Considering Podiatry Medical School?

Did you know that doctors of podiatric medicine must take the MCAT? Did you know that podiatric training follows a very similar and rigorous path as allopathic and osteopathic medicine?

If you are as ignorant about the field of Podiatry as I was as a premed, then I strongly encourage you to learn about the field. Many premeds are not aware that this is another option they can pursue with their prerequisites. Recently, I have had the opportunity and pleasure to assist a premed student applying to podiatry school and this has expanded my knowledge on the path to podiatry. As an Endocrinologist, I have had the pleasure of working alongside many podiatrists over the years. In fact, of all specialties I refer patients to, podiatry makes my top 3. I wanted to share this bit of research I did with you all so you are aware of your options as a premed. Possibly it is not the field for you but it may be the right field for your friend. I am in no way an expert in podiatry so please do your own research on the subject as well and correct me if I got anything wrong.

How do I get into Podiatry Medical School?

As a premedical student, you are likely already doing exactly what you need to be doing to get into podiatry school. You may just need to add shadowing a podiatrist. Most podiatrists complete a 4 year bachelor’s degree. While you can major in anything you want, you will need to complete essentially the same prerequisites one would need to get into an osteopathic or allopathic medical school. Unfortunately, you cannot escape that dreaded MCAT test. Although average acceptance scores tend to be lower than those for MD and DO programs, they need to be competitive since there are only 9 podiatry medical schools across the US.

What does the curriculum for podiatry medical school look like?

The medical school curriculum is very similar for podiatry, allopathic and osteopathic schools. In fact, they all tend to take the same classes over the first two years. Your first two years typically consists of basic medical science classes such as anatomy, pathology, microbiology, immunology, neurology, and pharmacology, with occasional exposure to clinical medicine. Between second and third year, all three programs generally will take their board exams. Third and fourth year consists of clerkships, rotating through different clinics and hospitals. Podiatry students may rotate through surgical podiatry, trauma, dermatology, anesthesia, infectious disease, endocrinology, and other specialties. Similar to allopathic and ostheopathic students, podiatry students will take their step 2 exams during their 4th year of medical school. At this time they will also interview for residencies.

Can you start practicing after medical school?

Not so fast. After podiatry medical school students become doctors of podiatry medicine (DPM). However, training is not complete. They then have to complete residency training where they will partake in interdisciplinary rotations such as surgery, trauma, infectious disease, internal medicine, pediatrics and others. There are two type of residencies they can choose from:

• Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR)

• Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency with credential in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery (PMSR/RRA)

After fellowship, DPMs can begin practicing or further their education with a fellowship. Podiatric physicians are licensed to practice in all 50 states. Many podiatrists enjoy a good work-life balance. Some work in clinics and others primarily in the hospital setting. Most podiatrists earn a salary in the mid $100,000s (120-180K).

So there you have it. I hope this was informative. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the field of podiatry.