Need a pick me up ><

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pod101

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Very odd weekend...

First off all Happy Thanksgiving to all !

I happily announced my acceptance at NYCPM to family and friends. Response I received back was not expected...

My extended family, family doctor, dentist, old college mates, and 1 professor seemed shocked...and not in a good way. They then proceeded to flood me with bad things about podiatry. That podiatry is a scam and much like being a chiropractor or an ND, podiatry is "not real medicine" and that I wouldn't be happy. "Podiatrists make very little money" 40-60k right out of college. Podiatry is about to be legally pushed out. Medicaid will never cover them. That I will never be able to do any research with a DPM, even on the side. No school will affiliate with me unless I had a DPM/MD or DPM/DO,

They then told me to pursue MD, DDS, phD, take a year off to clear my head, consider PA/RN, or take my engineering degree to the military.

Why so much anti-podiatry feelings out there? The overwhelming message I got from everyone was: "podiatrists are toe nail clippers that work under the direction of an LPN, or they are "quacks"". Sorry for the long email but I was shocked by all the negative responses I got from people I have grown to respect over 20+ years of my life...not one person congratulated me o_O

- I need a pick me up ><

Thank you and sorry for the rant!
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pod101 said:
Very odd weekend...

First off all Happy Thanksgiving to all !

I happily announced my acceptance at NYCPM to family and friends. Response I received back was not expected...

My extended family, family doctor, dentist, old college mates, and 1 professor seemed shocked...and not in a good way. They then proceeded to flood me with bad things about podiatry. That podiatry is a scam and much like being a chiropractor or an ND, podiatry is "not real medicine" and that I wouldn't be happy. "Podiatrists make very little money" 40-60k right out of college. Podiatry is about to be legally pushed out. Medicaid will never cover them. That I will never be able to do any research with a DPM, even on the side. No school will affiliate with me unless I had a DPM/MD or DPM/DO,

They then told me to pursue MD, DDS, phD, take a year off to clear my head, consider PA/RN, or take my engineering degree to the military.

Why so much anti-podiatry feelings out there? The overwhelming message I got from everyone was: "podiatrists are toe nail clippers that work under the direction of an LPN, or they are "quacks"". Sorry for the long email but I was shocked by all the negative responses I got from people I have grown to respect over 20+ years of my life...not one person congratulated me o_O

- I need a pick me up ><

Thank you and sorry for the rant!
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Go with where your heart is.

Podiatry is a fantastic career with many options. Including research, good pay, and a variety in your day. If you want to get into the politics of being "pushed out of medicaid" you can PM "diabeticfootdr" he is a podiatrist who just ran for congress and has been posting on here again lately. He will have better answers about the politics, but honestly with the health problems in this country podiatry is going no where. Podiatrists will not be cut. podiatrists are also adaptable as they are both clinicians and surgeons. You can run either direction.

Most importantly shadow shadow shadow. Look at what podiatrists do and make your own decision.
 
I'm sorry to hear that. It seems like those individuals overlooked your passion and see the $ aspect behind it. I don't think podiatry will eventually be "pushed out." How are podiatrists quacks? They do surgery and prescribe meds like a MD/DO specialist would.

Do what you're passionate about and it will be rewarding in one way or another for you regardless of what others say. I think they stand by their viewpoints due to lack of research and knowledge on the field.
 
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First, Congratulations on your acceptance! NYCPM is an amazing school. For the people who said those things, they have no idea what they are talking about. Podiatry is in high demand and will only increase due to diabetics and other factors like old age. I've told many people in my area about my future profession and they were quite thrilled. The podiatrist I shadowed has his own practice and he is the only doctor running the show with no one watching over his shoulder. People literally have to schedule appointments three months in advance because of the amount of people he sees. He definitely makes more than six figures as his house in HUGE and drives an expensive Volvo. So don't listen to those who bash on your decision. People are ignorant, I just smile and laugh inside if it happens to me.
 
Your family is a bunch of ignorant *****s. Here's what you do; make a presentation about podiatry and next time you see them, present it to them to get rid of all of those misconceptions. The more you know!
 
