Relevancy of PM News

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Adam Smasher

Adam Smasher

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It's been interesting to me browsing this forum and comparing it to PM News. Just in terms of the tone, the topics that are discussed, and the contributors. PM News is a good source for gossip but it feels like it's targeted towards the oldschool docs. A recent survey of 871 PM News readers found that half of them had 1 year of residency training or less.

PM News is unrealistically positive when discussing podiatry. They sweep scandal and controversy under the rug. There is another podiatry website out there that refers to PM News as "Pravda," which is apt. In the past few years since I was active in these forums, I have noticed the tone of SDN (and some users) to be more critical of our profession. I find it refreshingly honest to come here and see many of us frustrated with where we are professionally and can talk about this openly.

As for the topics of articles, I find them to be bland puff pieces. Local podiatrist appears on morning News show to talk about running, well good for them, isn't that nice.

What really baffles me is the small-D energy coming from the contributors. People write in talking about flexor tenotomies like it's a stressful high risk procedure. People still get into tense discussions about ordering LFTs before prescribing lamisil. And when the biomechanics guys write in you can tell they are lapsing into dementia. Allen Jacobs is a frequent and insightful commentator, but he has his crotchety moments. I recall a debate about trimming patient's fingernails, and people discussed with all seriousness the potential liability of practicing outside of scope (the correct answer to any patients asking this by the way is GTFO my office).

So I guess I'm still reading PM News, and yes I'm aware that if PM News readers are nuts, and I'm a PM News reader, what does that make me? But it doesn't feel like it's for anyone who's been in practice < 5-10 years. They debate things that don't matter but ignore big controversies.
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They are collectively called "throwaway 'journals'" for good reason... PM News and Podiatry Today PodiatryM are total junk... ditto with the APMA Alert and JAPMA and such.

There just aren't enough hours in the day to waste time on basically a brochure of ads, sponsored articles, ....with a few "surgical articles" (mostly written by people who failed surgical boards) mixed in. A lot of the coding and product info in those mags and on the websites is wrong or unproven... many biologics, DME, etc infomercials disguised as advice and science in those pubs.

...Probably stick to JFAS, FAI, JBJS, good texts, other high quality stuff? Most of the other F&A journals are just ones that largely take the reject papers from those three. I really don't really see how any attending who's in demand and busy has time so read much anyways, so you have to read high quality stuff when you do. I know that I sure don't have much time aside from my CME weekend or two and board exam time.
 
Adam Smasher said:
I recall a debate about trimming patient's fingernails, and people discussed with all seriousness the potential liability of practicing outside of scope (the correct answer to any patients asking this by the way is GTFO my office).
Click to expand...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

In all seriousness does anyone know a Hand Surgeon that trims fingernails? How did podiatry get stuck with toenail trimming. You see a 40 y/o diabetic otherwise healthy patient asking for their toenails to be trimmed and they are mostly on medicaid. They always say their PCP told them not to cut their toenails. It's like a nationwide campaign paid for by who knows who.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
PM news or as I like to call it BM News is a way to keep Barry Block employed. He posts the most embarrassing crap including the shoe of the day. Very professional, do you see urologists posting catheter of the day.

It’s all happy fluff. Have to give him credit. Has a DPM degree and never practiced a day. Has a law degree and never practiced a day.

So instead he writes fluff and collects money from advertisers. Maybe he’s smarter than us.
 
ExperiencedDPM said:
PM news or as I like to call it BM News is a way to keep Barry Block employed. He posts the most embarrassing crap including the shoe of the day. Very professional, do you see urologists posting catheter of the day.

It’s all happy fluff. Have to give him credit. Has a DPM degree and never practiced a day. Has a law degree and never practiced a day.

So instead he writes fluff and collects money from advertisers. Maybe he’s smarter than us.
Click to expand...

He loves posting about podiatrists getting sued as well. He’s a real troll.
 
CutsWithFury said:
He loves posting about podiatrists getting sued as well. He’s a real troll.
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I don’t know the guys backstory, but last year he posted about a podiatrist who was promoted to general manager at a plumbing company. It listed his credentials too (which were impressive, he had been a residency director at a power program) but it was just so odd and depressing, like he was going out of his way to take shots at this guy who I’m assuming went through some things
 
CaptainCool said:
I don’t know the guys backstory, but last year he posted about a podiatrist who was promoted to general manager at a plumbing company. It listed his credentials too (which were impressive, he had been a residency director at a power program) but it was just so odd and depressing, like he was going out of his way to take shots at this guy who I’m assuming went through some things
Click to expand...
Yep, he was going into the family plumbing business. Guess now he has to put up with a whole different form of sh-t.
 
CaptainCool said:
I don’t know the guys backstory, but last year he posted about a podiatrist who was promoted to general manager at a plumbing company. It listed his credentials too (which were impressive, he had been a residency director at a power program) but it was just so odd and depressing, like he was going out of his way to take shots at this guy who I’m assuming went through some things
Click to expand...

Agreed. The older podiatrists who still have a say do not have podiatry’s best interests in mind. They are here to suck up every last ounce of money from this profession. In the process are completely deteriorating it from the inside out.

You all will see. We are never going to get out of these 75-100k offers. Which has a trickle down effect to all the podiatrists getting employed in ortho groups and hospitals. It just continues to drive down the starting salaries and makes it harder for us to negotiate higher salaries when we try to get a new contract.
 
As noted above, I use PM News for gossip. Clearly you don't go there if you want to learn something. It's my Jerry Springer show. You have a mix of out-of-touch academics and blatant fools.

All I wonder is why are you guys and podiatrists I know personally mostly smart, while all the PM News writers are all mostly not?
 
CutsWithFury said:
Agreed. The older podiatrists who still have a say do not have podiatry’s best interests in mind. They are here to suck up every last ounce of money from this profession. In the process are completely deteriorating it from the inside out.

You all will see. We are never going to get out of these 75-100k offers. Which has a trickle down effect to all the podiatrists getting employed in ortho groups and hospitals. It just continues to drive down the starting salaries and makes it harder for us to negotiate higher salaries when we try to get a new contract.
Click to expand...
10 years later, the starting salary of new pods will continue to hover around $80k - $100k and even lower in highly desirable saturated cities.

Podiatry Private practice is never going to die or who else will hire the over 500 pods we are graduating every year.
 
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I do feel like I am in the 90s with the general cluttered format, shoe of the day and daily blurbs from podiatrists about how wearing flip flops are bad.

The fact that their is not a more modern looking and well polished prominent magazine, website and e-mail newsletter speaks volumes for the profession in general.
 
It’s been amazingly educational for me. Without BM News I would never know it’s important to wear warm shoes during a blizzard and that it’s not a good idea to walk across hot tar barefoot.

I’m still a little confused if I’m supposed to put my socks on before I put my shoes on or vice versa. So I diligently look daily to see if that issue will be addressed.
 
ExperiencedDPM said:
It’s been amazingly educational for me. Without BM News I would never know it’s important to wear warm shoes during a blizzard and that it’s not a good idea to walk across hot tar barefoot.

I’m still a little confused if I’m supposed to put my socks on before I put my shoes on or vice versa. So I diligently look daily to see if that issue will be addressed.
Click to expand...
Right sock over left foot
UNLACED right shoe over left foot
Left shoe over right foot
Left sock over left shoe which is already over right foot
Lace up right shoe which is already over left foot

Can't believe they didn't teach that to you guys back in school when you graduated 75 years ago
 
Sweatshirt said:
Right sock over left foot
UNLACED right shoe over left foot
Left shoe over right foot
Left sock over left shoe which is already over right foot
Lace up right shoe which is already over left foot

Can't believe they didn't teach that to you guys back in school when you graduated 75 years ago
Click to expand...

Instructions unclear, am now headed to ER because shoe is lodged in rectum.
 
Sweatshirt said:
Right sock over left foot
UNLACED right shoe over left foot
Left shoe over right foot
Left sock over left shoe which is already over right foot
Lace up right shoe which is already over left foot

Can't believe they didn't teach that to you guys back in school when you graduated 75 years ago
Click to expand...
It's been a long time since I've laughed openly about something on here, but this is the post that did it.
 
