Pre-Podiatric
Introduction
Students interested in a career in Podiatric Medicine have the option of pursuing 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. 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. Students applying to schools receive a letter of evaluation from the Health Science Advisory and Recommendation Committee. Students should work with the Pre-Med 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 co-curricular experiences. 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 (students who entered Canisius prior to fall 2018 may use FYS 101 and ENG 101).
| 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 1 | 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 |
| 1 | Students may take CHM 109, CHM 110, and CHM 111L to fulfill this requirement. |
Physics
One year of introductory physics with laboratory:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| University Physics I and University Physics I Laboratory | ||
| College Physics II and University Physics II Laboratory |
Biochemistry
One year of biochemistry content is included on the MCAT exam. Biochemistry may be taken through either the Biology Department or the Chemistry Department.
| 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 |
Mathematics
One year of mathematics. One semester of statistics is recommended to prepare students for the MCAT and one semester of calculus is recommended 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 1 | 4 |
| 1 | MAT 109 and MAT 110 may be substituted for MAT 111. |
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 Course Suggestions
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. Additionally, several specialized courses of interest are available to help students explore aspects of medicine and healthcare in more depth.
Elective Courses
HRP 101 allows students to explore different health professions.
HRP 201 and HRP 202 allow students to explore areas of medicine in more depth.
HRP 498 is an internship in medical informatics.