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They have the mindset of what it was like 30 years ago? I've had those remarks thrown at me right after they realized that I meant I wanted to be a podiatrist not a pediatrician. For some reason treating kids=noble, taking care of people's feet= a quack. Podiatrists I've shadowed are happy with their practices, happy with their lives (know their kids, are involved in their families), found a balance between work and life, make enough to be happy, found a practice style that suits them. Those folk seem to know nothing about podiatry. An average Joe with a foot problem goes to see a foot specialist and doesn't know the difference between a DPM and MD. While I agree that there is some progress to be made in the insurance side of things, most states give equal parity pay wise for procedures. I will not practice in a state that doesn't.

See you in September, classmate!
 
CONGRATS ON YOUR ACCEPTANCE!! :thumbup:

I am not going to sit here and try to tell you why podiatry is awesome, because you know that yourself, hence the reason why you applied in the first place. Truth of the matter is, it is a great career choice, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It is your life, not theirs. Do what you love.

With that said, go out and CELEBRATE !!!
you deserve to!!
 
my uncle that is a pcp and 2 different councilors at my undergrad told me becoming a podiatrist is a great career choice.

the rest of my family doesn't even know what a podiatrist fully does or even the amount of schooling.

hopes that makes you feel better

Also the podiatrist that I shadowed is now the chief surgeon of the foot and ankle department of a kaiser. :thumbup:
 
First, congratulations. Second, with all due respect, most of the people who gave you their advice are not the most credible sources for predicting the future of podiatry. Therefore, keep moving along on the path you're on and don't let people dissuade you from becoming a DPM.

Best of luck.
 
pod101 said:
Very odd weekend...

First off all Happy Thanksgiving to all !

I happily announced my acceptance at NYCPM to family and friends. Response I received back was not expected...

My extended family, family doctor, dentist, old college mates, and 1 professor seemed shocked...and not in a good way. They then proceeded to flood me with bad things about podiatry. That podiatry is a scam and much like being a chiropractor or an ND, podiatry is "not real medicine" and that I wouldn't be happy. "Podiatrists make very little money" 40-60k right out of college. Podiatry is about to be legally pushed out. Medicaid will never cover them. That I will never be able to do any research with a DPM, even on the side. No school will affiliate with me unless I had a DPM/MD or DPM/DO,

They then told me to pursue MD, DDS, phD, take a year off to clear my head, consider PA/RN, or take my engineering degree to the military.

Why so much anti-podiatry feelings out there? The overwhelming message I got from everyone was: "podiatrists are toe nail clippers that work under the direction of an LPN, or they are "quacks"". Sorry for the long email but I was shocked by all the negative responses I got from people I have grown to respect over 20+ years of my life...not one person congratulated me o_O

- I need a pick me up ><

Thank you and sorry for the rant!
Click to expand...

I was in a similar situation as you. although ive decided not to pursue podiatry, at least not now, i think it is a great field if that's what you really want to do. The only major complaint i've heard from friends regarding podiatry is that when you search online you hardly find jobs posted. Since podiatry is a small field, i think that most people who finish residency obtain employment by word of mouth rather than applying online. There's 2 things you have to be comfortable with before entering this field. 1) Feet and 2) Surgery..You'll be doing both and if your not comfortable with either than i would advise looking at alternate careers. What's great about podiatry is that you'll be a physician and a surgeon, you'll be in charge of peoples care. RN/NP/PA you'll be considered an assistant helping to treat patients a long side a physician. I know in my state at least, DPM's aren't allowed to hire PA's but they can hire Medical Assistants...I am not sure about RN's.Good Luck.
 
I have had similar responses like yours when I tell people I plan on becoming a podiatrist. Ironically, it mostly comes from older aged MD's that I see. Some were unaware that I even had to take the MCAT! I don't think they know the training a podiatrist graduating nowadays has compared to 20 years ago. My pre-health advisor and many nurses,phDs, etc tell me that podiatry is a great field to go into and you will always have a job.
You need to do what you wanna do, and if podiatry makes YOU happy then go for it!
Besides, I would rather touch a foot than touch someone's teeth/mouth!
 
pod101 said:
1. "Podiatrists make very little money" 40-60k right out of college.

