Are you happy as a Podiatrist? Practicing and students?

[Luelinks]

As of now I am hoping for the D.O route, but after spending the last 3.5 hours (no joke) researching EVERYTHING about podiatry, my interest in this profession has increased substantially. There's so many positives to this profession it's remarkable, perhaps a hidden gem in healthcare.

Great patient interaction, elements of physical therapy, prescriptions, interaction with many age groups, etc.

I have a 3.17 GPA, ~3.1 scienceGPA, am a rising senior, go to an excellent state school, and I am studying for the MCATs in August or Sept, hoping to commit to a post-bacc program somewhere. But now I am wondering if going straight into podiatry school will make me happy. Hopefully down the road I want to have a family, and would prefer to spend time with them. If a D.O, perhaps there would be less time and more stress.

So, if you're a podiatrist or student now, were you in the same boat as me with regard to osteopathic medicine or podiatry? Were you happy that you went with podiatry rather than say dentistry, medicine, or physical therapy? Do you feel any burnouts at all, if so, how frequent? Do you feel respected as a podiatrist too?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[PADPM]

Hopefully down the road I want to have a family, and would prefer to spend time with them. If a D.O, perhaps there would be less time and more stress.

I'm glad that you've started to understand some of the aspects of podiatry, but I'd like you to understand that you really haven't scratched the surface. In addition to some of the aspects you mentioned such as physical therapy, writing prescriptions, interaction with geriatric patients, etc., there is SO much more.

The majority of today's DPMs also perform major surgical procedures of the foot and ankle, treat trauma, treat wounds, skin lesions and any and all ailments of the foot and ankle. In essence, once you obtain the DPM degree you are a neurologist, dermatologist, internist and orthopedist of the lower extremity.

Additonally, you have mentioned something that I've spoken about many times on this site regarding what I consider a huge misconception or "urban legend". And that is the statement that as a DPM you will have more time to spend with your family than if you were a DO or MD.

Being a DPM is not a part time job. When you enter practice of any kind, you can ultimately decide how hard you want to work, which will also be dictated by the type of practice you enter.

I'm in a large group practice which fortunately is extremely busy. In addition to several offices, we also cover several hospitals and are involved with wound care centers. As a result, in addition to seeing a large number of patients in the office, we routinely are running to the hospital to perform consults, perform surgery, see our in-house patients, treat emergencies, etc. That includes evenings and weekends and on-call schedules for all the doctors in the practice.

As a result, we all work VERY long hours and are often inconvenienced for emergencies, etc.

Not all podiatric practices are this way, just as not all DO or MD practices are this way. You choose your own workload based on your own needs and philosophies. But please don't pick podiatry if you believe it's the profession that will allow you more time with your friends or family, because that may not necessarily be the case.

It is a medical specialty, no different than any other.

 

[FiveOVicryl]

I recommend you shadow your local podiatrist.

 

[MD2014786]

hey PADPM

just a few questions from an interested student:

1. when you round in-patients at hospitals, what are they primarily admitted for? for example, are they admitted for some internal med issue and you as a pod are called upon for a consult? or are they admitted on your orders, and since you admitted them, you would be required to follow up on your patient?

2. how often are pods needed for in-patient care?

3. as a new pod, how would you go about establishing yourself? i know you can join a ortho group, but how would u market yourself as a pod?

4. similarirites/differences between pod residencies and MD/DO residencies? (ex. call schedule, pt population, expectations, etc)

Just trying to get a better handle of the field.

Thanks in advance for your help

Sorry i know the question is horribly worded. i couldn't find the right words to express my question. if you need clarification, pls let me know.

I'm glad that you've started to understand some of the aspects of podiatry, but I'd like you to understand that you really haven't scratched the surface. In addition to some of the aspects you mentioned such as physical therapy, writing prescriptions, interaction with geriatric patients, etc., there is SO much more.

The majority of today's DPMs also perform major surgical procedures of the foot and ankle, treat trauma, treat wounds, skin lesions and any and all ailments of the foot and ankle. In essence, once you obtain the DPM degree you are a neurologist, dermatologist, internist and orthopedist of the lower extremity.

Additonally, you have mentioned something that I've spoken about many times on this site regarding what I consider a huge misconception or "urban legend". And that is the statement that as a DPM you will have more time to spend with your family than if you were a DO or MD.

