Yeah I mean look, most of us got screwed. Flat out. Podiatry is garbage. The **** we deal with, the time we put in during school, the slave hours in residency (depending on your program obviously), the bs boards, all to make less than a mid level.
Podiatry sucks. No one should do it. If you think you’re the exception, then go buy a lottery ticket instead.
The NP/PA base guarantee in my area is 150k base with wRVU production incentives...let that sink in
No minimum wRVU, 401k match, no call, health insurance for family, minimum 4 weeks off a year, CME allowance...let it sink in deep
PA 2 years ROI --> 150k right away and up to 200k+ with production bonuses. Stuff gets crazy and you can punt to the MD/DO. No weekend calls from patients unless you want to take call. Can work side gig in local urgent care to make extra cash.
DPM 7 (8 if fellowship) years ROI --> I had offers low as 80k out of training to 200s range if get lucky with a MSG/Hospital. Unpaid call likely with add on foot pus a few days on your call week. Rounding at lunch or after clinic wasting time finding wound VAC supplies and nurses calling you at midnight saying the machine is beeping. Weekend calls from disaster patients or the ED.
On a side note I think unpaid call should be illegal. Imagine taking unpaid call in private practice, canceling clinic early to see a open fracture or gas gangrene uninsured patient and waiting until 9pm to do the case. Lose money in clinic, lose time with your family and get paid zero dollars to follow this patient for 90 days after surgery losing money on clinic supplies and office visits. If you take unpaid call on uninsured patients please educate me on the economics behind it if you are not on a RVU structure or have residents/associates to round for you.
Ortho in my area gets 2k a day to take call...Podiatry get paid nothing yet many of the DM2 ankle fractures and other trauma gets pushed to them on top of the pus...sink in deeeeeeep.
On another side note I think anything related to DM2 infections should have a zero day global. I talked to one of the cardiology docs once and he laughed when I told him we have 90 day globals on most of the procedures we do. They do heart valves and stents, many other procedures with 0 day globals he said. Also mentioned unpaid call and he said you would be crazy to do that yet that's what many in the field do.
Before you go into Podiatry shadow many different professions. Make sure its what you want. If you are willing to work hard and hustle you will probably be okay, but the ROI is going to be even more abysmal and with 2 new schools increasing competition for elite residency positions and the coveted MSG/Hospital positions.
