Podiatry
Career Overview:
- A Podiatrist is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), and is trained to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the foot, ankle and related structures of the leg.
- When treating patients, this system is also known as the lower extremity.
- A DPM is a specialist in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of lower extremity disorders, diseases and injuries. A podiatric physician works independently, utilizes x-rays and laboratory tests for diagnostic purposes, prescribes medications, orders physical therapy, sets fractures, and performs surgery. As part of a healthcare team, the DPM works closely with other health professionals to treat and control disease.
- Podiatric physicians can specialize in a variety of areas such as surgery, orthopedics, or public health.
- Podiatrists may practice a subspecialty such as sports medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, radiology, geriatrics, or diabetic foot care. Podiatric physicians are the only doctors to receive specialized medical and surgical training, and board certification in the care of the lower extremity.
Prerequisites for Podiatry Programs:
- To enter a podiatric medical school, one must first complete a minimum of three years or 90 semester hours of college credit at an accredited institution. Over 97% of the students who enter podiatric medical school have a bachelor’s degree. Many have also completed some graduate study.
- AACPMAS begins processing admission applications the first Wednesday in August each year for Fall admission the following year. Deadline Dates are as follows: For priority consideration, March 1st of each year for the upcoming Fall admission. The final application deadline date is June 30th of each year for Fall admission of the same year.
- Scores for the Medical College Admission Test MCAT must be less than 3 years old.
- Supplementary applications will require letters of recommendation.
Schools Offering a Podiatry Degree:
The nine schools and colleges of podiatric medicine offer graduate or pre-doctoral training programs in podiatric medicine. The curriculum for the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree includes classroom instruction and laboratory work followed by study of clinical science and patient care.