Podiatric physicians manage patients with a broad range of foot and ankle problems; they diagnose and treat foot and ankle conditions for patients of all ages. Educating patients on prevention or reoccurrence is a vital aspect of their practice. Podiatric physicians medically, surgically and mechanically manage foot and ankle problems and care for patients with diabetes who are vulnerable to limb-threatening complications. It is not uncommon for these specialists to treat conditions associated with peripheral vascular disease, various forms of arthritis, trauma, neurologic disorders and sports or occupation related injuries.

Program Requirements

The majority of students matriculating to DMU-CPMS will have earned a bachelor’s degree before enrolling at DMU. You may apply while working toward completion of the requirements for your degree. You will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application. Bachelor’s degrees must be conferred by a regionally accredited institution. In some situations, exceptional students may be considered for admission after completing only three years (90 semester hours) of undergraduate work at a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must submit entrance exam (e.g. MCAT) scores during the application process; scores no older than three years are preferred.  A science GPA and cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher are recommended to be considered for admission.  The following courses are required for admission:

It is highly recommended students take biochemistry. Other recommended courses include genetics, human anatomy, statistics and physiology.

Additional information can be found on the DPM Program Admissions Requirements website.

Program Application Process

Application to the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Program is accepted through the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS), which is a centralized application service.  In addition to the application, two letters of recommendation are required.

Detailed information regarding the process can be found on the DPM Program Admissions website.

Competitive applicants will be invited to participate in an on-campus interview.

Applicants will typically receive a response to their application from the Admissions Office within one week of receipt.

Students wishing to be considered for transfer into the DPM program from another podiatric program must meet the following criteria:

• Student must be enrolled in a CPME-, COCA- or LCME-accredited institution.
• Student must be in good academic standing defined as no academic deficiencies exist.
• Student must have a cogent reason for requesting transfer.
• Student must meet the requirements for admission as a first-year student as outlined in the previous section.
• Student must submit a formal letter of request stating reasons for transfer.
• Student must submit a supportive letter of recommendation from the dean of his/her current medical school stating student is in good academic standing.
• Student must submit official transcripts from his/her current school and all other institutions attended, including undergraduate institutions.
• Student requesting transfer must have passed APMLE Part I if requesting transfer at the completion of the second year.
• Student must be willing to attend an on-campus interview by request.
• A review of transcripts will determine what credit will be granted if any for prior course work, as well as which CPMS courses will be required prior to graduation.
• Student must be enrolled at DMU a minimum of two years and meet all graduation requirements of the Student Handbook.
• Student must complete a criminal background check prior to transfer.
• Student must not have any felony convictions or had violations of professional or moral conduct.

Additional information regarding eligibility, application process and requirements can be obtained by contacting the Admissions Office.

Students who have completed coursework in the Master of Health Care Administration (MHA), Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science in Anatomy (MSA) or Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program and are accepted into the DPM program may petition to receive advanced standing for courses completed in the initial program.  A maximum of 12.0 advanced standing credit hours can be requested. Courses must have been completed within the last two years and students must have earned a minimum of a “B” grade in order to be considered for advanced standing credit.  Additional information regarding advanced standing credit can be reviewed in the Advanced Standing Credit policy.

Curriculum Overview and Outline

The College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery prepares podiatric medical students through an integrated program of didactic, laboratory and clinical experiences in medical centers and ambulatory care facilities.

Students receive a core of basic science instruction based on an integrated systems curriculum reflecting the interrelationship and interdependence of body systems. This is an innovative method of instruction that focuses on the systems of the body (e.g., hematological, cardiovascular). The basic sciences (e.g., anatomy, microbiology, biochemistry) are taught as they apply to the specific system under study. Clinical cases and simulation experiences relate each system to today’s podiatric medical practice.

The basic science curriculum for podiatric medical students is essentially the same as the curriculum for students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine as classes are taught jointly. Additional comprehensive instruction in the functional anatomy of the lower extremity is provided to students in the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery.

Courses taught in the second and third year are designed to meet the general medicine and profession-specific educational needs of podiatric medical students.

During the last 24 months of the four-year course of study, students receive clinical experiences in ambulatory clinics, medical centers and community practices. During this phase, podiatric medical students interact with other members of the health care community, such as primary care physicians, specialists and students in other health care programs. Emphasis is upon developing an understanding of podiatric medicine as an integral part of interprofessional, patient-centered health care.

Research

Research is a vital aspect of the podiatric curriculum. Students receive instruction in research design and methodology, compliance issues and the principles of evidence-based medicine. Faculty and students are involved in a variety of research projects leading to peer-reviewed publication and scientific presentation. A biomechanics human performance laboratory supports the research of several faculty from the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery and the College of Health Sciences.

Students can become involved in research projects with basic scientists or clinicians. This typically includes major participation in the preparation of the research protocol, preparation of grant applications and significant involvement in data collection and analysis.

Program Outcomes

To review the college’s outcome statistics (e.g. board exam pass rates, graduation rates, residency placement rates, etc.) and how they compare to national averages, please visit the program outcomes webpage.

Licensure

Podiatric physicians are required to be licensed in the states in which they practice. Each state has its own requirements for granting licensure and its own licensing board. Generally, a license can be obtained by a state board-administered examination, and/or by acceptance of the certificate issued by the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners, or by reciprocity from another state. The National Board of Podiatric Medical Exam process includes administration of Part I at the completion of the second year and Part II Clinical Skills and Part II Clinical Knowledge administered during the fourth year.  CPMS students are required to pass Part I and take both parts of Part II. The majority of states, including Iowa, now require completion of an approved residency program.