2. Podiatry is about to be legally pushed out.

3. Medicaid will never cover them.

4. That I will never be able to do any research with a DPM, even on the side. No school will affiliate with me unless I had a DPM/MD or DPM/DO,

5. They then told me to pursue MD, DDS, phD, take a year off to clear my head, consider PA/RN, or take my engineering degree to the military.
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1. That's factually inaccurate. I think the average is around $160-170k and that's well published. I'm sure you can find links to that in one of the forums here. You should expect $40-$60k in your residency. I made $57k in NY in my last year of residency in 2005.

2. Not even close to being true. Podiatrists have expanded their scope of practice all over the country. Even in NY, which has been one of the most restrictive States in the Union.

3. Medicaid covers services by podiatrists in 40 states. APMA is working on making it a manditory benefit federally, legislation which hasn't gotten much traction.

4. Not true. Podiatrists are affiliated with major universities all over the US. I have been an investigator on about 30 trials, principle investigator on about 15. I have about 100 publications, mostly pertaining to my research. Many, many other examples. If you want to do research - there will be plenty of opportunities.

5. That's up to you, but it shouldn't be for any of the reasons your family said, because it's not true.

Ultimately, if you succeed, it will be the best kind of evidence for them.
 
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I'm not going to say anyone is ignorant, but they are simply misinformed.

1). Salary can be all over the place. I know some recent grads from less than "high power" programs who are starting in the 60's, and I know other recent residency grads starting at 270,000.

2). To compare current day podiatry with NP's, PA's or calling podiatry quackery is simply insulting as well as inaccurate.

3). Podiatry does not require supervision. I treat patients with no supervision in my office, on the floors in the hospital and in the operating room. I assure you that no one is holding my hand or questioning my skills/knowledge.

4). The doctors who are exposed to our profession are usually our biggest supporters. Our practice covers several hospitals, and we are constantly being called for ER cases and are consistently asked to consult by vascular surgery, infectious disease and internal medicine in many cases. We are on staff at a teaching hospital affiliated with a major medical school/institution. Orthopedics and vascular won't even look at a foot or ankle if consulted, and instead will defer to our service. So I can assure your friends and relatives that our profession does more than clip toenails.

5). We have a very busy practice and provide the full spectrum of services, from routine palliative care to major reconstructive surgery. I have no problem doing anything that a patient needs. So yes, cutting nails IS a part of what I do. Some of my partners perform a lot of palliative care. If I see 40 patients a day, I may see 4 or 5 palliative patients, and our new associate sees less palliative care than I do. But it is part of our practice.

6). Podiatry is not going to be pushed out and certainly is not analogous to chiropractic.

7). I find it almost amusing that some of these comments came from a dentist. Let him know that at the present time 3 years of residency is mandatory in our profession. Ask him about dentistry, where many states require NO post graduate education.

The list goes on and on, but instead of wondering if you've made a wrong decision regarding podiatry, it's time to educate these people. There are obviously NOT well informed.
 
I feel there is lot of mis-information about the profession. I have heard different stuff from MD's such as "Awesome, your going to be a surgeon!" to "You know your going to only be cutting nails?" lol

I find the people that have had experience with DPM's know how good of a profession your getting into, and the people who haven't had exposure to DPM's have un-factual opinons.

I mean no professions is without its flaws, but overall this is going to be a strong career leading in the future. You will just never win the prestige war with the MD's DO's and DDS's haha
 
natorx said:
I feel there is lot of mis-information about the profession. I have heard different stuff from MD's such as "Awesome, your going to be a surgeon!" to "You know your going to only be cutting nails?" lol

I find the people that have had experience with DPM's know how good of a profession your getting into, and the people who haven't had exposure to DPM's have un-factual opinons.

I mean no professions is without its flaws, but overall this is going to be a strong career leading in the future. You will just never win the prestige war with the MD's DO's and DDS's haha
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I think it is just the career has evolved so fast in the past 15 years, people haven't kept tabs on its progression. I noticed the older healthcare professionals I personally know were unsure of the whole field of podiatry before I explained it to them; they thought the same thing about cutting nails or making orthotics. The younger ones, however, are more informed and have worked with pod residents; and praised them nonetheless.

