Pre-Podiatric Medicine

Preparation for Podiatry School

What should I major in if I want to go to medical school? There is not a specific major that is required for admittance in a podiatric medical program. With your advisor’s assistance you can design a program that meets the requirements to enter podiatric medical school while studying what you are most interested. Students who have developed excellent writing and speaking skills, possess analytic and synthetic thinking ability, life-long learners who are enthusiastic, and understand the interpersonal aspects of medicine are they type of students most podiatric medical schools seek. Your major does not determine your success in being accepted to medical school.
There are eight accredited podiatric medical colleges in the U.S.

Undergraduate Preparation

The “pre-med” suggested 4 year plan is a beginning point for students. There are certain criteria that must be fulfilled for admittance to medical school. You and your academic advisor will need to examine your interests, your academic record and the requirements to determine the best academic path for you.

Most schools require:

• CHEM 1110/1111 & 1120/1121 - General chemistry with lab, (2 semesters)
• CHEM 3510/3511 & 3520/3521 - Organic chemistry with lab, (2 semesters)
• BIOL 1110/1111 & 1120/1121 + 4 additional hours - General biology with lab, (2 semesters)
• PHYS 2010/2011 & 2020/2021 - Physics with lab, (2 semesters)
• MATH 1730 or 1830 or 1910 - College level math (some schools also specify calculus)
• ENG 1010 & 1020 & COMM 1010 - English Composition & Public Speaking
• BIOL 4310/4311 & 4320/4321 - Biochemistry is highly recommended by some schools

Early in your academic career you will need to research some of the medical schools you are interested in attending in order to insure you will meet all their criteria for admission. Some basic factors common to all professional schools include:

• Good undergraduate grades (overall GPA of 3.3, science gpa 3.1, non-science gpa 3.4)
• Competitive MCAT Test scores (7.1 VR, 7.1 PS, 7.5 BS = 21.7 avg)
• True interest in profession as demonstrated by shadowing or volunteering in the field
• Service-related experiences in people-oriented environments – long term service preferred to short bursts of unrelated service activities
• Exceptional communication skills
• Strong reference letters from professionals who know your character, as well as, your work ethic

Data source: AACPM Statistics average gpa and mcat scores for 2008 matriculants In 2008, there were 869 applicants and 425 matriculants to U.S. podiatric medicine schools. Note some podiatric schools accept DAT and GRE scores in lieu of MCAT scores.