitive, requiring you work through the problems. More like the MCAT. Where if you are good you can extract the necessary info from the question itself to arrive at the correct answer.

I would much rather take the APMLE over the USMLE any day.
 
USMLE and APMLE are very different.

I believe they allowed some kids from the california school to sit for it years back and they got butchered. We cover similar topics but the exams themselves are different beasts.

USMLE is full of a bunch of big long case studies...patient presents with this and that. here is an example of a USMLE step 1 question.

"A 52-year-old woman presents to the physician, because she has been experiencing multiple episodes of facial flushing for the last month. The episodes typically last 2 to 5 minutes, and she has reddening over her face, neck, and upper chest. She has noticed that they are associated with an increase in her heart rate. She is unable to predict when these episodes occur, but they are now increasing in frequency and occur 3 to 5 times a day. Additionally, she has been troubled by diarrhea for the last 3 weeks. The diarrhea is described as watery and voluminous. She denies any mucous or blood in the stool or bowl. On examination, she has several telangiectasias over the face and neck. Auscultation over the precordium reveals an S3 heart sound, as well as a blowing high pitched pansystolic murmur best heard over the left lower sternal border. The abdomen is diffusely tender and distended. The liver is notably enlarged with a span of 16 cm in the midclavicular line. No abdominal masses are palpable. What is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?"
a.Computed tomography (CT) abdomen
b.Liver function tests (LFTs)
c.Plasma-free metanephrines
d.Somatostatin
e.Urinary 24-hour 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)


Here is an example of APMLE question...

10. The glomerular filtration rate can be decreased by
(A) increased systemic blood pressure
(B) increased renal blood flow
(C) hyperglycemia
(D) constriction of the afferent arteriol


Our exam is straight spit back. You either know it or you don't. The only thing I could compare it to is the DAT. Which is also straight spit back.The med students exam is more intuitive, requiring you work through the problems. More like the MCAT. Where if you are good you can extract the necessary info from the question itself to arrive at the correct answer.

I would much rather take the APMLE over the USMLE any day.

I agree that the APMLE is way easier than the USMLE. The USMLE is 8 hours whereas APMLE is 3 hours. But, I wouldn't say the USMLE is like the MCAT at all. It is nowhere the same. It is an entirely different beast. My girlfriend is studying for it right now and all the questions require prior knowledge and they are 3-4th level questions.

The point I was trying to make on my previous post is that Pod school is the closest thing to Med school in terms of circumlum and the board exams, not that it is MD med school.
 
is the application opening August 5th? when does the website for application open?
 
What are my chances?
3.19 cGPA
3.27 sGPA
21 MCAT (7/6/8)
20+ hours shadowing a DO, working on a Pod this summer
Good LORs from professors and DO
Good ECs
 
Hey guys,

What are my chances of getting into ANY podiatry school? Which ones do you think I should apply to if I had to narrow it down to 5.


2. cGPA= 3.41 sGPA-=3.19
3. MCAT Score- still have to take
4. Podiatry Experience: I shadowed 4 different podiatrist, also have 2 family members who are currently doing rotations
5. have 100+ hours of volunteer hours at a local hospital
6. I am also the president of pre-podiatry club at my school. also with honor societies and other activities.

thanks!

also is it okay to apply before taking the mcat? I heard that somethings they give you a interview before you take the mcat.

You have a good chance at all the schools dependent on your MCAT score.

Should you apply before you get your MCAT score? I was in the same position last year and I decided to wait. I thought it was nice to review my app a few times while I waited.
 
Which schools should I apply to and which ones are my reach schools?

Take a look at this:

http://www.aacpm.org/html/statistics/PDFs/AppStats/Applicant_GPA.pdf

From this information I would say that you are fitting the averages for applicants pretty well. You will definitely get invites from the schools with large class sizes.

