Podiatric Medicine
Pre-professional track
Podiatric medicine, formerly called podiatry, is a branch of medicine that focuses on human movement, with the medical care of the foot and ankle as its primary focus. Similar to a dentist or ophthalmologist, a doctor of podiatric medicine thoroughly trains to become a unique specialist, well qualified to treat a specific part of the body.
As a podiatrist, you'll help your patients prevent, diagnose, and treat foot disorders, diseases, and injuries. You'll use x-rays and laboratory tests for diagnostic purposes, prescribe medications, order physical therapy, set fractures, and perform surgery when necessary.
ÀϾÅÆ·²è’s pre-podiatric medicine advising program prepares you to be a competitive applicant for graduate school. You'll get hands-on experience in the skills you need for a career as a podiatrist, as well as support in applying to podiatric medicine programs.
Applying to graduate school in podiatric medicine
Prerequisite coursework
ÀϾÅÆ·²è’s pre-podiatric medicine program is not a major. We encourage students to major in a subject they are interested in and work with program advisors to identify and complete coursework that will meet the requirements of the graduate programs they're interested in.
states that entry into a podiatric medical program requires at least three years of undergraduate study or 90 semester credits from an accredited college. While this is the minimum, the vast majority of successful applicants—more than 97%—hold a bachelor’s degree, and several have also finished graduate-level work.
Actual minimum semester credit hour requirements for all of the schools and colleges of podiatric medicine include the following prerequisites: all science courses require a lab.
- Biology—2 semesters: 8 credits (Intro Bio I and II)
- General Chemistry—2 semesters: 8 credits (Gen Chem I and II)
- Organic Chemistry—2 semesters: 8 credits (Org Chem I and II)
- Physics—2 semesters: 8 credits (Gen Physics I and II)
- English—2 semesters: 6-8 credits (includes intermediate courses in composition, literature, or rhetoric)
Other recommended courses
These courses are designed to help students prepare for the MCAT while also supporting a wide variety of majors, including Biology, Biochemistry, Psychology, Neuroscience, Public Health, Chemistry, Physics, Sociology, Exercise Science, and even non-science majors interested in podiatric medicine.
- Genetics (BIOL 3050), Cell Biology (BIOL 3060), Biochemistry (BioC 3820), Molecular Biology (BIOL 5900), Microbiology (BIOL 5550)
- Introduction to Psychology (PSY 1330 or PSY 1140), Introduction to Sociology (SJSC 1110), Introduction to Anthropology (ANTH 1160), Ethics (PHIL 1140) or Bioethics (PHIL 3140)
It is essential that science coursework be tailored specifically for health professionals or pre-medical students, with a mandatory laboratory component. Please note that science credits intended for non-science majors will not fulfill these requirements.
We encourage students to talk with and shadow a number of podiatrists to learn about the career path. Podiatrists are generally receptive to students' interview requests, which can also lead to mentorship and shadowing opportunities.
Relevant exams
All podiatric medicine graduate programs use the to review prospective students' applications. All programs also require students to take the within three years prior to matriculation. Applicants are encouraged to take the MCAT in the summer or fall prior to the year of admission. Other admission requirements include personal interviews and letters of recommendation, which writers should send directly to the podiatric medical schools.
Degree programs
There are eleven accredited podiatric medicine colleges in the U.S. They are represented by the , which administers the .
Details on each of these colleges are available from and individual websites of these colleges. Students interested in applying can learn more on the website.
Most graduate programs to earn a doctor of podiatric medicine take four years. The first two years consist of classroom instruction and laboratory work in the basic medical sciences, like anatomy, physiology, pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology, with some clinical exposure. In their third and fourth years, students concentrate on courses in the clinical sciences and gain experience in the college and community clinics and hospitals. Clinical courses include general diagnosis, therapeutics, anesthesia, and surgery.
Application resources
- American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA):
- Podiatric Medicine Programs in the United States: