How long can someone work in this profession? Is there a "forced retirement" age?

[Doctoscope]

If someone were to start pod school late (accepted) and finish residency in their late 50s/early 60s completely debt-free, how long can they realistically practice? I understand that there's surgery involved, but from what I've read the surgeries seem to be fairly quick and straightforward (?). Is it realistic to expect to practice podiatry and perform surgery into someone's 70s? Or would no jobs hire them?

For example, apparently some surgical practices force someone to retire once they turn 70. Would that be the case for pod as well?

Thanks for your insight.

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[Boba Foot]

I'm not sure this will answer your question, and I hate to discourage anyone from their dreams, but when I was at TUSPM there was a student in their 60's that made it through pod school and went into residency. It did not go well and from what I've heard, said person was let go from the program into which they scrambled.

This is not to say it can't or shouldn't be done, but at an advanced age people tend to not learn as well and tend to not be as open to coaching in general.

Hope it all works out for you.

 

[Doctoscope]

I'm not sure this will answer your question, and I hate to discourage anyone from their dreams, but when I was at TUSPM there was a student in their 60's that made it through pod school and went into residency. It did not go well and from what I've heard, said person was let go from the program into which they scrambled.

This is not to say it can't or shouldn't be done, but at an advanced age people tend to not learn as well and tend to not be as open to coaching in general.

Hope it all works out for you.

Thank you, I'm just trying to gather information on someone's behalf.

Their main concern is that they won't be able to find a job at an advanced age. If someone grinded and got through pod school/residency, is there also going to be some insurmountable barrier in finding a decent job?

 

[Feli]

How long can someone work in this profession...
...how long can they realistically practice?...

The question is "can" vs "should"... consider that.

...as you said, UK and many countries' surgeons have had policy of 65yo mandatory govt health retirement and 70yo total retirement. Your eyes and hands don't last forever.

I always tell my friends or family who ask that you when you need a surgery (any type), you generally want to find the cockiest board cert guy you can who's in their 40s or 50s. Most in their 30s don't have enough judgement or exp and are still somewhat honing their craft and learning from their complications, and the ones in their 60s are past their vision/coordination/knowledge prime. There are exceptions to every rule... but not too many.

There are plenty of older DPMs still practicing for whatever reason (bad with money, bored if they didn't, enjoy the job, waiting for someone to buy practice out, etc etc). Most of them are doing just primary care type podiatry, though.... nails, corns, calluses, warts, etc. It would be a waste to do a 4yr podiatry school + 3yr residency in the 50s to study for boards and etc etc to only do surgery for roughly a decade afterwards. If someone wanted to do pod school, drop residency after the first year, get a state license and see patients for primary care podiatry or nursing homes or watever... still not wise at mid age or above, probably better to do other health fields.

 

[Shiyuan]

I know of 2 docs over 70 and still practicing.

 

[wakaflocka88]

I know of 2 docs over 70 and still practicing.

I can top this. I know someone over 80 and still practicing - aka milking his associates and students that “rotate” through.

 

[Homo sapien]

I'm not sure this will answer your question, and I hate to discourage anyone from their dreams, but when I was at TUSPM there was a student in their 60's that made it through pod school and went into residency. It did not go well and from what I've heard, said person was let go from the program into which they scrambled.

This is not to say it can't or shouldn't be done, but at an advanced age people tend to not learn as well and tend to not be as open to coaching in general.

Hope it all works out for you.

god damn i think this was my classmate.

 

[air bud]

As stated in another thread it is a terrible idea. Nobody will want to hire you, getting a good residency will be hard as it is. You just won't fit in. A residency director is going to take a hard pass. Then who is going to want to hire you? And opening your own place takes years to get up and running. Just stop with this idea. No debt and in your 50s. Yeah you should be. But it still costs 200k plus with no income for 4 years. Just STOP. Have the money that you can afford to not work for 4 years and take on this debt? Then why the hell are you wanting to do podiatry or any medicine. JUST STOP.

 

[GreenHousePub]

A better return on investment at that age would be something in programming. Anything medical-related is going to be a long haul to get to when it pays off.

 

[DexterMorganSK]

I suggest OP look into nursing. It's a very hot field at the moment, and those in the ED/ICU etc. are making $130-200 per hour (depending on the area). Traveling nurses are making even more. Otherwise, agree with what's stated here. Good luck!

 

[de Ribas]

If you have Bachelors, there are many nursing programs that offer accelerated 12-18 months BSN. Some even MSN in 16 months. That's far better route for anyone willing to change careers and go into healthcare.

