APMLE Examinations
The American Podiatric Medical Licensing Examination (APMLE) is broken up into 3 parts. This examination is different than the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and is more focused on the lower extremities. For example, there are additional topics such as Lower Extremity Anatomy, Biomechanics that are heavily tested. All three parts are not scored and are instead Pass/No Pass. When it comes to board examination in podiatric medical school, all students are required to take at least Parts I and II to graduation. Part III has more flexibility.
APMLE PART I
The APMLE Part I is taken the Summer in between the first and second years of medical school. This typically falls around the month of July.
Other things to keep in mind:
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Externship Applications: Due in July
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Summer Courses: Varies by school.
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Clinical Rotations: Varies by school.
* There are opportunities to retake the examination in October of your second year if a No Pass is received.
APMLE PART II
The APMLE Part II examination is taken in January of your fourth year. Depending on the school, you may or may not have designated time off to study in December.
Other things to keep in mind:
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Residency Interviews
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Rankings Due
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Clinical Rotations/Externships
* There are opportunities to retake the examination in February and May of your fourth year if a No Pass is received.
APMLE PART III
For the APMLE Part III Examination, there are several options to choose from when deciding when to take the exam.
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Option 1: Prior to starting residency in June.
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Option 2: Halfway through 1st year of residency in December.
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Option 3: After completing the first year of residency in June.
* Some residency programs may require a Passing score on the APMLE Part III prior to the start of residency. ​
Practice makes perfect.
When studying for these board examinations, remember that Prometric has practice exams you can take to evaluate your progress. These are available at no additional cost.
Registration
The registration process is fairly straightforward.
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Apply to register. There is quick form you fill out to determine if you are approved to register for the exam. Once approved by your school, you can proceed to Step 2.
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Find a testing location and pay the fee. *
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* If you will be applying for accommodations: First you need to be approved to take the exam by your school. Then you must obtain approval for accommodations. Prometric will then contact you by phone to schedule your exam and will collect payment by phone. You cannot register on your own through the internet.​
Check out our interview with Dr. Katerina Grigoropoulos, DPM as she explains the various examinations podiatric students and residents need to take and at which step. She breaks down what she used to study and how much time it took to prepare.