Being a DPM is not a part time job. When you enter practice of any kind, you can ultimately decide how hard you want to work, which will also be dictated by the type of practice you enter.

I'm in a large group practice which fortunately is extremely busy. In addition to several offices, we also cover several hospitals and are involved with wound care centers. As a result, in addition to seeing a large number of patients in the office, we routinely are running to the hospital to perform consults, perform surgery, see our in-house patients, treat emergencies, etc. That includes evenings and weekends and on-call schedules for all the doctors in the practice.

As a result, we all work VERY long hours and are often inconvenienced for emergencies, etc.

Not all podiatric practices are this way, just as not all DO or MD practices are this way. You choose your own workload based on your own needs and philosophies. But please don't pick podiatry if you believe it's the profession that will allow you more time with your friends or family, because that may not necessarily be the case.

It is a medical specialty, no different than any other.

 

[PADPM]

hey PADPM

just a few questions from an interested student:

1. when you round in-patients at hospitals, what are they primarily admitted for? for example, are they admitted for some internal med issue and you as a pod are called upon for a consult? or are they admitted on your orders, and since you admitted them, you would be required to follow up on your patient?

2. how often are pods needed for in-patient care?

3. as a new pod, how would you go about establishing yourself? i know you can join a ortho group, but how would u market yourself as a pod?

4. similarirites/differences between pod residencies and MD/DO residencies? (ex. call schedule, pt population, expectations, etc)

Just trying to get a better handle of the field.

Thanks in advance for your help

Sorry i know the question is horribly worded. i couldn't find the right words to express my question. if you need clarification, pls let me know.

1) Our patients are admitted for a myriad of problems. Some are admitted following complex surgical cases, some are admitted due to trauma, some are admitted due to a severe infection or complicated wound, etc. We are consulted to see patients for problems as simple as a problem with a patients nails to consultations for wounds, amputations, fractures, infections, cellulitis, foreign bodies, or any problem you can imagine with the foot or ankle. If we admit a patient on our service, we absolutely are responsible for following that patient daily and for discharging that patient when appropriate. And when we are consulted to see a patient, we also see that patient on a regular/daily basis until the problem is resolved or the patient is discharged.

2) The question "how often are pods needed for in-patient care" is like asking how often is any doctor needed. It depends on the type of practice you enter or establish. Our group see patients in the hospital seven days a week and some DPMs have opted not to have a strong hospital presence. Similarly, many family docs and GPs no longer have a hospital presence but refer all patients to an internist or hospitalist for all in patient care.

3) As a new DPM you have many choices and marketing yourself is no different than any other medical specialty. Some DPMs enter private solo practice, some enter group practices, some enter muti-specialty/mult-disciplinary practices, some join orthopedic groups, some join hospital staffs, etc.

4) Podiatric residencies have now moved to a 36 month model and some are 48 months. They all include many rotations outside of podiatric surgery, and do include on call rotations and a patient population similar to any other medical specialty. Patients who develop foot and ankle problems do not fall into a specific demographic.

The overall "tone" of some of these questions is that podiatric medicine/surgery is somehow "different" than other fields of medicine. Similar to any field of medicine, you can work hard or not work hard. You can have a strong hospital presence or not have a strong hospital presence. But the bottom line is that this IS simply a medical specialty, and is not "alternative" medicine. It is just like any other medical specialty which includes education, significant training, siginficant skills and hard work and dedication.

Once you enter practice or the hospital, you are expected to act as a professional and are held to the same standards as any other medical professional medically and surgically.

 

[Luelinks]

1) Our patients are admitted for a myriad of problems. Some are admitted following complex surgical cases, some are admitted due to trauma, some are admitted due to a severe infection or complicated wound, etc. We are consulted to see patients for problems as simple as a problem with a patients nails to consultations for wounds, amputations, fractures, infections, cellulitis, foreign bodies, or any problem you can imagine with the foot or ankle. If we admit a patient on our service, we absolutely are responsible for following that patient daily and for discharging that patient when appropriate. And when we are consulted to see a patient, we also see that patient on a regular/daily basis until the problem is resolved or the patient is discharged.

2) The question "how often are pods needed for in-patient care" is like asking how often is any doctor needed. It depends on the type of practice you enter or establish. Our group see patients in the hospital seven days a week and some DPMs have opted not to have a strong hospital presence. Similarly, many family docs and GPs no longer have a hospital presence but refer all patients to an internist or hospitalist for all in patient care.

