would i be able to get into residency programs ??

[FRA]

would i be able to get into residency programs if I have a "C" gpa during podiatry school?

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[Podmeister]

would i be able to get into residency programs if I have a "C" gpa during podiatry school?

Very unlikely because I've seen "A" students not matching with programs and have to scramble.

 

[oeffner]

would i be able to get into residency programs if I have a "C" gpa during podiatry school?

depends on what else you got. i think probably every person is deficient in some aspect. just make your other areas shine, and show people that a number is not an accurate representation of what you are. never too late to pick that gpa up, even a little bit.

good luck!

 

[Feli]

If you shoot for C's, you will flunk out. Plain and simple. Even if you go to one of the schools that might let you slip through the cracks, you probably wouldn't pass national boards (and almost certainly not surgical boards) with that sort of effort.

If you decide to go to pod school, I'd suggest that you apply yourself to the best of your ability. It's not easy, but most things worth attaining aren't. GL

 

[FRA]

I am obviously aiming for high grades...I just want to know how much residency programs weight your gpa?? what are residency programs looking for the most?

 

[air bud]

a smart personable clinician for starters. smart=good grades. this is a profession, the whole "i didn't get a good grade but I learned a lot and it doesnt show" won't work anymore.

After a month and a half here at DMU, I see people say they want to aim for a passing grade on biochem test x or anatomy test y. It usually ends up being ten points or so less than that. Yes, I understand somebody has to be in the bottom half of the class, but you have to have the attitude that every grade counts and you need an A on every test. I have heard numerous people say "well we are all going to be podiatrists, so if I dont do so well in this class it is not a big deal. It is not competitive like it is with the DO's." Also, too many people joke, yet are somewhat serious, about have to remediate the class in the summer. Aim high. Attitude is huge.

 

[air bud]

depends on what else you got. i think probably every person is deficient in some aspect. just make your other areas shine, and show people that a number is not an accurate representation of what you are. never too late to pick that gpa up, even a little bit.

good luck!

I would venture to guess that at this level, yes, a number is a pretty accurate representation of what you are. The "I got a 22 on my MCAT but a 3.85 gpa and am smart and had a bad test" doesnt cut it anymore. You can rationalize it however you want. Results matter. It is how the real world works.

 

[smartman716]

a smart personable clinician for starters. smart=good grades. this is a profession, the whole "i didn't get a good grade but I learned a lot and it doesnt show" won't work anymore.

After a month and a half here at DMU, I see people say they want to aim for a passing grade on biochem test x or anatomy test y. It usually ends up being ten points or so less than that. Yes, I understand somebody has to be in the bottom half of the class, but you have to have the attitude that every grade counts and you need an A on every test. I have heard numerous people say "well we are all going to be podiatrists, so if I dont do so well in this class it is not a big deal. It is not competitive like it is with the DO's." Also, too many people joke, yet are somewhat serious, about have to remediate the class in the summer. Aim high. Attitude is huge.

Very true. Over here some people are already saying, well Dr. So. and So had C's and is now making so much money and has mega-practices everywhere but I am quick to remind them that Dr. So and So may have graduated donkey years ago and not on the 2000's or 1990's and most of the time I am true. They start saying well we can just chill, don't stress too much. For me every test or quiz is serious business, maybe I'm just different but I believe that we are accountable for our actions and that in the end those grades will really matter.

 

[jonwill]

I think it's important to remember that the majority of residency programs look at the "whole applicant" and not just a GPA. Many programs don't really pay attention to GPA's until interviews. Overall, our good rotators generally have good GPA's but there have been instances where we've been shocked to find that a phenominal rotator has a mediocre GPA or that a pathetic rotator has a phenominal GPA. In the end, a poor GPA isn't going to sink you but it's definitely a big strike. It can be overcome though.

 

[Feli]

I think it's important to remember that the majority of residency programs look at the "whole applicant" and not just a GPA. Many programs don't really pay attention to GPA's until interviews...

.... In the end, a poor GPA isn't going to sink you but it's definitely a big strike. It can be overcome though.

I agree to a point, but you have to be careful and still always strive for the best gpa and overall knowledge you can get. A good point was made above that "my gpa doesn't reflect how much I know" probably won't work too well. That might have cut it in the ~2005-09 matches where there were more/equal number of residency spots than grads and many programs had to bend their bar down a bit. However, with match of 2010 and beyond getting more and more competitive, it'll get pretty tough, esp for the good programs' clerk/interview spots.

