Should I do podiatry?

[Doc_Z]

Hey guys!

So I am at a crossroads right now...

I love the profession of podiatry. However I am not 100% sure I want to pout myself through the 6 years of torture. I am a hard worker but I tend to stress myself out. I am a perfectionist and am worried that spending the next 6 years bogged down in school work, deadlines, etc will literally drive me crazy. I love spending time with my fiancee and our dogs. We want to start a family soon and if I chose to do podiatry I am worried I would miss out on a lot of that.

My other option i am considering is to get my BSN, work for a couple years and then pursue CRNA. I would be happy with both jobs but the schooling of podiatry just seems so much more taxing on one's personal life that it worries me. I have shadowed and they both seem awesome; obviously DPM is more prestigious, etc. I just worry about having a healthy life outside of school for the next 6 years. I would be 24 entering so I would be 30 before I started practicing and could enjoy my family That scares me.

Current stats:

3.7 oGPA
3.7 sGPA

still need to take MCAT.


Any thoughts or advice?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Pod Zilla]

First of all, where are you getting the number "6"? It's actually 7 years: 4 years of podiatry school + 3 years of surgical residency.

Next, it sounds like you value your family time a lot more than your career goals, which is fine. I think the best thing for you to do is maybe make a pro and con list between the two careers. Keep in mind that just because you'll be spending the next 7 years in school/training doesn't mean you can't spend quality time with your family. It is ultimately up to you to make it all work. So the question is how hard are you willing to work to make those things happen? I have classmates that are happily married and have children that they spend quality time with. Having a family is not an excuse to not pursue something you really want to do.

I don't think age matters that much. Even if you don't start practicing until 31/32, you still have a good 30+ years of solid practice in before you retire. Also, your GPA looks solid which would make you a great applicant so unless you somehow bomb the MCAT, I wouldn't worry about not getting accepted.

 

[ashtonmccants]

Hey guys!

So I am at a crossroads right now...

I love the profession of podiatry. However I am not 100% sure I want to pout myself through the 6 years of torture. I am a hard worker but I tend to stress myself out. I am a perfectionist and am worried that spending the next 6 years bogged down in school work, deadlines, etc will literally drive me crazy. I love spending time with my fiancee and our dogs. We want to start a family soon and if I chose to do podiatry I am worried I would miss out on a lot of that.

My other option i am considering is to get my BSN, work for a couple years and then pursue CRNA. I would be happy with both jobs but the schooling of podiatry just seems so much more taxing on one's personal life that it worries me. I have shadowed and they both seem awesome; obviously DPM is more prestigious, etc. I just worry about having a healthy life outside of school for the next 6 years. I would be 24 entering so I would be 30 before I started practicing and could enjoy my family That scares me.

Current stats:

3.7 oGPA
3.7 sGPA

still need to take MCAT.


Any thoughts or advice?

Also looking at the career choices you are considering, you are still looking at a long road. Medicine is not for everyone. A BSN, depending on how you do it, would be another 2-3 years of schools, unless you pursued a hybrid BSN program thy is 1 year in length. A CRNA will require you to become an RN first, spend a minimum of 2-3 years as a critical care nurse before applying to CRNA school and finally completing 2-3 years in an accredited CRNA program. This would total about the same amount of time as becoming a DPM. Look at school as an investment in yourself. The time frame can be discouraging, but look at it this way, you will turn 31 whether you become a DPM or not. Its all about happiness and career satisfaction at the end of the day. Make the best choice for you and your family. Best of luck to you.

 

[brittany24]

I think you bring up some valid concerns about your future profession options. It is a scary place to be! I can offer a bit of advice, and I think the above comments are great, but ultimately you have to decide for yourself what you most value.

First, what do you specifically enjoy about each profession you have shadowed? If you are more of a leader and find value in decision-making, I would suggest you pursue a field that gives you more responsibility. Of course, more responsibility in the medical field = more training. There are opportunities to lead as a nurse, but you won't have the same surgical opportunities and exposure that a podiatrist would have. Keep in mind too that nursing school is going to be a several years of "torture" as well.

I think your wording of 6 years of torture (it actually is 7) might indicate that you have already talked yourself out of it (or you have let others talk you out of it). If your ultimate dream is to be a podiatric physician, my view is that you will see the coming years as an opportunity. Pod school will challenge you, but it isn't all fire and brimstone. There are a lot of fulfilling opportunities that come with being a pod student. Also, the life of a physician requires life long learning. Education doesn't stop after the 7 year mark.

Most podiatry schools offer options to take a year off in pod school if you have serious family/personal issues , or become pregnant, etc. Your loans repayment will start to kick in, but if you become pregnant this is an option. I know a young (30ish) female podiatrist with one child and another on the way. She has a great part time schedule and loves it.

 

[Doc_Z]

Do not get me wrong I would love the career of a podiatrist. It is just the 7 years of schooling. I know any career will have this but I feel like from 24-30 is prime time to be enjoying ym family, etc. I feel like the schooling would be extremely stressful. As in gone everyday all day. Then coming home and having to study all night and on weekends. I want a decent life balance. What is an average day like in pod school? I know it may sound silly but that life balance is something I really find important.

I broke down the two scenarios Pod vs CRNA and this is what I would be looking at...

Pod:
7 yrs, ~$150k in tuition/fees.
Out by 31.
Salary $100-160k

+get to perform surgery.
+could be my own boss.
+more prestigious.
+scholarships

-7 yrs
-less flexibility in school to spend time with family
-less salary
-stressful schooling


CRNA:
5-6 yrs (15 months BSN, work 1-2 yrs as nurse, 3 yr CRNA)
Plus is that I will make ~$50k during those 1-2 yrs as a nurse.
Out completely by 30
~$90k in tuition and fees
Salary: $140-170k

+quicker
+get to work and make money for 1-2 yrs between programs
+higher salary
+better family life in school
+less stressful schooling

-work under a dr
-no surgery

 

[Doc_Z]

I am the kind of person that if I choose to do something I am all in.. I just want to make sure I am making the right decision before committing to 7 rs of intense schooling.

Will I be able to spend a decent amount of time with my family.

What is the average day like at your school?

 

[CoffeeMonster]

The salary figure you quoted for CRNA is too high. The average is around 130k and doesn't move up much from there at all. A hard-working pod can easily make over 200k.

 

[Pod Zilla]

I am the kind of person that if I choose to do something I am all in.. I just want to make sure I am making the right decision before committing to 7 rs of intense schooling.

Will I be able to spend a decent amount of time with my family.

What is the average day like at your school?

First, a few quick disclaimers: I am about to be done with my first year at DMU. My schedule will not be the same as everyone else. Everyone has a different way of learning so it is ultimately what works best for you. You may not experience the same thing as I do even if you end up going to this school.

First year is the hardest, hands down. My schedule is rough. On most days, I wake up at 5am and study until 10pm. I have time set aside for the gym and eating and some relaxing. But for the most part, it's an all-day marathon. Weekends are no different. Once in a while the schedule will let up and I may have a free day here and there to go out and have a good time with my friends. The hardest is when we have two exams a week for a month or two straight. Those times make you feel like there's no end to the madness.

I know of many classmates who does not study as much as I do and still does fine. Like I posted earlier there are plenty of married people in my class and they do well balancing family and school. They sort of make it like a day job where they study at school during the day then go home and spend time with family in the evening. I do not foresee my schedule being like this starting next year. Life as a second year student is much more relaxed compared to first and you will definitely have more time to spend with family. So I would say if you can survive past the first year, you will be fine.

Out of curiosity, where do you get your salary figures? The mean salary for pods is right around $225k. The numbers you quoted are more in line with starting salary of recent graduate straight out of residency. And if you think about it, it makes sense that the surgeon makes more money than the CRNA that's also working in the same OR.

 

[brittany24]

I would also echo the above. Your starting salaries for podiatry is much too low. This does depend on state, and county though. In my county the median podiatrist salary is 200k. Also, I don't think your debt estimate is right either. To my knowledge, I'll have ~240k in debt from school. Not sure about the average pod student debt though. Can someone confirm this for me? Either way, in the long run, you will have higher earning potential as a pod vs. CRNA.

Some more shadowing might help you make your decision. If you are passionate about the field, then your career won't seem like as much of a burden to get through.

Regarding family life, the most crucial factor here is how well you can use time management, self motivation, and discipline to maximize every minute of your day. I have heard of situations too where a married student treated pod/med school like a rigorous day job. They wake up early, get to school by 7, study all day, get home at 5, spend time with family, then study from 10-midnight. It helps too if your fiance is supportive and can help the household by running errands, doing the cooking, caring for the dogs, etc. If he/she isn't willing to do more than 50% so you can fulfill your dream, it will be more challenging for you to balance.

I really like this youtube account, this vlog has a little more about balancing family life while in medical school: