DPM vs. PA

[skyboy99]

Which career is better? I did a quick search for jobs for podiatrists on reliable websites such as indeed.com, career builder, and my local newspapers, and I yielded a net result of 0 jobs for podiatry. Is this career in demand, will I be guaranteed to find a job after I graduate? I did a search for PA, and found hundreds of job opportunities, and it was rated #1 best job by U.S News. I'm not trying to bash podiatry but stats do not lie. What also got me is that their are only 9 schools, should that concern me? Also what worries me is the residency shortage for pod students. Also do most people go into Podiatry b/c they didn't have the grades for MD/DO school? What worries me is the low stats, y are they so low, isn't that like a bulb flashing. Also what concerns me is that an Orthopedist can do the same thing that a podiatrist can do, as well as family physicians (non-surgically speaking). As a PA, i'll always have to work under a doctor, but I can see that PA's can specialize and switch specialties at any time, they can go into surgical residencies for higher income potential, large demand for PA's, some Surgical PA's I know make more money than family physicians. Also it seems to me that the feet aren't as important as other body structures, like the heart, brain, spinal cord, ect.. Isn't that y it's the most neglected part of the body lol. Also, in my state atleast, POD's cannot hire PA's, only MD's and DO's can, they can only hire medical assistants, but they really can't do much with their training. Also someone told me POD's are not considered real doctors, like optometrists and chiropractors. What also concerns me is that only 888 people applied to all 9 pod schools last yr, which is an extremely low #, isn't this concerning? It seems these schools will take anyone with a pulse. Again not trying to bash the POD profession, but I do have valid concerns for this profession and would like some input b4 I apply.

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[G0dFather]

Hey your absolutely right everything you mentioned takes a toll on us everyday ... we are always ashamed and sad of the lives we spend ... were always crying .... crying from carpel tunnel after hauling all those bags of money to the bank !!! A moderator should cut this person out ASAP !

 

[skyboy99]

Actually ankle breaker i've done a ton of research on podiatry. i did a search for podiatry jobs on many websites for my home state and resulted in 0 available jobs. I did a countrywide search and resulted in about 20-30 job opportunities for podiatry, very minimal. Now i know a Pod can open jis own office, but when you graduate out of pod school i know that you 1st have to start out slow as in work for sum1 else. Now if their are no jobs, how are you going to pay off your loan? Doesn't the residency shortage concern you? My search has also led me to find out that only 888 people applied to pod school last yr according to aacpm. The medical school in my home state takes about 4-5 thousand apps every yr, this is just 1 medical school out of 142 in the U.S and 26 DO schools. Also my search has shown me that ortho's can specialize in any part of the body, like the foot and they could do anything a pod can do. Also it seems that Pods in states like NY cannot practice on the ankle, and pods cannot sever a persons foot, they have to go to an ortho doc (like if a disease is spreading). Also godfather, i'm not bashing podiatry. I know your a pod student, but this is for pre-podiatry students, your info. maybe tainted with discrepancies, i need to hear from undergrads and their thoughts. the point also here is too share with me what you believe, Convince me that POD is a great profession, but you have to address my specific points. If you don't then i'll assume i'm correct in my thinking. I'm still interested in podiatry, don't get me wrong, being a foot surgeon seems great, but if sum1 else can do it also, then do you really stand out? Also Rd. this....http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-38634.html

 

[RATM2010]

, but if sum1 else can do it also, then do you really stand out


Says the CRNA to he Gas docs. Listen, I had the same fears as you. After applying and getting in,I feel better each day about my decision. I hope this feeling will continue as I learn more about the world of podiatry. I personally think that you want to be a PA, but what us to convince you to go podiatry. This is bad. YOu have to shadow and see if this field is for you. If not, you will bevery sad. Good luck.

 

[emericana]

The Shell gas station next to my apartment is hiring. Why don't you give that a try over DPM or PA... From your post it seems like a career that would better fit your personality.

Actually ankle breaker i've done a ton of research on podiatry. i did a search for podiatry jobs on many websites for my home state and resulted in 0 available jobs. I did a countrywide search and resulted in about 20-30 job opportunities for podiatry, very minimal. Now i know a Pod can open jis own office, but when you graduate out of pod school i know that you 1st have to start out slow as in work for sum1 else. Now if their are no jobs, how are you going to pay off your loan? Doesn't the residency shortage concern you? My search has also led me to find out that only 888 people applied to pod school last yr according to aacpm. The medical school in my home state takes about 4-5 thousand apps every yr, this is just 1 medical school out of 142 in the U.S and 26 DO schools. Also my search has shown me that ortho's can specialize in any part of the body, like the foot and they could do anything a pod can do. Also it seems that Pods in states like NY cannot practice on the ankle, and pods cannot sever a persons foot, they have to go to an ortho doc (like if a disease is spreading). Also godfather, i'm not bashing podiatry. I know your a pod student, but this is for pre-podiatry students, your info. maybe tainted with discrepancies, i need to hear from undergrads and their thoughts. the point also here is too share with me what you believe, Convince me that POD is a great profession, but you have to address my specific points. If you don't then i'll assume i'm correct in my thinking. I'm still interested in podiatry, don't get me wrong, being a foot surgeon seems great, but if sum1 else can do it also, then do you really stand out? Also Rd. this....http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-38634.html

 

[josebiwasabi]

actually the NY senate just passed a bill to increase the scope of podiatrists to include the ankle, which is more in line with approximately 75% of states.