Also OP, you should show this thread to your family; they might be surprised. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=409888
 
As a mere first year student I don't want to sound completely financially driven but would you mind saying which residency programs those were where some of the residents were starting at $270,000? Also, what kind of positions in what type of settings were those? Thank you!
 
willingdoc said:
As a mere first year student I don't want to sound completely financially driven but would you mind saying which residency programs those were where some of the residents were starting at $270,000? Also, what kind of positions in what type of settings were those? Thank you!
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He said residency graduates. That is probably a really rare job offer; most likely from a group practice. You would have to have a huge amount of patients and bring in a ton a money to be making that much.
 
diabeticfootdr said:
1. That's factually inaccurate. I think the average is around $160-170k and that's well published. I'm sure you can find links to that in one of the forums here. You should expect $40-$60k in your residency. I made $57k in NY in my last year of residency in 2005.

2. Not even close to being true. Podiatrists have expanded their scope of practice all over the country. Even in NY, which has been one of the most restrictive States in the Union.

3. Medicaid covers services by podiatrists in 40 states. APMA is working on making it a manditory benefit federally, legislation which hasn't gotten much traction.

4. Not true. Podiatrists are affiliated with major universities all over the US. I have been an investigator on about 30 trials, principle investigator on about 15. I have about 100 publications, mostly pertaining to my research. Many, many other examples. If you want to do research - there will be plenty of opportunities.

5. That's up to you, but it shouldn't be for any of the reasons your family said, because it's not true.

Ultimately, if you succeed, it will be the best kind of evidence for them.
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Is there any specific place I can go to see what states don't cover Podiatric services under Medicaid?
 
willingdoc said:
As a mere first year student I don't want to sound completely financially driven but would you mind saying which residency programs those were where some of the residents were starting at $270,000? Also, what kind of positions in what type of settings were those? Thank you!
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There is no residency that will offer that, hell I think the feds give the hospital about $120K per year to cover your residency. I do not doubt 270K, but keep in mind whomever this is is a statistical aberration. Do not count on rolling in 270 when you graduate.

I will say I am in the same boat as the OP, my parents are trying to get me to go NP/PA (while PA is a great job I am not working a $10 hour job for 2 years to be able to apply to a hyper competitive program where I would have a tenuous shot to get in). When I told them of the interview I had at DMU my mom was almost getting pissed (now I fly out for interviews I just tell them I am going on business trips). I just wish more job openings were visible instead of through word of mouth to get their buy in that I will not come to living at home with them after 7 years and 200k in the hole. I am just waiting for the best time to tell them. At the end of the day it is your own life, you got to do what you got to do
 
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rushrhees said:
I will say I am in the same boat as the OP, my parents are trying to get me to go NP/PA (while PA is a great job I am not working a $10 hour job for 2 years to be able to apply to a hyper competitive program where I would have a tenuous shot to get in).
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That is the #1 reason why I decided this semester to switch to DPM. But I have yet to tell my parents of my decision yet. Gonna wait till the semester break next week.

But that is the issue with PA school I found. Among the 5 in Michigan only one was accepting students with a GPA lower than a 3.40 and then I realized that WMU's program really only cares about your Physio, BioChem, MicroBio, and Anatomy courses when they accept a cumulative GPA. I talked with an advisor there and they said they look at the GPA of these 4 classes over the your entire college undergrad, which in my mind is BS! I don't want to work at a hospital or nursing home for AT LEAST 1000 hours just to have a shot at getting an interview. The GPA to get accepted is much more competitive for PA over DPM and the PA applications has skyrocketed in the last 4 yrs.

My options for PA vs. DPM school:
PA school: Take a microbio lab for requirement, attempt to raise GPA from a 3.25 to a 3.4 in a matter of two semesters, work over 1000 hours of patient hours, email or call all PA schools to find out what their average GPA is they usually accept, take the GRE. Which would take a matter of at least until September of 2013 to be finished with the patient care hours (and that is assuming you work 40hrs/week for the summer and winter). And by the time I get those hours I know that applications are needed before then. So I would be lucky to get accepted for the Fall of 2014

Podiatry school: No more additional undergrad courses, only 100 hours (or somewhere near that) of shadowing a podiatrist, which could take at most 5 weeks during the summer or even just do that next semester, study for MCAT and take it in 2013. I already know that my GPA is well enough to get into Podiatry school (well if my grades weren't good enough for DPM then I know for a fact that no PA school would accept that GPA).

