• Required Prerequisite Courses
• AP Credit for Science Prerequisites
• AP Credit for Non-science Prerequisites
• Calculus-based Physics at UMBC
• Research Opportunities
• Extracurricular Involvement and Leadership

Additional Information:
• Podiatry Career Information
• Clinical Related Experience
• Community Service and Philanthropic Work

Most podiatry schools require a minimum of

• 8 credits of biology courses with accompanying laboratory courses
• 8 credits of inorganic/general chemistry with labs
• 8 credits of organic chemistry with labs
• 8 credits of physics with accompanying labs
• 6 credits of English composition and/or literature courses 

Applicants are encouraged to enhance their knowledge base and overall competitiveness for admission to podiatric medical schools by taking additional courses such as genetics with lab, anatomy and physiology with lab, microbiology with lab, biochemistry, and social science courses such as psychology. Admission requirements vary per school and it is a student’s responsibility to be knowledgeable about the nuances of each podiatry school to which they plan on applying. Please refer to the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) website which provides links to all of the podiatry schools and their admission requirements. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the Spring semester that precedes a student’s expected August matriculation into podiatry school; although, the science prerequisite courses must be completed before a student takes the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Please note, some podiatric medical schools accept DAT or GRE scores in lieu of MCAT. See the AACPM’s website for more information.

A list of the UMBC equivalents of the prerequisite courses required by Temple University is linked below. It provides the general minimum requirements for most, but not all, podiatry schools in the United States.

Download UMBC PrePodiatry Prerequisite Sheet (PDF)

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Students frequently ask if they can use AP credit in lieu of taking the prerequisite courses for a grade and credit at UMBC. Pre-podiatry students should not rely on AP credits to fulfill podiatric medical school prerequisites. Not all podiatry schools accept AP credit, particularly for the science prerequisite courses, even if UMBC accepts AP course credits for those same courses. Each podiatric medical school has the final say if a student meets their admission requirements and every podiatric school has different policies regarding AP credit. In order to prepare students to meet the requirements of as many institutions as possible, it is advisable that UMBC students complete the science prerequisite courses at the university-level for a grade and credit and not rely on AP credits to fulfill prerequisite coursework. This is particularly true for the chemistry and physics sequences. First-year students with AP credit in chemistry and physics are urged to begin science coursework at UMBC at the introductory level (with CHEM 101 and PHYS 11 1 or 121).

Slightly more flexibility exists if a situation arises where a student decides to use AP credit for BIOL 100 and BIOL 100 Lab. In such a circumstance, sometimes podiatry schools will accept advanced biological sciences coursework at the intermediate level.  In this instance, the student would then be required to complete either a 300 or 400 level biological science lecture course that has an accompanying laboratory, such as Cell Biology with lab or Comparative Animal Physiology with Lab. The student could then use BIOL 302 with Lab and either Cell Biology with Lab or Comparative Animal Physiology with Lab towards fulfillment of the minimal 8.0 credits of biological sciences, required by podiatry schools. Again, UMBC cannot promise that all podiatric medical schools will function in exactly the same manner and therefore, students are advised to proceed with caution when using AP credits towards fulfillment of the podiatry school requirements. 

Also, CLEP (College Level Examination Program) course credit, long-distance or online courses are generally not accepted by podiatry schools toward fulfillment of the prerequisite courses.

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Each podiatric medical school sets its own standards, but generally, most podiatry schools are more accepting of AP credit for prerequisite courses in mathematics, English, and the humanities and social sciences than they are for the science prerequisites. For example, most podiatry schools will accept AP credit toward fulfillment of MATH 151 or ENGL 100 as long as the AP credit appears on an official transcript from an undergraduate college or university. Students should verify each podiatry school’s admissions policies prior to submitting an application.

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UMBC undergraduates who major in any of the sciences receive a laboratory intensive education that exceeds that found at most universities. Students majoring in either Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Biochemical or Chemical Engineering are required to successfully complete a minimum of 14.0 laboratory credits, most of which come from advanced level laboratories (300 level or higher) and are stand-alone courses of 2.0 to 4.0 credits. Because these advanced laboratory courses include material normally covered in an introductory physics laboratory, these students are not required to take an introductory physics laboratory course. The laboratory course for PHYS 122 is intended only for our Physics majors. Hence students in the aforementioned majors who also intend on applying to podiatry school, are given an exception by podiatry schools for not completing a physics laboratory component while at UMBC.

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At UMBC, there are many opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in research. Please visit the Office of Undergraduate Education’s Undergraduate Research website and UMBC’s Research and Scholarship website for instructions on how to get started with research not only at UMBC, but also at locations across the country.

The Baltimore-Washington, D.C. corridor also offers a plethora of undergraduate research opportunities at medical schools and government organizations. 

Some off-campus locations where students have completed undergraduate research include:

• University of Maryland School of Medicine  
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Academic Departments & Institutes
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Research Centers
• National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD)

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With over 200 campus organizations at UMBC, there is a club or organization for almost any interest area. Please visit the UMBC Office of Student Life website for more information.

Pre-Medical Society
Current UMBC students can get connected to the Pre-Medical Society by accessing the Office of Student Life’s Student Organizations List. Students are strongly encouraged to get connected to the PreMedical Society listserv, even if they cannot attend the meetings. To get onto the Society listserv, please email one of the officers of the Society from your UMBC email account and request that they add you to the listserv. This listserv provides weekly information about workshops, professional school visits, internship postings, walkin advising hours, advising appointment schedules, mandatory advising meetings, and much more.