 

[dyk343]

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[arez10]

Clearly you are being very biased. Why are you even here? Everything you said was negative about podiatry. I think that pretty much settles your decision, doesn't it? Or maybe you just came here to be a troll and stir up trouble.

 

[Amalgamate]

Although some of your concerns are valid (such as low entrance scores and gpas for podiatry school) you would know (if you did a search) that a lot of these topics you have brought up in your post have been beaten to death on these forums. Yet they continue to resurface time after time. Do yourself a favor and really use the search function. You will find out more through that means then reading the defensive responses you will most likely get from the lowly P1 and newly accepted podiatry students that read the forums. It's pretty clear you haven't taken any time to try and learn more about podiatry.

Lastly, if you are so concerned about all these things about pod and feel so confident in PA then I don't understand why you are even debating the two professions. Sounds like you would really feel better being a PA.

Wow you guys are pretty harsh on that guy he had a reasonable question.

I also love when people on the boards talk about how someone wasted their time, I believe you wasted your own time along with everyone else's by posting this long post, in the same time you could have posted a constructive response or answered his question

He asked a reasonable question and he did do his research, he just wanted to know. Id hate to see how you react to patients when they ask questions that you feel are stupid, are you going to tell them they should have did their research before coming to your office.

 

[dyk343]

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[UNMorBUST]

i did a search for podiatry jobs on many websites for my home state and resulted in 0 available jobs. I did a countrywide search and resulted in about 20-30 job opportunities for podiatry, very minimal.

I would just like to add a little. Most podiatry jobs are not going to be found on sites like Indeed.com. You find jobs after residency through word of mouth, connections, and recruitment. Not to mention the size of the fields are not even comparable. There are many more PA's then there are DPM's.

 

[PADPM]

I would be happy to address all of the original poster's concerns IF I thought that the post was legitimate and heart felt.

I've been wrong before, but my "gut" feeling is that this post is simply a bashing of our profession.

So if anyone else actually believes this poster is truly considering a possible career in podiatry, and has ever had the slightest interest, go ahead and address all the questions.

But I can assure you, he/she already has a response waiting.

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

Also it seems to me that the feet aren't as important as other body structures, like the heart, brain, spinal cord, ect..

Looking strictly from a "ortho-surgical" aspect, I would argue that the foot is the most important. If you break an arm or a leg, you put it in a cast and you go on your way. You break your foot... Now there's some problems.

But more importantly, how does this even factor into the decision between Pod and PA? You could end up being a PA that works on vasectomies all day long... is that "more important" than the feet? This argument could be made for any specialist, but I tend to think the feet are vital to everyone's well-being.

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

POD's cannot hire PA's, only MD's and DO's can, they can only hire medical assistants, but they really can't do much with their training.

Lt. Kittra Owens, DPM has PAs working under her...

http://www.navy.com/about/behind-the-ribbons.html
(you have to scroll down a bit/use search function)

 

[skyboy99]

Thank you **** 343, finally a well-thought out answer. I will definitely shadow a Podiatrist this summer and will let you know how it goes. I've already shadowed an MD/PA.The PA was allowed to schedule her own patients and she worked when the doctor wasn't there, meaning she runs the office when she's working. Like I said Arez, I'm not on here to troll, legitimate questions need legitimate answers, if your unable to answer specific questions then this raises a red flag for me and makes me consider other options. The size of the podiatry field is small (9,000), this could mean the profession is struggling for recognizance (red flag). I'm aware if you get into residency {if}, then you will get connections for job openings. But what {if} you don't get any job offerings, then what? This feels like a gamble. Yes the foot is vital to an overall persons health, can't argue with that. I would consider Pods to be doctors, but they don't receive as much education as MD's and DO's of the disease processes of the entire human body, since Pod school primarily focuses on the foot and ankle. Also i think it's important to mention that POD's will heavily rely on MD/DO referrals to get most of their patients. What is reimbursement like for POD's compared to other medical specialties? Also iIm not sure, has the residency issue shortage been solved already???

 

[PADPM]

Thank you **** 343, finally a well-thought out answer. I will definitely shadow a Podiatrist this summer and will let you know how it goes. I've already shadowed an MD/PA.The PA was allowed to schedule her own patients and she worked when the doctor wasn't there, meaning she runs the office when she's working. Like I said Arez, I'm not on here to troll, legitimate questions need legitimate answers, if your unable to answer specific questions then this raises a red flag for me and makes me consider other options. The size of the podiatry field is small (9,000), this could mean the profession is struggling for recognizance (red flag). I'm aware if you get into residency {if}, then you will get connections for job openings. But what {if} you don't get any job offerings, then what? This feels like a gamble. Yes the foot is vital to an overall persons health, can't argue with that. I would consider Pods to be doctors, but they don't receive as much education as MD's and DO's of the disease processes of the entire human body, since Pod school primarily focuses on the foot and ankle. Also i think it's important to mention that POD's will heavily rely on MD/DO referrals to get most of their patients. What is reimbursement like for POD's compared to other medical specialties? Also iIm not sure, has the residency issue shortage been solved already???