My decision was b/c I have always been interested in the locomotion of the foot and don't want to waste 1.5yrs of working at a hospital just to get rejected by every PA school I apply to.
 
hughesn2 said:
That is the #1 reason why I decided this semester to switch to DPM. But I have yet to tell my parents of my decision yet. Gonna wait till the semester break next week.

But that is the issue with PA school I found. Among the 5 in Michigan only one was accepting students with a GPA lower than a 3.40 and then I realized that WMU's program really only cares about your Physio, BioChem, MicroBio, and Anatomy courses when they accept a cumulative GPA. I talked with an advisor there and they said they look at the GPA of these 4 classes over the your entire college undergrad, which in my mind is BS! I don't want to work at a hospital or nursing home for AT LEAST 1000 hours just to have a shot at getting an interview. The GPA to get accepted is much more competitive for PA over DPM and the PA applications has skyrocketed in the last 4 yrs.

My options for PA vs. DPM school:
PA school: Take a microbio lab for requirement, attempt to raise GPA from a 3.25 to a 3.4 in a matter of two semesters, work over 1000 hours of patient hours, email or call all PA schools to find out what their average GPA is they usually accept, take the GRE. Which would take a matter of at least until September of 2013 to be finished with the patient care hours (and that is assuming you work 40hrs/week for the summer and winter). And by the time I get those hours I know that applications are needed before then. So I would be lucky to get accepted for the Fall of 2014

Podiatry school: No more additional undergrad courses, only 100 hours (or somewhere near that) of shadowing a podiatrist, which could take at most 5 weeks during the summer or even just do that next semester, study for MCAT and take it in 2013. I already know that my GPA is well enough to get into Podiatry school (well if my grades weren't good enough for DPM then I know for a fact that no PA school would accept that GPA).

My decision was b/c I have always been interested in the locomotion of the foot and don't want to waste 1.5yrs of working at a hospital just to get rejected by every PA school I apply to.
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The matter of the fact is, if your gpa is non-competitive for PA/NP school than you are also non-competitive for MD/DO, DDS, Optometry, PT, Veterinary schools. That leaves you with podiatry. You may have to explain to your parents that you just simply may not be cut out for these fields with your gpa. The sheer amount of apps that these colleges receive is insanely high. Anywhere between 1,000-6,000 apps per school, for an avg of 30-100 seats per school. Your options are to take 1-2 years after you obtain your BA to improve your application such as working in the healthcare field, studying for GRE/OAT taking some post-bacc classes, possibly a masters, and then applying to gain admission for 2014/2015. It's not uncommon, i have a friend that took 2 years off studied and worked his butt off and he now is in Medical school, MD. I have also heard it's not uncommon for people to apply 2-3 times before they get in.It all depends if your heart is in it or not. MD/DO and DDS are much more prestigious fields. NP/PA theirs a lot of job opportunities and many specialties you can work in. If you specialize in surgery as a PA or an NP, you can make as much as a primary care doctor. There are also non-clinical aspects you can work in as a PA or NP. I actually have a friend who just graduated as an RN and started a job in NY in ICU, with a starting salary of 95k per year + benefits which pushes her salary to about 130k in her 1st year alone. She plans to go onto NP school and specialize in oncology and something involving surgery. She told me she also plans to teach and conduct research which will further increase her salary. Sky's the limit, theirs a lot of opportunities in nursing and money to be made, i'm sure this is why your parents want you to consider becoming an NP. It's a wellknown and recognized profession. May i add she graduated with only 10k in debt
 
