Podiatric Medicine

Overview of the Field
Recommended MUC Curricula
General Admittance Requirements
Application Process

Overview of the Field

"Podiatry is a field of medicine that strives to improve the overall health and well-being of patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing, and treating conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPMs) are physicians and surgeons who practice on the lower extremities, primarily on feet and ankles. The preparatory education of most DPMs includes four years of undergraduate work, followed by four years in an accredited podiatric medical school, followed by a hospital-based residency. DPMs are licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to diagnose and treat the foot and its related or governing structures by medical, surgical, or other means. The vast majority of states also include ankle care as part of the podiatric physician's scope of practice." (From the American Podiatric Medical Association website.)

For more information, please contact:

American Podiatric Medical Association
9312 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814-1621
http://www.apma.org/s_apma/index.asp

American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM)
15850 Crabbs Branch Way, Suite 320
Rockville, MD 20855
1-800-922-9266
http://www.aacpm.org

General Admittance Requirements

Academics requirements

To apply to Podiatry Schools, you must have completed at least 3 years (90 credits) of undergraduate work. All Podiatric Schools require 8 credits of Biology, 8 credits of general/inorganic chemistry, 8 credits of organic chemistry, 8 credits of physics, and 6 credits of English. Some schools require additional classes in biology, biochemistry, and behavioral sciences. You must contact individual schools for their specific requirements. While a bachelors degree is not required, 95% of students entering colleges of podiatry have completes bachelors degrees.

You must take the MCAT as a standardized test. In some cases, colleges will accept the GRE or DAT in lieu of the MCAT.

Non-academic requirements

Schools look for well rounded individuals with the ability to communicate, good interpersonal skills, leadership experience, a record of service, and some clinical experience. Specific knowledge and motivation for Podiatric medicine is important.

Successful applicant profile:

Podiatric Colleges are somewhat competitive. In recent years, 600-800 candidates have applied to schools nationwide and 500-600 were accepted. Here is a profile for students who applied to DPM schools recently:

MCAT Verbal: 7.2
MCAT Physical: 6.9
MCAT Biological: 7.1
Overall GPA: 3.2
Science GPA: 3.0

Recommended MUC Curricula

Medical schools will accept students from any major. There are better paths than others, however. Below is an alphabetical list of majors that are suggested for Mount Union College Students. Click a major to get a detailed four year plan to help you fulfill requirements for medical school.

Biochemistry
Biology
Chemistry

Application Process

Centralized Application Service

Osteopathic schools have a centralized application service called American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS.) You will use AACPMAS for your primary application to Podiatric Schools. This initial application service collects the “vital information” for your application, including personal information and MCAT scores, and then transmits them to the individual schools of your choosing. Once the individual medical colleges receive your primary application from AACOMAS, the college may contact you for a secondary application that is tailored specifically to their needs. Transcripts and letters of recommendation are sent with the secondary application directly to schools of interest.

Costs for AACPMAS range from $75-$275 depending on the number of schools to which you are applying.

The application for Fall entrance into Podiatry Schools begins in September of the previous year. For Priority consideration, the application must be processed by April 1 of the year of entrance. The final deadline is July 31 of the year of entrance.

For additional basic information about AACPMAS, click here.

You should establish an online account to work with AACPMAS by going to their website, http://www.e-aacpmas.org/ See this site for further information.

Admissions Tests

To be admitted to Podiatric Schools, you generally must take the Medical College Aptitude Test (MCAT.) The MCAT is administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC.) You can get detailed information about the test at their website, The Medical College Admissions Test. To get the most updated information about the MCAT, see the "Essentials" document.

Registering for the MCAT. There are many times to take the MCAT throughout the year. Plan ahead for a time that fits you best, and then register online early.
Cost of the MCAT. The MCAT costs approximately $250, but there is a possibility to reduce this cost for some individuals through the Fee Assistance Program.
When should I take the MCAT? Because the MCAT tests your basic knowledge of science, you should complete as many of your science courses as possible prior to taking the exam. This especially applies to the core courses of BI201, BI202, CH111, CH214, CH231, CH232, PH101, and PH102. At the same time, you must complete the exam prior to applying to your schools of interest. For most students, this means the summer between Junior and Senior year. Plan so that your scores will be released well before the AACPMAS Priority deadline of April 1 of the senior year.

Recommendations

The recommendation is a very important part of the application to Podiatric School. At Mount Union, you should use the committee letter system. It is also possible to use individual letters, but check with the schools to which you are applying to confirm their preference.

Personal Statement

You will need to make a personal statement in your primary application through AACPMAS, and you may need to make additional statements in secondary applications.

A good personal statement is essential to your application. You can get help in writing a statement from resources found on reserve in the library. Members of the Pre-Health Professions Committee are also willing to read and comment on your statement.

Deadlines

Primary applications are due for Priority consideration by April 1 of the year of entrance, but it is beneficial to complete the application process well before this date.

Schools of Interest

There are 8 Podiatric Schools in the United States. Many of our students apply to Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. For contact information for this schools and others, see the AACPM website.

Reciprocal Agreements

There are currently no reciprocal agreements between Mount Union College and Podiatric Schools.