The things I learned from other doctors while in residency

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PODIATRYCRAZE

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Besides medical knowledge, there were many life lessons I learned while I interacted with medical professionals on my off service months.

From a radiologist: Where you go for residency ultimately does not matter. An average residency will teach you 95% of the field. The top ones will open up that last 5% for you. The bar for medicine is so high already that the lowest graduating doctor is still minimally competent.

From an orthopedic surgeon: Never take call for free. The stress on your life will be much lower if you just decide to show up for clinic the next morning.

From a general surgeon: Look at what other healthcare professionals are paid for the level of work they do. Decide your monetary value based on that.

From an internist: Don’t be afraid to involve another specialist or even a doctor of the same specialty if a pathology is not your expertise. We specialized for a reason.

From an infection doctor: Sometimes you have to be cynical and understand human behavior. It will explain how patients end up in the mess they are in. Accept it and understand not everyone can be cured.

From an anesthesiologist: Know your strengths and what procedures you like to do. Stick to those. There is almost always someone else who is happy to take it off your hands.

From an office manager: When you work for a podiatrist, they will act like they know the field and will judge you for your residency and training. When you don’t, they will judge you on your personality, work ethic, and talent.

From a psychiatrist: Salary transparency is a great topic to make friends over. Not a measuring contest. Helps people know what to aim for and what to avoid. It is just money after all.

From a podiatrist: When you are a student, you are a student, not “just a student”. The youngest, freshest, most positive minds in the field. Exercise your mind and pretend you are already a doctor. Your diagnosis can help the patient and the team in a pinch.

Some of these can have deeper interpretations relating to podiatry, others not so much. Please post more below. Open to some comedy too!

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From a general surgeon: Let the nurse do the dressing changes
 
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Wet to dry, please.
Dr. Ewok, please behave.
Besides medical knowledge, there were many life lessons I learned while I interacted with medical professionals on my off service months.

From a radiologist: Where you go for residency ultimately does not matter. An average residency will teach you 95% of the field. The top ones will open up that last 5% for you. The bar for medicine is so high already that the lowest graduating doctor is still minimally competent.

From an orthopedic surgeon: Never take call for free. The stress on your life will be much lower if you just decide to show up for clinic the next morning.

From a general surgeon: Look at what other healthcare professionals are paid for the level of work they do. Decide your monetary value based on that.

From an internist: Don’t be afraid to involve another specialist or even a doctor of the same specialty if a pathology is not your expertise. We specialized for a reason.

From an infection doctor: Sometimes you have to be cynical and understand human behavior. It will explain how patients end up in the mess they are in. Accept it and understand not everyone can be cured.

From an anesthesiologist: Know your strengths and what procedures you like to do. Stick to those. There is almost always someone else who is happy to take it off your hands.

From an office manager: When you work for a podiatrist, they will act like they know the field and will judge you for your residency and training. When you don’t, they will judge you on your personality, work ethic, and talent.

From a psychiatrist: Salary transparency is a great topic to make friends over. Not a measuring contest. Helps people know what to aim for and what to avoid. It is just money after all.

From a podiatrist: When you are a student, you are a student, not “just a student”. The youngest, freshest, most positive minds in the field. Exercise your mind and pretend you are already a doctor. Your diagnosis can help the patient and the team in a pinch.

Some of these can have deeper interpretations relating to podiatry, others not so much. Please post more below. Open to some comedy too!
Appreciate the write up about the different perspectives.
 
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The bar for medicine is so high already that the lowest graduating doctor is still minimally competent.
But the bar for podiatry is so high that the lowest graduating doctor is NOT minimally competent enough to pass a surgery board exam after 3 years of residency.
 
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Hospital employed podiatrist: Don’t trim nails. Just say no.

PP podiatrist: Nails all day baby!
 
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Besides medical knowledge, there were many life lessons I learned while I interacted with medical professionals on my off service months.

From a radiologist: Where you go for residency ultimately does not matter. An average residency will teach you 95% of the field. The top ones will open up that last 5% for you. The bar for medicine is so high already that the lowest graduating doctor is still minimally competent.