If I were in your shoes I would apply to your top schools (3?) and see if you get an invite. If not, then ask them what you can do to be a more competitive candidate. I am guessing that your MCAT would be the only thing that would hold you back. You would have plenty of time to brush up on your MCAT materials and retake the test if you needed to.
 
Hi! I was recently pre med; however, I decided earlier this year I wanted to go podiatry. I attended a tour of Temple Podiatry and realized this is what I want to do.

I have countless hours of volunteering at a hospital (pediatrics and ER) including an internship program I did last year. I have 100 hours shadowing a physician as well. I also cheer competitively at my school and coach little league. I did some research in a genetics lab last semester, as well.

Gpa: 3.64
sGpa: 3.5ish
Mcat: I haven't taken it yet, but I am scoring between an 18-21

Will my pre-med background hurt me while applying to podiatry? Is my mcat too low? 😕
 
Last edited:
If you applied now for this cycle you won't get any interviews. If you apply early next cycle you MIGHT get in somewhere but that MCAT is very low. I think Kent State accepted someone with an MCAT of 15 a year or two ago. If you can then I suggest you should retake the MCAT and get a 20+ then you would be set.
 
Hi! I was recently pre med; however, I decided earlier this year I wanted to go podiatry. I attended a tour of Temple Podiatry and realized this is what I want to do.

I have countless hours of volunteering at a hospital (pediatrics and ER) including an internship program I did last year. I have 100 hours shadowing a physician as well. I also cheer competitively at my school and coach little league. I did some research in a genetics lab last semester, as well.

Gpa: 3.64
sGpa: 3.5ish
Mcat: I haven't taken it yet, but I am scoring between an 18-21

Will my pre-med background hurt me while applying to podiatry? Is my mcat too low? 😕

Make sure to do the best you possibly can on your MCAT. Your GPA isn't going to change much but the higher the MCAT the more likely you can receive scholarships.

Will Pre-med hurt your chances? Heavens no. Podiatry is part of medicine. The majority of pre-pods are doing a pre-med route in their undergrad.
 
If you applied now for this cycle you won't get any interviews. If you apply early next cycle you MIGHT get in somewhere but that MCAT is very low. I think Kent State accepted someone with an MCAT of 15 a year or two ago. If you can then I suggest you should retake the MCAT and get a 20+ then you would be set.

Agreed.

Study for the MCAT. You will get your score back relatively early in the cycle if you take it in August.
 
A 15 on your MCAT is a HUGE red flag for most schools. You might be able to get by it for the first couple of years, but you will probably struggle to get through boards. Schools might release high stats for boards, but remember they national average for the past couple of years has been steady around 83%.

I think when it comes to these standard exams, it is not about how smart you are or how much details you know about a certain disease or subject, but rather organization, major picture, and how good are you in eliminating answer choices. Staying organized is key especially since you won't have the same resources and courses (Kaplan/princeton review) in preparing for your MCAT. The podiatry boards do not release any questions, so it is really hard for students and teachers to know what to teach and what to specifically study for the exam. Keep in mind there is not review book as well.
 
Which schools should I apply to and which ones are my reach schools?

I wouldn't say there is a big difference in terms of reach schools and backup schools in Pod since there are only 9 schools. This means that if your stats are good for one school, it should be good enough for all 9 schools.

However, here are some quirks that I know of regarding specific schools:

Western- They won't accept any pre-req classes less than a C. They are really strict about this. I know someone who had a 3.4 science GPA but had a C- from freshman year general chem lab and she wasn't even offered an interview because of a 1-credit lab course. She got interview invites from several other pod schools.

Temple: They ask for a letter of rec. from a Podiatrist. (ok that is normal, all schools want that) but they also ask for another letter from a health professional (MD/DO, dental, etc). I just thought that was strange. But I don't know how hardcore they enforce this policy? One of my prof. letters was an MD so he signed the letter Dr. BLAH BLAH MD, even though I didn't shadow him, he was just our anatomy prof. So maybe temple see that as good enough?
 
Make sure to do the best you possibly can on your MCAT. Your GPA isn't going to change much but the higher the MCAT the more likely you can receive scholarships.

Will Pre-med hurt your chances? Heavens no. Podiatry is part of medicine. The majority of pre-pods are doing a pre-med route in their undergrad.
Is my MCAT too low to apply? Will my GPA offset it slightly?
 
I wouldn't say there is a big difference in terms of reach schools and backup schools in Pod since there are only 9 schools. This means that if your stats are good for one school, it should be good enough for all 9 schools.

However, here are some quirks that I know of regarding specific schools:

Western- They won't accept any pre-req classes less than a C. They are really strict about this. I know someone who had a 3.4 science GPA but had a C- from freshman year general chem lab and she wasn't even offered an interview because of a 1-credit lab course. She got interview invites from several other pod schools.

Temple: They ask for a letter of rec. from a Podiatrist. (ok that is normal, all schools want that) but they also ask for another letter from a health professional (MD/DO, dental, etc). I just thought that was strange. But I don't know how hardcore they enforce this policy? One of my prof. letters was an MD so he signed the letter Dr. BLAH BLAH MD, even though I didn't shadow him, he was just our anatomy prof. So maybe temple see that as good enough?

I have a C in Organic 2 but a B or A in all other Pre-Recs. My university does the A=4, B=3, etc. so my GPA should be higher if I had numerical grades instead of just letter grades. My top 2 schools are NYCPM and KSCPM followed by Scholl's and Western. I have looked at the stats and NYCPM is my only real reach school. I am graduating from Mississippi State and I am a native of Florida. Do demographics play a role in chance of admission?
 
Is my MCAT too low to apply? Will my GPA offset it slightly?

Your MCAT is too low.

When many people compare their GPA and MCAT they hope that one might offset the other. When applying to MD or DO many of the schools take your MCAT and GPA and give you a score based on the two. The 5 DPM schools which I applied to (DMU, AZPOD, Scholl, Kent, CSPM) had a cut offf. In other words if you met all the academic requirements you were given a green flag. If you didn't then you were denied. So if I have a 3.75 and a 16 MCAT I wouldn't meet the MCAT cut off. My GPA and MCAT weren't ever combined.

Retake your MCAT.
 
I have a C in Organic 2 but a B or A in all other Pre-Recs. My university does the A=4, B=3, etc. so my GPA should be higher if I had numerical grades instead of just letter grades. My top 2 schools are NYCPM and KSCPM followed by Scholl's and Western. I have looked at the stats and NYCPM is my only real reach school. I am graduating from Mississippi State and I am a native of Florida. Do demographics play a role in chance of admission?

I don't think you are reaching for NYCPM. You will be fine.
 
I was offered interviews at all but 1 school I applied for and was accepted with scholarship to every one with a 2.78 sGPA and a 30P MCAT. I don't claim to know whether or not there is a cutoff (esp for my crappy GPA), but unless we know the actual numerical values, it is pointless to postulate. Best strategy is to show a strong upward trend and demonstrate passion for this field at your interviews.
 
I have a C in Organic 2 but a B or A in all other Pre-Recs. My university does the A=4, B=3, etc. so my GPA should be higher if I had numerical grades instead of just letter grades. My top 2 schools are NYCPM and KSCPM followed by Scholl's and Western. I have looked at the stats and NYCPM is my only real reach school. I am graduating from Mississippi State and I am a native of Florida. Do demographics play a role in chance of admission?

I don't think demographics will play a huge part, if a part at all. I know people who are in schools when when they are from a city that has a pod school. Example: I know a girl who is going to school at Temple even though she is from Cleveland with the Kent school only a few miles away.

The C in orgo 2 is not a big deal, bit what is your MCAT? Do good on the MCAT bio science section will prove that you know your orgo stuff.
 
Top