I read this morning. I am so glad! I am now set for winter. I will wear winter shoes, thick socks and if my feet happen to get dry I will use lotion.
 
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For whoever is wondering how Barry Block and his underlings find those "Podiatrist discusses shoe wear" articles, they literally scour the entirety of the internet. I once popped up a year ago for a fluff piece that a local hospital asked me to write for their IN-HOUSE newsletter. I wrote Barry an angry email stating I do not want to be associated with nor published in PM, and it was gone next day. Public domain I guess...
 
IMG_1941.JPG


 
CutsWithFury said:
View attachment 362998

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It is kinda interesting to me that many people are ignoring the red flags even when the many people like this who have passed ABFAS, some own a practice, some work hospital or even residency PD jobs, aren't struggling on income, are paying fine or done with student loans awhile ago, etc are the main ones posting these long term concerns about the current debt burdens, the fast expand without training to back it up, and the job outlooks. These are the people who could simply avoid the fray and drive home in their Vette to their 6br/4ba house... but they feel compelled to urge caution nonetheless. Hmm, probably worth listening to?

I would seriously think it'd be the DPMs with limited training, struggled with boards, limited job options, and typically more limited income who would be doing the main griping. That would be both the past DPMs who didn't have 3yr training or good training as available... and also the present ones whose 3yrs was a bit of a joke. Those average or below training/board DPMs are the group that will mainly expand and find jobs tougher to come by and their work/skills devalued with the new schools... it's NOT as if dozens and dozens of new high quality residencies with thousands of cases and nearly 100% ABFAS board pass are going to pop up suddenly and we will be oversaturated with those type of DPMs who have passed all boards and can do full scope. Besides just the saturation and the hurt on their own job searches, I'm mystified that more of those folks aren't mad about future students/grads having even more debt and probably less quality of PG training. That seems to be how it is for pharmacy: the retail PharmDs are main ones lamenting their job/wage and the numerous pharma schools while the hospital PharmDs quietly try to just protect their jobs and cash their checks.

I am far from doom-n-gloom, got "lucky" with boards and training, like my job - present and past - and think there will always be a place for DPMs - esp well trained ones (heck, I kinda wish I didn't have such a place on the refer PCP and ER lists sometimes). Saturation potentially effects all professions, though. I am just kinda mystified that people are often listening to the few podiatry people and orgs that have vested interest in more podiatry schools/students... and also laughing off or ignoring - even shaming - the warning signs from those who have had academic and career and financial success in podiatry and could eeeeasily just let future DPMs fend for themselves - yet are voicing legit concern. How does more new schools in the last 25 years than the prior 50+ years* make any sense (assuming you're not faculty or admin at... or in allied po$ition with one or more of the schools)? We need a CAQ for student loan analytics, forecasting profession economics, and objective look at job demands?

*my mistake... more new schools in the last 25yrs (4) than in prior 100 years (3)... not prior 50yrs
 
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PatchAdamsFan said:
For whoever is wondering how Barry Block and his underlings find those "Podiatrist discusses shoe wear" articles, they literally scour the entirety of the internet. I once popped up a year ago for a fluff piece that a local hospital asked me to write for their IN-HOUSE newsletter. I wrote Barry an angry email stating I do not want to be associated with nor published in PM, and it was gone next day. Public domain I guess...
Click to expand...
My name and interview was included in a fluff article for a local retired persons newsletter. I kept thinking to myself, "Please don't end up on PM News, please don't end up on PM News..."
 
NatCh said:
My name and interview was included in a fluff article for a local retired persons newsletter. I kept thinking to myself, "Please don't end up on PM News, please don't end up on PM News..."
Click to expand...
Hmmm. Now I’m going to perform an extensive search for that article and shoot it right over to BM News.
 
