The field of Podiatric Medicine has been growing in an exponential rate in the past 30 years alone. It has been clear for many years that many health problems are rooted and first recognized in the foot and ankle and that these problems must be addressed by a specialized level of training such as one of a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, or D.P.M.
It may seem that Podiatrists are already specialized in only treating the foot & ankle, but did you know that you can sub-specialize further in your level of training? A surgical residency and fellowship can further educate you in your level of training with a sub-specialty in: pediatrics, trauma, limb-salvage, sports medicine, wound care, reconstructive surgery, neuropodiatry, and biomechanics. Most podiatry schools recognize the influence of these sub medical topics and help introduce these sub-specialties in their four year medical school training.
In addition, after graduating from podiatry school and surgical residency, a students can be involved in politics, non-profit organization, education/teaching, law, hospital service, or private clinic. A D.P.M. degree gives a student an incredible range of options after graduation. With the increase of our nation’s population, this will make a D.P.M. recipient sought after for jobs in their local community. This specific field of medicine is interesting, relevant, and widely sought out. There is so much you can do!
Podiatry has certainly changed our lives – we hope it can do the same for you!
The Nine Schools
When choosing a podiatry medical school, you need to be completely focused and ask yourself, “What is important to you.” Do you want a traditional class, big city, or near home? You will need to take a number of factors when making this big decision because you will be attending this program for the next 4 years. You need to be strategic: you want a program that you will love to attend, is safe, and will give you the best environment to achieve high grades. To learn more about each program, please visit our The 9 Schools page for more information.
Sub-specialties
As mentioned before, even though we only treat the foot and ankle, podiatrists can still sub-specialize in gaining further training in the following topics:
| – Trauma | – Pediatrics |
| – Limb Salvage | – Reconstruction |
| – Wound Care | – Biomechanics |
Application
How? When do I apply? The cycle usually beings on August from the year prior to enrollment, giving you a full year to have a set timeline with all your requirements and paperwork filed for submission. The centralized application process is managed by the AACPMAS, and they allow you to apply to all of the nine schools with standardized fee. Make sure you have all of the following bellow before you submit your application.
Checklist
| – Online Application | – Shadowing Experience |
| – MCAT score | – Research/ Community Service |
| – Letter of Recommendations (2) | – Personal Statement |
Q&A
Still have a lot of unanswered questions? We know, we have all been there. Visit our Q&A section to read all the most common questions with the included answers. Choosing podiatry as a possible career path can be a difficult decision, we are glad you choose us to be with you every step of the way.
“The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.”
Leonardo da Vinci
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