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dudestheman90 said:
The matter of the fact is, if your gpa is non-competitive for PA/NP school than you are also non-competitive for MD/DO, DDS, Optometry, PT, Veterinary schools....Anywhere between 1,000-6,000 apps per school, for an avg of 30-100 seats per school. Your options are to take 1-2 years after you obtain your BA to improve your application such as working in the healthcare field, studying for GRE/OAT taking some post-bacc classes, possibly a masters, and then applying to gain admission for 2014/2015. It's not uncommon, i have a friend that took 2 years off studied and worked his butt off and he now is in Medical school, MD. I have also heard it's not uncommon for people to apply 2-3 times before they get in.It all depends if your heart is in it or not. MD/DO and DDS are much more prestigious fields. NP/PA theirs a lot of job opportunities and many specialties you can work in. If you specialize in surgery as a PA or an NP, you can make as much as a primary care doctor. There are also non-clinical aspects you can work in as a PA or NP. I actually have a friend who just graduated as an RN and started a job in NY in ICU, with a starting salary of 95k per year + benefits which pushes her salary to about 130k in her 1st year alone. She plans to go onto NP school and specialize in oncology and something involving surgery. She told me she also plans to teach and conduct research which will further increase her salary. Sky's the limit, theirs a lot of opportunities in nursing and money to be made, i'm sure this is why your parents want you to consider becoming an NP. It's a wellknown and recognized profession. May i add she graduated with only 10k in debt
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Agreed with my GPA it is too low, and I have thought about the taking 2 years off and take classes to bolster the GPA. I know there are turn around stories, but it is still a long shot. Of the 1000 who apply for those 30-100 spots, just about all of them have excellent GPAs and scores, so I see it as going from no chance to getting in to having a 3-10% chance of getting in. If I were to do nursing I would have to start at the ground level at my community college and build up from there, but the problem with that is similar, about 1000 applying for 70 spots and usually involves a 3 year wait. The other thing is that I am almost 30 and want to start down some road soon.
As for my parents it is more they are just concerned about the job outlook, plus there could be the view of this job 50 years ago when it was sort of dodgy training. Now that I have told them I have been accepted, they seemed to warm up a bit, but still not totally fine with it.
 
rushrhees said:
Agreed with my GPA it is too low, and I have thought about the taking 2 years off and take classes to bolster the GPA. I know there are turn around stories, but it is still a long shot. Of the 1000 who apply for those 30-100 spots, just about all of them have excellent GPAs and scores, so I see it as going from no chance to getting in to having a 3-10% chance of getting in. If I were to do nursing I would have to start at the ground level at my community college and build up from there, but the problem with that is similar, about 1000 applying for 70 spots and usually involves a 3 year wait. The other thing is that I am almost 30 and want to start down some road soon.
As for my parents it is more they are just concerned about the job outlook, plus there could be the view of this job 50 years ago when it was sort of dodgy training. Now that I have told them I have been accepted, they seemed to warm up a bit, but still not totally fine with it.
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Well podiatry school your looking at you'll be done at the age of 38. Which isn't bad but usually i wouldn't start medical school past the age 26-27. since it takes so long and on avg. i believe it takes about 10 years to finish paying off your debt from podiatry/medical school. what have you been doing since undergrad?
 
rushrhees said:
Agreed with my GPA it is too low, and I have thought about the taking 2 years off and take classes to bolster the GPA. I know there are turn around stories, but it is still a long shot. Of the 1000 who apply for those 30-100 spots, just about all of them have excellent GPAs and scores, so I see it as going from no chance to getting in to having a 3-10% chance of getting in. If I were to do nursing I would have to start at the ground level at my community college and build up from there, but the problem with that is similar, about 1000 applying for 70 spots and usually involves a 3 year wait. The other thing is that I am almost 30 and want to start down some road soon.
As for my parents it is more they are just concerned about the job outlook, plus there could be the view of this job 50 years ago when it was sort of dodgy training. Now that I have told them I have been accepted, they seemed to warm up a bit, but still not totally fine with it.
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I have no problem with your deciscion to pursue podiatry, but you know i'm just a lil confused.. I thought before you have stated you have a 4.0 post bac. So what do you mean about 2 more years of trying to ammend your GPA? You are a non traditional student with a 30+ mcat, if md/do is truly what you want it's not out of your reach. They also have smp programs where participants that do well usually get a guaranteed interview with the respective school.
 
First of all thank you for everyone who has responded to my original post.

It is ironic that this forum got side tracked into PAvsDPM or RNvsDPM.

Last week I went for my annual check up/physical. Similar reaction. MD advocated I try foreign schools, PA advocated being a PA "you can be just like a doctor without the responsibility". The nurse then came by and told me I could always work up the ranks from LPN like she did. Even the medical assistant and desk workers gave me a bad look. What IS WRONG WITH FEET!? Did a podiatrist chop off their feet or something and that is why podiatrists have a bad rap. This is getting almost comical.

