Part Time Work in Podiatry

[SouthPod7]

Happy Sunday everybody!

Airbud had a great post about part-time hospital work about a year ago and I wanted to see if we could explore/expand that topic into part-time work in Podiatry in general.

I'm hoping to have my student loans paid off within the next 12 months. After that, I was debating maybe transitioning to part-time work. I figure if I can earn 100k working 2-3 days a week, that sounds like a win in my book (although I know everyone has their own financial and personal definitions of success, I'm just saying that's enough of a work-income trade-off to make it work for me). I could then possibly use my free time to maybe study/transition to another career with less stress/better hours and maybe even work from home like CompSci or something. Just something to keep my options open if I ever feel like I'm getting too burned out.

Has anyone had any meaningful success doing Part Time work in Podiatry? How did you do it? Nursing homes? Wound care facilities? How much were you making? Benefits? And was it sustainable?

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[G0dFather]

earn 100k working 2-3 days a week

This is possible through private practice or nursing homes .... im not sure you can pull off that kind of money parttime at a hospital for 2 days ...i have an associate that works 2 days from 9 to 3 sees about 50 pts in both sessions and brings in about 250K, keeps 50% of that ..... the best TIME for BUCK would be nursing homes in this profession .... 6 to 9 am see 75-90 pts in 3 days a week .... youll have rest of the day/weeks off and could bring in 100- 150k for 12 hrs worth of work with the right compensation scenario, thats wall st money with no headaches/risks/less time invested (im also including 3 hrs worth of notes/wasted time in the facility)

 

[CutsWithFury]

Part time podiatry work is a viable option. Ideally you might want to approach hospitals or MSG/ortho groups in your area who have podiatry already there and ask if they need non surgical part time podiatrist. In most cases, if the podiatrist that is there is busy, they would entertain it because you would be become the new chip and clip DPM who won't cost a full time salary or benefits. You could just negotiate it as a 1099 to get more salary.

 

[SouthPod7]

This is possible through private practice or nursing homes .... im not sure you can pull off that kind of money parttime at a hospital for 2 days ...i have an associate that works 2 days from 9 to 3 sees about 50 pts in both sessions and brings in about 250K, keeps 50% of that ..... the best TIME for BUCK would be nursing homes in this profession .... 6 to 9 am see 75-90 pts in 3 days a week .... youll have rest of the day/weeks off and could bring in 100- 150k for 12 hrs worth of work with the right compensation scenario, thats wall st money with no headaches/risks/less time invested (im also including 3 hrs worth of notes/wasted time in the facility)

Does this associate do any surgery or take any call/do any rounding at all? Or is all the income they generate strictly from those two days in your office (25 patients a day for 2 days)?

Part time podiatry work is a viable option. Ideally you might want to approach hospitals or MSG/ortho groups in your area who have podiatry already there and ask if they need non surgical part time podiatrist. In most cases, if the podiatrist that is there is busy, they would entertain it because you would be become the new chip and clip DPM who won't cost a full time salary or benefits. You could just negotiate it as a 1099 to get more salary.

Nice. I wouldn't even mind taking call those 2/3 days a week to make the deal more tantalizing for them (and maybe negotiate a higher pay rate as well). I'm sure they wouldn't mind off-loading some of their I&Ds/amps.

 

[G0dFather]

Does this associate do any surgery or take any call/do any rounding at all? Or is all the income they generate strictly from those two days in your office (25 patients a day for 2 days)?

simple in office surgery ( lumps, bumps, 5th digit HT etc ) ... just office work nothing else

 

[Feli]

The main problem you'll run into is that most of the expenses related to your profession are the same whether you work 2 days/wk or 6 days/wk...
Licenses, CME, boards, hospital dues, malpractice (slight discount for part time, but almost insignificant), instruments, etc are all pretty much fixed expenses.

Removing the other fixed expenses of rent, utilities, computers and office furnish, etc can be done with mobile pod or a hosptial/group that has a space for you, as mentioned above. It is also hard to find reliable part time staff (even full time staff) in a lot of areas. Those non-op facility or house call and NH jobs are probably the ways to go to sidestep those headaches if you want to just show up and do part time.

It is just really hard to do surgical podiatry, hospital stuff, or any full service pod practice part time. Unless you have amazingly strong practice partners, you will still get calls and problems and complications of your procedures and refill Rx and etc etc on your days off.

 

[deleted1097413]

this seems ideal to me. does anyone know of any pods that work 2-3 days in podiatry and then do other work?

 

[Jummy Biffett]

Easiest way to do this would probably be covering a nursing home for 1-2 days/week...can usually expect somewhere in the $500-$900 per day range from some of these mobile care companies. Be careful of the non-compete clauses in their contracts though! Also, they will likely require you to carry your own malpractice insurance.

 

[DYK343]

Easiest way to do this would probably be covering a nursing home for 1-2 days/week...can usually expect somewhere in the $500-$900 per day range from some of these mobile care companies. Be careful of the non-compete clauses in their contracts though! Also, they will likely require you to carry your own malpractice insurance.

I would look at feli's post above. This is terrible reimbursement given costs to be able to legally do this back breaking work.

 

[CutsWithFury]

Easiest way to do this would probably be covering a nursing home for 1-2 days/week...can usually expect somewhere in the $500-$900 per day range from some of these mobile care companies. Be careful of the non-compete clauses in their contracts though! Also, they will likely require you to carry your own malpractice insurance.

I would avoid healthdrive at all costs as you only make 30% of your collections. They lie to you about making $1000 a day. You would need to see 40 patients to bill that out and then you are only being paid for 30% of that.

All the mobile care companies are the same for the most part.

 

[newpodgrad]

What about PPG (preferred podiatry group)

 

[icebreaker32]

What about PPG (preferred podiatry group)

The only thing I know about PPG is that several podiatrists that I have not kept in touch with have worked for them for a very long time. Mainly, but not always, they live in large cities and had no desire to do surgery. You are going to drive a lot. That could be covering a couple states in less populated areas or a smaller area in large city traffic. Most live very modest lifestyles, so I assume have a very modest income. One however lead the entire state ( a large state with a podiatry school) in Medicare fees for podiatry and lives in a million dollar home. Enormous volume, with ultrasounds for all. The percentage they are paid I have no idea.

 

[Pronation]

The only thing I know about PPG is that several podiatrists that I have not kept in touch with have worked for them for a very long time. Mainly, but not always, they live in large cities and had no desire to do surgery. You are going to drive a lot. That could be covering a couple states in less populated areas or a smaller area in large city traffic. Most live very modest lifestyles, so I assume have a very modest income. One however lead the entire state ( a large state with a podiatry school) in Medicare fees for podiatry and lives in a million dollar home. Enormous volume, with ultrasounds for all. The percentage they are paid I have no idea.

Sounds utterly miserable.

 

[pod squad]

PPG pays you 45% of your collections. On a nails patient (which is the vast majority) that means you make ~$20/patient. I'm not speaking from experience but I did look into it awhile back and got this information from them out of curiosity. Tried to talk them into a flat rate per day but they didn't go for it.

 

[dtrack22]

PPG pays you 45% of your collections. On a nails patient (which is the vast majority) that means you make ~$20/patient.

Are those nails being done in a clinic or a facility? If it’s the latter, like I’m assuming, then you are not getting $20 for a nail patient. Medicare only reimburses $27 in most regions for 11721 in a facility setting (ie at a SNF). Try $13…

And as I’ve mentioned a few times, none of these patients have calluses, they aren’t walking. You have to make up calluses to bill 11056 with any regularity. Nobody is going in there and looking at any of these peoples feet so you won’t get caught, but I have a moral compass and therefore rarely got to bill anything other than 1172X and the G codes for dystrophic nails.

Nobody is making good money doing nursing homes as an employee or contractor for one of the big companies. If they are, I can promise you they are billing fraudulently.

 

[Feli]

Sounds utterly miserable.

