What Colleges are good too go too before podiatry school?

[rickie]

I'm a junior in highschool and im looking at college and i was wondering which ones would be ideal for podiatry.

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[prettypod]

Any school with a good sciences program. The actual name of the school is not important. A good foundation in chemistry, biology, physics will help you very much when you get to the medical program of your choosing!
Good Luck!

 

[lojick]

...attend the cheapest school possible. All undergrad institutions grant you the same bachelors. Just make sure to have competitive grades and try to get involved with extracurriculars (shadowing, community service, clubs, honor society, etc...) early on. also, attempt to stay out of debt, save some money, and party as much as possible...

 

[air bud]

pick the one with hot girls, a good football team, bar scene and science program. Figure out how to balance them, have fun for 4 years and then apply.

 

[handoverfist77]

pick the one with hot girls, a good football team, bar scene and science program. Figure out how to balance them, have fun for 4 years and then apply.

I like where your head's at

 

[handoverfist77]

...attend the cheapest school possible. All undergrad institutions grant you the same bachelors. Just make sure to have competitive grades and try to get involved with extracurriculars (shadowing, community service, clubs, honor society, etc...) early on. also, attempt to stay out of debt, save some money, and party as much as possible...

They may all grant the same bachelors, but all bachelors are not created equally if you get my drift. Ultimately it does rest on the individual though.

 

[lojick]

They may all grant the same bachelors, but all bachelors are not created equally if you get my drift. Ultimately it does rest on the individual though.

...your correct not all bachelors are the same. if your job prospects only require a bachelors as the highest level of education, then probably the institution is important. however, most fields of study require at least a master's, so there is no reason to blow a stack of benjamins on undergrad.
...if you have a good scholarship/free ride, then for sure. if not, imo, there is no sound justification.

 

[dtrack22]

My official "pre-health" committee letter of recommendation was written by 2 tenured professors who had me in various classes throughout my 4 years in undergrad. I would guarantee you that a small (typically private) college setting is going to produce LOR's like mine that blow [insert state school here] out of the water. Yes, upper divs are tough no matter where you go but its much easier to develop a personal relationship with a prof when you are in classes no bigger than 60 students (and that was freshman chem). Plus, entrance standards are higher, meaning that those who entered grad programs before you were smart people, meaning that they are less likely to give your school a bad rap. Example: the director of Mayo's pt program called one of our pre-med advisors and asked to be personally informed when a pre-PT student from our University applied to his program so he could review their files. This was after one of our grads performed well at Mayo. I had comments from several interviewers about the quality of education I received (they had heard of my University) as well.

Even if it is going to cost a few grand more than a public school, going to a small private university with a strong pre-med program should be considered an investment and not some financial burden.

 

[janV88]

Go to the cheapest school. Make your grades, mcat, LORs, etc. speak for themselves.

 

[UW66]

Dtrack im gonna go ahead and butt heads with ya here, cause i cant simply let this private school boasting go unopposed!

a private school doesnt guarantee you anything. Nothing in this world guarantees you anything. letters of recc are gonna be of little consequence anywhere you go. You can work in labs, TA, do research, volunteer at hospitals and whathaveyou anywhere to obtain quality letters. If youre a great person, with a great personality, whos passionate at all about what theyre doing with/for the potential letter writer, then youre gonna get a quality letter. Id almost turn it around and say its easier to obtain letters at a larger institution where theres more on-campus opportunities to get involved with.

And as far as entrance standards producing students with great reps in grad school that trail back to the undergrad? Sounds like whitman propaganda to me. Theres great students from every school who go on to bring their undergrad instiutions great reps.
How many people who're total asses, or poor students, go on to grad school to provide any kind of bad rep for their undergrad anyway? And further more the majority of graduate programs dont give a damn where you came from. they see you, as an individual, with a quality or subpar application, and they interview you based on that.
And we can all tell stories about how someone at an interviews heard of our school and how great it is gimme a break. (long as ya arent from WSU lol)

debt is a big deal. Even at a state school for 4 years that debts gonna follow me for god knows how long. I have friends, a girlfriend, and now some classmates in pod school coming out of private schools saying the same thing on a daily basis. "oh my god, why did i spend so much money to get here when i could have done it anywhere else." And im sure some of them dont regret it, and im sure they had a great time, and were granted a tremendous education, but its definitely something to consider. Debt is a big deal.

