Hospital Jobs

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Hello, 3rd pod student here. I'm wondering if I can get some help understanding what a "hospital job" actually is, in podiatry. I have lots of questions so any input would be helpful!

If this has already been answered, a link would be appreciated, I already searched the forums and couldn't find anything on hospital jobs that didn't have to do with salary and their rarity.

When I search through my local hospital's provider list for DPMs, all I can seem to find are private practice pods that seem to be associated with the hospital but don't actually practice AT the hospital, so I don't know who to reach out to to ask about actual hospital jobs.

1) Where in the hospital does a podiatrist actually work? Do they have an area in the inpatient area where they hang out and then can round? Are they in the hospital's outpatient clinic acting as a private practice doc inside a hospital building? Basically, where are they seeing patients when not in surgery?

2) What are some of the major aspects of their practice (surgery, woundcare, trauma, bread and butter pod stuff, etc)? This is a big question for me because I'm starting rotations soon and I think I find hospital jobs attractive (if they are what I think they are) and so I would want to schedule my 4th yr rotations at places that would prepare for such a job. For instance I wouldn't want to rotate at the hospital that does mostly woundcare if most actual hospital jobs are just general podiatry.

3) Do you see hospital jobs becoming more in number in the future? Is podiatry moving more and more that direction?

Thanks if you made it this far reading. The main reason I'm interested in hospital work is that I can't see myself at all doing the 'business' of podiatry, i.e. working up my productivity for incentives, trying to 'sell' DME, buying into practices. I don't care if I could make more in private practice, I'd rather focus on patients, take a paycheck and go home. Wouldn't mind call.

Thank you!

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[AttackNME]

i wouldn’t count out private practice so quickly, I was in the same boat as you and started out working at several hospitals but found that I can better care for my patients in private practice because my group has someone running an efficient and fair business

 

[619]

Hello, 3rd pod student here. I'm wondering if I can get some help understanding what a "hospital job" actually is, in podiatry. I have lots of questions so any input would be helpful!

If this has already been answered, a link would be appreciated, I already searched the forums and couldn't find anything on hospital jobs that didn't have to do with salary and their rarity.

When I search through my local hospital's provider list for DPMs, all I can seem to find are private practice pods that seem to be associated with the hospital but don't actually practice AT the hospital, so I don't know who to reach out to to ask about actual hospital jobs.

1) Where in the hospital does a podiatrist actually work? Do they have an area in the inpatient area where they hang out and then can round? Are they in the hospital's outpatient clinic acting as a private practice doc inside a hospital building? Basically, where are they seeing patients when not in surgery?

2) What are some of the major aspects of their practice (surgery, woundcare, trauma, bread and butter pod stuff, etc)? This is a big question for me because I'm starting rotations soon and I think I find hospital jobs attractive (if they are what I think they are) and so I would want to schedule my 4th yr rotations at places that would prepare for such a job. For instance I wouldn't want to rotate at the hospital that does mostly woundcare if most actual hospital jobs are just general podiatry.

3) Do you see hospital jobs becoming more in number in the future? Is podiatry moving more and more that direction?

Thanks if you made it this far reading. The main reason I'm interested in hospital work is that I can't see myself at all doing the 'business' of podiatry, i.e. working up my productivity for incentives, trying to 'sell' DME, buying into practices. I don't care if I could make more in private practice, I'd rather focus on patients, take a paycheck and go home. Wouldn't mind call.

Thank you!

When you work in private practice, you get hospital privilege and then take consults at the hospital, do surgeries at the hospital etc. Some private practice podiatry group even have a gig with the wound care center at the hospital where the hospital "sub-contract" a private practice podiatrist to cover the hospital wound care once a week. Most hospitals set up this gig so they won't have to have a full time podiatry employee on their payroll.

I will try to answer your following questions:

1. A hospital employed Podiatrist or Podiatric Surgeon is just like any other hospital employed speciality e.g orthopedic surgeon, general surgeon, plastic surgeon, vascular surgeon etc . They do not have an inpatient area where they hang out and then can round. They usually have a clinic next to the hospital in a medical building where they see patients and have clinic. They will likely have 1 day of surgery where they do their elective cases.
When they get a consult for an inpatient from the hospitalist (or consult from the ER), then they head to the hospital to round on the patient and take patient to surgery if needed. For podiatry consult, it will most likely be diabetic foot infection (some places could allow you take trauma call) and patient may need surgery, like a wound debridement or an incision and drainage. Those consults from the hospital, you will see them during your lunch break or in the evening after seeing clinic patients. Your scheduled clinic patients usually comes first because that is where the money is. No hospital is going to hire you to just hang around and see inpatients in the hospital. It will be a mix of clinic, surgery, wound care etc

2. Hospital jobs are varied. I would advise you to do a residency which prepares you for ALL aspects of podiatry. Don't limit yourself. As a 3rd year pod student, keep your mind open to all aspects of the foot and ankle. Learn everything (surgery, wound care, trauma, bread and butter pod stuff, etc). Those bread and butter stuffs are actually your money makers. Don't skim on them. Once you are out in practice, the bread and butter patients can give word of mouth referral about you to get you more patients. Treat everyone professionally, equally and nicely.

3. Podiatry should be moving towards that direction but it is not fast enough. Compared to 10-20 years ago, more hospitals are now hiring podiatrist. So the next 10-20 years will be better but how quickly would that happen? only time will tell.

I hope this helps to answer your questions. All these will become clearer as you move into 4th year and then residency.

 

[619]

'business' of podiatry, i.e. working up my productivity for incentives

lastly, If you work for a hospital group or Podiatry group or whoever, they will always be looking at your "productivity or incentives" to justify your salary and it will be adjusted accordingly yearly (up or down).

Nobody wants to operate at a loss. Healthcare is a business, be it podiatry or whatever specialty. To get a big salary and bonus, you have to justify it every year by your productivity or incentives.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

@AttackNME thanks for sharing your experience. A patient-centric, fair practice is exactly what I'm thinking of.

@NewPodGrad2019 that answers my questions exactly. Thanks for taking time to write that up. Right now as a 3rd year getting inundated with residency presentations, everyone seems make it seem like their hospital does the most surgery, so I appreciate the input about not forgetting the bread and butter stuff. Personally, surgery sounds cool but I think I'll enjoy spending more time with patients while they're conscious.