How do you guys think about this?

[Toohotinvegas33]

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Pennsylvania Court Defends Physicians’ Rights
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has held in Wexler v. Hecht that a podiatrist can not give expert testimony against an orthopedic surgeon concerning the proper standard of care in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The Court found that podiatrists’ training and licensing is not equivalent to that of a physician, and thus does not possess the required expertise to give expert testimony against someone with a medical degree. In its opinion, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court concluded that there is a “bright line rule” separating physicians and podiatrists. Because podiatrists are also licensed and tested by a different organization, the court found that podiatrists did not have the proper expertise to offer standard of care testimony against orthopedic surgeons.

http://blogs.do-online.org/dailyreport.php?itemid=3416

Just curious on your response. By the way DMU has a great Pod school

 

[Toohotinvegas33]

Crap, I screwed up the title.

 

[JFR]

Of course it's sad, mostly for our profession, but I'm sure it's the same for a dentist or optometrist, they can't be expert against doctor like opthalmologist or ORL doctor...

 

[jonwill]

Pennsylvania Court Defends Physicians' Rights
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has held in Wexler v. Hecht that a podiatrist can not give expert testimony against an orthopedic surgeon concerning the proper standard of care in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The Court found that podiatrists' training and licensing is not equivalent to that of a physician, and thus does not possess the required expertise to give expert testimony against someone with a medical degree. In its opinion, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court concluded that there is a "bright line rule" separating physicians and podiatrists. Because podiatrists are also licensed and tested by a different organization, the court found that podiatrists did not have the proper expertise to offer standard of care testimony against orthopedic surgeons.

http://blogs.do-online.org/dailyreport.php?itemid=3416

Just curious on your response. By the way DMU has a great Pod school

This is something decided on a state by state basis (like everything else in podiatry). I think it is a shame because it is no big secret that our foot and ankle training far exceeds that of a general orthopod much of the time. There are multiple published articles on the subject. But I can also understand something like this happening in Pennsylvania. Though they have some great podiatric surgical residencies in the state, there are some very prominent foot and ankle orthopods as well (Myerson in Philly being one of them).

 

[narkotiks]

This is something decided on a state by state basis (like everything else in podiatry). I think it is a shame because it is no big secret that our foot and ankle training far exceeds that of a general orthopod much of the time. There are multiple published articles on the subject. But I can also understand something like this happening in Pennsylvania. Though they have some great podiatric surgical residencies in the state, there are some very prominent foot and ankle orthopods as well (Myerson in Philly being one of them).

daamn! that means penn is out of the question for me!!

 

[densmore22]

This is something decided on a state by state basis (like everything else in podiatry). I think it is a shame because it is no big secret that our foot and ankle training far exceeds that of a general orthopod much of the time. There are multiple published articles on the subject. But I can also understand something like this happening in Pennsylvania. Though they have some great podiatric surgical residencies in the state, there are some very prominent foot and ankle orthopods as well (Myerson in Philly being one of them).

I think our training far exceeds that of a foot and ankle orthopod as well.

 

[Feli]

We learned about this ruling in our surgery or anesthesia class awhile ago...
I'm fairly certain that it works both ways, though. A pod can't give expert testimony against an orthopod, and an orthopod can't testify against a pod either due to the training differences.

I actually agree with the rulings... pod and ortho are still different. If they weren't, there would be no reason for pod to exist. We have different schools, residencies, different board exams, ACFAS instead of AOFAS, etc. MDs publish frequently in JAPMA or JFAS, but until DPMs can regularly publish in FAI, JBJS, etc, there will be probably slightly different philosophies and different literature. When I read Coughlin as opposed to Banks, they're all clearly on the same page, but there are differences.

When you think about it, you wouldn't really want an ortho guy who specializes in mostly ankle implants testifying about how a non-union on your Kalish wasn't fixated correctly. An ortho obviously wouldn't want a pod who does mostly wound care telling a jury how his hammertoe fusion dehisced either.

