SCHOOL OF PODIATRIC MEDICINE

Learn more about the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine.

About the Program

Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM) offers coursework and clinical programs leading to the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree in four years. The DPM curriculum fully prepares students for post-graduate residency training.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 6 years

Campus Location: Center City

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Full-time study is required.

Interdisciplinary Study: In collaboration with the College of Public Health at Temple University, TUSPM offers a joint program that leads to the Master of Public Health and Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degrees. Earned full time in the midst of podiatric studies, the MPH helps students understand the social and environmental factors that influence healthcare and patient experiences. These affiliated degree programs allow students to earn two advanced degrees in five years.

Job Prospects: Graduates of the program have excellent prospects at employment in the podiatric medicine field.

Licensure/Certification: Podiatric physicians are licensed in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico to treat the foot, ankle and related structures of the leg by medical, surgical or other means.

Students enrolled in any of the nine colleges of podiatric medicine are required to pass Parts I and II of the American Podiatric Medical Licensing Examination (APMLE) before beginning residency training. Part I covers basic science areas and is generally taken at the conclusion of the second year. Part II has two components: (a) a written exam that covers clinical areas such as Anesthesia and Surgery; Community Health, Jurisprudence and Research; Medicine; Orthopedics, Biomechanics and Sports Medicine; and Radiology; and (b) the Clinical Skills Patient Encounter (CSPE) portion that assesses proficiency in podiatric clinical tasks. Part III of the APMLE is taken during residency. The APMLE is overseen by the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners (NBPME). To learn more about the exam, visit https://www.apmle.com/.

State licensing requirements generally include graduation from an accredited school or college of podiatric medicine, passage of the National Board exams, and postgraduate training. Podiatric physicians may also become certified in one or both specialty areas: (a) primary care and orthopedics, and/or (b) surgery. National podiatric specialty boards grant certification to qualified podiatrists who have completed the specified educational requirements and who successfully complete written and oral examinations. For more information, see https://aacpm.org/becoming-a-podiatric-physician/.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Coursework may not be taken on a non-matriculated basis.

Financing Opportunities: Partial scholarships, student loans and work study funds are available.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall Admission Only: 

• April 1 - Priority Deadline for First-Year and International Applicants
• May 1 - Deadline for Transfer and Advanced Standing Applicants
• June 30 - Rolling Deadline for First-Year and International Applicants

Applications are processed as they are received throughout the year. Early application is encouraged.

APPLY ONLINE to this professional program.

Applicants for the Podiatric Medicine DPM must utilize the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service (AACPMAS), which is a centralized application service for all nine U.S. schools and colleges of podiatric medicine. The AACPMAS application must be completed at https://aacpmas.liaisoncas.com/.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 1-3

From Whom: For first-year applicants, letters of academic evaluation are required from an advisor and premedical advisory committee. Alternately, two letters are needed from science faculty and a letter from a podiatric physician. For transfer applicants, a letter of good standing is required from the dean of the applicant’s current medical college. TUSPM participates in Interfolio and VirtualEvals.

Degree Required for Admission Consideration: Most incoming students have at least a bachelor's degree. The minimum requirement is 90 credits of undergraduate education completed at an accredited college or university, including these prerequisite courses:

• Biology or Zoology: 8 credits, including laboratory. Additional courses in Anatomy, Cell Biology, Embryology, Evolution, Genetics, Histology, Microbiology and Physiology are recommended but not required.
• General/Inorganic Chemistry: 8 credits, including laboratory
• Organic Chemistry: 8 credits, including laboratory. An additional course in Biochemistry is recommended but not required.
• Physics: 8 credits, including laboratory
• English: 6 credits
• An additional 52 credits

Standardized Test Scores:
MCAT or DAT: A minimum score is not fixed as candidates are evaluated on their entire academic portfolio, but the reported test score must be respectable. The test must have been taken no more than three years prior to the beginning of the application cycle.

Interview: A personal interview is required for all students under consideration by the Admissions Committee. Applicants take part in an interview day that consists of a tour of the TUSPM campus, lunch with current students, and interviews conducted by faculty members and admissions personnel.

