Keep in mind that you should also plan to take the MCAT around the same time (if not before) you apply. MCAT scores are required of all applicants for the admission committee to make a final decision. Check out our class profile for the class of 2014 to see how you compare with students starting classes at DMU next week.

It’s also time to figure out who you’re going to ask to write your letters of recommendation. DMU requires one letter from a doctor of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.) and one letter from a science professor or adviser. If you’ve never shadowed a D.P.M. before, a good way to locate one is the D.P.M. Mentor Network.  You can also locate D.P.M. students on the mentor network who you can contact with questions regarding their experience. I strongly encourage everyone to shadow at least one D.P.M. prior to applying.

Applications are accepted August 2010 through June 2011 for students planning to begin school in August 2011. I encourage you to apply before April 2011 for best consideration. We plan to interview about 200 students for the 58 seats available in our incoming class – will you be among the first to schedule your interview?

Also, be sure to check out TodaysPodiatrist for information on every aspect of podiatric medicine – especially their video about today’s podiatrists!

Contact DMU with questions regarding the doctor of podiatric medicine program, and we hope to see your application this year!

We are accepting applications from students right now, and the deadline is May 3. To apply, you need to submit the online application, send in copies of your transcripts and one letter of recommendation. This helps give us a better idea of who to select for the program, and also helps you prepare for the real application process in the future!

We will choose 6 students for the 2010 program. Your travel cost to Des Moines, hotel room and meals will all be paid for by DMU for those chosen. The program includes two full days of activities including:

• Lab demonstrations in anatomy, simulation lab, suturing, etc.
• Discussions with the dean, faculty and current D.P.M. students
• A tour of the DMU Foot and Ankle Institute and shadowing a D.P.M. student
• Admission overview – preparing to apply
• Campus tour
• Des Moines activities – Iowa Cubs game and the Des Moines Art Festival

Check out the anatomy lab!

Have you ever gone on a campus tour and felt like you didn’t really get to see the heart and guts of the school? We don’t want that to happen at DMU. We also don’t want you to visit and leave without every question answered. So if you’re thinking you want to enter the health care field (or your child or student does), then come check out Discover DMU on March 3.

It’s informal yet informative and you’ll get to see where students really learn and grow. You’ll hear about all 9 of our programs and go on a tour with a current student to our labs and classrooms and gym and all the other cool stuff that makes DMU awesome.

You’ll get to:

• Examine lifelike human simulators and sit in on a suturing session or laparoscope demonstration.
• Experience the simulated clinical setting students train in before entering a real clinic.
• Watch an osteopathic manual medicine demonstration.
• Meet DMU faculty, alumni and current students.

Come with questions! Our students are amazing and they are happy to share their experiences.

The day ends with a mini health professions fair where you will meet the admission staff from all DMU programs and financial aid reps. Learn what it takes to apply to DMU, how to become a competitive applicant and what it’s like to be a DMU student!

RSVP today!

If you want to get into podiatric medicine, fill out the application, have your transcripts sent to the AACPMAS, and choose the podiatry schools where you’d like your app to be sent.  (Choose DMU of course!)

I filled out a test application last night (I hope I get in!) and while it may seem a bit lengthy, it certainly is thorough. That’s what we want, a comprehensive look at you, the applicant, and why you’re the next best thing in podiatric medicine.

Learn more about what’s new for the College of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery at DMU, or apply today through the centralized app service!  We’ll start interviewing next month, so we’re looking forward to seeing some good applications in the near future!

Check out the APMA’s new video on You Tube!

The 2009 Summer Podiatry Preview group with their DMU advisors and Cubbie Bear!

Last spring we invited interested students to apply for 6 available spots in the Summer Podiatry Preview, and imagine how impressed we were to receive nearly 60 applications!

This new program is a 2-day preview for college students interested in learning more about podiatric medicine as a possible career choice.

We welcomed our 6 students to Des Moines last week for the first session and gave them an in-depth look at DMU. The students experienced all of our labs – Simulation, Anatomy, Surgery, HPL, SPAL and Research. They also learned how to suture, shadowed in the Foot and Ankle Institute, met current students and faculty, explored downtown Des Moines, cheered on our Iowa Cubs at a baseball game, dined at Jordan Creek Town Center, and on and on.

I certainly kept them busy during their visit, and their level of enthusiasm was impressive.We were pleased to offer an experience of this kind to prospective students, and hope to make it an annual event. If you’re intersted in getting info about this program for next year, leave a comment below!

