Length of Training
Applicants to colleges of podiatric medicine should have completed a bachelor's degree and have taken the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).  Some Podiatric Colleges now accept GRE test scores in lieu of the MCAT.  You should check with each school for their specific requirements.  Podiatric medicine & surgery is a four-year course of study, with two years of basic medical sciences and two years of clinical training and patient assessment followed by a hospital-based residency. Third- and fourth-year students have clinical rotations in private practices, hospitals, and clinics. During these rotations, they learn how to take general and podiatric histories, perform routine physical examinations, interpret tests and findings, make diagnoses, and perform therapeutic procedures. Podiatrists may advance to become professors at colleges of podiatric medicine, department chiefs in hospitals, or general health administrators.

Licensure/Certification
For licensure, podiatric physicians must complete their degree and residency and must pass state and national board examinations.  Satisfactory completion of the national boards is required for state licensure.  About two-thirds of the states require at least one year of postdoctoral work before licensure.  Doctors of podiatric medicine are licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Podiatrists may become certified in one of three specialty areas: orthopedics, primary medicine or surgery. Certification means that the DPM meets higher standards than those required for licensure.
There are a number of certifying boards for the podiatric specialties of orthopedics, primary medicine, and surgery. Each board requires advanced training, the completion of written and oral examinations, and experience as a practicing podiatrist.

Educational Programs

University or College

City

Degree*

*D- Doctorate  M-Masters  B-Bachelor  A-Associates  C-Certificate