3) As a new DPM you have many choices and marketing yourself is no different than any other medical specialty. Some DPMs enter private solo practice, some enter group practices, some enter muti-specialty/mult-disciplinary practices, some join orthopedic groups, some join hospital staffs, etc.

4) Podiatric residencies have now moved to a 36 month model and some are 48 months. They all include many rotations outside of podiatric surgery, and do include on call rotations and a patient population similar to any other medical specialty. Patients who develop foot and ankle problems do not fall into a specific demographic.

The overall "tone" of some of these questions is that podiatric medicine/surgery is somehow "different" than other fields of medicine. Similar to any field of medicine, you can work hard or not work hard. You can have a strong hospital presence or not have a strong hospital presence. But the bottom line is that this IS simply a medical specialty, and is not "alternative" medicine. It is just like any other medical specialty which includes education, significant training, siginficant skills and hard work and dedication.

Once you enter practice or the hospital, you are expected to act as a professional and are held to the same standards as any other medical professional medically and surgically.

What inspired you to be a podiatrist? Are you happy?

 

[PADPM]

What inspired you to be a podiatrist? Are you happy?

I had always planned on being a dentist, UNTIL I shadowed a dentist and realized I really didn't enjoy saliva and couldn't see spending my day in someone's mouth!! Unless I was going to be an oral surgeon, I don't think I'd enjoy the profession.

At the same time, I was in college (a division I college) and a very competitive soccer player. I had an injury/problem that no one could really identify or help me with until I finally found a DPM who figured it out and got me back on the field. I subsequently spent a lot of time with him and learned a lot about the field and the rest is history.

Yes, I'm happy, though I'd be much happier if I was a bikini saleman.

 

[emericana]

As of now I am hoping for the D.O route, but after spending the last 3.5 hours (no joke) researching EVERYTHING about podiatry, my interest in this profession has increased substantially. There's so many positives to this profession it's remarkable, perhaps a hidden gem in healthcare.

Great patient interaction, elements of physical therapy, prescriptions, interaction with many age groups, etc.

I have a 3.17 GPA, ~3.1 scienceGPA, am a rising senior, go to an excellent state school, and I am studying for the MCATs in August or Sept, hoping to commit to a post-bacc program somewhere. But now I am wondering if going straight into podiatry school will make me happy. Hopefully down the road I want to have a family, and would prefer to spend time with them. If a D.O, perhaps there would be less time and more stress.

So, if you're a podiatrist or student now, were you in the same boat as me with regard to osteopathic medicine or podiatry? Were you happy that you went with podiatry rather than say dentistry, medicine, or physical therapy? Do you feel any burnouts at all, if so, how frequent? Do you feel respected as a podiatrist too?

More on what PADPM said regarding hours... now... I am not a podiatrist yet I am merely starting school in the fall... but I have researched the f*&^ out of pod and many other specialties.

podiatry is a medical specialty just like neurosurgery, IM, ortho, peds, pscyh are.

Some specialties for DO's such as emergency medicine, derm, rads etc have great lifestyle... others... surgery etc... do not.

like padpm said with podiatry you can be as busy or as swamped with work as you wanna be... which I think is super cool. I personally plan on being swamped with work when the time comes, because I wanna give this profession my 100%

 

[RATM2010]

I will tell you this... It does not matter if we are happy. Just because we are happy does not mean you will. You need to leave your options open for now. Concentrate on grades and mcat. Shadow different DO specialty physicians and shadow a few podiatrists. Look at the aspects of neurology, surgery, derm, etc. that are involved in podiatry. This is a podiatry forum and you will get a more pro-podiatry vibe here. ASk the same question in the DO forum and vice versa. Right now, just shadow and learn more about the pros/cons of each avenue. AFter shadowing, you will eventually make the best decision for you. I will say this too. Do not use podiatry as a backup to DO. You will not be happy. You must work hard at this, as well as anything, to get out of it what you want. Finally, I will say that I never met a podiatrist that would change to DO. I have met a few DO/MD docs that wish they could make that decision over again. I'm just saying.

 

[Xforward22]

Finally, I will say that I never met a podiatrist that would change to DO. I have met a few DO/MD docs that wish they could make that decision over again. I'm just saying.

Ditto. I actually saw that there is an MD in the Scholl class of 2014. Has anyone talked to him/her? I would love to hear why he/she is going back to be a podiatrist after completing an MD residency.