Just to set the record straight and establish some facts:

1) I have no idea where you are obtaining your information, but the field is almost twice as large as your quoted statistic of 9,000 members. I believe that there are at least 15,000 active DPMs at the current time. If you have this simple fact wrong, you certainly may have a few others wrong.

2) The profession is not "struggling" for recognition, despite your unsubstantiated theory. The profession is thriving and is healthier than ever. Recognition of the profession is high and any comment to the contrary simply comes from lack of knowledge and lack of informatioin.

3) If you don't get any job offer, you should seriously look in the mirror and wonder if YOU have a problem. If you have successfully completed school and obtained a residency and successfully completed that residency, there is no valid reason why you should not obtain a position. The beauty of our profession today is that there are a wealth of opportunities. Graduating residents have the opportunity to work with/for other podiatric groups, orthopedic groups, multi-specialty groups, hospitals, specialized centers such as wound care centers/limb salvage centers, sports medicine centers, the military OR you have the ability to simply open your own practice (see #4).

4) Unlike a PA, you will have the ability to control you own future if you desire by being your OWN boss and opening your OWN practice. I don't believe that PA's can open their own practices without supervision. So, if your great fear is not finding a job upon completion of your residency, you STILL have the option of opening your own practice. (By the way, as a DPM, unlike a PA, you can write your own prescriptions, without any supervision. You can perform surgery, without any supervision. You can obtain hospital privileges, without supervision. You can admit patients to the hospital, without supervision. So yes, there IS a significant difference.)

5) Once again, where do you get your information when you state "i think it's important to mention that POD's will heavily rely on MD/DO referrals to get most of their patients."????? I've been in practice a long time, and have a very successful group practice, and although we obtain a lot of physician referrals, the overwhelming majority of our new patients are via referral from existing patients or word of mouth. However, how do you think most specialists receive the majority of referrals??? Most specialists receive referrals from primary care doctors to keep their business thriving. Most patients have no idea which endocrinologist to pick, or which cardiothoracic surgeon to pick. Do you think patients pick a cardiothoracic surgeon out of the yellow pages or do you think that the patient was REFERRED to that specialist??? Will you now cross that specialty off your list because they "depend" on referrals from the MD/DO primary care physician?

6) I'm not going to beat a dead horse regarding reimbursement issues, since that's been discussed too many times in the past. There are DPMs who barely scrape by and there are DPMs making seven figures, just like ANY other medical specialty.

7) I think you should follow the route of becoming a PA because you really have not done your homework. You've simply decided to spin the truth to make a list of what you perceive as negatives.

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

I would consider Pods to be doctors, but they don't receive as much education as MD's and DO's of the disease processes of the entire human body, since Pod school primarily focuses on the foot and ankle.

I hope that the semantics of calling podiatrists doctors or not was never called into question - pods are docs.

Also, the part about education is simply not true. I know for a fact at a couple of the schools (I don't know about the rest, so possibly all), your first and second year of school (aka your classes) are integrated with the medical school. So, for example, the classmate sitting next to you could be on the DO track. You'll know as much about the respiratory system as an nephrologist does.

 

[PADPM]

I would consider Pods to be doctors.......

Oh, by the way, I'm really glad that YOU would consider Pods to be doctors because now my mom will be able to sleep better at night... after all, she's been telling people all these years that her son's a doctor. You wouldn't want to make my mom a liar, would you?

Come on, this guy can't be serious.

 

[Lysfrancfurter]

I hope that the semantics of calling podiatrists doctors or not was never called into question - pods are docs.

I thought the debate was settled by Seinfeld ages ago. This guy is clearly not "pro-foot."

 

[dyk343]

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[skyboy99]

Check this link out. http://www.lucasbadermd.com/lucas-j-bader-md-orthopaedic-surgeon-vs-podiatrist.html. Again, i believe this is a pre-podiatry forum (undergrad), not for pod students. I don't get it...If an ortho can treat the entire leg, not just the foot and ankle then y not just see an ortho doc? Again not bashing podiatry, the pod students getting upset and writing hateful comments, only show some insecurity. I'm asking simple questions, just answer it, you can't expect someone to go into a profession by telling them.."O this profession is great, jump right in"... you have to be sure what your getting yourself into. Only a smart person asks questions and doesn't blindly accept what others say w/o investigating.

