Alternative Routes to Becoming a Physician: Podiatry School

We’re exploring alternatives to the MD. Check back throughout the week as we provide some facts and figures and guidance on osteopathic, Caribbean, and podiatry programs.

Podiatry School

A podiatrist is a physician or surgeon who treats the feet. Podiatric programs cost less than MD and DO programs, and the surgical residencies are not as long. After graduation, you'd be entering a secure, lucrative field that usually has a humane number of work hours per week.

The average GPA and MCAT requirements for Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) programs are lower than U.S. MD and DO programs. In 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) reported that the mean overall GPA for matriculants was 3.4 (Science: 3.2, Non-Science: 3.5), and the mean MCAT was 494.3

When You Should Apply:

If you’re applying to podiatry school, you want to apply the August before or early fall of your senior year. (If you plan on going to podiatry school right after undergrad.) The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS) begins processing primary applications in August for fall admission the following year. For priority consideration, the AACPMAS says you should submit before March. The final application deadline date is June 30th for fall admission of the same year. But don’t be on this last train out of town!

Where You Should Apply:

The AACPM website is an incredible resource for information on podiatry schools. We're talking breakdowns of each accredited school's mission, cost, special programs and services, demographics, and social media handles. If you're interested in podiatry, check out the info on all 11 accredited schools.

Alternative Routes to Becoming a Physician: Caribbean MD programs

We’re exploring alternatives to the MD. Check back throughout the week as we provide some facts and figures and guidance on osteopathic, Caribbean, and podiatry programs.

Caribbean MD Programs

Students with lower MCAT scores and GPAs are more likely to be accepted to allopathic schools abroad than in the U.S. Schools in the Caribbean are especially interested in students from the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.

It's likely that way more doctors than you think graduated from international schools. From 2010 to 2020, the number of licensed physicians who graduated from international medical schools increased by 24%. "About one-quarter (24.7%) of active physicians in 2020 were international medical graduates (IMGs)," according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. "This includes U.S. citizens who studied abroad."

When You Should Apply:

Off-shore schools have rolling admissions (and have multiple start dates). We think you should start submitting applications to these programs with your U.S.-based allopathic applications in June.

Where You Should Apply:

Of the 80 Caribbean medical schools, we recommend "The Big Four" to clients. All have key international accreditations; they are recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education/Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (WFME/ FAIMER). They are also recognized by stricter state medical boards (like California's). These top Caribbean schools also have competitive residency placement rates and other boast-worthy qualities.

St. George's University / Grenada, West Indies: As of December 2020, the average MCAT score of matriculants was 498. Their average undergraduate GPA was 3.3. St. George's has a strong reputation for students passing the USMLE Step 1 (95%), USMLE Step 2 (91%), and for residency placement. SGU secured more than 990 U.S. residencies in 2022. The Grenada-based program has been the largest provider of doctors into first-year U.S. residencies for the last eight years.

Saba University School of Medicine / Saba: Saba told us that as of April 2022, the average GPA of matriculants was 3.19 and the average MCAT was 497. Saba is smaller than SGU, so it has fewer graduates becoming residents—but their stats are strong. Between 2019 and 2021, 94% of graduates obtained residencies. The average first-time pass rate for the USMLE between 2015 and 2020 was 99%.

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine / St. Maarten: In January 2022, the average GPA for matriculants was 3.27; the average MCAT score was 496. AUC has a 93.2% pass rate for the USMLE Step 1, a 92.8% pass rate for the USMLE Step 2 CK, and 96% of 20212022 graduates attained residencies. AUC's clinical rotations take place at Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved hospitals. It has clinical teaching affiliates in the U.S. and the U.K., and students can take global health electives in the Dominican Republic, Russia, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Ross University School of Medicine / Bridgetown, Barbados: RUSM emphasizes remedying systemic bias in healthcare in their curriculum—and on campus. Diversity in the student body and faculty is highly valued. They have rolling admissions; prospective students can apply anytime. Matriculants can start school in January, May, or September. The majority of clinical training takes place in the United States. 2022 graduates had a residency match rate of 96% and the school has consistently had a 91% first-time pass rate for the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2.

Alternative Routes to Becoming a Physician: Osteopathic Programs

If your GPA or MCAT is low-ish, it's time to consider all of your options. Osteopathic schools, off-shore MD programs, and podiatry schools are all roads that lead to you becoming a physician. And they are open to folks with lower GPAs and MCAT scores. It's not that these programs aren't competitive—they are—they're just not as competitive as many allopathic schools in the U.S.

This week, we’ll provide some facts and figures and guidance on osteopathic, Caribbean, and podiatry programs.

Osteopathic Programs

Plenty of applicants apply to osteopathic programs because they know they want to be DOs. You may have visions of that MD after your name. But if you're interested in holistic medical practices and primary care especially, one of the 42 accredited DO programs in the United States might be right for you.

In May 2021, the American Osteopathic Association's Physician Masterfile reported that 56.5% of osteopathic doctors practiced primary care. That covers a broad set of opportunities, including becoming an OB/GYN and a pediatrician. In 2022, nine Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine were in U.S. News & World Report's list of the top 10 schools with the most graduates practicing primary care. (Yep, them and one allopathic school.)

There is no shame in the DO game. One in four medical students in the United States attends an osteopathic program, according to the AOA. Much of an osteopathic classroom and clinical medical education is like an allopathic one. Additionally, osteopathic programs involve 200 hours of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) training, which focuses on the spine, bones, and muscles.

You can find out more about osteopathic programs by attending an American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) virtual fair. Their ChooseDo.org website for prospective students can also give you valuable info on programs, tuition, application deadlines, etc.

Shadowing an osteopathic doctor will give you an idea of their day-to-day practice. And you'll have plenty of DOs to choose from: The 2020-21 Osteopathic Medical Profession (OMP) Report stated that there were 135,000 osteopathic physicians in America in 2021—an 80% increase over the past decade. DOs make up 11% of doctors and 26% of medical students in the country. And according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, 99.3% of DO graduates are placed in residencies.

If you're applying to an osteopathic program, you should have shadowed a DO or better yet worked with one. You'll also need a recommendation letter from an osteopathic physician—and we mean need—you must show a real interest here.

When You Should Apply:

The AACOM application opens in May. Deadlines for osteopathic programs are in February and March. You can check out the AACOM Choose DO Explorer for exact dates for each school. But we’d like to see you apply to these programs in October, just as allopathic schools start getting back to applicants.

Where You Should Apply:

No exaggeration: All U.S. osteopathic programs are good. The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA)'s standards are strict. Check out the AACOM site for more information on the 42 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine, which have 67 teaching locations in 36 states.

What Medical School Applicants Need to Know About the AAMC Preview Exam

What is the AAMC Preview Exam?

The AAMC Preview exam, formerly known as the AAMC Situational Judgement exam, assesses prospective students’ understanding of “effective professional behavior.” The test uses nine core competencies, which have been identified as critical for medical school success. As per its previous name, the exam remains a situational judgment test designed to provide medical schools with a more holistic view of an applicant’s medical school readiness. 

The competencies tested are:

• Cultural Awareness

• Cultural Humility

• Empathy and Compassion

• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others

• Interpersonal Skills

• Reliability and Dependability

• Resilience and Adaptability

• Teamwork and Collaboration

• Commitment to Learning and Growth 

How is the exam scored?

The exam is multiple choice. Students will receive descriptions of a “situation” and are then asked to judge possible behaviors in response to the situation as “very ineffective to very effective” on a four-point scale. The exam consists of 186 questions. 

Test-takers will receive one overall score between 1 and 9 (highest). A higher score denotes that the test-taker’s responses were more frequently in line with the consensus of medical educators. 

How is it different from CASPer?

Similar to CASPer, the test gauges situational judgment. However, the CASPer test is open-ended while the Preview exam is multiple choice. The AAMC Preview was also designed with medical students and professionals in mind and test-takers must verify a statement that they are taking the test solely with the intent of applying to an allopathic or osteopathic medical program. The CASPer test is more general in nature. 

An applicant may need to take both the AAMC Preview and the CASPer test, depending upon the application requirements of the medical schools they are applying to.  

When can I take the AAMC Preview exam?

The exam is administered from March through September 2024. Test-takers may sit for the exam twice in one year, and up to four times overall. Key registration dates are available here. 

What schools require / recommend the AAMC Preview Exam?

These lists are continually being updated. We recommend checking the AAMC website for the latest. This post is up-to-date as of February 2024.  

Schools requiring:

• Mercer University School of Medicine

• Saint Louis University School of Medicine

• Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah

• University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

• University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine

• University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine

Schools recommending:

• Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

• George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

• Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans

• Morehouse School of Medicine

• Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

• Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

• University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine

Schools requiring a Situational Judgment Test (the Preview will satisfy):

• Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

DO schools recommending:

• Des Moines University Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program (you may submit your application with or without a Preview score)

Additional schools may collect Preview Exam scores in the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, not for the purposes of assessing applicants, but to collect data to determine if they will incorporate the Preview Exam into future application cycles. These research-only schools are identified within the AMCAS application. 

Where can I find out more about the AAMC Preview Exam?

The AAMC provides a number of useful materials and resources online. Consider starting with the AAMC Preview Essentials and the Professional Readiness Exam Sample.