My second DPM shadowing, analysis of the experience, and some questions

[YeastyMan]

Hi, everyone.
If you haven't read my first DPM shadowing experience, here it is:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ern-for-the-field-help-answer-please.1084008/
Go check it out before reading this.

With that said, I shadowed my second DPM doctor today.
This doctor owns a private practice in a district is south of 1 million people.
I don't want to reveal the exact location for confidentiality reason.
The doctor is around 50-60 years old, with pretty good business skills and over 30 years of experience (just like the previous doctor).

However, the DPM doctor #2 has a very steady stream of patients all throughout the morning.
Majority of the cases are clipping toe nails, treating in grown toenail, and assisting patients with different types of cushions.
He will have a surgery next Monday at a major hospital and invited me to join him. So I look forward to that.

Conclusion:
I was actually about to give up podiatry after shadowing DPM doc #1 because how he kept telling me not to pursue the field, how miserable he seemed, and the fact that he doesn't really get bang for his bucks
DPM doc #2 made podiatry profession look more possible and demonstrated that being personable and having a team of competent assistant is key to success in private practice.

Similarities between the two doctors
Both started their own practice right after they graduated 30 years ago.
Both are doing surgeries at near by hospital.

Difference:
DPM doctor #1 is not that personable, he doesn't like to look patients directly in the eyes. And his staffs don't look like they want to be there at all... They get about 2-3 patients a day. He constantly suggested that I pursue another medical profession. Low streams of patients.
DPM doctor #2 is very pleasant to be around (eye contacts, hand shake, etc). Very capable staffs. High streams of patients. Very intelligent (After graduating from pharmacy school, he decided that podiatry life fits him better than pharmacy life, what a boss). Patients look forward to seeing him.

Could someone address these statements that DPM doctor #2 made?
-I asked him what he thinks about the future of podiatry, to which he says it is becoming more difficult because of the increasing number of rules and regulations from Obamacare, HMO, insurance companies, etc.
-I asked him what are the possible career options for podiatry graduates. He said "you either establish your own practice (which is hard to do become the immense cost of the construction, staff, medical materials, rent), or you go under a major hospital. Does anyone know any other career options? Because this seems a bit limited...

These are some general questions I have for the podiatry field:
-What are the different career options for podiatry graduates? (I'm just reiterating my point from above)
-What do majority of the podiatry graduates do to get biggest bang for their bucks?
-Could podiatry doctors specialized in sports medicine? (Are there doctors who specialize just in ACL injury or sports related surgeries?) Is this viable? (I'm sure you have to do something on the side)

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[ldsrmdude]

I can address a few of the statements/questions.

Possible career options - I think most graduates come out and join a group, whether that is a group of 1 or more other podiatrists, or a multi-specialty group, or an orthopedic group. Hospitals are employing a few podiatrists, but that's not the majority. I would say from what I have seen, the majority are in group practice.

Sports medicine - There are a few doctors who do all/mostly sports medicine - no podiatrist who does ACL injuries like you mention - but they're few. Some podiatrists do more than others and you could definitely do a fair amount depending on your practice. There are a few sports medicine fellowships for those interested in doing a fair amount of sports medicine.

 

[PrePodDoc]

I have also shadowed multiple podiatrists (3 in different cities and 1 on WesternU campus). What I have noticed is that it is all about how you present yourself, the type of population, and the knowledge of the staff.

Personality and stream of patient

• Doctor 1 (WesternU) had a good stream of patients. The doctor was very nice, personable, fun to be around, and the majority of the patients appreciate her diagnoses.
• Doctor 2 (majority underserved Asian population) had a slower stream of patients (I was only shadowing on a Saturday morning, but that could be the reason for the low amount of patients). She was also nice and friendly, but the staff was not very communicative towards me (could play a role when talking to patients).
• Doctor 3 (underserved half Asian/Mexican population) had a constant stream of patients that were post-op bunion surgery (see biggest bang for buck for details).
• Doctor 4 (middle class to upper class clinic) had a constant stream of patients. He has a great first impression and that's what brought his patients back.
• All 4 doctors were personable, eye contact, hand-shake, and nice overall, but Doctor 4 was by far the best in all the skills.