Did one of you mofos subscribe me to Podiatry Today emails??? :eyebrow:

Seriously, I never got them before... now this month, I get it almost daily (just unsubscribed, again). Gotta love throwaway journals... I swear they make us dumber. 🙁

COVER FEATURE:
"Blah Blah How the non-ABFAS qual/cert 'expert' authors chose to fix this oblique metatarsal fracture... complications of the ORIF due to pt non-compliance... success upon revision ORIF bla." (I didn't look them up, but smart money says this is a NY/NJ case?)
[shows a pic of basic 5th met diaphysis fx that doesn't even need surgery in an unhealthy inactive 58F to begin with and should've just been a CAM boot]

pod today crap.jpg
 
Feli said:
Did one of you mofos subscribe me to Podiatry Today emails??? :eyebrow:

Seriously, I never got them before... now this month, I get it almost daily (just unsubscribed, again). Gotta love throwaway journals... I swear they make us dumber. 🙁

COVER FEATURE:
"Blah Blah How the non-ABFAS qual/cert 'expert' authors chose to fix this oblique metatarsal fracture... complications of the ORIF due to pt non-compliance... success upon revision ORIF bla." (I didn't look them up, but smart money says this is a NY/NJ case?)
[shows a pic of basic 5th met diaphysis fx that doesn't even need surgery in an unhealthy inactive 58F to begin with and should've just been a CAM boot]

View attachment 363353
Click to expand...
Met new pod in town. Don't know each other well. They ask me "how long after injury do you operate on your 5th metatarsal fractures". (Kind of boring question). Jokingly, find myself starring at them. Do I tell you I think most 5th metatarsal fractures don't need surgery? Do I ask you what fractures you are operating on or how much 5th trauma you are getting? Do I tell them I saw like 100+ avulsion fractures heal non-operatively but still went to a conference where some guy from Houston was putting a screw across all of them?
 
heybrother said:
Met new pod in town. Don't know each other well. They ask me "how long after injury do you operate on your 5th metatarsal fractures". (Kind of boring question). Jokingly, find myself starring at them. Do I tell you I think most 5th metatarsal fractures don't need surgery? Do I ask you what fractures you are operating on or how much 5th trauma you are getting? Do I tell them I saw like 100+ avulsion fractures heal non-operatively but still went to a conference where some guy from Houston was putting a screw across all of them?
Click to expand...
100% ...

The 5th met base avulsion and intra-articular avulsions heal every time in a CAM boot. I swear the only reason ppl ORIF them is bad training or bored or trying to get numbers for boards (which will actually backfire on them since the ABFAS reviewer will say you didn't need to operate in the first place). I see people do tension band, hook plating, big screw that fractures small avulsion fragment, and all kinds of dumb stuff on them... usually in pts who aren't even active or needing the ORIF to begin with. Many turn out to be OIF as well.

The true Jones and the highly young/active ppl and highly displaced or open fx are really the only 5th met fx that need ORIF every time. The majority of others will heal fine and actually faster with CAM +/- NWB and are usually questionable at best to ORIF. It blows my mind what some docs do.... much less publish to brag about as above. Plating, non-union, then revision double plating + orthobiologics a fx that didn't even need surgery... what wiiiiiillllll they think of next? 🙂
 
Feli said:
100% ...

The 5th met base avulsion and intra-articular avulsions heal every time in a CAM boot. I swear the only reason ppl ORIF them is bad training or bored or trying to get numbers for boards (which will actually backfire on them since the ABFAS reviewer will say you didn't need to operate in the first place). I see people do tension band, hook plating, big screw that fractures small avulsion fragment, and all kinds of dumb stuff on them... usually in pts who aren't even active or needing the ORIF to begin with. Many turn out to be OIF as well.

The true Jones and the highly young/active ppl and highly displaced or open fx are really the only 5th met fx that need ORIF every time. The majority of others will heal fine and actually faster with CAM +/- NWB and are usually questionable at best to ORIF. It blows my mind what some docs do.... much less publish to brag about as above. Plating, non-union, then revision double plating + orthobiologics a fx that didn't even need surgery... what wiiiiiillllll they think of next? 🙂
Click to expand...
www.jfas.org

Conservative Versus Surgical Management of Fifth Metatarsal Avulsion Fractures

Fifth metatarsal avulsion fractures are among the most common fractures seen by foot and ankle surgeons. Studies have centered around classification systems, but debate continues regarding surgical versus conservative treatment modalities. The present study focused on quantifying the time for...
www.jfas.org

This study drove me crazy when it was initially published.
 
