Forget About Podiatry

[goldenpheasant]

Podiatry is a crap shoot. I had 3.8 gpa, and ended up with a one year residency.

There are not enough prs 24+ residencies to go around. Not then, not now. If you have any doubts, call the schools and ask them. If you do not get psr 24 you CAN NOT get boarded. If you can't get boarded you can't get on staff at hospitals or insurance panels. If you can't do that you will starve. Or you could cut toenails in nursing homes, boy 8 years of college and 150k in debt to cut toenails.

A few lucky ones make it. But more than a few deserving ones DO NOT. Are you going to gamble 150k on a profession that DOES NOT GUARANTEE adequate training? If you are MD/DO you may not get the first choice but you will get adequate post graduate training to become boarded and have the opportunity for a viable practice. Podiatry DOES NOT have enough psr 24 residencies to go around. DO YOU want to gamble the rest of your life on this?

The students tell of all the greatness of podiatry, they refuse to believe anything negative because they do not want to admit the profession they chose is anything but the greatest thing since sliced bread. To admit it is not would be to admit they willfully chose poorly, and who among us wants to admit that. Not me, and I have been out a few years, but I did choose poorly.

I had it all good grades, personality and all that other crap that gets you voted most likely to succeed, but it was not enough in podiatry. Heck, I got straight A's in my first year except for one class, can you guess which one? Yes folks that's right I got my only B in 1st year Podiatric Medicine. What does that tell you about this profession? Or was it just that I didn't work hard enough on those essay questions for the washed up toenail clipper who taught the class?

Find another career, forget podiatry.

My agenda: To help save future prospective students from gambling on this career.

Good Night

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[efs]

Golly gee goldenpheasent,

I sure feel sorry for you. I also choose to disagree with you.

I do not refuse to believe anything negative, but I do keep an open mind. I was well aware of many of the negative aspects of this profession and chose to enter it anyway. You seem to be ignoring the fact that there are a vast number of podiatrist who are happy and doing quite well for themselves. How do you account for them? I guess they must have just been lucky.

Boy oh boy, I sure hope I am lucky.

(By the way, I don't consider it a gamble either.)

Hope you have better luck elsewhere, I think you'll be needing it.

 

[youngjock]

dude, you totally destoryed my life. I just got a letter from the ny pd school. From what it described, it sounds so great. every student get a residency, because that school is so big, and it is the largest residency or some sort in the world.

and pd doctors listed number 5 in the career choice, they only work 40 hours comparing with md's 60 hours work load, etc.

i thought that if i don't get into do schools, at least, i can become a pd doctor. now from what you read, it seems that it is not a wise choice at all.

i was wondering why the pd profession is so different from all other aspects of the medicine. dental is a diff. profession, but lots of people want to be dentist. i just started wondering why so few people try to get into pd schools.

tell me more. i would like to know more.

 

[ussdfiant]

What the hell is a "pd doctor"? Are you talking about podiatrists?

 

[goldenpheasant]

Why so few, you ask?

Here's a list:

MONEY

1. Poor pay in the first 5 years plus
2. Poor residency pay (sometimes nothing)
3. Embarassing "salaries" offered to graduating residents
4. Very few opportunities for fellowships, etc.
5. Lack of respect from insurers
6. Lack of respect from other health providers (re: fewer referrals).
7. No loan repayment programs
8. Inability to get on health plans without surgical training. Inability to get on some health plans despite surgical training because of limits or no need for DPM's
9. Overabundance of DPM's in areas that humans choose to live
10. Lack of support from schools, organizations
11. Huge competition from all kinds of health practitioners (take your pick)
12. Good hours does not equal good income (biggest myth)
13. Podiatry is number one loan default group compared with other health professionals (MD's, DO's, DDS)
14. Podiatry is more highly scrutinized by insurance fraud departments
15. Lack of marketability of DPM degree vs. MD or DO

EDUCATION

17. Lack of surgical programs for all graduating seniors (but it is improving).
18. Embarassingly low number of applicants
19. Embarassing "criteria" that incoming students must meet.
20. "Residency training" is often neither a residency nor training
21. Spotty, at best, clinical training in school
22. Uneven training among the schools
23. Lottery style 4th year clinicals which further leads some to be less trained.
24. Failure to adequately prepare students to function without embarassment at big hospitals when they finally do get into their "residency" programs.
25. Totally uneven skills among DPM's reflecting wildly uneven training.