I still think this gem is a nominee for best SDN podiatry post. It should be engraved in each podiatry school entrance marble pillar.

Totally sums up my thoughts on house call or nursing home podiatry (and I did the house calls 1099 for about 6 or 8 months while litigating through a non-compete once). I would never do that again unless it was the most dire of straits.

 

[Feli]

...And as I’ve mentioned a few times, none of these patients have calluses, they aren’t walking. You have to make up calluses to bill 11056 with any regularity. Nobody is going in there and looking at any of these peoples feet so you won’t get caught, but I have a moral compass and therefore rarely got to bill anything other than 1172X and the G codes for dystrophic nails.

Nobody is making good money doing nursing homes as an employee or contractor for one of the big companies. If they are, I can promise you they are billing fraudulently.

No, no, no... you make up 11730s for doing slant backs that aren't needed and use 97597 or 11042 for abrasions and heel fissures; do not just be satisfied with fake 11056.
Works spectacular until you get the MCR audit since you are top 5 in the state on those codes.

 

[icebreaker32]

Sounds utterly miserable.

I agree.

I only know of one person that is very outgoing and normal in every way imaginable doing this full time for an entire career.

Most I knew of were a little socially awkward, but to be fair no worse than I have seen in many other medical specialties or professions. A socially awkward RN can just work the night shift and actually get paid more money to do so.

Part time or as supplemental income, especially in a large city is another story.

 

[underwood]

I recently talked to a mobile podiatry group offering 150k salary. Not sure what the work load was but it was full time. But compared to some of the associate job offers seen I could see why some guys are taking these jobs full time.

 

[JewOnThis]

I recently talked to a mobile podiatry group offering 150k salary. Not sure what the work load was but it was full time. But compared to some of the associate job offers seen I could see why some guys are taking these jobs full time.

I would take that gig if I wasn’t making more at my job now. (A nice thoughtless job in a good city)

 

[Scrantonicity]

I recently talked to a mobile podiatry group offering 150k salary. Not sure what the work load was but it was full time. But compared to some of the associate job offers seen I could see why some guys are taking these jobs full time.

Were they able to stand up straight, or were they hunched over like Quasimodo? Seriously back-breaking work, even with an assistant...

 

[underwood]

Were they able to stand up straight, or were they hunched over like Quasimodo? Seriously back-breaking work, even with an assistant...

LOL I’m sure

 

[JewOnThis]

Were they able to stand up straight, or were they hunched over like Quasimodo? Seriously back-breaking work, even with an assistant...

Dang, my back hurts just thinking about it

 

[thefootfixer]

Are those nails being done in a clinic or a facility? If it’s the latter, like I’m assuming, then you are not getting $20 for a nail patient. Medicare only reimburses $27 in most regions for 11721 in a facility setting (ie at a SNF). Try $13…

And as I’ve mentioned a few times, none of these patients have calluses, they aren’t walking. You have to make up calluses to bill 11056 with any regularity. Nobody is going in there and looking at any of these peoples feet so you won’t get caught, but I have a moral compass and therefore rarely got to bill anything other than 1172X and the G codes for dystrophic nails.

Nobody is making good money doing nursing homes as an employee or contractor for one of the big companies. If they are, I can promise you they are billing fraudulently.

Based on those numbers, what’s safe to assume salary wise?

Sometimes I feel like a gig like this would be better than a mule associate gig where ur lucky to break 100k. But with fluctuating rates etc, idk what to think really….

 

[Pronation]

Le hidden gem. Podiatry, best kept secret in medicine.

 

[GreenHousePub]

And as I’ve mentioned a few times, none of these patients have calluses, they aren’t walking. You have to make up calluses to bill 11056 with any regularity. Nobody is going in there and looking at any of these peoples feet so you won’t get caught,

Maybe I need to contact some insurance companies and offer to work as a callus auditor to supplement my career. I could make a killing.

 

[heybrother]

Maybe I need to contact some insurance companies and offer to work as a callus auditor to supplement my career. I could make a killing.

Corn Cop