Academic jobs in Podiatry...Thoughts?

[Feeter]

I was offered a director position recently. Salary is well north of 300k for 3 years at an academic institution. Clinical work would be similar pathology. Supportive institution for research etc. Comes with more admin work(research and policy making) and less clinic work(.85 clincal FTE). Anyone here a director or in leadership position that can give me their thoughts. It is salaried and not entirely based on productivity. Feels like I might become a bureaucrat instead of a podiatrist but at the same time it seems like it would open up more doors in the future if I take this job(not sure which ones though)?

I know there are lot of program directors and residency directors out there but not sure if they feel it is worth the money and headache it comes with. Having difficulty figuring out what the next career steps would be after being a podiatry service director in academia. It is a short ceiling in podiatry and won't have options to become chief of surgery or anything like that in the future. I guess you can start a podiatry school and become a dean one day (/s)

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[CutsWithFury]

I was offered a director position recently. Salary is well north of 300k for 3 years at an academic institution. Clinical work would be similar pathology. Supportive institution for research etc. Comes with more admin work(research and policy making) and less clinic work(.85 clincal FTE). Anyone here a director or in leadership position that can give me their thoughts. It is salaried and not entirely based on productivity. Feels like I might become a bureaucrat instead of a podiatrist but at the same time it seems like it would open up more doors in the future if I take this job(not sure which ones though)?

I know there are lot of program directors and residency directors out there but not sure if they feel it is worth the money and headache it comes with. Having difficulty figuring out what the next career steps would be after being a podiatry service director in academia. It is a short ceiling in podiatry and won't have options to become chief of surgery or anything like that in the future. I guess you can start a podiatry school and become a dean one day (/s)

I can’t believe there’s an academic admin position for podiatrists that pays 300k. In fact I don’t believe it.

 

[Feeter]

It's pretty typical salary actually for academia leadership positions. I think on this forum people are underestimating podiatry jobs in university settings and focused on joining Ortho groups more. Lot of money in surgical limb salvage if you do it well. Lot of cool opportunities with universities outside of podiatry as well but it comes with lot of politics.

 

[air bud]

I was offered a director position recently. Salary is well north of 300k for 3 years at an academic institution. Clinical work would be similar pathology. Supportive institution for research etc. Comes with more admin work(research and policy making) and less clinic work(.85 clincal FTE). Anyone here a director or in leadership position that can give me their thoughts. It is salaried and not entirely based on productivity. Feels like I might become a bureaucrat instead of a podiatrist but at the same time it seems like it would open up more doors in the future if I take this job(not sure which ones though)?

I know there are lot of program directors and residency directors out there but not sure if they feel it is worth the money and headache it comes with. Having difficulty figuring out what the next career steps would be after being a podiatry service director in academia. It is a short ceiling in podiatry and won't have options to become chief of surgery or anything like that in the future. I guess you can start a podiatry school and become a dean one day (/s)

Can you define this more? Teaching podiatry? Teaching ortho? Teaching nurses/PAs?

 

[Feeter]

When I mean academia I mean University medical centers. It involves 85% of the time and clinic and OR and the remaining time is leading the department as a chief of podiatry. This involves teaching residents, policymaking, dealing with issues within the department and growing the program. So .15% for admin work.

 

[dtrack22]

I can’t believe there’s an academic admin position for podiatrists that pays 300k. In fact I don’t believe it.

You think there is a single program director at a University teaching hospital who doesn’t make $300k?

There is usually still production components to these contracts, but if I was straight salary as a program director at an academic center/University hospital, I would be expecting between $400-500k. Even with production, a $300k+ base would be expected.

 

[CutsWithFury]

You think there is a single program director at a University teaching hospital who doesn’t make $300k?

There is usually still production components to these contracts, but if I was straight salary as a program director at an academic center/University hospital, I would be expecting between $400-500k. Even with production, a $300k+ base would be expected.

Ok rattle off names of people you know that are probably making 300k base salary as program directors in podiatry at university hospitals. I'll wait.

 

[Feeter]

I'd imagine Armstrong, Lee, Steinberg, Lowery are making well above 300k for the work they do. I don't know for sure which is why I am on this forum asking this question.

 

[CutsWithFury]

I'd imagine Armstrong, Lee, Steinberg, Lowery are making well above 300k for the work they do. I don't know for sure which is why I am on this forum asking this question.

Between salary, research monies, consultant fees, etc I don’t doubt they could make 300k.

But I’m still waiting to hear about the average joe who lands one of these gigs that makes 300k base salary in an academic institution.