Transfer Credit: Students transferring from other podiatric medical schools should expect to lose a year because of differences in curriculum. Podiatric-specific courses at TUSPM begin with the first-year curriculum.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required: 196.15

Required Courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Year 1
PBMS P100	Histology	6.25
PBMS P102	General Anatomy	7
PBMS P103	Lower Extremity Anatomy	7.7
PBMS P104	Physiology II	2.5
PBMS P105	Neuroanatomy	2
PBMS P109	Biomechanics	2
PBMS P110	Biochemistry	6
PBMS P111	Physiology	5
PBMS P120	Microbiology	6.8
PDMD P130	Fundmntl of Podiatric Pract I	3.5
Year 2
PBMS P210	Pharmacology	5.25
PBMS P221	Pathology	9
PBMS P222	Pathophysiology	3
PDMD P200	Fundmntl of Podiatric Pract II	2.7
PDMD P215	Internal Medicine	3
PDMD P230	Fundamentals of Dermatology	2.2
PDMD P236	Foot and Ankle Radiology	2.6
PDMD P237	Vascular Disease	2
PDMD P239	Infectious Disease	1
PDMD P336	Neurology	1.6
PDOR P240	Pathomechanics	2
PDOR P241	Casting	1
PDOR P243	Clinic Foot Orthopedics	1.8
PDOR P248	Sports Medicine	4
PDSR P250	Principles of Podiatric Surgery I	2.8
PDSR P252	Principles of Podiatric Surgery II	2.5
PDSR P253	O R Protocol	1
PDSR P257	Podiatric Surgical Skills	2.4
Year 3
PCED P381	Intro Clerkship Clinical Pod I	13.5
PCED P384	Clerkship Clinical Podiatry I	4.5
PCED P385	Clerkship Clinical Podiatry II	4.5
PCED P386	Clerkship Clinical Podiatry III	4.5
PCHA P360	Community Health	2
PCHA P361	Law & Podiatric Medicine	1.8
PCHA P362	Professional Administration and Development	2
PDOR P340	General Orthopedics	2
PDOR P342	Pediatric Foot Orthopedics	1.8
PDOR P346	Traumatology	1.75
PDSR P352	Princ First Ray Surgery	2.6
PDSR P353	Reconstruct Surgery Foot & Leg	2.6
Select one from the following:		4.5
PCED P387	Medical Elective
PDMD P334	Clerkship Internal Medicine
Select one from the following:		4.5
PDMD P331	Clerkship Clinical Neurology
PDMD P332	Clerkship Periph Vascular Dis
PDMD P334	Clerkship Internal Medicine (may be taken twice for credit)
PDMD P338	Clerkship Infectious Disease
PDOR P341	Clrkshp Gen Orthopedics
Year 4
PCED P431	Clerkship Clinical Podiatry IV	4.5
PCED P432	Clerkship Clinical Podiatry V	4.5
PCED P440	Community Clerkship	4.5
PCED P441	External Podiatric Clerkship I	4.5
PCED P442	External Podiatric Clerkship II	4.5
PCED P443	External Podiatric Clerkship III	4.5
PCED P444	External Podiatric Clerkship IV	4.5
PCED P446	External Podiatric Clerkship V	4.5
Select one from the following:		4.5
PCED P443	External Podiatric Clerkship III
PCED P447	External Podiatric Clerkship VI
Select one from the following:		4.5
PCED P410	Clerkship in General Orthopedics (cannot be taken in addition to PDOR P341)
PDMD P421	Clerkship Clinical Neurology (cannot be taken in addition to PDMD P331)
PDMD P421	Clerkship Clinical Neurology (may be taken after PDMD P334 and/or PCED P387, and must be selected if PDMD P334 or PCED P387 has not already been completed)
PDMD P428	Clerkship Infectious Disease (cannot be taken in addition to PDMD P338)
PDMD P445	Clerkship in Peripheral Vascular Disease (cannot be taken in addition to PDMD P332)
Total Credit Hours		196.15

Contacts

Department Contacts: