New to Podiatry

[Dochopeful13]

Hi All,

I am really interested in applying to podiatry in August. The only thing that scares me is all the negativity I see on this forum. Usually I would chalk it up to the internet but it does seem to be a red flag. I really don’t understand why though. Podiatry seems to be a great mix of clinic and surgery, and the pay 150 k to 200 k is nothing to sneeze at. Can anyone ease my fears with this profession? Did you shadow any docs who recommended going into podiatry? Can you share your experiences?

Thanks!

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[DannyPhantom113]

Not one doc I've shadowed has really dumped on podiatry, the closest I've heard is when the peds doc I've talked to compared pod to peds. I guess theres a bit of a rivalry with orthopedics as well so there's some measuring there.

The Pods I've shadowed (2) both enjoy their jobs and lives. Both seem to enjoy the patient connection that is formed.

The negatives, I guess, stem from two places: people who go into podiatry school not wanting to specialize in podiatry, and people who like to bust balls over the "D" in "DPM". As I've said, the docs I've shadowed respect it and compare it to peds. You just gotta be sure its what you want to do.

 

[Weirdy]

I've had a ton of DPMs I've shadowed dump on podiatry.

That being said I've also had as many or more who like what they do and are too busy to get on here and post.

It is what you make of it. No, its not all sunshine and rainbows, but if you go in with realistic expectations and a clear understanding of the profession (both good and bad), then you're fine.

No one can make that decision for you. We shouldn't be slapping bandaids on the bad parts to sell the profession.

 

[Dochopeful13]

I've had a ton of DPMs I've shadowed dump on podiatry.

That being said I've also had as many or more who like what they do and are too busy to get on here and post.

It is what you make of it. No, its not all sunshine and rainbows, but if you go in with realistic expectations and a clear understanding of the profession (both good and bad), then you're fine.

No one can make that decision for you. We shouldn't be slapping bandaids on the bad parts to sell the profession.

What would you say are the biggest drawbacks??

 

[GypsyHummus]

Most of the docs I talked to were mixed. Most told me to go do dental school.

If I had a choice, I’d go US-MD all the way. But sadly, for 60% of applicants, that is not possible, so backup plans take precedence.

I decided against podiatry school because the cost would have been around 300-350k in student loans.

There are a lot of pluses to podiatry. I think that if someone can keep their total cost of attendance down to the 200k mark, podiatry is a good investment. It looks like fulfilling work, not as much stress as other surgical specialties, not over saturated like other non MD/DO professions (like optometry or pharmacy), and still the ability to be a clinical doctor. I don’t know any pods making less than 120k, where I know personally Optometrists and Pharmacists barley clearing 90k with the same amount of debt, and those are the ones working full time.

I personally think podiatry is gonna be less affected by the influx of mid levels as well. Peeps don’t like feets, that’s kind of why podiatrist even exist, and PAs and NPs are gonna powergrab for more cushy/prestigious stuff before they move to lower extremities like cardio, Derm, etc.

 

[I Drink Riesling]

The DPMs that enjoyed and recommended the field to me were some of the best in their age group in my city. They graduated from powerful residency programs and made themselves very marketable to obtain good job offers. You will meet many health professionals who recommend not going into their field. Sure, podiatry has its cons, but it has been getting better and will hopefully be even more so by the time we graduate and practice. The best thing you can do if you pursue podiatry school is to do well in school, pass boards first time, match into a good program, form plenty of connections, and be smart about jobs. It can be a beautiful field, but it will be ultimately up to you to get there. Good luck!

 

[Dochopeful13]

The DPMs that enjoyed and recommended the field to me were some of the best in their age group in my city. They graduated from powerful residency programs and made themselves very marketable to obtain good job offers. You will meet many health professionals who recommend not going into their field. Sure, podiatry has its cons, but it has been getting better and will hopefully be even more so by the time we graduate and practice. The best thing you can do if you pursue podiatry school is to do well in school, pass boards first time, match into a good program, form plenty of connections, and be smart about jobs. It can be a beautiful field, but it will be ultimately up to you to get there. Good luck!

Thanks for the solid reply. Would you say grades = high powered residency??

 

[DannyPhantom113]

Thanks for the solid reply. Would you say grades = high powered residency??

I believe grades are the most important thing. Boards are pass/fail, so residency depends on grades and how you do during externships

 

[NTT123]

Hi All,

I am really interested in applying to podiatry in August. The only thing that scares me is all the negativity I see on this forum. Usually I would chalk it up to the internet but it does seem to be a red flag. I really don’t understand why though. Podiatry seems to be a great mix of clinic and surgery, and the pay 150 k to 200 k is nothing to sneeze at. Can anyone ease my fears with this profession? Did you shadow any docs who recommended going into podiatry? Can you share your experiences?

Thanks!

1. Shadow different doctors in different specialtis. At least 3 different specialties for at least 2 weeks and showdow a DPM.
- Observe their attitudes with their patients and when they back to chart. How many patients do they see? Does him/she looks happy or enthusiastic to share their daily life with you as a premed student? Do you enjoy the pathology you see there? Can you see yourself doing that for 30 + years?

2. If you like the experience with DPM then shadow 3 other DPM. Could be someone in the orthopedic group, multiple specialty group, solo practice, group practice, Wound care clinic, or more emphasize in sport medicine. If you don't like then this is not the career pathway for you.

If you decide to pursue this career, make sure you are truly interested in podiatric medicine and surgery.
- This is important because once you are in a DPM school, you can't change your specialty.
- Medical Education is time consuming and costly. You will be in debt with a lot money and spent your 2-30s in the library and hospital while all your friends are having fun and making money.
( I see this is as an investment and an opportunity for myself)

Make sure you go to a podiatric medical school for a right reason, such as
- You enjoy the pathology in lower extremity.
- You want to be a regional specialist.
- You want to help people walk again.
- You like variety condition( From debride nails to fix ankle fracture) you will treat.
- Bottom line, you want to be a DPM.

Wrong reason, such as:
- I did bad in MCAT.
- I want to be MD or DO but I didn't want to improve my app to be a competitive applicant.
- I have decent stats but get rejected from MD/DO school after interview due to whatever reason. ( Ex: personality? lack of social cue or communication skill)
- My parents want me to be a doctor
- I think this is a "easier" way to be a doctor.
- I messed up my plan A and this is my plan B.

I have seen folks came into school with right reasons and they enjoy the school. I have seen folks came into school with wrong mentality and some of them are in the class below me or left school. I also seen folks finally "realize" they didn't like this field in their 2nd or 3rd year and dropped out with huge amout of debt.

I would say majority students enjoy what they do. Those students work hard in school, and most likely get a better residnecy, and most likely get better jobs.

 

[I Drink Riesling]

Thanks for the solid reply. Would you say grades = high powered residency??

Not entirely. Grades are important, but I dislike focusing on single metrics. A 3.5 GPA at NYCPM will be different than a 3.5 GPA at Temple. Class rank will matter here. Some programs will only entertain applicants if they are the top x% in there class. So, grades + rank + personality may have a high yield at a top program, but there are many great programs that are not as stat-focused.

 

[Podstar]

Thanks for the solid reply. Would you say grades = high powered residency??

From what I have gathered, grades get you the externship and your performance at the externship, class rank/GPA, workability, teachability, and personality lands you the residency. Obviously both are important, and you will have some programs that only take the very top of the class students. Some of these programs are not as high quality as they once were and only attract and take the top students due to name and “prestige”. Some of them are very top quality still. Some programs you’ve never heard of provide top notch training, but are not as well known. Some programs will take a lower stat applicant just because they like them and think they will mesh and work well with their team.

 

[OnePodRanger]

Hi All,

I am really interested in applying to podiatry in August. The only thing that scares me is all the negativity I see on this forum. Usually I would chalk it up to the internet but it does seem to be a red flag. I really don’t understand why though. Podiatry seems to be a great mix of clinic and surgery, and the pay 150 k to 200 k is nothing to sneeze at. Can anyone ease my fears with this profession? Did you shadow any docs who recommended going into podiatry? Can you share your experiences?

Thanks!

Look, of all the physicians I shadowed (DO, MD, OD and DPM), I enjoyed my DPM shadowing experience the best because (1)it was interesting and (2) it seems like the DPM that I shadowed was the happiest and satisfied compared to the other physicians I shadowed.

DPMs are super flexible people in terms of work schedule and lifestyle. You are barely on call, you get paid a good amount (depending on where you are headed), you get immediate patient feedback, and you get many opportunities to get into a more hands-on experience such as surgery, wound care, sports medicine, etc.

The only thing I found negative about the profession was how some don't know what a podiatrist is and/or that we only do toenails. Okay, the last statement could be true to some extent but that was the OLD SCHOOL podiatry. The new school podiatry is heading into more surgery and complex cases. DPMs are being more looked at as a respected and recognized profession. The podiatry community is a small one, so it is advantageous to connect with others in the field and assist each other to gain more opportunities.

 

[plant based]

Hi All,

I am really interested in applying to podiatry in August. The only thing that scares me is all the negativity I see on this forum. Usually I would chalk it up to the internet but it does seem to be a red flag. I really don’t understand why though. Podiatry seems to be a great mix of clinic and surgery, and the pay 150 k to 200 k is nothing to sneeze at. Can anyone ease my fears with this profession? Did you shadow any docs who recommended going into podiatry? Can you share your experiences?

Thanks!

Im a student so maybe my opinion is invalid but so far it is a great mix to me... every time I go to the clinic I see something different and interesting. It's decently low stress with so much variety. I am really happy of my choice ! if you have that big MD ego in you you might not enjoy it but trust me its a great profession i believe so far. I promise you if you like interacting with patients, seeing variety and not being too stressed this is legit the perfect profession I don't care what anyone says.

 

[AdrenalineJockie]

if you like interacting with patients, seeing variety and not being too stressed

Bingo!