Feli said:
100% ...

What wiiiiiillllll they think of next? 🙂
Click to expand...
Author missed the gravy train... Bone stimulator, e stim for pain control, dme offloading knee scooter or iwalk, ice therapy machine post op, bma or other grafting solutions
 
HardRoadPaved said:
Author missed the gravy train... Bone stimulator, e stim for pain control, dme offloading knee scooter or iwalk, ice therapy machine post op, bma or other grafting solutions
Click to expand...
Don’t forget your magic potion from the compounding pharmacy
 
It's nice to see that for all the uncertainty surrounding the present eggplant-measuring contest going on between ABPM and ABFAS that we can rely on PM News to cover more stories no one cares about
 
Adam Smasher said:
It's nice to see that for all the uncertainty surrounding the present eggplant-measuring contest going on between ABPM and ABFAS that we can rely on PM News to cover more stories no one cares about
Click to expand...
Can't live without the outrageous shoe of the day photo!

Also glad they make reports on how the APMA helps us on a daily basis. They are focusing on important things like approving the first heel-less athletic shoe to help diabetics eliminate "heel strikes, a man-made phenomenon that is the main cause of joint and tendon injuries from running, walking or standing for long periods of time on your feet."
www.kron4.com

First Heelless Athletic Shoe Awarded American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for Select Models

Sports Medicine the DIFFERENCE Inc. - Black Limited Edition The APMA Seal of Acceptance is a sign that the product passes an intensive evaluation and testing process, ensuring it supports good foot health. Most diabetics have a reduced sense of feeling on the bottom of their feet, especially the...
www.kron4.com www.kron4.com
 
HardRoadPaved said:
Can't live without the outrageous shoe of the day photo!

Also glad they make reports on how the APMA helps us on a daily basis. They are focusing on important things like approving the first heel-less athletic shoe to help diabetics eliminate "heel strikes, a man-made phenomenon that is the main cause of joint and tendon injuries from running, walking or standing for long periods of time on your feet."
www.kron4.com

First Heelless Athletic Shoe Awarded American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for Select Models

Sports Medicine the DIFFERENCE Inc. - Black Limited Edition The APMA Seal of Acceptance is a sign that the product passes an intensive evaluation and testing process, ensuring it supports good foot health. Most diabetics have a reduced sense of feeling on the bottom of their feet, especially the...
www.kron4.com www.kron4.com
Click to expand...
Seems like that shoe would be backwards-tippy when you try to stand in place.
 
NatCh said:
Seems like that shoe would be backwards-tippy when you try to stand in place.
Click to expand...
Duh…..then you MUST sell them, I mean prescribe a Mooron (did I spell that correctly) balance brace!!
 
ExperiencedDPM said:
Duh…..then you MUST sell them, I mean prescribe a Mooron (did I spell that correctly) balance brace!!
Click to expand...
Practice management FTW!

Someone should submit those shoes to PMNews for the outrageous shoe of the day. 😆
 
HardRoadPaved said:
Can't live without the outrageous shoe of the day photo!

Also glad they make reports on how the APMA helps us on a daily basis. They are focusing on important things like approving the first heel-less athletic shoe to help diabetics eliminate "heel strikes, a man-made phenomenon that is the main cause of joint and tendon injuries from running, walking or standing for long periods of time on your feet."
www.kron4.com

First Heelless Athletic Shoe Awarded American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for Select Models

Sports Medicine the DIFFERENCE Inc. - Black Limited Edition The APMA Seal of Acceptance is a sign that the product passes an intensive evaluation and testing process, ensuring it supports good foot health. Most diabetics have a reduced sense of feeling on the bottom of their feet, especially the...
www.kron4.com www.kron4.com
Click to expand...
Bahahaha, this one made me spit up my drink. Well done.

The freaking show of the day photos...smh
 
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