Podiatry and Physical Aliments

[GypsyHummus]

Question for all the practicing Pods out there,

From what I have gathered doing research and shadowing, it seems like Podiatry is a very hands on, procedural field. My question is what happens if someone has a medical condition that does not allow them to work with their hands. Examples of this include: arthritis, tremors, blood born disease etc. I know disability insurance is a thing, but Im not sure if that would cover total costs of living in most places, let alone pay off a massive 300K student debt.

How many non "precision" procedures are there where one can be medically disabled but still do Podiatry? I soppose a DPM could diagnose and wrap an ankle sprain, teach, do physical foot exams, or make/dispense custom orthotics, but how out of luck is a Pod who has been diagnosed with such conditions? I would assume surgery and invasive procedures like ingrown toenails and wound care are out, but would it still be possible to make a living as a podiatrist who has trouble using their hands?

Do you know any practicing pods that fit into these categories?

There was a case like this on Reddit:

Appreciate the time.

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[CutsWithFury]

Question for all the practicing Pods out there,

From what I have gathered doing research and shadowing, it seems like Podiatry is a very hands on, procedural field. My question is what happens if someone has a medical condition that does not allow them to work with their hands. Examples of this include: arthritis, tremors, blood born disease etc. I know disability insurance is a thing, but Im not sure if that would cover total costs of living in most places, let alone pay off a massive 300K student debt.

How many non "precision" procedures are there where one can be medically disabled but still do Podiatry? I soppose a DPM could diagnose and wrap an ankle sprain, teach, do physical foot exams, or make/dispense custom orthotics, but how out of luck is a Pod who has been diagnosed with such conditions? I would assume surgery and invasive procedures like ingrown toenails and wound care are out, but would it still be possible to make a living as a podiatrist who has trouble using their hands?

Do you know any practicing pods that fit into these categories?

There was a case like this on Reddit:

Appreciate the time.

Not being able to use your hands in podiatry makes doing your job difficult. What you can and can't do depends on the complexity of the physical condition.

Things you could PROBABLY still do in the profession is basic nail procedures and you can still do wound care. You don't need to be that precise in wound care. Lets put it this way. A lot of internal medicine and APRNs do wound care and they never pick up a blade in their careers. They use different dressings that utilize enzymatic debridement mechanisms. It is not as beneficial as sharp debridement but it does work. You probably could still handle a needle and do injections too.

So again basic podiatry procedures should be ok. Wound care with no surgical debridement is ok.

Surgery is definitely out.

A lot large university centers and orthopedic groups are looking for non surgical pods to do all the junk the foot and ankle ortho doesn't want to do. You could still have a career in one of these opportunities and make reasonable money.

 

[DYK343]

If you cant debride a wound you probably shouldnt be doing woundcare...

 

[CutsWithFury]

If you cant debride a wound you probably shouldnt be doing woundcare...

Bold statements friend...

I do a ton of wound care in a wound care center where there are internal medicine, general surgeons and an APRN who specializes in wound care.

I can tell you for a fact the APRN does get good results using a variety of dressings but it is not as efficient as sharp debridement.

 

[Nowehjose]

Apply For Armored Car Company, Get Pilots License, Borrow a Plane, Fly to Cuba.

 

[bunNfxr]

First of all contact a bankruptcy attorney. I believe student loans can be bankrupted for medical purposes.
If not, DEFAULT. Your social security will be garnished. So plan around not having SS.
Look into those jobs that lead to fed discharge of the loan after 10 years.
Best of luck. Tough situation. But I’m pretty sure there are options.
Don’t make payments that will never pay off the loan. Your basically agreeing to keep the loan ballooning and staying on your credit report forever.