Revised January 2018 REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO U.S. COLLEGES OF PODIATRIC MEDICINE OU Premedical Professions Advising Office, Dr. James Thompson, Director, Cate Center #1, Room 418 University of Oklahoma, 308 Cate Center Drive, Norman, OK 73019 (405) 325-1596
Basic Admissions Requirements for U.S. Colleges of Podiatric Medicine • A grade of "C" or better in all pre-requisite courses. Pass/Fail is not acceptable unless a higher-level course is taken for a grade. • A minimum of 90 hours of college credit, including pre-requisite courses, is required for admission. However, it is preferred that students matriculate with a bachelor’s degree. • A minimum overall and science GPA of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale. Please note: the average GPA of accepted students has been around 3.3 overall and 3.2 science nationwide. • Satisfactory score on the MCAT. Pease note: the average MCAT score of accepted students is around 497. Occasionally, the GRE or DAT will be accepted in lieu of the MCAT on a case-by-case basis.
Undergraduate Major There is no preferred major for medical school! Students should select a major that they find interesting and consider a strength.
Application Process A centralized application service is available through the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS) which is administered by the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACP). Applications are submitted one year before students expect to enter podiatry school and are available for submission in early August. Schools view applicants on a rolling basis, so apply when the application opens! For priority consideration, apply by March 1st for the upcoming Fall admission. The final application deadline date is June 30th of each year for Fall admission of the same year.
Shadowing/Hands-On Experience/ Exposure to Medicine Shadowing a DPM is the best way for students to learn about podiatric medicine, and students should aim to shadow at podiatrists prior to their application. At least 100 hours in a podiatrist’s office is recommended. Students should also strive to obtain direct patient contact hours in a medical setting. This can be obtained through volunteer work at a free clinic or through work as a medical assistant, EMT, phlebotomist, nurse tech, CNA, etc. The pre-med advising office maintains a list of free clinics in the OKC and Tulsa areas where many students have had good experiences interacting with patients. Many students also choose to participate in medical mission trips and Global Brigades to other countries. Please note that regardless of where you volunteer (in the US or abroad), you should NEVER participate in medical procedures beyond your scope of practice as a pre-med student! Taking basic vitals, for example, is fine. Putting in stitches or delivering babies is not—unless you have specialized training and certification to do so.
MCAT On the opposite side of this sheet, you will find the four sections of the MCAT—Chemistry/Physics, Critical Analysis/Reasoning Skills, Biological Sciences, and Behavioral Sciences—as well as the courses at OU that will support you in these areas. These courses should be completed prior to taking the MCAT exam. This test is often taken in the spring or summer in which the student applies to medical school. A test date in April or May would allow a student to see their scores before the applications open in June. If needed, students can re-take the MCAT later in the summer or early fall to improve the strength of their application. Remember, take time to prepare for the exam and do not plan to take the MCAT just for practice! Medical schools will see all MCAT attempts as part of the student’s application.
Sample Course Timeline The following timeline is an example of how you might wish to schedule your pre-podiatry courses. Timing of these courses may change due to placement exams or major requirements, as well as study abroad experiences. In addition to these courses, each student will fit in any classes required by their major. Note: Elements of Psychology, Intro to Sociology, and Statistics courses can be fit in anywhere in years 1-3.
Fall Semester Spring Semester Summer Year 1 General Chemistry I General Chemistry II Math (continue until Calculus completed) Intro Biology (1124 or 1114/1121) English I English II
Year 2 Organic Chemistry I Organic Chemistry II and Lab Intro to Biochemistry Physics I Physics II (or year 3)
Year 3 Cell Biology, Genetics, and/or Physiology Cell Biology, Genetics, and/or Physiology MCAT by May/June/July Apply by August/September
Year 4 Additional Upper-Division Sciences Additional Upper-Division Sciences Get ready for Podiatry Podiatry School Interviews Podiatry School Interviews School! Podiatry School Prerequisite Courses / Recommended Courses for the MCAT (broken down into the four MCAT test sections)
The following courses are considered required for success on the MCAT, which is a critical component of your application to podiatry school. Many of these courses are also prerequisite courses for medical school, but the requirements at each school vary. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check the prerequisites at each school to which they apply.
Many programs would like to see additional upper division science courses, such as Animal Histology, Microbiology, Animal Development, Neurobiology, Immunology, Virology, Cell Biology Lab, Genetics Lab, and so on.
While most programs will accept AP/CLEP credit, students should carefully consider retaking the class for a letter grade. Whenever AP credit is used for a science pre-requisite, the student must take additional classes in that subject at a higher level.
More information on the 9 U.S. Colleges of Podiatric Medicine can be found at the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine’s website, www.aacpm.org.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS/ BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES CHEMISTRY/PHYSICS REASONING SKILLS
Calculus English Intro to Biology/Zoology Elements of Psychology MATH 1743, 1823, or 1914 ENGL 1113 &1213 or BIOL 1114 plus lab 1121 PSY 1113 (Note: Some schools may require 2 EXPOc or or plus semesters of Calculus.) HONORS Perspectives BIOL 1124 and/or 1134* PSY 2403 (recommended if AP (depending on your major) credit used for PSY 1113) General Chemistry I & II *1124 is recommended for the MCAT.
CHEM 1315 & 1415 NOTE: Students are encouraged to Intro to Sociology or CHEM 1335 &1445 w/AP take additional English courses and Honors courses, and to read fiction to Genetics SOC 1113 credit improve comprehension skills. BIOL/PBIO 3333
Organic Chemistry I & II Statistics CHEM 3053 & 3153 Cell Biology PSY 2113 or BIOL 2913 plus lab 3152 or BIOL/MBIO/PBIO 3113 or or MATH 4753 CHEM 3064 & 3164 Molecular Biology or ECON 2843 (for chem majors) BIOL/MBIO/PBIO 4843
(forPhysics chem Imajors & II PHYS 2414 & 2424 Physiology or PHYS 2514 & 2524 BIOL 3103* plus labs 1311 & 1321 or BIOL 2124 or PBIO 4114 Intro to Biochemistry *Please note BIOL 1134 is a pre- CHEM 3653 req for this class.