From an orthopedic surgeon: Never take call for free. The stress on your life will be much lower if you just decide to show up for clinic the next morning.

From a general surgeon: Look at what other healthcare professionals are paid for the level of work they do. Decide your monetary value based on that.

From an internist: Don’t be afraid to involve another specialist or even a doctor of the same specialty if a pathology is not your expertise. We specialized for a reason.

From an infection doctor: Sometimes you have to be cynical and understand human behavior. It will explain how patients end up in the mess they are in. Accept it and understand not everyone can be cured.

From an anesthesiologist: Know your strengths and what procedures you like to do. Stick to those. There is almost always someone else who is happy to take it off your hands.

From an office manager: When you work for a podiatrist, they will act like they know the field and will judge you for your residency and training. When you don’t, they will judge you on your personality, work ethic, and talent.

From a psychiatrist: Salary transparency is a great topic to make friends over. Not a measuring contest. Helps people know what to aim for and what to avoid. It is just money after all.

From a podiatrist: When you are a student, you are a student, not “just a student”. The youngest, freshest, most positive minds in the field. Exercise your mind and pretend you are already a doctor. Your diagnosis can help the patient and the team in a pinch.

Some of these can have deeper interpretations relating to podiatry, others not so much. Please post more below. Open to some comedy too!
What I learned from your experiences..... radiology, Ortho and Gen Surg don't know crap about Podiatry.
 
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Hospital employed podiatrist: Don’t trim nails. Just say no.

PP podiatrist: Nails all day baby!
Happily debrided 2 patients nails today. Both have history of amps and revascularization. One on dialysis. Will see back in 3 months. Anyone not like these people? GTFO with those toenails.
 
Happily debrided 2 patients nails today. Both have history of amps and revascularization. One on dialysis. Will see back in 3 months. Anyone not like these people? GTFO with those toenails.
You do know there are other modifiers outside of Q7 right.
 
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Things I’ve learned from specialties in residency:

Mustache pods do not know evidence based medicine.
 
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Ophthalmologist: In medicine, it's always better to look at a brown eye, not the brown eye
 
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But the bar for podiatry is so high that the lowest graduating doctor is NOT minimally competent enough to pass a surgery board exam after 3 years of residency.
Just to clarify ... "minimal competence" is a term for the licensing exam. Anyone who obtains a license should be "minimally competent." It sounds demeaning, but that is the standard applied to obtaining a license.

Board certification is a voluntary (not really any more) step above minimal competence.

But I agree with you 100% that the standard of board certification examinations should correlate with the residency curriculum. Pass rates for MDs who complete residency are in the high 80s to 90s. Orthopedics is 94%, for example.

Due to its low pass rate, ABFAS obviously tests some other higher standard above the residency curriculum and there is no evidence that it improves public safety. But it sure helps to gate-keep the door to the OR and reduce competition and ABFAS even writes letters to hospitals recommending they keep all others from obtaining surgical privileges.
 
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Just to clarify ... "minimal competence" is a term for the licensing exam. Anyone who obtains a license should be "minimally competent." It sounds demeaning, but that is the standard applied to obtaining a license.

Board certification is a voluntary (not really any more) step above minimal competence.

But I agree with you 100% that the standard of board certification examinations should correlate with the residency curriculum. Pass rates for MDs who complete residency are in the high 80s to 90s. Orthopedics is 94%, for example.

Due to its low pass rate, ABFAS obviously tests some other higher standard above the residency curriculum and there is no evidence that it improves public safety. But it sure helps to gate-keep the door to the OR and reduce competition and ABFAS even writes letters to hospitals recommending they keep all others from obtaining surgical privileges.
So if board certification is just a step above, what is fellowship then? A giant leap ahead?
 
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Ophthalmologist: In medicine, it's always better to look at a brown eye, not the brown eye

I'm glad you clarified "in medicine" because in some scenarios...







I've said too much.
 
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