Biggest bang for your buck

• Doctor 2 sold Dr. Comfort shoes in-office.
• Doctor 3 did bunion studies where a company pay for the patients bunion surgery to test out something new (I don't know the specifics as I shadowed him for a day).
• Doctor 4 does his own billing.

Career options

• Establish your own practice
• Buy a practice
• Hospital

Tips from my prospective

• Get an awesome staff and treat them with up most respect
• Do your own billing
• Show human characteristics towards your patients (don't be like a robot)
• Be the best in your field (Had patients told me that Doctor 4 was the best they ever had and had tried others)

That's all I could think for now...

Best of luck,

PrePodDoc

 

[YeastyMan]

I can address a few of the statements/questions.

Possible career options - I think most graduates come out and join a group, whether that is a group of 1 or more other podiatrists, or a multi-specialty group, or an orthopedic group. Hospitals are employing a few podiatrists, but that's not the majority. I would say from what I have seen, the majority are in group practice.

Sports medicine - There are a few doctors who do all/mostly sports medicine - no podiatrist who does ACL injuries like you mention - but they're few. Some podiatrists do more than others and you could definitely do a fair amount depending on your practice. There are a few sports medicine fellowships for those interested in doing a fair amount of sports medicine.

I would imagine that joining a group would increase your competition right? Because the people you are joining are certainly more experienced than you especially when you just got out of the school.
Another question for you, do podiatrist perform knee/ hip replacement operations?

 

[YeastyMan]

I have also shadowed multiple podiatrists (3 in different cities and 1 on WesternU campus). What I have noticed is that it is all about how you present yourself, the type of population, and the knowledge of the staff.

Personality and stream of patient

• Doctor 1 (WesternU) had a good stream of patients. The doctor was very nice, personable, fun to be around, and the majority of the patients appreciate her diagnoses.
• Doctor 2 (majority underserved Asian population) had a slower stream of patients (I was only shadowing on a Saturday morning, but that could be the reason for the low amount of patients). She was also nice and friendly, but the staff was not very communicative towards me (could play a role when talking to patients).
• Doctor 3 (underserved half Asian/Mexican population) had a constant stream of patients that were post-op bunion surgery (see biggest bang for buck for details).
• Doctor 4 (middle class to upper class clinic) had a constant stream of patients. He has a great first impression and that's what brought his patients back.
• All 4 doctors were personable, eye contact, hand-shake, and nice overall, but Doctor 4 was by far the best in all the skills.

Biggest bang for your buck

• Doctor 2 sold Dr. Comfort shoes in-office.
• Doctor 3 did bunion studies where a company pay for the patients bunion surgery to test out something new (I don't know the specifics as I shadowed him for a day).
• Doctor 4 does his own billing.

Career options

• Establish your own practice
• Buy a practice
• Hospital

Tips from my prospective

• Get an awesome staff and treat them with up most respect
• Do your own billing
• Show human characteristics towards your patients (don't be like a robot)
• Be the best in your field (Had patients told me that Doctor 4 was the best they ever had and had tried others)

That's all I could think for now...

Best of luck,

PrePodDoc

Thanks for sharing!
As far as I know, all the doctors do their own billing; Being personable is a must in this profession.
Cool to know that doctors sell stuff and make contracts with research groups to bring in extra dough.

 

[whodoesntknow]

This is a very extreme case but one pod I will be shadowing is a department head of a reputable medical clinic in a semi densely populated area.
He earns more than anesthesiologists (300k+) and other specialized doctors that work there. A person I know who was on the committee that hired him and also negotiated salary said
that the pod's application had the best recommendations that he or anyone else had ever seen.
It will be interesting to hear his story being that hes probably one of the highest paid podiatrist in the west coast.

 

[YeastyMan]

This is a very extreme case but one pod I will be shadowing is a department head of a reputable medical clinic in a semi densely populated area.
He earns more than anesthesiologists (300k+) and other specialized doctors that work there. A person I know who was on the committee that hired him and also negotiated salary said
that the pod's application had the best recommendations that he or anyone else had ever seen.
It will be interesting to hear his story being that hes probably one of the highest paid podiatrist in the west coast.

Dayum son, milk that shadowing experience. If possible, could you ask him how he got to where he is today? School, residency, etc
And how many podiatry doctors are on the same boat as him (% wise)

 

[PsychPod]

I would imagine that joining a group would increase your competition right? Because the people you are joining are certainly more experienced than you especially when you just got out of the school.
Another question for you, do podiatrist perform knee/ hip replacement operations?

Podiatrists are only licensed to operate on the ankle down.
Some states have stricter requirements which limit exactly where "the ankle" beings and ends.
I think as mandatory 3 year residencies and furthermore fellowships are becoming more popular, we will see a laxation and more autonomy for pods.

About your first questions.

1. You can open your own private practice straight away (probably not advisable or possible with credit restrictions bank have that older pods didn't worry with back in the day), join a clinic as an associate and be the "jr. pod" for years, some get recruited to ortho-clinics, there are some hospital pods (and honestly this may increase as the years continue because of mandatory residencies and fellowships being more popular. There is also the route of teaching at University/Research if you combine a PhD or publish a lot in MS/DPM you could maybe find a spot. Getting a fellowship is one of the best ways to set yourself apart, as well as give you confidence and knowledge to perform advanced surgeries. This is a big change than past pods, which have limited surgical/advanced training and only had a 1-2 year residency. The next 10 years is honestly going to be the prime time to be becoming a pod IMHO.

2. Biggest bang for the buck is ortho-group. The best way into an ortho-group honestly seems to have a fellowship in podiatric surgery and excel in residency/school as well as be a personable and decent person to work with. Ortho guys tend to be type A personalities, so that's a big deal with them. If you look around you can hear of people in ortho-groups being offered anywhere between 160k - 250k a year starting, but that's because its cheaper to hire a podiatrist to do the work than spend 300-400k a year for a F/A ortho. The second biggest "bang for buck" is starting your own practice (better to partner up buy yeah) because your income becomes based on production/business skills and word of mouth. You will probably never make the big bucks working for someone else, upper middle class sure, but Porsche, nah.


3. Sports medicine is a big thing in podiatry, as many podiatrists were past college athletes and they had foot problems etc. There are some clinics which deal specifically with sports medicine and they normally went through a sport med fellowship. My opinion is that is it is better to have a clinic/part of group, and then expand into sports medicine, more jack of all trades. You can easily volunteer time reaching out and being part of the medical team at local triathlons/minor league sporting events/collegiate events/etc and that will lead to more athletes as patients and therefore more "sports med".

----

The most important part of being a pod, and a successful one is attitude. The better you are with people, the better your referrals, the more patients, the more money, the more cases. As you can see, DPM 1 wasn't personable and had an "eh" practice DPM 2 seemed much more personable and therefore better practice. Insurance problems are not ideal like they use to be, but it's not as much a limiting factor as it may seem. Lower reimbursements are made up with more patients because insurance is more available. More patients means more exposure to bad foot problems otherwise undiagnosed and therefore more interesting and meaningful surgeries.

I think we will see a change in the medical field in a way that there will be very very few 400k+ medical professionals in the next few years. Even with superb business skills and market. It'll be a change where there is a more saturation of 150-225k as the average salary and very few outliers and that's because of the lower reimbursements, more patients situation.

Glad you enjoyed it this time around.

 

[NikkiBlack]

Podiatrists are only licensed to operate on the ankle down.
Some states have stricter requirements which limit exactly where "the ankle" beings and ends.
I think as mandatory 3 year residencies and furthermore fellowships are becoming more popular, we will see a laxation and more autonomy for pods.

About your first questions.