Technical Standards for Admission, Academic Promotion and Graduation

A candidate for the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree must have abilities and skills (referred to as “technical standards”) in seven areas: unimpaired observation; communication; motor/sensory; strength and mobility; visual integration; intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative; and behavioral and social. The University is committed to complying with the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act, recognizing that certain minimum technical standards must be present in all students seeking a health care degree. Reasonable accommodations will be provided when supported with appropriate documentation, but in all cases, candidates and students must be able to demonstrate performance of these standards in a reasonably independent manner.  

1. Unimpaired Observation: Candidates and students must have sufficient vision to be able to observe and timely interpret demonstrations, experiments and laboratory exercises in the basic sciences. They must be able to observe a patient accurately for purposes of diagnosis and clinical care.

2. Communication: Candidates and students must be able to speak, hear, observe, read and understand the English language in order to elicit information; examine patients; describe changes in mood, activity, and posture; and perceive nonverbal communications. They must be able to communicate effectively and respectfully with patients. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing. Candidate and students must also be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written form with all members of the health care team.

3. Motor/Sensory: Candidates and students must have sufficient motor and tactile function to execute movements reasonably required to perform basic laboratory tests, perform physical examinations, and provide clinical care, including emergency treatment to patients. Such actions may include but are not limited to palpation, auscultation and percussion, and require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.  Candidates and students must be willing and able to touch and examine members of all genders.

4. Strength and Mobility: Students and candidates must demonstrate upright posture, strength, including lower extremity and body strength, and mobility to provide clinical care, attend to emergency codes and to perform such maneuvers as CPR.

5. Visual Integration: Consistent with the ability to assess asymmetry, range of motion and tissue texture changes, candidates and students must have adequate visual capabilities for proper evaluation and treatment integration.

6. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: Candidates and students must have the ability to accurately measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, problem solve and think critically. They must also have the ability to participate and learn through a variety of modalities including but not limited to classroom instruction, small groups, team and collaborative activities. In addition, candidates and students should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of structures.   Candidates and students must be able to concentrate, analyze and timely interpret data and make decisions within areas in which there is a reasonable amount of visual and auditory distraction. They must also perform these functions in a timely manner.

7. Behavioral and Social Attributes:  Candidates and students must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive and effective professional relationships. Candidates and students must be able to work effectively as a member of a health care team; tolerate physically taxing and stressful workloads; adapt to changing environments; display flexibility; learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients; and to be free of impairments due to substance abuse. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions and educational processes. Students must be accepting and non-judgmental when caring for patients whose spiritual beliefs, culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic background or sexual orientation differ from their background.

Accommodations

The University encourages application by qualified individuals with disabilities who meet these technical standards either with or without reasonable accommodations.  Requests from candidates and students for reasonable accommodations in meeting the technical standards will be reviewed and considered by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).  CTL is the University department that reviews requests for student accommodations.  For additional information about the process for assessing an applicant’s compliance with the Technical Standards, contact the CTL.

Use of an intermediary may be permissible in performing some physical maneuvers or data gathering, but must not substitute for the candidate or student’s interpretation and judgment.  The use of a trained intermediary, a person trained to perform essential skills on behalf of the candidate, or a person used such that a candidate’s judgment must be mediated by someone else’s power of selection and observation, is not permitted.

Technological compensation can be made with respect to certain technical standards, but candidates and students should be able to perform these standards in a reasonably independent manner.  

Process for Assessing Compliance with the Technical Standards

Candidates are required to attest at the time they accept an offer to matriculate that they meet the applicable technical standards, and thereafter must attest on an annual basis, as a student, that they continue to meet the standards. These standards are not intended to deter any candidate or student who might be able to complete the requirements of the curriculum with reasonable accommodations.

Physical Health

In addition to the technical standards, candidates and students must possess the general physical health necessary for performing the duties of a health professions student and health care provider in training without endangering the lives of patients and/or colleagues with whom they might have contact.  A candidate or student whose performance is impaired by abuse of alcohol or other substances is not suitable for admission, continuation, promotion or graduation.

Course Sequence

Required Courses

Elective Courses

There are no required elective hours.

Graduation Requirements

The University awards the professional degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) upon recommendation of the faculty. The Academic Progress Committee reports annually to the college faculty the names of students who have met requirements for the doctoral degree.

To graduate, a student must:

• Exhibit high standards of professional behavior and receive the faculty’s recommendation for graduation.
• Pass all required systems, courses, rotations and examinations.
• Take and pass Part I and taken both Part II clinical knowledge and clinical skills exams administered by the American Podiatric Medical Licensing Examiners.
• Maintain a grade point average (GPA) of at least a 2.0.
• Be of good moral character and emotional stability.
• Have attained the age of 21 years.
• Be approved for graduation by the Board of Trustees of the University as recommended by the CPMS faculty, following recommendation by the CPMS Academic Progress Committee. Non-academic as well as academic performance is evaluated and considered for graduation.
• Satisfactorily discharge all financial obligations to the University.
• Complete all graduation requirements, including the graduation clearance process.
• Attend graduation ceremony at which time the degree is conferred. Excused absence from commencement for extraordinary extenuating circumstances will only be considered through written appeal to the Dean of the College.