Obviously there is a lack of awareness that became apparent. The MD thought podiatry was a 2 year degree. MA thought podiatry was another name for something call a medical nail technician? Is there such a thing? However what took the cake was the MA doing a google search and finding http://www.onlinephdprograms.com/online-phd-in-podiatry/ and then thinking that podiatry was an online degree.

To summarize: o_O
 
pod101 said:
PA advocated being a PA "you can be just like a doctor without the responsibility".
To summarize: o_O
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Yeah, becoming a PA would be my top option b/c I like what PA's have told me, but DPM has always been #2. PA schools are so much more competitive now so I just switched to DPM b/c I don't want to waste two years doing work as a CNA and applying to many schools only to get rejected where I know that there are at least 3 DPM schools where I know my stats will be well enough to get into, but I don't know about PA schools b/c they don't straight up tell you what their average matriculate's GPA is.

My family doctor also has a podiatrist that practices with him and he was just saying to me "yeah, they make a **** ton of money. He makes it good"
 
DPM is a respectable profession and a very tough degree to achieve. There are plenty of people who take advantage of the relatively lax standards to get accepted only to fail out a year later.

I predict in ten years there will be 11 podiatry schools, and the avg MCAT score to hover around 27. Just as electricity travels the path of least resistance, so to will health care hopefuls. But the standards will rise and in my estimAtion, within 10 yrs we will see a major difference.
 
PrePodPolice said:
DPM is a respectable profession and a very tough degree to achieve. There are plenty of people who take advantage of the relatively lax standards to get accepted only to fail out a year later.

I predict in ten years there will be 11 podiatry schools, and the avg MCAT score to hover around 27. Just as electricity travels the path of least resistance, so to will health care hopefuls. But the standards will rise and in my estimAtion, within 10 yrs we will see a major difference.
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Oh i do agree with you. There are more and more apps per year to professional schools. Eventaully podiatry will be well known and the profession will grow. Thats y if your trying to get in do it now before things get really competitive.
 
dudestheman90 said:
I kinda hate it when i tell every1 i want to be a podiatrist than they always ask me why not MD/DO, i don't want to tell them that i dont have the grades for that so i just say foot and ankle surgeon, so that way they don't know the difference between MD/DPM. Yeah my god PA school as well as dental school are nearly impossible to get into. If you don't have a 3.5+ GPA from a good college, I honestly would save my money. I know PT, optometry, MD, DO, Veterinary, Nursing as well as PA and dental all require a similar GPA. I try to warn my friends that there's really no such thing as a backup, if you want to go to a health profession, than you need a high GPA regardless, Since your going to be working with patients, all these professions have high standards, i would say DPM is an exception to the rule. It's basically the last hope for many people, otherwise the only other route is to do a masters, do well, and reapply at a later point but your talking about an additional 20-40 grand and 1-2 years extra.
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Not sure if trolling or serious....?
 
MaxillofacialMN said:
Not sure if trolling or serious....?
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Considering everytime someone briefly mentions PA, dudestheman90 (and hughesn2 for that matter) immediately quote it and post about how podiatry is a backup to every other professional school, I would say possible troll. First time I've accused anyone of trolling but its really insulting hearing these two ramble about PA > DPM and how pod schools are filled with MD/DO "rejects" on these threads... Insulting! Please take these opinions and go to the PA forums, they'll be welcomed there!
 
Robert De Niro said:
Considering everytime someone briefly mentions PA, dudestheman90 (and hughesn2 for that matter) immediately quote it and post about how podiatry is a backup to every other professional school, I would say possible troll. First time I've accused anyone of trolling but its really insulting hearing these two ramble about PA > DPM and how pod schools are filled with MD/DO "rejects" on these threads... Insulting! Please take these opinions and go to the PA forums, they'll be welcomed there!
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seriously, both of them should just go to p.a. school. Coming into podiatry with that mentality doesn't do the profession any good.
 
Robert De Niro said:
Considering everytime someone briefly mentions PA, dudestheman90 (and hughesn2 for that matter) immediately quote it and post about how podiatry is a backup to every other professional school, I would say possible troll. First time I've accused anyone of trolling but its really insulting hearing these two ramble about PA > DPM and how pod schools are filled with MD/DO "rejects" on these threads... Insulting! Please take these opinions and go to the PA forums, they'll be welcomed there!
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Back-handed compliments and passive-aggressive cheap shots...I, and a few others, have questioned this guy's dubious nature.

