Podiatry is the branch of medicine devoted to the study of human movement with treatment of the diseases, injuries or disorders of the foot and ankle as the primary focus. Applicants complete requirements similar to those for medical school. Average GPAs for admission are in the 3.1-3.3+ range for overall GPA and in the sciences. The MCAT or another standardized test is typically required.
There are nine schools of podiatric medicine, all of which belong to the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM). The member schools participate in a centralized application service sponsored by AACPM. All the schools are private and the one in New York State is the NY College of Podiatric Medicine located in Manhattan.
From the time you begin college, you are assembling a complete dossier with which to apply to these professional schools. Each of the requirements is a part of the whole. For Podiatry schools your record will include:
Start planning as a freshman to meet the following course requirements: A minimum of one year each of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, and Physics, all with a year of lab; one year of English; and one year of Math is recommended. Below are the UB courses which we recommend you take in order to meet these requirements:
| COURSE NAME | COURSE NUMBER(S) | CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry (Required and on MCAT) | CHE 101-102 w/labs 113-114, or 105-106, or 107-108 w/labs 127-128 | 8-10 credits |
| Organic Chemistry (Required and on MCAT) | CHE 201-202, or 203-204 w/labs 205-206, or 251-252 | 10 credits |
| Biology (Required and on MCAT) | BIO 200, and BIO 201 w/lab 211 | 9 credits |
| Physics (Required and on MCAT) | PHY 101-102 w/labs 151-152, or PHY 107-108 or 117-118 w/lab 158* | 10 credits |
| English/Writing (Required and reading on MCAT) | Communication Literacy 1 and 2 (If any waived take 3 or 6 credits of writing intensive, literature-based courses – check with prehealth advisor if unsure) | 6 credits |
| Biochemistry (Recommended and on the MCAT) | BCH 403, or BIO 305 with optional lab of BIO 315 | 3-5 credits |
| Calculus (Recommended) | MTH 121 OR 141 | 4 credits |
| Human Physiology (Highly Recommended and on MCAT) | PGY 300 or PGY 451-452 | 4-6 credits |
| Psychology (Highly Recommended and on MCAT) | PSY 101 | 3 credits |
| Medical Sociology (Highly Recommended and on MCAT) | SOC 322 (SOC 101 is recommended but not required before taking SOC 322)
Additional course options are available in SOC, APY, AAS, and PUB. See a prehealth advisor for more information. | 3 credits |
| Statistics (Highly Recommended and on MCAT) | STA 119 or PSY 207 | 4 credits |
*Consult with a prehealth advisor regarding additional lab requirements if taking a Physics sequence which includes only one lab.