What made you pursue Podiatry over F/A Ortho?

[PatchAdamsFan]

This is a general question to the residents and podiatrists here!

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[g squared 23]

Why I chose it initially: guarantee of foot and ankle surgery, hopefully will be able to be my own boss and make my own schedule. Really good mix of clinic and surgery.

Why I'm glad now: Podiatrists are better foot and ankle surgeons overall. I've rotated with both specialties, and without exaggerating, I can say this with a straight face and have no reservations about my opinion. I will be a better reconstructive foot and ankle surgeon coming out of my Podiatry residency. Now I know there are great orthopedists and terrible Podiatrists, but I am speaking in general terms.

 

[Feli]

1) You get better training for foot and ankle surgery!
There are more attendings of your same specialty to learn from: during grad school, way more at the post-graduate level. Much like going into OMFS, you are a specialist from the start.

2) Much less (maybe no) trauma call.
Orthos get better training than DPMs for humeral, femoral, radial, etc etc fractures. those aren't in DPM scope, and therefore almost invariably orthos will have (or get to, depending on how you look at it) to take (wamp wamp wamp) ER ortho trauma call. Unless you like planning 6 weddings (and divorces) in your life and scouring match.com at age 55 while a lot of DPMs are retired, or you like waking up to realize your kids are going off to college yet you've barely seen any of their plays or sports games... then going to school for silly old powe-diatry might be a better lifestyle choice?

3) You're done much earlier.
4yr grad school + 3yr residency versus 4yr grad school + 5yr residency + 1yr fellowship. Hi kids, who wants to start having children at age 30+ or get their career going or let something give? Whoopedydoo.

4) If you're smart in business terms (many are not), compensation is MUCH better per hour as a DPM than a F&A ortho since you have many nonsurgical cares a lot of orthopedists don't learn about, don't read about, or just don't care to utilize (biomechanics, orthotics, diabetic wound care, derm of the foot and ankle, etc etc).

....I guess I should duck and cover for all the orthos, F&A orthos, thousands of ortho gunners, ortho hopeful pre-meds or med students, etc who wish podiatry residency was available to them. It'll be an interesting day when MDs and DOs all (most already have) come to realize that DPMs don't just clip toenails anymore. A lot of hospitals already realized how profitable a DPM can be... ever noticed how when a major hospital or health system employs one or two... they suddenly want a bunch more? Hmmm.

 

[zdlamkin8195]

1) You get better training for foot and ankle surgery!
There are more attendings of your same specialty to learn from: during grad school, way more at the post-graduate level. Much like going into OMFS, you are a specialist from the start.

2) Much less (maybe no) trauma call.
Orthos get better training than DPMs for humeral, femoral, radial, etc etc fractures. those aren't in DPM scope, and therefore almost invariably orthos will have (or get to, depending on how you look at it) to take (wamp wamp wamp) ER ortho trauma call. Unless you like planning 6 weddings (and divorces) in your life and scouring match.com at age 55 while a lot of DPMs are retired, or you like waking up to realize your kids are going off to college yet you've barely seen any of their plays or sports games... then going to school for silly old powe-diatry might be a better lifestyle choice?

3) You're done much earlier.
4yr grad school + 3yr residency versus 4yr grad school + 5yr residency + 1yr fellowship. Hi kids, who wants to start having children at age 30+ or get their career going or let something give? Whoopedydoo.

4) If you're smart in business terms (many are not), compensation is MUCH better per hour as a DPM than a F&A ortho since you have many nonsurgical cares a lot of orthopedists don't learn about, don't read about, or just don't care to utilize (biomechanics, orthotics, diabetic wound care, derm of the foot and ankle, etc etc).

....I guess I should duck and cover for all the orthos, F&A orthos, thousands of ortho gunners, ortho hopeful pre-meds or med students, etc who wish podiatry residency was available to them. It'll be an interesting day when MDs and DOs all (most already have) come to realize that DPMs don't just clip toenails anymore. A lot of hospitals already realized how profitable a DPM can be... ever noticed how when a major hospital or health system employs one or two... they suddenly want a bunch more? Hmmm.

I really don't like posting on this forum - out of respect to any residents/attendings - but this is the exact reason I chose podiatry. I work everyday with Ortho/Neuro surgeons and they all suggested podiatry as a viable route to go and listed many of these same reasons Feli listed...just my 2¢

 

[pod101]

scouring match.com at age 55

Damn I already do this at age 27. I must be ahead of the curve!

It'll be an interesting day when MDs and DOs all (most already have) come to realize that DPMs don't just clip toenails anymore

We offer foot messages too! MDs really like that after a long day at work.

On a more serious note, could you elaborate on #4. Usually I hear that surgical podiatrists working with ortho's make considerably less b/c you can't take on call MD cases but MDs could take on call your cases.

 

[PatchAdamsFan]

Thanks for the insights!