:troll:
 
Its funny how the older MDs tell me that they can't believe how competitive medicine has become. That if they applied now they probably wouldn't be able to meet today's standards. Its funny to see how competitive all these degrees are considering medicines history.

DO was laughed at in the 1970s by many people. Now people are really pushing hard to get into DO schools. PA likewise. 1970s PA was still really new from my understanding. Now to quote the PAs I have met "I love it, 2 years, high pay, no responsibility" -> not saying all PA's are like this. God bless the military medics who went to hell and back and really founded that profession. Likewise I think DPM is at a stage where it is largely unheard of. Its changed so much over the last 20 years. If vision2015 even semi goes through, (esp the universal recognition as physicians and equal pay for equal work...) I really believe you will see admittance grades similar to AZPOD. I mean that school has better stats than a few DO schools. Plus correct me if I am wrong there were only 7 podiatry schools not too long ago?
 
feet2017 said:
seriously, both of them should just go to p.a. school. Coming into podiatry with that mentality doesn't do the profession any good.
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Well I want to go into podiatry. But you are trying to say that everyone that Podiatry has to be completely podiatry their entire college life. I don't ever say DPM is for the rejects. I have never once been quoted being that rude.

Sorry that I wanted to go into PA and then realized DPM may suit me best.

I am not trolling but if someone does mention something about PA I tell them how my situation is. Sorry I actually hope to help some people on here.
Because everybody who goes to DO school is considered a sell-out since everyone assumes they wanted to go to MD school.
Because everybody who goes to PA school is considered a sell-out since people like you assume they all wanted to actually go to DO or MD school.
Just b/c I have a backup plan it makes it seem like I don't care about having a future in DPM?

Sorry that my pre-professional advisors never explain Pod school to anyone and they tried to sell me on PA school. I had no clue about DPM schools b/c my advisors were actually under the assumption that DPM school was just part of MD school. Funny how MSU hires a Human Medicine advisor who doesn't know her field of practice
 
hughesn2 said:
Yeah, becoming a PA would be my top option b/c I like what PA's have told me, but DPM has always been #2. PA schools are so much more competitive now so I just switched to DPM b/c I don't want to waste two years doing work as a CNA and applying to many schools only to get rejected where I know that there are at least 3 DPM schools where I know my stats will be well enough to get into, but I don't know about PA schools b/c they don't straight up tell you what their average matriculate's GPA is.

My family doctor also has a podiatrist that practices with him and he was just saying to me "yeah, they make a **** ton of money. He makes it good"
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idk man.........your going to regret it one day in the grand scheme of things a year or two isn't that long.
 
do what you love.
ignore what everyone else says.
 
hughesn2 said:
Well I want to go into podiatry. But you are trying to say that everyone that Podiatry has to be completely podiatry their entire college life. I don't ever say DPM is for the rejects. I have never once been quoted being that rude.

Sorry that I wanted to go into PA and then realized DPM may suit me best.

I am not trolling but if someone does mention something about PA I tell them how my situation is. Sorry I actually hope to help some people on here.
Because everybody who goes to DO school is considered a sell-out since everyone assumes they wanted to go to MD school.
Because everybody who goes to PA school is considered a sell-out since people like you assume they all wanted to actually go to DO or MD school.
Just b/c I have a backup plan it makes it seem like I don't care about having a future in DPM?

Sorry that my pre-professional advisors never explain Pod school to anyone and they tried to sell me on PA school. I had no clue about DPM schools b/c my advisors were actually under the assumption that DPM school was just part of MD school. Funny how MSU hires a Human Medicine advisor who doesn't know her field of practice
Click to expand...

Any school in the health professions is hard to get into...so of course you need a plan B! That mentality of 'MD/DDS/DPT or nothing' is sooo outdated. And anyone flaming another for actually considering that one may not be the best candidate since Penfield, is being naive. As I've said before, job descriptions/requirements are ubiquitous amongst the health professions: helping people, treating patients, fixed office hours, decent pay, etc. I doubt anyone is expecting a pre-pod/med/dent student to swear an allegiance to podiatry or die. That's just crazy talk.

But I don't think that's the point that is being raised. Let's not bash podiatry, that's all.
 
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