The outing raised over $130,000 for the Iowa Hospital Education & Research Foundation (IHERF) scholarship for health care education. The morning program included a speech from Drake Relays Director Brian Brown, which was inspiring to all in attendance. We also had the opportunity to chat with DMU alums, board members, faculty and some current students who all came out to support the cause.

We’re looking forward to participating again next year – it’s a great event, a great opportunity to network and raise money for scholarships, and the IHA has already guaranteed us beautiful weather!

The last few weeks has been another spectacle entirely – moving mayhem!  Students, friends, parents, little siblings – all helping move belongings in or out of apartments. Maybe the students moving out are on their way to rotations or residencies, or those moving in are brand new students that will join us this August (Orientation starts August 4)!  It’s also possible they have no affiliation with DMU and just happen to like living in our neighborhood.  At this moment I can see U-hauls, a couple minivans and there is even a horse trailer blocking one lane of traffic on Grand while its contents are being emptied onto the front lawn!

Even though they lucked out with a cool day (73 degrees!), I’m still sending cool thoughts their way! Good luck to everyone moving to or from our neighborhood this summer! Lift with your knees, and don’t forget to wave at the admission staff if you see us watching you through our windows – we’re happy you’re here!

First I thought I’d start by sharing a few of my favorite places to run: To the fridge during commercials, to the mailbox on my birthday and to the ice cream truck as it passes my house on a summer day. If that’s not what you had in mind, then perhaps these sites might be more helpful…

Fitness Sports is a store in Des Moines where the staff is quite knowledgeable about running, and their website has a ton of runner’s resources – plus we get a 15% DMU discount there! Here’s a link directly to their running clubs page.

Check out a list of Des Moines city trails or get Trails.com’s list for Des Moines.

Wellness Central –This is a page on your New Student Portal, and another great resource if you’re into fitness. If you don’t know how to access this page, look at top bar, click on “My Communities” and select Wellness Central – there is an extensive list of fitness resources, running/biking trails, etc. You can also complete your Wellness Center Release form and sign up your Plus-One partner for the Wellness Center as well!

And, of course, get signed up now for the DMU Run-Day-Voo August 15.

Enjoy!

• Westpointe Apts, 2510 Canterbury Rd, Urbandale
• Signature Place Apts, 210 S. Prairie View Dr, West Des Moines
• Ashley Square Apts, 5501 Aurora Ave, Des Moines
• Regency Woods Apts, 1137 11th St, West Des Moines
• Saddlebrook Apts, 8301 Colby Pkwy, Urbandale
• Country Club Village, 1200 Office Park Rd, West Des Moines
• Weston Park Apts, 4200 Park Ave, Des Moines
• Gateway Lofts, 1719 Grand Ave, Des Moines
• Olde English Village, 1201 Office Park Rd, West Des Moines

Of course there may be more but that’s the list I came up with. Hope it helps! Also, don’t forget… even apartments that allow pets may have size or breed restrictions and charge a security deposit and monthly fee.

Happy apartment-hunting!

Even though we’re busy, we try to take a little time for spring break fun so we can at least feel like we’re on vacation. Now that it’s over, let me share with you how it went… 

With our cafeteria closed we had to get creative for lunch. Our St. Patrick’s Day Potluck ‘O the Irish was enviable.  Per the instructions, nearly every food item arrived in a very unnatural shade of green.  

We also hit up a local establishment for lunch one day (mmm Zimm’s!). We tried our hand at a Trivial Pursuit Challenge, but our knowledge of all things trivial could definitely use some work.  

Our knowledge of College Basketball, however, has proved surprising, as some of our staff can still boast a near-perfect bracket!  Don’t worry, we are not gambling.  We barely knew how to pick brackets, let alone score points for money!

We rounded out the week with the Enrollment Management Olympics, for which I received a Bronze medal (only because Gold and Silver cheated).  But in the spirit of sportsmanship, we were all winners!  Chair Push for Distance, File-Box Bicep Curls, Sharpie Darts, Viewbook Curling – a great test of speed, dexterity, precision and strength. I will admit, I failed miserably in the Alphabetizitation Race. I also had an incident with some ink in the Cheap Pen Re-assembly Race. I’m voting those off the roster for the next games. 

So, this is how we spent our spring break. At least the noon to 1 p.m. timeframe of our spring break.  We are not tan, we are not jet-lagged, we are not relaxed, but, we had a little bit of much needed fun.