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DPM

Podiatric medicine

Four years → three-year surgical residency

Your DPM pathway

Doctor of Podiatric Medicine

Medical and surgical care of the foot, ankle and lower leg: reconstruction, trauma, diabetic limb salvage, sports injuries. Students who already know they want hands-on surgical practice and musculoskeletal work, without competing for orthopaedic residency spots.

Doctors and a student discussing clinical training
Entry point
Undergraduate preparation
Training length
4 years of school, then 3 years residency
When to apply
The summer after junior year or later, when AACPMAS opens.

Your route at a glance

  1. 01

    Bachelor's + prerequisites

  2. 02

    MCAT

  3. 03

    Apply through AACPMAS

  4. 04

    4 years of podiatric medical school

  5. 05

    Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency, 3 years

Your preparation

  • Audit each program's prerequisites. Commonly: 8 semester hours biology with lab, 8 hours general chemistry with lab, 8 hours organic chemistry with lab, 8 hours physics with lab, 6 hours english. Programs differ, so build a school-by-school checklist.
  • Prepare for the MCAT. Podiatric colleges publish their own ranges; AACPM lists them.
  • Shadow a practising podiatrist and keep a log; AACPMAS reviewers look for it.
  • Line up 3 letters: practising dpm, science professor, pre-health adviser or academic faculty member. Ask two to three months before you apply and waive your right to read them.

Your application

  • Apply through AACPMAS. One application covers every accredited podiatric college..
  • Letters upload through AACPMAS; the application sits as incomplete until all 3 show as uploaded.
  • Work backward from the current cycle's official dates; verification, letters and testing take time.

Your training & progression

  • Two years of foundational sciences, then rotations in podiatry, surgery, medicine and emergency care.
  • Boards along the way: APMLE Part I after year 2; APMLE Part II in year 4; APMLE Part III during residency.
  • Residency is required: Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR, optional RRA credential), 3 years, through CASPR and the CASPR match run by National Matching Services.
  • Fellowship, if you want to subspecialise: 1 to 2 years in areas such as reconstructive rearfoot and ankle, trauma, diabetic limb salvage.

What to weigh before you commit

  • DPMs complete the same foundational medical sciences as MD and DO students, then concentrate on the lower extremity. Residency is a fixed three years, and the whole profession interviews at one January event, CRIP.
  • Total time after your bachelor's: about 7 years, school plus required residency.
  • Interview season runs january: back-to-back 15 to 20 minute interviews with many programs over three days at crip. One trip to the host hotel; book months ahead so you stay on site between interviews.
  • Figures here describe what programs commonly ask for, never a cutoff. Confirm each program's current requirements through the official sources.

Which one, and why

DPMs complete the same foundational medical sciences as MD and DO students, then concentrate on the lower extremity. Residency is a fixed three years, and the whole profession interviews at one January event, CRIP.

Who signs your letters

3 letters, uploaded by the writers through AACPMAS.

  • Practising DPM required

    Verifies that you shadowed podiatric practice and understand its scope.

  • Science professor required

  • Pre-health adviser or academic faculty member required

Residency and match

Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR, optional RRA credential), 3 years. CASPR match run by National Matching Services.

  1. September

    CASPR applications open

  2. January

    CRIP: the centralised interview event in Rosemont, Illinois

  3. February

    Rank lists

  4. March

    Match results; a scramble follows for open positions

Boards: APMLE Part I after year 2; APMLE Part II in year 4; APMLE Part III during residency; ABFAS or ABPM certification after residency.

Interviews and travel

January: Back-to-back 15 to 20 minute interviews with many programs over three days at CRIP, scheduled through CASPR. One trip to the host hotel; book months ahead so you stay on site between interviews.

Across every profession: residency and the match, letters, interviews and travel, fellowships.

Your next three steps

  1. 1.Shadow a podiatrist and keep a dated log.
  2. 2.List the podiatric colleges on AACPM with their published ranges.
  3. 3.Plan your MCAT window around your heaviest terms.
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