Family Problems

[pRHOfessional7]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Greetings

I love SDN because it is great place to network with like minded individuals. Anyway, when this application cycle began I applied to medical school to please my father...it is his dream for me. Before I graduated from undergrad I told my parents I wanted to be a podiatrist and my father went crazy, so I never brought it up again. Even though I have been accepted to medical schools I just recently snuck off and applied to the podiatry school I fell in love with in college. My question is, is anyone having trouble talking to their family about their career choice and if you are how do you explain the importance of the field to them?

Thanks in advance

 

[densmore22]

If your parents really cared for you, they would just want you to be happy and do what pleases you, but I totally understand. I'm not implying that your parents don't love you, but sometimes they get a skewed view of things. I would say that you just sit them down and level with them. If they don't like it, then that's too bad, but you know what, it's your life and you are the only one that has to go through what you're going to go through so you gotta look out for #1 and your parents are just going to have to accept it and hopefully come around and support you. Good luck, hope that helped, I'm sure everything will work out fine once you have a serious heart to heart with them.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

Greetings

I love SDN because it is great place to network with like minded individuals. Anyway, when this application cycle began I applied to medical school to please my father...it is his dream for me. Before I graduated from undergrad I told my parents I wanted to be a podiatrist and my father went crazy, so I never brought it up again. Even though I have been accepted to medical schools I just recently snuck off and applied to the podiatry school I fell in love with in college. My question is, is anyone having trouble talking to their family about their career choice and if you are how do you explain the importance of the field to them?

Thanks in advance

Previously, we have had a few students say that they had problems at home when they decided to become a podiatrist. If I remember right it was a gentlemen who's father-in-law was a family practice doctor who wanted him to go to DO or MD school and take over the practice. The poster wanted something else and a fight ensued.

I told him the same thing that I will tell you. Your parents only wanted what they think is best for you. If you are happy as a podiatrist they will come to understand that you made the best decision for yourself. I'm not sure where you live, but if you are close to a college, have your parents come with you to look at the college. This will give them the opportunity to learn about the profession.

Let the inner rebel out and good luck.

 

[Catayst]

Most likely they see podiatry as being inferior to MD, which is unfortunately common outside the medical world because previous generations of pods received much less education than other docs. This profession could really use some mass media PR.

Your best bet, like Feelgood said, is to show them around the school, explain how the education rivals that of a DO or MD now, and emphasize the enormous potential you have as a pod to do surgery and nearly any patient speciality you want in a practice.

 

[cool_vkb]

Half of my family members are MDs or DDS and everyone is healthcare industry. Being educated MDs they were aware of Podiatrists and their scope of practice. So they never objected me being a DPM because they knew what exactly it is. But i had a hard time convincing my mom because she was not in touch with US healthcare system and different type of health care providers here.

Even peope born here are not aware of US heathcare system. They think every healthcare provider is an MD. And if you say that you are not doing MD, they think you are doing some very basic course which is very very inferior. Its because of lack of awareness.May be you want to get some health careers book from library and give it to ur dad. thats what i did. i gave a book which discussed all types of health careers in USA and asked her to read it. now she knows what exactly iam going doing to do and how that profession stands in Health care system. and she is very proud of me.🙂

 

[pRHOfessional7]

Thank you all so much, I actually did get my dad some stats and some books on podiatry and I think he may be coming around [he's a pig headed college prof]. Anyway I got an interview to the school I really want to attend, we shall see how it turns out....

 

[bdaddyjolley]

Thank you all so much, I actually did get my dad some stats and some books on podiatry and I think he may be coming around [he's a pig headed college prof]. Anyway I got an interview to the school I really want to attend, we shall see how it turns out....

Which school is it?

 

[pRHOfessional7]

Scholl

 

[feetman]

Good choice. I am a first year podiatric medical student right now at Scholl and loving every moment of it. The schedule is pretty rough because we have some kind of test every week but it is was rewarding and you will learn a lot.