Should I rule out pod if I don't want to do surgery?

[KyleV]

Hey guys,
Should I rule out podiatry if I don't have any interest in performing surgery? The main reason behind this stance is I feel I would not make a good surgeon. Is surgery a huge part of practice for podiatrists?

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[ashtonmccants]

Surgery is a huge part of the job, but it is not a requirement in practice. You will be trained to perform various types of surgeries in residency. Being trained in surgery is a requirement for the newer era of podiatrists, but is not required to practice podiatric medicine following residency. Also remember that surgeons are not born, they are made. Surgery may not be appealing to you now, but it may grow on you in the future. Good luck.

 

[deleted662474]

Also remember that surgeons are not born, they are made.

Hey come on man, speak for yourself

 

[flyhi]

Some podiatrists don't do any surgery, however you will still have to do a 3yr surgical residency. If you don't think you will be passionate about another aspect of podiatry, I would seriously consider your decision to pursue it
.

 

[BohnDoc]

Also keep in mind surgeries are likely one of the best sources of income. My guess is it is going to be hard to pay the rent with orthotics and nail clippings alone, butI really don't know; I'm not a pod (yet).

 

[ashtonmccants]

Also keep in mind surgeries are likely one of the best sources of income. My guess is it is going to be hard to pay the rent with orthotics and nail clippings alone, butI really don't know; I'm not a pod (yet).

You would actually be surprised with the insurance payouts for basic diabetic nail care. Between $60-$85 per patient. 5 minutes of your time. A lot of surgeries aren't nearly as lucrative as one would think. Surgery basically expands your ability to treat every aspect of the foot and ankle. I would feel bad referring a patient out if I was capable of performing the procedure myself, regardless of the insurance payout.

 

[chocposit]

Would it be possible to focus mainly on wound care and conditions related to diabetes? Not saying no to surgery, but if I can just focus on treating wounds from the knee down by working for a wound care center, that would be fab. Is it competitive to be employed at a wound care center without having private practice on the side? How's the insurance payments for wound care? (not doing it for the money, acute/chronic wounds are not fun for patients and their family members, and I would love to treat them!)

 

[AttackNME]

Hey guys,
Should I rule out podiatry if I don't have any interest in performing surgery? The main reason behind this stance is I feel I would not make a good surgeon. Is surgery a huge part of practice for podiatrists?

Some states have different laws, but in pennsylvania you can do palliative care without residency training. I know someone who didn't match, and in the meantime he is working for a company that sets his schedule and sends him to different nursing homes, so he works like from 8-2 everyday cutting nails.= and earns 120k a year. Obviously, laws are subject to change so who knows what'll happen in 4 years.

 

[josebiwasabi]

Would it be possible to focus mainly on wound care and conditions related to diabetes? Not saying no to surgery, but if I can just focus on treating wounds from the knee down by working for a wound care center, that would be fab. Is it competitive to be employed at a wound care center without having private practice on the side? How's the insurance payments for wound care? (not doing it for the money, acute/chronic wounds are not fun for patients and their family members, and I would love to treat them!)

keep in mind that in order to provide comprehensive wound care for the patient, you need to be able to perform some types of procedures such as OR debridements, amputations, TALs/Gastroc recessions, and exostectomies.

 

[Gigantron]

Some states have different laws, but in pennsylvania you can do palliative care without residency training. I know someone who didn't match, and in the meantime he is working for a company that sets his schedule and sends him to different nursing homes, so he works like from 8-2 everyday cutting nails.= and earns 120k a year. Obviously, laws are subject to change so who knows what'll happen in 4 years.

Is your friend's case a particularly exceptional one? Seems like a pretty nice deal all things considered. Is he planning to enter the match again at some point?

 

[CoffeeMonster]

Some states have different laws, but in pennsylvania you can do palliative care without residency training. I know someone who didn't match, and in the meantime he is working for a company that sets his schedule and sends him to different nursing homes, so he works like from 8-2 everyday cutting nails.= and earns 120k a year. Obviously, laws are subject to change so who knows what'll happen in 4 years.

That sounds like an awesome deal for your friend tbh.

 

[heybrother]

Talking about earning $120K and actually earning it are two totally different things. I'm glad this guy is getting by and I hope he gets a residency and pays down some debt. I doubt this is what he had in mind when he started this process. Perhaps the nursing homes I've visited were the exception, but they were all awful - even the "clean" one's where everyone seemed nice.

 

[AttackNME]

Is your friend's case a particularly exceptional one? Seems like a pretty nice deal all things considered. Is he planning to enter the match again at some point?

yea he's still trying to match. problem for him is citizenship and language barrier but yea he didn't want to be doing only nursing homes. however I do know people who would rather do what he's doing and not have to complete the 3 years.

 

[deleted664048]

Also keep in mind surgeries are likely one of the best sources of income. My guess is it is going to be hard to pay the rent with orthotics and nail clippings alone, butI really don't know; I'm not a pod (yet).

Actually the podiatrists I shadowed told me the opposite. Doing surgeries you can have few patients in a day, while doing other, non-surgical things, can give you 20-30 patients, so in the end you can make much more money by not doing surgeries.