Pre-Podiatric Medicine
Introduction
Students interested in a career in podiatric medicine may pursue any major along with completing specific prerequisites. Podiatric medicine is particularly well-suited for students interested in surgery. Podiatric medical schools typically require a minimum of 90 credit hours be completed at the undergraduate level and many prefer the bachelor degree be completed prior to enrolling. Students must gain a thorough understanding of the profession through a range of shadowing experiences and earn a competitive score on the MCAT. Students are encouraged to learn about the profession via the podiatric medicine residency program hosted at Sisters Hospital next to the Canisius campus. Students should work with the Pre-Health advisor beginning in the first college year or upon deciding to pursue podiatric medicine to select appropriate coursework based on their schools of interest and plan appropriate co-curricular experiences including service, to build a high quality application.
Students applying to podiatry schools complete an in-house application process to receive a letter of evaluation from the Health Science Advisory and Recommendation Committee in support of their application to podiatry school. In addition to the information in this section, please check the general information at the pre-medical and pre-health section of the catalog.
Recommended Pre-Podiatric Medicine Courses
Academic admission requirements vary by school, but usually include the following courses:
English
One year of English composition or the Honors Program equivalent:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Option 1: | ||
| ENG 111 | Academic Writing | 3 |
| ENG 112 | Writing about Literature | 3 |
| Option 2: | ||
| HON 101 | Honors English | 3 |
| and an Honors Literature course | 3 | |
Biology
At least one year of general biology with laboratory:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 111 & 111L | Introductory Biology I and Introductory Biology Laboratory I | 4 |
| BIO 112 & 112L | Introductory Biology II and Introductory Biology Laboratory II | 4 |
Chemistry
One year of general chemistry and one year of organic chemistry with laboratories:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHM 111 & 111L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| CHM 112 & 112L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | 4 |
| CHM 227 & 227L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| CHM 228 & 228L | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Laboratory | 4 |
Biochemistry
One semester of biochemistry is required by most medical schools, while lab requirements vary by school. Two semesters are required as the content for the MCAT exam is spread over two classes. A student's major may dictate the option they should select:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Option 1: | ||
| BIO 211 & 211L | Biochemistry and Cell Biology I and Biochemistry and Cell Biology Lab I | 4 |
| BIO 212 & 212L | Biochemistry and Cell Biology II and Biochemistry and Cell Biology Lab II | 4 |
| Option 2: | ||
| BCH 301 & 301L | Introduction to Biochemistry and Introduction to Biochemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| BCH 302 | Cellular Biochemistry | 3 |
Physics
One year of introductory physics with laboratory. A student's major may dictate the option they should select:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Option 1: | ||
| PHY 201 & 201L | College Physics I and College Physics I Laboratory | 4 |
| PHY 202 & 202L | College Physics II and College Physics II Laboratory | 4 |
| Option 2: | ||
| PHY 223 & 223L | General Physics for Physical Science Majors I and General Physics for Physical Science Majors I Laboratory | 4 |
| PHY 224 & 224L | General Physics for Physical Science Majors II and General Physics for Physical Science Majors I Laboratory | 4 |
Mathematics
One year of mathematics. One semester of statistics is recommended to prepare students for the MCAT and one semester of calculus is a prerequisite to prepare students for physics:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 201 | Basic Statistics for Behavioral Sciences | 3 or 4 |
| or MAT 141 | Inferential Statistics and Computers for Science | |
| MAT 111 | Calculus I | 4 |
Behavioral/Social Science
One semester each of psychology (either PSY 101 or PSY 102) and sociology (SOC 110). The MCAT includes content from PSY 101, PSY 102, and SOC 110. If a student does not take both PSY 101 and PSY 102, they may learn some psychology content independently.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | ||
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology I | 3 |
| or PSY 102 | Introduction to Psychology II | |
| Sociology | ||
| SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
Additional Pre-Podiatric Medicine Courses
Students not majoring in a science are encouraged to take additional science elective courses. Students majoring in a science are encouraged to take additional coursework in the humanities and social sciences.
Elective Courses
HRP 101 allows students to explore different health professions.
HRP 111 introduces students to medical terminology.
HRP 201 and HRP 202 allow students to explore areas of medicine in more depth.
HRP 498 is an internship in medical informatics. A medical scribe internship is also available.
HRP 498A is a medical service learning trip.