Gpa/rank isn't a killer as long as you still can get the clerkship/interview and ace it by working hard and demonstrating solid clinical knowledge, but gpa will definitely be the fastest and easiest way for programs to filter out their clerk/interview app pools. If you don't get a clerkship, that's a pretty good sign you are on the low end of that program's app pool, and it'll probably be uphill to even get an interview scheduled.

No clerkship = significantly tougher to match that program. No interview = basically impossible (unless the program scrambles... and will take an applicant from the scramble). I agree 100% that rank/gpa is not the end all be all, but it can close doors pretty fast, esp in competitive match years. JMO

 

[air bud]

would you say that you can have low gpa and high clinical knowledge? I am only a first year and some biochem stuff we learn now might not be a big deal, but once we start more pod specific classes, then high grades=high understanding=high clinical knowledge?

 

[165007]

would you say that you can have low gpa and high clinical knowledge? I am only a first year and some biochem stuff we learn now might not be a big deal, but once we start more pod specific classes, then high grades=high understanding=high clinical knowledge?

I have yet to meet those kind of people. Im sure they do exist.

 

[PharoPod]

Good GPA = Major aid in getting into a good residency program = Well trained DPM

 

[Feli]

would you say that you can have low gpa and high clinical knowledge? ...

Of course you can; there are exceptions to every rule. Good pro players can come from D2 as well as the top 25 NCAA teams, but we all know which games have a lot more scouts and more visibility to the pro teams.

Again, most good residencies are going to bypass the low/avg gpa (yet possibly high clinical knowledge) applicant and instead give their clerkship month or interview spot to somebody else who has higher gpa (which usually correlates with good work ethic and high clinical knowledge)? That is the bottom line here. Work hard and avoid limiting your options by putting yourself at a gpa/rank disadvantage. The road less traveled by can work, but it's an uphill road.

Ideally, you probably want to aim for top quarter/third class rank in pod school. That is generally good enough to get you accepted for the clerkship/interview at 95% of residency programs, and then it's up to you. Top half will probably cut it for many other good programs, but if you're below that (esp at some pod schools), you might find your clerkship options fairly limited as these upcoming match cycles get pretty competitive due to grad:spot ratio. In the end, just do the best you can, apply yourself, and don't shoot for the minimum.

 

[WaveOR]

I am a first year and just out of curiosity what is considered a good gpa to residency programs? (obviously the higher the better). I noticed a lot of residency progs have a minimum gpa of a 3.0, so that may be considered avg/poor?

My goal is to get A's, of course, but you never know what happens, hahaha.

 

[G0dFather]

i second that ... what is a good GPA, like a 3.3 and up ?

 

[SportPOD]

Remember a good GPA gets your foot in the door much quicker than an average GPA. That being said, please know your basic podiatry and not just all the classifications for an ankle fracture. If you just flushed your basic podiatry knowledge to make room for all the advanced stuff, that doesn't exactly look good either!

 

[singingfootdoc]

GPA matters...anyone who tells u otherwise is full of crap. there are numerous prgorams that won't even take you unless you fufill a certain GPA requirement.

let's put it this way. The way you demonstrate yourself clinically is a great reflection about the effort you put into your studies. Granted there are the straight A students who are such idiots clinically. But the majority of the time, your efforts are clinically correlated with your efforts in the classroom (no pun intended ).

Bottom line: get your GPA up! it's too risky to not match in a residency genesis we are now facing.

 

[podpal]

GPA of basic sciences doesn't really reflect your ability to perform well clinically. When you go out on clinicals, show the attendings that you are an astute, hands on type of learner. Go the extra mile, such as reading the surgical procedures the evening before the case you will observe. Observe how the attending handles "unique" situations, such as intra op complications. Make notes of attendings techniques and common procedures. Let the staff that you appreciate all of their help, and let them know that you learned a great deal from them. The attendings want a resident who is teachable, not just booksmart.

If you can, try to get great reviews on your clinicals. Really know and understand biomechanics and surgery and how to correct common deformities. Try NOT TO CHALLENGE the attendings. Be helpful, polite, and appreciative. Most attendings would rather take a kind, sweet student with a nice personality than a jerk who will challenge their every move.

When you clerk or extern, ask the residents what procedures are most commonly done and request any tips/advice, articles, etc. to help you make the most of your visit.