ANYWAY, moral of the story is, and a msg youll hear over and over again like a broken record: ---the undergrad, the graduate school, the city.... it all boils down to you and how hard you're willing to work. You can go to a fancy private school, pay an ungodly amount of money, and go to the graduate medical program of your choice. Or you can go to a state school, or a community college for a few years, and still go to that same program. Different places, different experiences, different levels of debt, and YOURE the deciding factor when it comes time for admissions.

 

[dtrack22]

Debt is a big deal.

I payed less for my education than you did at UW...shoot, I payed less for my education at a school who's total cost was about $28k when I started and $33k when I graduated, than I would have had I taken a football scholy at one of our fine state institutions.

The one thing you have to remember about private schools when it comes to tuition (I have no idea what Whitman does...but you're close ) is that they typically give out VERY generous academic scholarships for a certain GPA/SAT score. I received about $14k right off the top my first year bringing that $28K total down to $14k before ANY other aid I received. I ended up paying about $8k/year.

We weren't all given the God-given ability to dodge bullets on 17th like you UW...even Huskies bleed crimson

 

[dyk343]

My official "pre-health" I would guarantee you that a small (typically private) college setting is going to produce LOR's like mine that blow [insert state school here] out of the water.

Not true. My undergrad university had ~32,000 students. In my upper level courses I knew my teachers like they were my friends... and I got STELLAR letters. Plus its ranked one of the top 25 public schools in the nation.

Temple states in their pre-interview packet that they do not just look at gpa/mcat. They also look at LOR's, Working/class load, AND difficulty/ranking of undergraduate institution.

 

[janV88]

I think people put too much emphasis on how their undergrad ranks in US News. It does not matter!! What matters is your GPA, MCAT, LORs, etc.

During interviews I have heard of people getting compliments because of their MCAT, GPA, LOR, volunteering, leadership, etc. I have never heard of anyone getting complimented for attending a "highly ranked" university. (Exceptions are Harvard, Stanford, etc, or the interviewers alma mater)

 

[Paulywog]

I think people put too much emphasis on how their undergrad ranks in US News. It does not matter!! What matters is your GPA, MCAT, LORs, etc.

During interviews I have heard of people getting compliments because of their MCAT, GPA, LOR, volunteering, leadership, etc. I have never heard of anyone getting complimented for attending a "highly ranked" university. (Exceptions are Harvard, Stanford, etc, or the interviewers alma mater)

Agree. I went to a "highly ranked" University, but it really doesn't matter. I did choose the University because it I could succeed there better than any other place, cheap tuition, location, family nearby, religious reasons, ladies (got married), sports program strength, etc...
a lot goes into picking a school. Like people said, you will not get into Podiatry school because of your undergrad, but you will get in based MAINLY on GPA and MCAT performance. Have fun. Best 4 years ever!

 

[UW66]

Okay Dtrack lol, ok ok. Im certainly not here for a pissin match. I just wanted to present another perons point of view. I am aware that private schools hand out exceptional academic scholarships, and thats fabulous, i also know maintaining those are extremely difficult. Like i said i have a host of friends who decided whitman gonzaga whitworth etc were for them. so ive heard the stories. half-off scholarships arnt the norm though...if everyone was landing those the school wouldnt exist. One of my friends in spokane equated private schools to casinos once, and id say thats a pretty fair analogy.

 

[dtrack22]

As long as you go to the Bellagio and not the Emerald Queen then you're ok

 

[dyk343]

I agree undergraduate ranking doesn't matter as much for pod school... Allopathic... maybe a little more.

What I was really trying to address is that you can get good letters from bigger cheaper schools. I just threw in the top 25 to emphasize that I received really good letters. My particular program/major is ranked #6 in the nation, so the professors I received letters from were all prominent researchers in their field.

But I'm out of this convo because I'm technically not a podiatry student yet

 

[PADPM]

I'm going to chime in on this issue. I believe that at the present time, since podiatric medical school is not that competitive, it may not make a huge difference where you obtained your undergraduate education.

If we're brutally honest, there really aren't that many applications for the podiatric medical schools to fill all the available positions, therefore they aren't as select as they should be in all cases at the present time. Hopefully that will change in the near future, but as a result, I believe that the undergraduate institution isn't that great a factor.

However, I do believe that it is a factor when applying to allopathic and veterinary medical schools where there are a ridiculous number of highly qualified applications for a very limited number of positions. There are a LOT of students applying with very high GPA's and good MCAT scores, therefore, graduating a well respected undergraduate school certainly has it's perks.

I have a friend who is on the admissions committee of a very well know/prestigious allopathic medical school and my other friend's wife is the secretary to the dean of admissions of a veterinary medical school.