 

[dtrack22]

Between salary, research monies, consultant fees, etc I don’t doubt they could make 300k.

If you include consulting fees and research money (for those that are maximizing those opportunities) you’re talking about more like $500k

But I’m still waiting to hear about the average joe who lands one of these gigs that makes 300k base salary in an academic institution.

Name a program director who you believe isn’t paid at least $300k by the institution they work for.

 

[619]

Name a program director who you believe isn’t paid at least $300k by the institution they work for.

I agree! I believe that the average residency director who either own his own private practice or is fully employed by the hospital is making more than $300k a year with full benefits. I don't understand what the argument is about. I find it more hard to believe that a residency director with about 15-20 years podiatry experience is not making more than $300k on a slow year even during the pandemic.

Except if the residency director is almost near retirement and slowing down doing little clinic, admin stuffs and no surgery then will settle for easy $200k with a big retirement package awaiting at the end e.g is VA director before they passed the new VA bill for increase pay for pods.

 

[619]

I'd imagine Armstrong, Lee, Steinberg, Lowery are making well above 300k for the work they do. I don't know for sure which is why I am on this forum asking this question.

Will also add Shibuya Naohiro at Texas A&M, Scot Maley and Downey at Penn, Zgonis at UT San Antonio, Bryan Markinson at Mount Sinai NY etc. Literally anyone who gets a job at a top institution as department chief or professor should be making more than $300k without much hassle.

We can't be comparing new associates less than 5 years out making $100k - $150k to veterans who have been practicing for over 10-15 years.

There is no reason for any podiatrist practicing more than 10 years to be making less than $200k even in PP as an associate except if the individual refuses to improve him or her self. At some point, personal responsibility and personal improvement should come into play. You can't be more than 10 years out and making less than $150k and someone be blaming the podiatry profession or blaming your boss. You should look at the man in the mirror.

 

[Feeter]

Will also add Shibuya Naohiro at Texas A&M, Scot Maley and Downey at Penn, Zgonis at UT San Antonio, Bryan Markinson at Mount Sinai NY etc. Literally anyone who gets a job at a top institution as department chief or professor should be making more than $300k without much hassle.

We can't be comparing new associates less than 5 years out making $100k - $150k to veterans who have been practicing for over 10-15 years.

There is no reason for any podiatrist practicing more than 10 years to be making less than $200k even in PP as an associate except if the individual refuses to improve him or her self. At some point, personal responsibility and personal improvement should come into play. You can't be more than 10 years out and making less than $150k and someone be blaming the podiatry profession or blaming your boss. You should look at the man in the mirror.

Do you think these folks enjoy the work they do? I know it is tough to say but I fear it is a lot of behind the scenes work that can drag you down. However from a career standpoint it seems working as a chief at university centers is a great opportunity and gives you many options in the future. Always can slow down in the future and take a part time or VA job which would be easy to get after running a department at a major university. Would also land consulting gigs via such a job that can supplement income. I am less than 10 years out from residency and thinking this might be a good opportunity to lock in.

 

[dtrack22]

Do you want to live in the area? Do you have any desire to do admin work? If the answer is at least “I think so,” to both of those questions, then I would do it. If it is at a University hospital system then the “name” likely carries weight outside of the podiatry community which is helpful when getting future jobs. If you like the admin aspect of the work then you can leverage this job into increasing non clinical work. If you like the area but don’t like being a director then it’s probably possible to step down from the director position and be a regular attending or some assistant director with less admin duties.

I don’t think you’re gonna know if you like it until you’ve done it. I would think a program director at a University hospital system will open more doors than virtually any other position or experience you could get in podiatry. I would do it if it was in a location I thought I wanted to live. Disclaimer: I’ve never been a program director or an attending at a residency program.

 

[619]

I am less than 10 years out from residency and thinking this might be a good opportunity to lock in.

For a $300k Job, I will dive head first into the new job and figure other things out as time goes on. All your questions can never really be fully answered until you are in it and experience it yourself.

It's a new experience and should be excited and worried about but that'a a normal feeling. Congrats and Best of luck.

 

[Pronation]

You're gonna make $300k at most hospital gigs, just saying...

 

[AttackNME]

Anyone wanna take one for SDN and apply here and report back the salary offer?

Redirect

 

[wakaflocka88]

Anyone wanna take one for SDN and apply here and report back the salary offer?

Redirect

Very toxic environment at UCSF with podiatry and ortho. You will not be respected at all. Coughlin would go around the ORs whenever pods were operating, even toe amps and make comments. Doesn’t help that the VA residents continue to sour the relationship with ortho to the point where I doubt it’s salvageable. But hey, nice to have the UCSF title.

 

[dtrack22]

Coughlin would go around the ORs whenever pods were operating, even toe amps and make comments.

How often is Coughlin even there?

There is a 0% chance that the pay would justify living in the Bay Area. But theoretically you could pay me enough to do nothing but elective forefoot/midfoot and wound care/limb salvage.

 

[Feeter]

Anyone wanna take one for SDN and apply here and report back the salary offer?

Redirect

Yeah I saw that. Not sure why they ended up hiring podiatry under ortho there because vascular and (outside) podiatrist work closely there according to Dr. Conte(vascular surgeon there).

And this is what I mean about the headaches that come with director positions in university setting. Lot of politics and issues specially between podiatry and ortho at universities.

 

[Redsting]

As long as its not the new Texas pod school

 

[Weirdy]

Anyone wanna take one for SDN and apply here and report back the salary offer?

Redirect

Someone is going to jump on this for the chance to put "UCSF" on their resume. And they will never hold a blade for elective cases and suffer. They will also realize just how bad the relationship between ortho and podiatry is.

 

[wakaflocka88]

How often is Coughlin even there?

There is a 0% chance that the pay would justify living in the Bay Area. But theoretically you could pay me enough to do nothing but elective forefoot/midfoot and wound care/limb salvage.

There’s the old coughlin and another young coughlin from what I recall as a student rotating through. Either way, it was bad. The ortho residents bad mouthed the podiatry residents every chance they had and it was unfortunate podiatry couldn’t hold their ground to show what they can do.

 

[CutsWithFury]

There’s the old coughlin and another young coughlin from what I recall as a student rotating through. Either way, it was bad. The ortho residents bad mouthed the podiatry residents every chance they had and it was unfortunate podiatry couldn’t hold their ground to show what they can do.

Podiatrists not sticking up for themselves…shocking

 

[dtrack22]

There’s the old coughlin and another young coughlin from what I recall as a student rotating through. Either way, it was bad. The ortho residents bad mouthed the podiatry residents every chance they had and it was unfortunate podiatry couldn’t hold their ground to show what they can do.

Old coughlin has been faculty and worked part time at UCSF for a long time, but his fellowship and primary office is in Boise. But usually the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree. And that goes both ways, where friendly orthos have had friendly kids that end up being orthopedic surgeons.

 

[podgod22]

There is one I’ll be interviewing with soon. If anyone has followed my older threads they’ll see the kinda ****ty position I’m in so I’ll be interesting to see what this interview will show

 

[Feli]

It will be like any employed job... largely dependent on admin/politics of facility and how much autonomy you get, call sched, how much assist you get for the paperwork and such.

That 15% is only about 0.5-1.0 days per week to do the admin stuff... meetings, paperwork, calls, research, etc. I wouldn't think that'd be enough for a program director unless you have very good admin assist (and/or very light clinic on the other days)??? Either way, if that's your thing, give it a try.

That is the stuff I thought I wanted coming out of training (PD at big hospital)... but now I probably couldn't be paid enough to consider it. The politics and nonsense make you old fast. I already have enough fun with my roughly 1hr weekly PP paperwork for FMLA, work comp, etc pts... can't imagine a never-ending pile of evaluations, sign-offs, bylaws, meeting minutes, rec letters, 50 emails per day to check, etc. Yikes.

Agree about no program directors at all should be under $300k... unless maybe in VA and not much seniority.

 

[newfeet]

I was offered a director position recently. Salary is well north of 300k for 3 years at an academic institution. Clinical work would be similar pathology. Supportive institution for research etc. Comes with more admin work(research and policy making) and less clinic work(.85 clincal FTE). Anyone here a director or in leadership position that can give me their thoughts. It is salaried and not entirely based on productivity. Feels like I might become a bureaucrat instead of a podiatrist but at the same time it seems like it would open up more doors in the future if I take this job(not sure which ones though)?

I know there are lot of program directors and residency directors out there but not sure if they feel it is worth the money and headache it comes with. Having difficulty figuring out what the next career steps would be after being a podiatry service director in academia. It is a short ceiling in podiatry and won't have options to become chief of surgery or anything like that in the future. I guess you can start a podiatry school and become a dean one day (/s)

I just started an job at a academic institution as a clinical assistant professor (less the 5 days ago). 90% of my time is clinical on paper. I’m trying to figure out my career path as well. My goal is drive down my clinic time to about 50%. At my university recently the chief quality officer role was open to both docs and rns. I think something like that might fit me in the future once I am situated. My job has a facility development program and I plan to take advantage of it.