1. You can open your own private practice straight away (probably not advisable or possible with credit restrictions bank have that older pods didn't worry with back in the day), join a clinic as an associate and be the "jr. pod" for years, some get recruited to ortho-clinics, there are some hospital pods (and honestly this may increase as the years continue because of mandatory residencies and fellowships being more popular. There is also the route of teaching at University/Research if you combine a PhD or publish a lot in MS/DPM you could maybe find a spot. Getting a fellowship is one of the best ways to set yourself apart, as well as give you confidence and knowledge to perform advanced surgeries. This is a big change than past pods, which have limited surgical/advanced training and only had a 1-2 year residency. The next 10 years is honestly going to be the prime time to be becoming a pod IMHO.

2. Biggest bang for the buck is ortho-group. The best way into an ortho-group honestly seems to have a fellowship in podiatric surgery and excel in residency/school as well as be a personable and decent person to work with. Ortho guys tend to be type A personalities, so that's a big deal with them. If you look around you can hear of people in ortho-groups being offered anywhere between 160k - 250k a year starting, but that's because its cheaper to hire a podiatrist to do the work than spend 300-400k a year for a F/A ortho. The second biggest "bang for buck" is starting your own practice (better to partner up buy yeah) because your income becomes based on production/business skills and word of mouth. You will probably never make the big bucks working for someone else, upper middle class sure, but Porsche, nah.


3. Sports medicine is a big thing in podiatry, as many podiatrists were past college athletes and they had foot problems etc. There are some clinics which deal specifically with sports medicine and they normally went through a sport med fellowship. My opinion is that is it is better to have a clinic/part of group, and then expand into sports medicine, more jack of all trades. You can easily volunteer time reaching out and being part of the medical team at local triathlons/minor league sporting events/collegiate events/etc and that will lead to more athletes as patients and therefore more "sports med".

----

The most important part of being a pod, and a successful one is attitude. The better you are with people, the better your referrals, the more patients, the more money, the more cases. As you can see, DPM 1 wasn't personable and had an "eh" practice DPM 2 seemed much more personable and therefore better practice. Insurance problems are not ideal like they use to be, but it's not as much a limiting factor as it may seem. Lower reimbursements are made up with more patients because insurance is more available. More patients means more exposure to bad foot problems otherwise undiagnosed and therefore more interesting and meaningful surgeries.

I think we will see a change in the medical field in a way that there will be very very few 400k+ medical professionals in the next few years. Even with superb business skills and market. It'll be a change where there is a more saturation of 150-225k as the average salary and very few outliers and that's because of the lower reimbursements, more patients situation.

Glad you enjoyed it this time around.

wow, A+++ analysis

 

[whodoesntknow]

Dayum son, milk that shadowing experience. If possible, could you ask him how he got to where he is today? School, residency, etc
And how many podiatry doctors are on the same boat as him (% wise)

of course. Ill post all the details in the future.

 

[duckied123]

I will be starting pod school in August but for the past year and a half have been working in a two pod private practice.

The head of the practice is in their mid 40's and chose not to do a surgical residency at the time. Most of their time is spent at their practice. However, once-a-week the pod will work in the local hospital's wound clinic alongside other MD's. In addition, the pod travels to a general family medicine office and uses their rooms to see patients once-a-week. This allows for patients who are old and unable to travel to the pod's private practice to still be seen on a regular basis. In addition, every three months this pod will travel to an assistant living residence and see as many residents as possible in one day.

The other pod in the practice is a surgeon in their early 30's. I wor as their assistant. The amount of surgeries varies tremendously (I am responsible for scheduling surgeries). Sometimes the surgeon is performing 4 surgeries every week while other months, particularly the beginning of January, the pod is doing one surgery every other week (This definitely has to do with the fact that the new calendar year for insurance starts on Jan 1... But I'm not going to get into deductibles and coinsurance and all that jazz). In addition to surgeries, the surgeon and I traveled to a different family medicine practice every other week. We used their two exam rooms to see patients, usually who were older and unable to drive long distances. Every three months we would also travel to an assistive living residence and see as many patients as we could in one day.

I also forgot to mention the surgeon I work for has surgery privileges at an outpatient ambulatory surgical center and at the local hospital. The surgeon is also allowed to perform their own pre-op H+P's, which was super nice and convenient. However, the surgeon would send patients to see their regular PCP's for pre-ops if they had more extensive health histories, for example.


I also saw someone made a comment about a pod selling shoes in their office and I'm curious how that pod does it. In our office, we use 4 different shoe companies. We offer shoes to diabetics who meet the requirements for diabetic footwear and custom inserts. Now, I could go on and on about the differences in coverage when it comes to Medicare vs Medicaid vs private insurance companies but I won't. So I'll use Medicare diabetics as an example:

Our pods will evaluate the pt for diabetic shoes/inserts. If they do indeed meet certain criteria I will then size the patient and help them pick out "certified" diabetic shoes from a catalog. Then, since the pt has Medicare, I will type out a letter for their PCP. The letter basically states that this patient meets the Medicare requirements for diabetic shoes/inserts and Medicare requires we receive three items from their PCP before ordering shoes for the pt:
1. A visit note from past 6 months showing PCP is monitoring pt's diabetes
2. Signed diabetic shoe certification form
3. PCP must review our pods' visit note and then sign off that they read it.

Once ALL of that is done and ALL the items are faxed back to me I can proceed with the shoe order. Our cost to buy the shoes ranges from $60-80ish a pair. I believe we bill $200 for a pair of diabetic shoes (I could be wrong as I don't have the billing info in front of me at the moment). So we make approx $120-140 for diabetic shoes. Custom orthotics are another story.

I know this was a long post but I don't really comment on here very often and I figured I could share my experiences with you! Just know that there is more for a podiatrist to do then just trim toe nails and work in a hospital.

Oh, and government regulations are getting more and more annoying when it comes to insurance.

 

[heybrother]

The last thing in the world that pre-pods need to be putting on a pedestal is a fellowship.

 

[PsychPod]

The last thing in the world that pre-pods need to be putting on a pedestal is a fellowship.

why do you say that?

cause in my opinion it's a great thing when people are aspiring to do more than just the basics.

 

[oldD1student]

why do you say that?

cause in my opinion it's a great thing when people are aspiring to do more than just the basics.

because there aren't that many acfas fellowships available??? also, my podiatrist said that acfas fellowship looks better only for colleagues and having a big ego???

he said that ABPS/ ABPM certification is what actually counts.

 

[FootAndAnkle]

why do you say that?

cause in my opinion it's a great thing when people are aspiring to do more than just the basics.

Because residencies used to not be required, were shorter, or were not guaranteed to have the same degree of surgical training, fellowships used to be more of a distinction and could sometimes aid someone to "do more than just the basics," as you say. Since residencies are three years now, are required, and have a guaranteed amount of training, FACFAS sets you apart less than previously in terms of practice ability since an inferior "just the basics" skillset is no longer the standard of training (unless somehow you get terrible surgery training over three years or don't get RRA). Add that to the facts that many podiatrists earn more without doing a fellowship and it's a further one year commitment after a sufficient three year residency and it becomes quite onerous (more training is always "good" in one way to further facilitate proficiency, but the benefits compared to the cost and time required have decreased substantially since their inception). Orthopedics groups do look favorably upon fellowship training (probably because of our previously inconsistent profession with regards to postgraduate training), so it may be worth it for someone looking at that prospect.

 

[PsychPod]

because there aren't that many acfas fellowships available??? also, my podiatrist said that acfas fellowship looks better only for colleagues and having a big ego???

he said that ABPS/ ABPM certification is what actually counts.

There aren't as many available as of today. But as the profession progresses I can imagine more will be added, not to the point where everyone can participate. It helps add to your overall picture, highlighting that you have attended an extra year of focused training. Which going forward may very well be an important decision maker in hiring processes (specifically hospital/ortho/multispecialty groups).

Is that coming from a podiatrist which didn't attend a fellowship post residency?

Because residencies used to not be required, were shorter, or were not guaranteed to have the same degree of surgical training, fellowships used to be more of a distinction and could sometimes aid someone to "do more than just the basics," as you say. Since residencies are three years now, are required, and have a guaranteed amount of training, FACFAS sets you apart less than previously in terms of practice ability since an inferior "just the basics" skillset is no longer the standard of training (unless somehow you get terrible surgery training over three years or don't get RRA). Add that to the facts that many podiatrists earn more without doing a fellowship and it's a further one year commitment after a sufficient three year residency and it becomes quite onerous (more training is always "good" in one way to further facilitate proficiency, but the benefits compared to the cost and time required have decreased substantially since their inception). Orthopedics groups do look favorably upon fellowship training (probably because of our previously inconsistent profession with regards to postgraduate training), so it may be worth it for someone looking at that prospect.

I completely understand and agree with what you're saying. For private practice, specifically, fellowships are not worth the time/opportunity cost, and rather you would be better off with one year in practice learning and being exposed what you're actually going to be doing and getting a better overall understanding. I just view it as, if more podiatrists are "fellowship" certified we will see a better perception increase across the nation for podiatrists and specifically they will be seen as qualified and intensive medical care providers not just an 'eh' foot doctor. (the new residency model I believe will have huge impact in that way). I'm not stating for prestige reasons, but rather for scope of practice/society's perception which will lead to podiatrists servicing their population much better.

 

[YeastyMan]

I'm not following this fellowship discussion. Is this a separate program from the residencies? Like after residency? replacing residency? or do it together with residency?

What's the point of it is not worth the time/ opp cost?

 

[ldsrmdude]

why do you say that?

cause in my opinion it's a great thing when people are aspiring to do more than just the basics.

Maybe because pre-pods should focus on getting into school, getting great grades in the didactic years, rocking out clinical years, getting a stellar residency, and learning as much as possible during said residency before they worry about a fellowship? Not trying to speak for heybrother, that's just my assessment.

 

[FootAndAnkle]

I'm not following this fellowship discussion. Is this a separate program from the residencies? Like after residency? replacing residency? or do it together with residency?

What's the point of it is not worth the time/ opp cost?

A fellowship is separate from residency and comes afterward, lasting for one year. ACFAS would be an example of an organization that offers podiatric fellowships focusing on surgery. The point would be either enhancing prospects career-wise (e.g., if an orthopedic group you like heavily prefers fellowship-trained surgeons) or to further improve your ability in surgery or other fellowship-focused area of expertise. Like ldsrmdude said, it's not really a concern until further along in the education process when you have more of an idea of what you want to do.

 

[YeastyMan]

Cool, I am not concerned about fellowship at all. I just want to get into the best pod school that will land me in the best residency. So far, I haven't found the school yet

 

[jellybean2020]

Cool, I am not concerned about fellowship at all. I just want to get into the best pod school that will land me in the best residency. So far, I haven't found the school yet

You really should change your mindset on this topic. A school does not 'land' you into anything. You get yourself where you want to go. Everyone has stated this over and over, but the school you go to is not what determines your success or potential. There are crappy students from every school, and brilliant students as well. Go to school where you'll be happiest. Period. The rest is on you.

 

[YeastyMan]

You really should change your mindset on this topic. A school does not 'land' you into anything. You get yourself where you want to go. Everyone has stated this over and over, but the school you go to is not what determines your success or potential. There are crappy students from every school, and brilliant students as well. Go to school where you'll be happiest. Period. The rest is on you.

First of all, going to a school that makes me happy is third/ fourth requirement on my list.
I couldn't care less if the podiatry school I will attend has 99% crappy students.
Because theses students have no control over schools' curriculum and training.
To put it in perspective:
A school could have 99.9% brilliant students, but they spend majority of the time doing palliative care (cutting toe nails, treating foot fungus, removing warts).
A school would have 99.9% crappy students, but they spend majority of the time doing surgical procedures on patients, learning different medical techniques.
I would pick the school with crappy students 100% of the time.

I have brought up this subject with the podiatry doctors I shadowed.
All of them repeatedly stress the importance of having a strong clinical rotation as well as residency.
Don't you think it is reasonable for prospective podiatry students to know what lies ahead of them?
Podiatry schools that offer more hands on procedures + training and has a solid track record to placing students in competitive residency is my primary concern.
And where I want to go/ quality of students/ my happiness are secondary.
I understand that different people have different ranking regarding these subjects. And I respect them for that.