 

[Podfather]

Which career is better? I did a quick search for jobs for podiatrists on reliable websites such as indeed.com, career builder, and my local newspapers, and I yielded a net result of 0 jobs for podiatry. Is this career in demand, will I be guaranteed to find a job after I graduate? I did a search for PA, and found hundreds of job opportunities, and it was rated #1 best job by U.S News. I'm not trying to bash podiatry but stats do not lie. What also got me is that their are only 9 schools, should that concern me? Also what worries me is the residency shortage for pod students. Also do most people go into Podiatry b/c they didn't have the grades for MD/DO school? What worries me is the low stats, y are they so low, isn't that like a bulb flashing. Also what concerns me is that an Orthopedist can do the same thing that a podiatrist can do, as well as family physicians (non-surgically speaking). As a PA, i'll always have to work under a doctor, but I can see that PA's can specialize and switch specialties at any time, they can go into surgical residencies for higher income potential, large demand for PA's, some Surgical PA's I know make more money than family physicians. Also it seems to me that the feet aren't as important as other body structures, like the heart, brain, spinal cord, ect.. Isn't that y it's the most neglected part of the body lol. Also, in my state atleast, POD's cannot hire PA's, only MD's and DO's can, they can only hire medical assistants, but they really can't do much with their training. Also someone told me POD's are not considered real doctors, like optometrists and chiropractors. What also concerns me is that only 888 people applied to all 9 pod schools last yr, which is an extremely low #, isn't this concerning? It seems these schools will take anyone with a pulse. Again not trying to bash the POD profession, but I do have valid concerns for this profession and would like some input b4 I apply.

I frankly tire of these types of questions. No career "is the best". Regardless of how much one is paid, the respect one does or does not get, and the positive/negative aspects of any career it eventually comes down to you the individual. Do your research, shadow, and then weigh all aspects of the profession you are considering. If you are unsure, skeptical, or do not feel it's a fit then please do not choose it. No matter how many positives a field has if you are not happy it will eat at you like a cancer. I see people in all fields of medicine. Some are happy and some are miserable. Do the miserable people mean the profession they chose is bad? Or was it the wrong pick?

 

[sorham]

Check this link out. http://www.lucasbadermd.com/lucas-j-bader-md-orthopaedic-surgeon-vs-podiatrist.html. Again, i believe this is a pre-podiatry forum (undergrad), not for pod students.

I think it is funny you say this then below you say we should just answer the simple questions. These questions are not going to be answered well by pre-pod students.

I don't get it...If an ortho can treat the entire leg, not just the foot and ankle then y not just see an ortho doc?

Because most orthos focus on the hip and knee etc. They claim they have more training, however they have less training focused on the foot and ankle. There are FA orthos, however there are not very many, definitely not enough to cover all cases, so no worries there. They also will not do the palliative care that podiatrists do, nor do they treat diabetic ulcers nor any of the other non surgical procedures that really are the bread and butter of the profession. FA orthos are SURGICAL, Podiatrists treat EVERYTHING below knee, including surgery but so much more. A good podiatrist in fact will keep you out of surgery as long as possible with palliative care imo. Ankle Breaker already pointed all of this out to you though earlier so I really don't know why you asked again...

Again not bashing podiatry, the pod students getting upset and writing hateful comments, only show some insecurity.

No hateful comments here, just trying to help out.

I'm asking simple questions, just answer it, you can't expect someone to go into a profession by telling them.."O this profession is great, jump right in"... you have to be sure what your getting yourself into. Only a smart person asks questions and doesn't blindly accept what others say w/o investigating.

Nothing wrong with asking questions, these questions have just been brough up countless times on these forums and I think people get tired of answering the same old questions. That's all Ankle Breaker was saying, search around in these forums and you will find answers to these questions already.

If you really are interested then go shadow a podiatrist and ask him/her these questions in person.
Good Luck!

 

[PADPM]

Check this link out. http://www.lucasbadermd.com/lucas-j-bader-md-orthopaedic-surgeon-vs-podiatrist.html. Again, i believe this is a pre-podiatry forum (undergrad), not for pod students. I don't get it...If an ortho can treat the entire leg, not just the foot and ankle then y not just see an ortho doc? Again not bashing podiatry, the pod students getting upset and writing hateful comments, only show some insecurity. I'm asking simple questions, just answer it, you can't expect someone to go into a profession by telling them.."O this profession is great, jump right in"... you have to be sure what your getting yourself into. Only a smart person asks questions and doesn't blindly accept what others say w/o investigating.

With each post you lose credibility. Your initial post was simple; DPM vs. PA. You then spewed a lot of misinformation about podiatry and continue to do so under the "innocence" of wanting to know more.

Now, you come on here with a link to a propaganda website for an obviously insecure foot & ankle orthopedic surgeon. How did this discussion evolve from DPM vs. PA to DPM vs orthopedic foot & ankle surgeon???

It's extremely obvious that you have an agenda. For those who don't see it, I'm amazed. Everytime a question is answered, you come up with an antagonistic response. The final straw was a link to the orthopedic foot & ankle surgeon's website.

Come on smart-guy, what did you expect the orthopedic foot & ankle doc to have on his site. "Choose me or choose a podiatrist, we're both great!" Do you think that maybe, just maybe his opinion may be a "little" skewed?

I've never met a successful businessman or business owner of ANY kind, including doctors, who obtained success degrading his/her competition, which this doctor has done. Apparently businesss 'ain't so good.