RESPECT/ETHICS

26. Lack of respect from health community and, often, community at large who frequently question your education and title of "doctor"
27. The embarassing lack of original research in podiatry.
28. The embarassing podiatry based magazines and periodicals
29. Some schools no longer require the MCAT (and, rumor has it, an observable GPA), but in an attempt to gain some semblance of respect, some require the GRE...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!?????
30. Incredibly low admissions standards among the schools (which, in reality, may not even exist)
31. Tendency for established DPM's to "eat their young"
32. Failure of most established pods to offer help or a reasonable salary to fresh grads
33. Failure of schools to be upfront with the realities of podiatry.
34. Political style of residency matching
35. Lack of merit in residency match system
36. The actual need for organized podiatry to send out a mass-mail CD-ROM to prospective med students filling it with dubious facts. That'll build respect for the profession! BLECCHHH!!
37. DPM's needing the OK from an MD or DO to cut nails/calluses at nursing homes. THAT'S respect for ya!
38. Lack of respect of DPM degree outside the U.S
39. Lack of respect for podiatry curricula amongst MD and DO schools (not a single unit can transfer...even overseas!).
MISCELLANEOUS

40. The overwhelming negative vibe on podiatry forums (everwhere you look)
41. The actual NEED for a "negativity" disclaimer on the Podiatry Forum (when no such thing exists on any other health related forum)
42. Medicare is slowly clamping down on the bread and butter of podiatry (nails and calluses).
43. The fact that most current grads act more like chiropodists than DPM's reflecting the uneven training and lack of opportunities.
44. Fewer pods in the future translates into fewer pods joining the already sparse and ineffective organizations. This means many more future battles lost to more powerful entities.
45. Difficulty (if not outright impossibility) of practicing DPM's to find a reasonable PSR to complete their training.
46. Banks less apt to grant loans vs. MD or DO
47. DPM's have almost no jobs which will pay for incidentals such as health insurance, vacation, malpractice insurance, etc., whereas most MD's and DO's have such opportunities.
48. Extreme difficulty in "pulling up roots" if one chooses to move to a different area. MD's and DO's can find jobs all over the place. DPM's can't.
49. Residencies that simply cancel the program in mid step.
50. CCPM's ludicrous adventures in mismanagement!

Sadly, I know there's more.

Check out this web site for more:
http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/23927?it=0

 

[goldenpheasant]

"there are a vast number of podiatrist who are happy and doing quite well for themselves"

This is true, but what about the ones you do not see? What about the ones who have left the profession? What about the associate making 40k? Have you searched for pod jobs lately? Are there more offers than there are graduates?

I account for the successful ones as supply and demand. For every successful one there is another who is not. Which one will you be?

"Boy oh boy, I sure hope I am lucky."

Residency lotto is a total joke. I hope you have connections or luck because you will need it. You will see pods with great grades get crap and others on the bottom of the barrel get some nice programs. Or if you wear a skirt, well that's a whole nuther ball game, lol.

Any other questions or comments ?

I will be happy to debate all.

3rd year out, and struggling.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by goldenpheasant

29. Some schools no longer require the MCAT (and, rumor has it, an observable GPA), but in an attempt to gain some semblance of respect, some require the GRE...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!?????

Heh, I had to laugh when I saw this. I'll be entering the Arizona School of Dentistry this year -- but I've received interviews from 3 DPM schools without even applying there!

I've called one school *so* many times and asked them to stop sending me stuff! It's kinda funny, though. When I first got their publicity crap in the mail, I phoned them and let them know that I appreciated their seeking out new students, but that I was already set on dentistry. The *next* mail piece I received from them wasn't just publicity junk, but an actual interview date!

I'd say podiatry is starving for students, and that podiatrists in general are starving. I have NO doubt that I would have been accepted at ALL of those podiatry schools that granted me interviews in spite of the fact that I never applied to ANY podiatry schools.

That also tells me that schools would rather have a warm body (or cold, depending on how bad your GPA is) in the seats than a warm body that is actually interested in the profession.

 

[youngjock]

i also have got at least 3 pd schools brochures, and several oversea medical schools'. I even got one from Australia, they are offereing medical school online.

i am surprised that they are giving you interview date when you haven't applied. how can that be possible?

 

[ItsGavinC]

Tremendous question, Young jock.

 

[ewsmith1]

Hey guys,

Just go to dental school...

No residency needed, unless you want to, to get boarded; you can practice straight out.

The lowest malpractice....under 1000/yr usually

150k net+ avg on a 34 hr/wk avg....

Beat that!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[ItsGavinC]

ewsmith,

I don't plan on beating it -- I plan on joining it!

 

[BLUESEAL]

Thanks for your advice Goldenpheasant. I was considering dentistry and podiatry. Now, I am gearing more towards the dental field.

Blueseal.