 

[RATM2010]

I have met a few, especially in primary care, that wish they had a do over because they really wantd to be a surgeon, but could not match and ended up with FP/ped/psych. However, I never met or heard of a md or DO actually going through podiatry school post md residency. You would suspect that the change would occur after 1st or maybe 2nd year of medical school, not residency. With billions of people on this planet, I'm sure there is at least 1 md who went through podiatry school post md residency. Right?????

PS: I think that the scholl case was perhaps a md student that dropped md school for pod. From a financial standpoint, I hope that is what happened.

 

[Xforward22]

Where did you hear or read this? I think I would have come across this person by now. Or are you talking about the class of 2015?

I came across it in an informational pamphlet I receieved during a campus visit to Scholl last summer. In that pamphlet they highlighted the degrees people came to school with. Of course there were many B.S and B.A degrees, a few masters, and 1 MD. I asked about the MD ... just basic questions like "Wow, will anything transfer for this person?" He thought so, which may mean he/she is not graduating with the Class of 2014 if they put him/her in an accelerated program. He/she can't be 2015 b/c I'm Class of 2015 and this was last year's informational packet. I wish I could recall the name of the man I talked to, but it was a year ago. He was a very nice, tall black man. Anyone know who I'm talking about?

 

[shenanigans327]

it might also be a possibility that the person was a FMG

 

[damhsoir]

it might also be a possibility that the person was a FMG

Yes you are correct. He graduated from an Egyptian med school. I'm not sure if he did a residency there, or here, or even at all. He is in the class of 2013.

He was exempt from a few of the basic biomed classes last year.

 

[PADPM]

it might also be a possibility that the person was a FMG

This is exactly my thought. In all my years of practice and involvement with residency training, externships, ABPS, ACFAS, APMA, etc., I have personally never come across a U.S.A. trained M.D. who has gone back to obtain a D.P.M. degree.

However, I have encountered many foreign trained M.D.s who unfortunately were unable to carry over their training in the U.S.A. and therefore became a D.P.M. A prime example is Dr. Labbad who is or was a clinician at TUSPM. He was trained in the Mid East as an orthopedic surgeon and is now a D.P.M. In my opinion, it's really tragic that these docs, many of whom did residencies, can't practice their specialty after all that training.

I remember when I was a student rotating through a hospital. There was a female custodian and she was actually trained as a neurosurgeon in Eastern Europe and could not transer any of her education and could not afford to get an education here. THAT was tragic.

 

[TUpod2013]

Dr. Labbad is still at Temple and one of my favorite clinicians. Also each class at TUSPM has some of these MD-transfers that are from overseas (usually from areas around the Middle East). Usually they pick up with the second year class but have to take LEA with the first year class. They are very bright and always great people to work with in the clinic.

Podiatry, as it was stated before, should be looked at on it's own. It is a specialization of medicine that can do pretty much the same thing every other branch can do, but is limited to the foot/ankle or higher in some states. The best thing you can do is shadow different docs, DO and DPM, and see which one has a career that you could see yourself enjoying on a daily basis.

 

[ToldYouSo]

This is exactly my thought. In all my years of practice and involvement with residency training, externships, ABPS, ACFAS, APMA, etc., I have personally never come across a U.S.A. trained M.D. who has gone back to obtain a D.P.M. degree.

However, I have encountered many foreign trained M.D.s who unfortunately were unable to carry over their training in the U.S.A. and therefore became a D.P.M. A prime example is Dr. Labbad who is or was a clinician at TUSPM. He was trained in the Mid East as an orthopedic surgeon and is now a D.P.M. In my opinion, it's really tragic that these docs, many of whom did residencies, can't practice their specialty after all that training.

I remember when I was a student rotating through a hospital. There was a female custodian and she was actually trained as a neurosurgeon in Eastern Europe and could not transer any of her education and could not afford to get an education here. THAT was tragic.

^ I almost jumped out of my seat when I read this... please tell me this is a cruel joke?!

 

[PADPM]

^ I almost jumped out of my seat when I read this... please tell me this is a cruel joke?!

Not a joke and in the past, this was not as uncommon as you may want to believe. I know many doctors who came to the U.S. and had to start from scratch.

 

[347932]

I worked with a Romanian SA at one of the hospitals who was an Orthopedic Surgeon in Romania before moving Stateside. He has since returned to Med School here in the US and is now an FP.