 

[newfeet]

I agree nursing would be a better option. You can also become an anesthesiologist assistant or PA in 2 years or so.

 

[dtrack22]

I’d buy 6-7 rental properties instead

My facility does require some mental/physical acuity testing of those with surgical privileges starting at age 70. I’m sure some age discrimination lawsuits will stop policies like that eventually, but for now you have to prove your memory and recall and fine motor skills are up to snuff if you want to operate at age 70+. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of that so it may actually be fairly common. You never really look into the “privileges at age 70” section of the bylaws, so it’s easy to miss…

 

[GreenHousePub]

I’d buy 6-7 rental properties instead

My facility does require some mental/physical acuity testing of those with surgical privileges starting at age 70.

The testing is held at Golden Corral during the early bird special from 2-4pm daily.

 

[dtrack22]

The testing is held at Golden Corral during the early bird special from 2-4pm daily.

That’s the only way you can get them to show up

 

[air bud]

I’d buy 6-7 rental properties instead

My facility does require some mental/physical acuity testing of those with surgical privileges starting at age 70. I’m sure some age discrimination lawsuits will stop policies like that eventually, but for now you have to prove your memory and recall and fine motor skills are up to snuff if you want to operate at age 70+. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of that so it may actually be fairly common. You never really look into the “privileges at age 70” section of the bylaws, so it’s easy to miss…

Crazy, never heard of anything like this. But then again never bothered to read any bylaws

 

[dtrack22]

Crazy, never heard of anything like this. But then again never bothered to read any bylaws

Yeah it really just sounded like the computer based concussion testing we all had to do in college our first fall camp. I think it was mandated at that point by the NCAA. You’re probably too old to remember what I’m talking about, they didn’t care about your heads back then…

 

[air bud]

Yeah it really just sounded like the computer based concussion testing we all had to do in college our first fall camp. I think it was mandated at that point by the NCAA. You’re probably too old to remember what I’m talking about, they didn’t care about your heads back then…

Pee wee football was a college sport?

 

[GreenHousePub]

Pee wee football was a college sport?

putt-putt golf

 

[heybrother]

I was talking to a surgery tech from a town about 30 minutes away. He claimed the local podiatrist there was routinely taking an hour to do a single hammertoe because he had macular degeneration / central vision loss. He was apparently constantly moving his head to try and see the toe out of his peripheral vision. The story is absurd in a 100 ways but the heart of it to me that applies here is - do not put yourself in a position where you have to keep working until you are some feeble joke. Make a plan to transition gracefully. The time to go into this is 20s/early 30s.

I don't know what's happening in the world that we have 3 threads in a month about whether old people should start podiatry school but the simple truth is that most people shouldn't even do podiatry in their 20s. 100 fewer grads a year would be fine by me.

 

[dtrack22]

Pee wee football was a college sport?

They didn’t call it the smurf turf because it was blue…

 

[Feli]

If you have Bachelors, there are many nursing programs that offer accelerated 12-18 months BSN. Some even MSN in 16 months. That's far better route for anyone willing to change careers and go into healthcare.

I suggest OP look into nursing. It's a very hot field at the moment, and those in the ED/ICU etc. are making $130-200 per hour (depending on the area). Traveling nurses are making even more. Otherwise, agree with what's stated here. Good luck!

Yes, it is debatable if RN is a better choice for an 18 year old than medicine/pod/etc.

The docs path starts out behind, gets further behind... but does have potential to catch up over decades of work. The doc should be out of debt, partner/owner or good employ job, and enjoying a better lifestyle by 50yo (assuming they start grad school 25-ish). The nurse will be doing well all through, but their top end is typically more capped, so the docs pass them in long run.

If you start late, the high earning with quick school and lower loans is the no-brainer.

 

[Pronation]

Yes, it is debatable if RN is a better choice for an 18 year old than medicine/pod/etc.

The docs path starts out behind, gets further behind... but does have potential to catch up over decades of work. The doc should be out of debt, partner/owner or good employ job, and enjoying a better lifestyle by 50yo (assuming they start grad school 25-ish). The nurse will be doing well all through, but their top end is typically more capped, so the docs pass them in long run.

If you start late, the high earning with quick school and lower loans is the no-brainer.

Agree but passing them in the long run is a bit of an understatement.

 

[GreenHousePub]

I don't know what's happening in the world that we have 3 threads in a month about whether old people should start podiatry school

It was probably a banner ad on an AARP website.