I'm sure majority of the podiatry will offer decent - adequate hands on training.
However, I am out for the best.
I completely understand that even if I go to a school that will provide me with the best hands on training, I will have to bust my a**. I have no problem doing that. I do not expect opportunities to fall on my laps. I will actively seek out for opportunities.

 

[jellybean2020]

You're not totally off base, but I don't think you really understand everything you're typing.

 

[whodoesntknow]

Dayum son, milk that shadowing experience. If possible, could you ask him how he got to where he is today? School, residency, etc
And how many podiatry doctors are on the same boat as him (% wise)

Today the school is known as CSPM but thats where he went and he completed his residency at a Kaiser in the same area. He said his job is one of the top 10 jobs for a pod to have. He was also taught and mentored by Dr. Harkless which probably advanced his career and connections in the pod field to help get where he is today. And I want to correct myself, he makes 400K+. Some interesting things I heard from the 4 pods I shadowed was that they all recommened me to go to CSPM or DMU. And they all unanimously said not to go to this certain school which I feel bad about mentioning it publicly.

 

[YeastyMan]

Today the school is known as CSPM but thats where he went and he completed his residency at a Kaiser in the same area. He said his job is one of the top 10 jobs for a pod to have. He was also taught and mentored by Dr. Harkless which probably advanced his career and connections in the pod field to help get where he is today. And I want to correct myself, he makes 400K+. Some interesting things I heard from the 4 pods I shadowed was that they all recommened me to go to CSPM or DMU. And they all unanimously said not to go to this certain school which I feel bad about mentioning it publicly.

Very nice man. Glad to hear that podiatry is not as dead as I think it is.
I want more details on how he got to where he is today.
Like, podiatry gpa, exit exam score ranking, extracurricular activities in pod, connections he made, memorable experiences, etc.
I'm sure that he has to be on top of his game during residency as well right?
Also, what is his work schedule like? How many times does he work a week and does he ever get called in? Is he making all that money from practicing in the hospital or is he doing something on the side (btw, kudos for you confirming how much he makes a year, that topic is pretty hard to bring up, LOL)

 

[YeastyMan]

Today the school is known as CSPM but thats where he went and he completed his residency at a Kaiser in the same area. He said his job is one of the top 10 jobs for a pod to have. He was also taught and mentored by Dr. Harkless which probably advanced his career and connections in the pod field to help get where he is today. And I want to correct myself, he makes 400K+. Some interesting things I heard from the 4 pods I shadowed was that they all recommened me to go to CSPM or DMU. And they all unanimously said not to go to this certain school which I feel bad about mentioning it publicly.

Also, thank you for pointing out that CSPM and DMU are leading the podiatry schools.
I thought we need to dance around this topic more to squeeze this answer out of someone.
This makes sense in a number's perspective. The less applicants a school draws in the more attention they focus on the students:

Barry University - 67
Des Moines University - 53
Kent State University - 125
Midwestern University - 30
NYCPM - 109
Rosalind Franklin - 98
Samuel Merritt - 48
Temple - 100
Western University 50

 

[whodoesntknow]

Mon-wed is basic stuff at the pod clinic. Thurs morning he has surgeries and then back to the pod clinic. Fri is administrative work. All of his work is under a multi specialty type group but gets advertised as a clinic which has several different locations around the city. At one location he does surgeries and at another one is where he sees other patients for nonsurgical matters. He doesnt get called in but he has a list of surgeries to do in a certain day and doesnt leave until hes completed all of them and when thats finished another pod comes in to take his spot so he can go to a different location to see other patients. He works with two other pods so they all split the work load based on who wants to do what. The newest pod at the place is the only one on call. These pods dont have to compete with orthopedic surgeons so that is why they get so much work.

Ill ask more questions next time. Its hard to get questions in while they are working especially while they are drilling through bones.