Yes, the esteemed orthopedic surgeon did FIVE whopping years of orthopedic training, with a majority of that time dedicated to treating the hand, wrist, arm, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, leg, back/spine, and some time with the foot/ankle. Do your homework while you've got some free time and see how many foot/ankle cases the average orthopedic surgeon performs during his/her residency. Oh yes, I forgot that this doctor performed a foot and ankle fellowship at the prestigious HSS in NY. Did you know that the average orthopedic F&A fellowship was 6 months or 1 year??

Podiatric residencies are 36 months now, and although there are rotations, (orthopedic residents also have similar rotations), the podiatric resident isn't spending most of his/her time dedicated to the hand,wrist, arm, elbow, shoulder........but IS performing lots and lots of foot and ankle surgery (and that's after learning/specializing in this for the last 2 years of school).

Please stop wasting your time on this website under the false pretense that you are "just asking" and want to learn. If you REALLY wanted to learn you would quote facts that are accurate and not only antagonistic inaccurate remarks.

 

[that1guyfromFL]

PADPM - 1
Troll - 0

 

[PADPM]

PADPM - 1
Troll - 0

I'm a little disappointed, I thought it was;

PADPM- 4
Troll - 0

I'll have to try harder.

 

[skyboy99]

Everything I have stated is 100% accurate and you have failed to address any of my questions. PADPM, you seem to be offended by these questions which shows me your insecurity and denial of the truth. I do not have an agenda, only tough questions and POD students seem afraid or unwilling to answer or confront them, just bashing with hateful comments. Denial of facts, leaves room for ignorance. It is clear from what I have rd from previous comments/forums that an ortho doc can basically do everything a POD can do and more, this is irrefutable. The non-surgical problems related to the foot and ankle can be taken care of by Physicians, PA's, nurses and other healthcare professionals, you don't always need to see a Podiatrist for assistance in most cases. Also from what i'm aware, pods cannot perform amputations, you'd have to see an ortho doc. With a small job market, residency shortage, low entrance stats (even lower than PA standards), low applicant pool, among other things, I have decided that there will be no need to shadow a podiatrist and will not pursue a career in the podiatric field. Good day.

PADPM. It's more like...Facts of life (reality) +1, PADPM -1.

 

[arez10]

 

[josebiwasabi]

LOL good riddance

 

[dyk343]

...

 

[PADPM]

Everything I have stated is 100% accurate and you have failed to address any of my questions. PADPM, you seem to be offended by these questions which shows me your insecurity and denial of the truth. I do not have an agenda, only tough questions and POD students seem afraid or unwilling to answer or confront them, just bashing with hateful comments. Denial of facts, leaves room for ignorance. It is clear from what I have rd from previous comments/forums that an ortho doc can basically do everything a POD can do and more, this is irrefutable. The non-surgical problems related to the foot and ankle can be taken care of by Physicians, PA's, nurses and other healthcare professionals, you don't always need to see a Podiatrist for assistance in most cases. Also from what i'm aware, pods cannot perform amputations, you'd have to see an ortho doc. With a small job market, residency shortage, low entrance stats (even lower than PA standards), low applicant pool, among other things, I have decided that there will be no need to shadow a podiatrist and will not pursue a career in the podiatric field. Good day.

PADPM. It's more like...Facts of life (reality) +1, PADPM -1.

Actually, I answered a LOT of your questions, but unfortunately for you, proved you wrong but you never addressed those issues...loser.

And once AGAIN you are chock full of misinformation. I ROUTINELY perform amputations when necessary and indicated, and if you go back and read a few of my more recent posts, you'll see that I performed several last week. And that was in addition to the fracture repair I performed on Thursday that was a result of a non union that was mishandled by the local orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon.

You didn't have an agenda, right.

 

[Podfather]

Everything I have stated is 100% accurate and you have failed to address any of my questions. PADPM, you seem to be offended by these questions which shows me your insecurity and denial of the truth. I do not have an agenda, only tough questions and POD students seem afraid or unwilling to answer or confront them, just bashing with hateful comments. Denial of facts, leaves room for ignorance. It is clear from what I have rd from previous comments/forums that an ortho doc can basically do everything a POD can do and more, this is irrefutable. The non-surgical problems related to the foot and ankle can be taken care of by Physicians, PA's, nurses and other healthcare professionals, you don't always need to see a Podiatrist for assistance in most cases. Also from what i'm aware, pods cannot perform amputations, you'd have to see an ortho doc. With a small job market, residency shortage, low entrance stats (even lower than PA standards), low applicant pool, among other things, I have decided that there will be no need to shadow a podiatrist and will not pursue a career in the podiatric field. Good day.

PADPM. It's more like...Facts of life (reality) +1, PADPM -1.

Podiatry's loss is PAs gain. We will miss you. When you finish, give me a call you can work for me. I mean under me. Seriously you are obviously here to bash and not learn. Plus your immediate decision to not shadow a DPM implies impulsiveness or atleast immaturity. Since many of my referrals for complex surgery are from orthopedists obviously some orthopedists can not do what a podiatrist does.