 

[dpmgrad]

This is something decided on a state by state basis (like everything else in podiatry). I think it is a shame because it is no big secret that our foot and ankle training far exceeds that of a general orthopod much of the time. There are multiple published articles on the subject. But I can also understand something like this happening in Pennsylvania. Though they have some great podiatric surgical residencies in the state, there are some very prominent foot and ankle orthopods as well (Myerson in Philly being one of them).

Actually, Dr. Myerson is not in Pennsylvania. He is in Maryland. However, there are four Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Fellowships in Pennsylvania. There are two Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Fellowship in Philadelphia. One at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital via Rothman Institute with Dr. Raikin, who did his training under Dr. Myerson. The other one is at Pennsylvania Hospital / University of Pennsylvania Health System with Dr. Wapner group. The other two are at Penn State and in Pittsburgh.

I actually agree with the rulings... pod and ortho are still different. If they weren't, there would be no reason for pod to exist. We have different schools, residencies, different board exams, ACFAS instead of AOFAS, etc. MDs publish frequently in JAPMA or JFAS, but until DPMs can regularly publish in FAI, JBJS, etc, there will be probably slightly different philosophies and different literature. When I read Coughlin as opposed to Banks, they're all clearly on the same page, but there are differences.

When you think about it, you wouldn't really want an ortho guy who specializes in mostly ankle implants testifying about how a non-union on your Kalish wasn't fixated correctly. An ortho obviously wouldn't want a pod who does mostly wound care telling a jury how his hammertoe fusion dehisced either.

In regards to the ruling, it is sad that the ruling did not clarify whether or not an Orthopedic Surgeon can testify against a Podiatrist.

 

[cool_vkb]

I think our training far exceeds that of a foot and ankle orthopod as well.

Here goes the thread down the hill. Oh my my u shudnt have use the word "far exceed". now in hrs or a day or two. our beloved MD trolls will arrive smelling this word and this thread will also be lost.

 

[densmore22]

Here goes the thread down the hill. Oh my my u shudnt have use the word "far exceed". now in hrs or a day or two. our beloved MD trolls will arrive smelling this word and this thread will also be lost.

I can use it because I truly believe it. There are differences in what we do as stated earlier. For me, it goes back to would you want a person that gets 50 cases in 5 years or 1500 cases in 3 years? Sort of a no brainer. Just like I wouldn't go to a my FP to manage my MS, I would go to a neurologist. Doesn't mean the FP isn't qualified, but personally I want someone who specializes in it. I'm not trying to start ANYTHING, so let's not turn this into an MD vs DPM debate, there's far too many of those.

The pod I shadow back home only testifies as an expert witness against other pods, he's never mentioned against an orthopod (WA state), but I've never asked him either, might bring it up now.

 

[Stafocker]

Pennsylvania Court Defends Physicians’ Rights
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has held in Wexler v. Hecht that a podiatrist can not give expert testimony against an orthopedic surgeon concerning the proper standard of care in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The Court found that podiatrists’ training and licensing is not equivalent to that of a physician, and thus does not possess the required expertise to give expert testimony against someone with a medical degree. In its opinion, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court concluded that there is a “bright line rule” separating physicians and podiatrists. Because podiatrists are also licensed and tested by a different organization, the court found that podiatrists did not have the proper expertise to offer standard of care testimony against orthopedic surgeons.

http://blogs.do-online.org/dailyreport.php?itemid=3416

Just curious on your response. By the way DMU has a great Pod school

It's in line with what AOFAS states about Podiatry. See the thread for attachment or AOFAS.org:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=460086

 

[krabmas]

This is something decided on a state by state basis (like everything else in podiatry). I think it is a shame because it is no big secret that our foot and ankle training far exceeds that of a general orthopod much of the time. There are multiple published articles on the subject. But I can also understand something like this happening in Pennsylvania. Though they have some great podiatric surgical residencies in the state, there are some very prominent foot and ankle orthopods as well (Myerson in Philly being one of them).

Myerson as in Mark Myerson is in Baltimore. AS far as I know.

And to add to the discussion. this has happened in maby states but then it also goes both ways that if a pod cannot testify as an expert for or against the ortho pod an orthopod also cannot testiy for or against a pod.