Both individuals told me the exact information. When receiving applications, they "sort" the applications into different piles. They are sorted according to different school "tiers". Tier 1 schools include the Ivy League schools, Stanford, Duke, MIT, Washington University in St. Louis, Emory University, Vanderbilt University, Rice University, just to name a few off the top of my head that they mentioned. Then they are sorted according to GPA's and MCAT scores, etc.

Coming from a less prestigious school does NOT mean you will not gain acceptance, but if all other factors are equal, the nod will go to the more prestigious school. The oversall census is that these schools have extremely high standards from day one. It is very difficult to gain acceptance into these schools and very difficult to stay in the program and "make it through". Many of these schools weed out the weaker students, and that's why most of these schools have a very high acceptance rate to professional schools among their graduates. It's what keeps up their ranking. The professional schools know that they aren't taking a gamble with these students, since they know the quality of the education received.

Once again, that's NOT to say a lesser known school does not produce quality students, but more prestigious schools are a "known commodity" with a proven track record.

And contrary to myth, just because you attend one of these prestigious schools doesn't mean you can't have a personal relationship with a professor or obtain great recommendations. You can be well known by your professor(s) depending on your involvement/activity in your particular department.

Both of my kids attend private well know "prestigious" schools, and I have no qualms about that fact. I don't know if it will make a difference some day in the future when it comes to obtaining a job, but I do know that they both worked extremely hard in high school, did extremely well and were accepted to top tier schools. When they wanted to go, I did not want to hold them back. I don't know if it will guarantee them a better job in the future, but I know the education they're receiving at these schools will certainly not hinder or hurt them. Additionally, my son was also recruited for soccer, and to play Division I soccer and receive a great education is a fantastic experience.

So the bottom line is that a great education at a top school will NEVER be a waste of money, but at the present time I'm not sure whether it is necessary or a significant advantage to gain acceptance into podiatric medical school.

I do believe that it is presently has an advantage to graduate a "top" school when attempting to gain acceptance into allopathic medical school or veterinary medical school due to the large pool of excellent and highly qualified applicants.

 

[BlueMerlin]

Get a 45 on the MCAT, and any pod school will let you in. Actually, anywhere in the 30's would probably work. HOWEVER, prestigious schools often have a more rigorous curriculum that will better prepare you for both standardized tests and the academics of Pod school. Don't worry about the prestige it will bring, worry about the knowledge and critical thinking you will receive.

 

[ckjets]

if you wanna get done really fast, ask the pod schools about joint programs they might have with colleges that will let you do 3 years in college, got to pod school and the pod school will issue you the BA and the DPM after 7 years, nycpm has them with like 20 schools, you'll save a year of tuition and crappy courses, you'll be done by age 25 with pod school, making tons of money by 28 when you just have finished your residency (assuming 4 other schools don't open in the next lustrum and everyone has good chance at a residency). Don't get too stressed.

 

[g squared 23]

Dear future podiatry school applicant,

You want to go to a school that offers the same basic science courses that you are going to take in podiatry school. That way, when the admissions people are looking at your grades, they will see that you already have passed and had some success in classes that you are going to take again in pod school. Intro to Earth Sciences/other generic non-medical based course may seem cool or like a nice upper level blow off class to boost your GPA, but it's a garbage class when the dean is looking at your transcript and deciding whether to let you in or not.

The most important class you can take in undergrad (in my opinion) is GROSS ANATOMY (a monster here at 7 credit hours). Go to a school where you can dissect a human cadaver and learn the human body, and it will make the course in pod school much, much easier. Not to mention, the lower limb dissection will tip you off as to whether you really want to work with feet the rest of your professional career. This is my single biggest regret in undergrad: not choosing a school that offered a gross anatomy course with human cadavers. When you tour an undergraduate college/university (or pod school for that matter), ask to see their Gross Anatomy lab. If they don't have one, look elsewhere.

A few other courses that your potential undergraduate institution should offer: physiology (soo important and fun), microbiology (boring, but a 6 credit hour beast that's important for us grade-wise), BIOCHEMISTRY (I HATED this course in undergrad because it was so difficult, but it made the course in pod school seem easy by comparison) and Cell biology (less important but most schools should offer it).

Again, look at the curriculum for the podiatry schools that you are hoping to one day attend. Then try to get into an undergraduate university in which you can take as many of those same classes as possible and then do well in them. Good luck.

 

[Podmeister]

How about grammar school.

 

[Shireiqiang]

How about grammar school.

 

[NatCh]

Rickie, how have you decided that you want to be a podiatrist already? As a junior in high school you have a long way before to go before you graduate from college, and a lot can happen in undergrad.