 

[zane870]

Thank you **** 343, finally a well-thought out answer. I will definitely shadow a Podiatrist this summer and will let you know how it goes. I've already shadowed an MD/PA.The PA was allowed to schedule her own patients and she worked when the doctor wasn't there, meaning she runs the office when she's working. Like I said Arez, I'm not on here to troll, legitimate questions need legitimate answers, if your unable to answer specific questions then this raises a red flag for me and makes me consider other options. The size of the podiatry field is small (9,000), this could mean the profession is struggling for recognizance (red flag). I'm aware if you get into residency {if}, then you will get connections for job openings. But what {if} you don't get any job offerings, then what? This feels like a gamble. Yes the foot is vital to an overall persons health, can't argue with that. I would consider Pods to be doctors, but they don't receive as much education as MD's and DO's of the disease processes of the entire human body, since Pod school primarily focuses on the foot and ankle. Also i think it's important to mention that POD's will heavily rely on MD/DO referrals to get most of their patients. What is reimbursement like for POD's compared to other medical specialties? Also iIm not sure, has the residency issue shortage been solved already???

Where did you come up with this little golden nugget? Last I checked, I sat in all the classes with the "real" medical students and take the same exams as the "real" medical students. So with taking ALL the classes the "real" medical students take during my two years of basic sciences I take an additional podiatry class. Then during rotations, I'll be with "real" medical students yet again. So please don't come on here misinformed and say that podiatrists don't get a proper medical education.

Podiatrists are foot and ankle experts. You keep holding on to this argument that orthopods can do everything a DPM can do "and more". No kidding! They can treat pretty much any joint or bone in the body. The fact is that podiatrists completing a 36 month residency logs hundreds (or thousands?) of cases related only to the foot and ankle while orthopods don't get close to this for foot cases.

You will find with more of your incredible and in depth "research" that there are dozens of medical specialties that have over-lapping scopes- this is nothing new. Podiatrists offer palliative care for patients that orthos know nothing about.

Podiatry is an incredible field. The opportunity is there to have your own practice, work in a multi-specialty group, or orthopedic group. A podiatrist IS a doctor and can independently diagnose and treat diseases. A PA can't.

 

[G0dFather]

Everything I have stated is 100% accurate and you have failed to address any of my questions. PADPM, you seem to be offended by these questions which shows me your insecurity and denial of the truth. I do not have an agenda, only tough questions and POD students seem afraid or unwilling to answer or confront them, just bashing with hateful comments. Denial of facts, leaves room for ignorance. It is clear from what I have rd from previous comments/forums that an ortho doc can basically do everything a POD can do and more, this is irrefutable. The non-surgical problems related to the foot and ankle can be taken care of by Physicians, PA's, nurses and other healthcare professionals, you don't always need to see a Podiatrist for assistance in most cases. Also from what i'm aware, pods cannot perform amputations, you'd have to see an ortho doc. With a small job market, residency shortage, low entrance stats (even lower than PA standards), low applicant pool, among other things, I have decided that there will be no need to shadow a podiatrist and will not pursue a career in the podiatric field. Good day.

PADPM. It's more like...Facts of life (reality) +1, PADPM -1.

Is everyone serious?? I come back after one day and see all this ??!!! PADPM, I have so much respect for you and i know you seen this person for what they are from the begining. I know that it hurts you to not answer and ignore ignorance about the profession but please dont waste your time anymore .

Honestly moderators should ban stuff like this by now , nobody needs this crap. This person is insane .... ALL YOU ***** QUESTIONS GOT ANSWERED WITH DETAIL WTF DO YOU WANT MORE ! CANT YOU READ ... Im thrilled you will not pursue a career in this field ... but please be sure to check us out in ten years and see how we are all "struggling" lmao.

 

[TheFootDoc]

Man. This is better than Hangover Part II.

By the way,

PADPM, you are my hero.

 

[jotfinos]

Man. This is better than Hangover Part II.

Agreed.

Saw it tonight and was rather disappointed.

 

[Paulywog]

It's crazy how someone can make a life altering decision based off of comments made on a forum. A lot of good information was shared here and he failed to listen and take some good advice. SHADOW, SHADOW, SHADOW. How hard of a concept is it to spend the day with someone to see what actually goes on. The comment that bothered me the most was saying there are no jobs available for Podiatrists. One of the biggest benefits to Podiatry is the Job outlook. I have yet to hear about someone who went through school and residency and not get a job. We are not insecure or offended, we are all confused about the wrong information you are so convinced is true (100% true according to your previous post).
If you are still reading these posts, shadow a couple different Podiatrists and come back with some new questions and information.

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

PADPM, you are my hero.

Man I really thought skyboy was just being unintentionally ignorant, but now I can see the truth.

Anklebreaker and g0dfather caught it early.

dyk343 - I guess we're just trying to be too optimistic...

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

Also, the fact that this thread has the "cool" symbol as it's post icon probably should've been a good hint... lol

 

[Iamyourfaja]

Who cares what Skyboy says? He exercises his insecurities by going online and bashing others chosen profession with elementary attacks that have no factual basis. He does so without revealing any information about himself. No self-respecting individual would be such a chump. Where do you go to high school, skyboy?

 

[jonwill]

Thank you **** 343, finally a well-thought out answer. I will definitely shadow a Podiatrist this summer and will let you know how it goes. I've already shadowed an MD/PA.The PA was allowed to schedule her own patients and she worked when the doctor wasn't there, meaning she runs the office when she's working. Like I said Arez, I'm not on here to troll, legitimate questions need legitimate answers, if your unable to answer specific questions then this raises a red flag for me and makes me consider other options. The size of the podiatry field is small (9,000), this could mean the profession is struggling for recognizance (red flag). I'm aware if you get into residency {if}, then you will get connections for job openings. But what {if} you don't get any job offerings, then what? This feels like a gamble. Yes the foot is vital to an overall persons health, can't argue with that. I would consider Pods to be doctors, but they don't receive as much education as MD's and DO's of the disease processes of the entire human body, since Pod school primarily focuses on the foot and ankle. Also i think it's important to mention that POD's will heavily rely on MD/DO referrals to get most of their patients. What is reimbursement like for POD's compared to other medical specialties? Also iIm not sure, has the residency issue shortage been solved already???

I realize that you are pre-health but the fact of the matter is that there is TON of overlap period in medicine. Sure some (very few actually) orthopedists will touch the foot. But do you think that ortho spine is the only specialty that will touch the spine? Do you think that ENT is the only specialty that will touch the face/neck? Do you really think that vascular surgery is the only specialty that performs vascular intervention? I could go on but I won't! Internists are phenominal at medically managing patients. Does that mean that no other doctor should admit and medically manage patients? I do all of the time. If it is a complex patient, you'd better believe that I'm going to call medicine though. Are MD/DO's different? No way. Many specialties consistently consult medicine (even though they too, as well as podiatrists, were educated on the disease processes of the entire human body).

Education: Podiatrists are MUCH BETTER EDUCATED than any other medical specialty on the foot and ankle period. And it is exactly because of the pod school focus. Having said that, don't make the mistake of thinking that pod school solely focused on the foot and ankle. In many programs (mine included), the entire first year was with regular med students and a chunk of the second year as well. Part I boards focus largely on disease processes of the entire body.

The referral thing has been addressed already. In the end, podiatrists are physicians/surgeons and practice allopathic medicine as do MD/DO's.

Or you can go work as a PA and make decent money and work for some doc or a group and do just fine. That is absolutely respectable too. I know and work with many of them. It is simply a different (and much shorter) path.

 

[skyboy99]

I may have been too critical in my judgement of podiatry. Chances are I will be applying to Podiatry school, depending on how the shadowing experience goes. There seems to be many positive aspects to the profession as well. See you in 1 year hopefully . Jon Will made an excellent argument, I congratulate him for being sincere, thoughtful and open-minded, as well as respectful and knowledgeable.

 

[RATM2010]

i may have been too critical in my judgement of podiatry. Chances are i will be applying to podiatry school, depending on how the shadowing experience goes. There seems to be many positive aspects to the profession as well. See you in 1 year hopefully . Jon will made an excellent argument, i congratulate him for being sincere, thoughtful and open-minded, as well as respectful and knowledgeable.

wtf????

 

[diskhmergrl]

I may have been too critical in my judgement of podiatry. Chances are I will be applying to Podiatry school, depending on how the shadowing experience goes. There seems to be many positive aspects to the profession as well. See you in 1 year hopefully . Jon Will made an excellent argument, I congratulate him for being sincere, thoughtful and open-minded, as well as respectful and knowledgeable.

huh???
I thought in your earlier post that you did not want to shadow podiatrists??

 

[skyboy99]

Jon will and paulywog made excellent points. You see how far you can get in life when you are respectful. It's better to shadow and possibly do an internship to see what the profession is like 1st hand. Then i will come back for more questions on this forum based on my experiences. Depending on this will determine whether I apply or not=.

 

[PADPM]

Jon will and paulywog made excellent points. You see how far you can get in life when you are respectful. It's better to shadow and possibly do an internship to see what the profession is like 1st hand. Then i will come back for more questions on this forum based on my experiences. Depending on this will determine whether I apply or not=.

Whoa big guy. Let's go back a few posts. You want respect you have to start with giving respect, not slinging insults. And believe me, I don't need advice from you on how to be successful.

You come on this sight with a barage of inaccuracies and I was quick to answer your questions AND point out several of your inaccurate statements.

I will list just a few;

1) You stated there were 9,000 DPMs, you were wrong...

2) You stated that the profession is "struggling" for recognition, you were wrong....

3) You stated the majority of DPM patients were via referrals from MD's, you were wrong....

4) You made inaccurate statements of the skills/training of a foot & ankle orthopedist vs. a podiatrist, you were wrong......

5) You stated that podiatrists can't perform amputations, you were wrong......

And those are just a few that pop into my mind.

And then you have the STONES to state in one of your posts "Everything I have stated is 100% accurate and you have failed to address any of my questions. PADPM"

Can't you read or are you delusional??? I not only answered your questions, but proved you wrong on most of your ridiculous inaccuracies.

However YOU chose to not address any of my follow up posts by stating that I was correct and that you were in error.

Instead, you hide behind the excuse of just wanting some "respect".

So today's lesson is this;

1) Learn how to do your homework with accurate information.

2) Learn how to ask questions diplomatically and don't walk into someone's "home" slinging insults

3) Be "man" enough to say "oops, apparently my information was wrong".

4) Know when to walk away with your tail between your legs.

If you came into my office to shadow me, and asked the questions you have on this forum, in the matter you did on this forum, you'd be physically removed within minutes, and I've been happily involved with training and teaching for many years, and my office has always been open to potential students, students, residents and colleagues.

 

[doctorpeace]

I just want to say you guys (you know who you are) are making it difficult to want to pursue Podiatry. I'm glad you have a passion for it, but skyfallboy (whatever his name is) who has been banned for no reason...was asking LEGITIMATE questions.

Like calm down and answer them. I am a pre-health student. I interviewed at a podiatry school and I want to make sure that as much as I LOVE what podiatrist do I HAVE JOB SECRUITY when I graudate with what..$200,000 in loans. That is a legitiamte question. Maybe none of you asked that and got screwed by getting in and realising the residency shortage (don't deny there is non because even MD/DO schools have them) and the job placement.

People are just asking questions guys and all you have to really do is ANSWER them, not insult (immature). Especially the present Podiatry Students and Attendings, your feedback is really needed, so don't drive away someone from this career choice by your negativity and pissiness, answer their question with all honesty. I feel horrible for skyfall boy and worse for myself because a lot of his questions were mine and none of you answered them with a tad bit decensy. Shaking-my-head.

 

[feet2017]

I just want to say you guys (you know who you are) are making it difficult to want to pursue Podiatry. I'm glad you have a passion for it, but skyfallboy (whatever his name is) who has been banned for no reason...was asking LEGITIMATE questions.

Like calm down and answer them. I am a pre-health student. I interviewed at a podiatry school and I want to make sure that as much as I LOVE what podiatrist do I HAVE JOB SECRUITY when I graudate with what..$200,000 in loans. That is a legitiamte question. Maybe none of you asked that and got screwed by getting in and realising the residency shortage (don't deny there is non because even MD/DO schools have them) and the job placement.

People are just asking questions guys and all you have to really do is ANSWER them, not insult (immature). Especially the present Podiatry Students and Attendings, your feedback is really needed, so don't drive away someone from this career choice by your negativity and pissiness, answer their question with all honesty. I feel horrible for skyfall boy and worse for myself because a lot of his questions were mine and none of you answered them with a tad bit decensy. Shaking-my-head.

don't do podiatry then?

 

[jellybean2020]

I just want to say you guys (you know who you are) are making it difficult to want to pursue Podiatry. I'm glad you have a passion for it, but skyfallboy (whatever his name is) who has been banned for no reason...was asking LEGITIMATE questions.

Like calm down and answer them. I am a pre-health student. I interviewed at a podiatry school and I want to make sure that as much as I LOVE what podiatrist do I HAVE JOB SECRUITY when I graudate with what..$200,000 in loans. That is a legitiamte question. Maybe none of you asked that and got screwed by getting in and realising the residency shortage (don't deny there is non because even MD/DO schools have them) and the job placement.

People are just asking questions guys and all you have to really do is ANSWER them, not insult (immature). Especially the present Podiatry Students and Attendings, your feedback is really needed, so don't drive away someone from this career choice by your negativity and pissiness, answer their question with all honesty. I feel horrible for skyfall boy and worse for myself because a lot of his questions were mine and none of you answered them with a tad bit decensy. Shaking-my-head.

I think you need to realize that HOW someone asks a question matters just as much as WHAT he/she asks. Go back and read his first post again. Who actually asks questions like that? If someone talked like that to me I'd literally walk away. He was also comparing professions based on what he could find on Indeed.com/Jobs.com. That alone should tell you how seriously people took him. Don't 'feel horrible' for someone who has no idea how to act like a grownup.

And I hope when you ask your questions (as you should), you'll do it in a far more mature and reasonable manner yeah?

 

[SLCpod]

I just want to say you guys (you know who you are) are making it difficult to want to pursue Podiatry. I'm glad you have a passion for it, but skyfallboy (whatever his name is) who has been banned for no reason...was asking LEGITIMATE questions.

Like calm down and answer them. I am a pre-health student. I interviewed at a podiatry school and I want to make sure that as much as I LOVE what podiatrist do I HAVE JOB SECRUITY when I graudate with what..$200,000 in loans. That is a legitiamte question. Maybe none of you asked that and got screwed by getting in and realising the residency shortage (don't deny there is non because even MD/DO schools have them) and the job placement.

People are just asking questions guys and all you have to really do is ANSWER them, not insult (immature). Especially the present Podiatry Students and Attendings, your feedback is really needed, so don't drive away someone from this career choice by your negativity and pissiness, answer their question with all honesty. I feel horrible for skyfall boy and worse for myself because a lot of his questions were mine and none of you answered them with a tad bit decensy. Shaking-my-head.

Too bad about SkyFall. C'mon Dr. Peace, this was two years ago.

Since SkyFall didn't get the answers he was looking for maybe you can post some questions. PA school didn't really interest me and I haven't had first hand PA shadowing experience but maybe someone else has more information since this thread was made in 2011.