humanitarian podiatry

[IPODiatrist]

hey i posted this in the pod forum as well.
but i think more ppl come to this forum it seems?

anyhow my question is:

I recently decided I am going to pursue podiatry as a career and wanted to ask if those who are in pod school to know if they know if any humanitarian agencies take pods (as in peacecore, Drs without borders etc) or if there are any separate programs on which you could do mission trips etc? basically what organizations will take pods for humanitarian aid? and do u know of any pods who have done this? and if so, how was their experience. OK, now i'm done!

thanks in advance!

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[iwilldlvr]

I would assume that there are opportunities, especially if you do reconstructive or pediatric podiatry. I know they have efforts like that for dentists, especially in Mexico. I do wonder just how many opps there are for pods, though, because I was interested in that, too.

 

[Feli]

There are tons of humanitarian projects done by podiatrists. Many pod schools or larger DPM residencies require - or at least offer - these types of rotations for attending DPMs and residents... occasionally even students.

Here's one of the ones my university does: teams of DPMs and residents correct congenital clubfoot in Mexico:
http://www.barry.edu/yucatanproject/news.htm

Back when I was a 1st year student doing orientation, the Barry SNPMA president at that time spoke to our class. I believe she said something about a Jamaica medical mission trip available for SNPMA members, but I could have misunderstood (I'm not in SNPMA).

At any rate, there are quite a few opportunities to get involved and donate your time as a DPM...

 

[phpodguy]

hey i posted this in the pod forum as well.
but i think more ppl come to this forum it seems?

anyhow my question is:

I recently decided I am going to pursue podiatry as a career and wanted to ask if those who are in pod school to know if they know if any humanitarian agencies take pods (as in peacecore, Drs without borders etc) or if there are any separate programs on which you could do mission trips etc? basically what organizations will take pods for humanitarian aid? and do u know of any pods who have done this? and if so, how was their experience. OK, now i'm done!

thanks in advance!

I'm still a pre-pod myself, so I have no idea what's out there for pods in terms of humanitarian work, internationally. I'm really interested in this line of work too, and I'm going to make this a huge part of my career.

I went to a talk with a nurse who did Doctors W/out Borders, and she told us that a lot of med professionals are surprised when they do it. They start out thinking that they're going to be doing a lot of surgery or clinical work, but once they get there/get acclimated they end up doing more administrative/coordination/training work in order to create some sort of sustainability for the area once their gone. As for whether they accept pods or not, I have no idea. (I should have asked. )

I was planning on doing Peace Corps. after I graduate and before pod school, but the programs/locations I was looking at didn't have any sort of loan deferment so I'd have to come up with a way to pay those off while being abroad. I'm way too broke for that! It might be different for people who've gotten an education at the pod level though.

Do any of you pods know if there's a push internationally to standardize podiatry? I know that some countries have masters level pods/chiropods but not pods that are parallel to the MD/DO profession. I don't plan on practicing in Australia/UK etc. but it would be interesting to train pods abroad if the opportunity ever develops.

 

[m326841]

There are tons of humanitarian projects done by podiatrists. Many pod schools or larger DPM residencies require - or at least offer - these types of rotations for attending DPMs and residents... occasionally even students.

Here's one of the ones my university does: teams of DPMs and residents correct congenital clubfoot in Mexico:
http://www.barry.edu/yucatanproject/news.htm

Back when I was a 1st year student doing orientation, the Barry SNPMA president at that time spoke to our class. I believe she said something about a Jamaica medical mission trip available for SNPMA members, but I could have misunderstood (I'm not in SNPMA).

At any rate, there are quite a few opportunities to get involved and donate your time as a DPM...

My immediate thought was the Barry program too. They get some great experience down there and I think its great for the profession. I think every school should have some sort of similar option because it would help the students in multiculturalism and help the native population too.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

My immediate thought was the Barry program too. They get some great experience down there and I think its great for the profession. I think every school should have some sort of similar option because it would help the students in multiculturalism and help the native population too.

This is easier said than done. Since DPM does not translate across the board in international health care, many times you need an MD/DO to sign on also. Then you need to decide what roll the students will play; at best they can be surgical techs and nurses and at worst they are dead weight. Then the money issue comes into play.

There are many very needed people in the US and it is much easier to start something here (plus I get tired of seeing the US give billions to these nations and in return they tell us that we suck). DMU has a global health program. It has been very difficult for the school to started for a program full of DOs and DPMs.

 

[cool_vkb]

plus I get tired of seeing the US give billions to these nations and in return they tell us that we suck.

Wow man we share very similar viewpoint. God bless you!

 

[Feli]

My immediate thought was the Barry program too. They get some great experience down there and I think its great for the profession. I think every school should have some sort of similar option ...

I'm fairly sure that Cali has the Baja Project. I'm not sure if it's Samuel Merritt or one of the residencies out there, but I'm pretty sure it's a smaller sister-type program of Barry's Yucatan project.

You could google it, or perhaps one of the west coast students or DPMs who posts here knows more...

 

[ucrs]

hey,
Im acutally really interested in this too and did a search on google and I found lots of christian missions projects that take Podiatrist.

 

[doclm]

This is easier said than done. Since DPM does not translate across the board in international health care, many times you need an MD/DO to sign on also. Then you need to decide what roll the students will play; at best they can be surgical techs and nurses and at worst they are dead weight. Then the money issue comes into play.

There are many very needed people in the US and it is much easier to start something here (plus I get tired of seeing the US give billions to these nations and in return they tell us that we suck). DMU has a global health program. It has been very difficult for the school to started for a program full of DOs and DPMs.

Also, I thought that DO's where not considered physicians internationally either.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

True but it is easier to get a temporary medical license; don't ask me why. I have been told this first hand. We had discussed creating a mission.

 

[densmore22]

DO's are not discriminated against as far as Doctors w/o Borders goes, I know for a fact, I inquired about this as I almost attended DO school and this was a major issue with me.

 

[dpmgrad]

I'm fairly sure that Cali has the Baja Project. I'm not sure if it's Samuel Merritt or one of the residencies out there, but I'm pretty sure it's a smaller sister-type program of Barry's Yucatan project.

You could google it, or perhaps one of the west coast students or DPMs who posts here knows more...

Actually, the Baja Project is a larger program than the Yucantan project. There are several California residency programs that rotate through Baja Project. Residents from Botsford in Michigan are supposedly rotating through Baja project as well.

There are several other humanitarian organizations that have DPMs going abroad doing work. I know that residents from Tucker and West Jersey residency programs also do some humanitarian work abroad.

 

[Feli]

Actually, the Baja Project is a larger program than the Yucantan project. There are several California residency programs that rotate through Baja Project. Residents from Botsford in Michigan are supposedly rotating through Baja project as well...

Thanks very much for the info... very interesting.

Botsford is actually one of the residencies I'm highly interested in bringing to our residency fair and probably externing at when the time comes. I don't know how I missed that on their website lol.