Scope of job

[Clovers]

Hi Everyone,

I am a little bit confused on what kind of things podiatrists do? Lets say a podiatrist opens his own office, can he decide that he doesn't want to do surgery? I don't know if podiatry is for me because I am afraid of looking at open wounds or having to amputate someone's limb. Do you just get used to seeing things like that while in pod school?

Also, are you considered a podiatrist right after you graduate from pod school or you have to go through residency, then take the board exam, if pass then you can be called a podiatrist?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AZPOD Rocks]

Hi Everyone,

I am a little bit confused on what kind of things podiatrists do? Lets say a podiatrist opens his own office, can he decide that he doesn't want to do surgery? I don't know if podiatry is for me because I am afraid of looking at open wounds or having to amputate someone's limb. Do you just get used to seeing things like that while in pod school?

Also, are you considered a podiatrist right after you graduate from pod school or you have to go through residency, then take the board exam, if pass then you can be called a podiatrist?

I can answer your question in regards to open wounds/ amputations bothering you.

I love medical science but was really bothered by blood/guts etc. I came across two things that helped me overcome this "fear of blood." Really, I wasn't bothered by blood flowing free, just needles and blood flowing into containers. 1) Something online I read said most people with an aversion to blood and guts have an inate response in such situations. The website said they tend to hold their breath and this makes them lightheaded and woozy. So, in my next encounted with a bloody situation, I checked it. They were right, I started to feel woozy and noticed that I had been holding my breath inadvertently and when I did breathe it was very shallow breathing. So, the best thing to do is to breathe normally or just a little deeply. 2) I got a job extracting tissues from donors soon after death. I wasn't sure I could handle it. I felt very woozy at first but started breathing right and jumped in to help out. Even now, after hundreds of cases, sometimes something will hit me bad and I can begin to "feel it" just barely (which is always due to the breath holding thing). When this happens, I am always watching a procedure and never doing the procedure myself. I have never been woozy when I am the one doing the cutting. I think the trick is to jump in and get involved as much as possible. By the way, now I may see something bothersome 1 out of every 100 cases and even then, only fleetingly. If you get involved and watch your breathing, you will become accustomed to the procedures you find difficult to be around and they will cease to cause you problems.

AZPOD Rocks

 

[gustydoc]

To answer your other questions, there are many podiatrists who do little or no surgery, but you must now complete a two or three year residency to get licensed. You are a doctor when you finish podiatric medical school, but without a residency you will not be able to practice in the US. I would suggest you spend some time at a hospital or with a podiatrist shadowing so that you get a better idea of whether or not podiatry is for you. Medical school is expensive and it would be a shame to spend all that money and realize it's something you don't want to do.

 

[krabmas]

Hi Everyone,

I am a little bit confused on what kind of things podiatrists do? Lets say a podiatrist opens his own office, can he decide that he doesn't want to do surgery? I don't know if podiatry is for me because I am afraid of looking at open wounds or having to amputate someone's limb. Do you just get used to seeing things like that while in pod school?

Also, are you considered a podiatrist right after you graduate from pod school or you have to go through residency, then take the board exam, if pass then you can be called a podiatrist?

when you graduate from podiatry school, you graduate as a doctor of podiatric medicine. so you can legally sign your name as Dr. name here, DPM.

but you will not be lisensed to practice until completing boards and residency. some people take all 3 sets of boards before even beginning residency. some residencies require passing all 3 sets before starting.

 

[doclm]

Returning to what the OP has said about what Podiatrists do, we should all explain what we usually see a Podiatrist doing.

Although, I have talked with many Podiatrists a lot more than seen anything done, I just viewed some comprehensive foot care. (60% nail trimming, 20% post-op check ups, recasting a leg, removing a wart, and repacking a huge diabetic foot wound.)

However, I have not seen any Podiatrist do surgery yet!! All the Podiatrists that I have spoke with or shadowed only have 1 yr of residency! To date, I have spoke with 7, but only shadowed 2 (at most 8 hours). Currently I am on a mission to find more recent grads and am planning on shadowing a famous DPM on another week at Gunderson Luther with a PM&S-36. (I have contacted HR and filled out papers over a month ago, I cannot wait!)

For my sake and the op, could some people list the things that they do or see a Podiatrist perform on a daily basis. Also, do people tend to see different types of patients and procedures between Solo, Multispecialty, and Ortho groups? In my recent travel to South Dakota, I have been on the look out for Podiatrists in the phone book. The procedures that are most commonly listed in the yellow pages are: Bunion, Hammertoe, Heel Spur corrections, in grown toe nails, nail fungus, diabetic foot care, and orthotics. I called three different Podiatrist offices today, and all of them have been in practice 15-20 years. Is this what you people usually see in clinical training? What would a current grad with a PM&S-36 usually do on a daily basis?

Thanks for your feedback

 

[gustydoc]

Returning to what the OP has said about what Podiatrists do, we should all explain what we usually see a Podiatrist doing.

Although, I have talked with many Podiatrists a lot more than seen anything done, I just viewed some comprehensive foot care. (60% nail trimming, 20% post-op check ups, recasting a leg, removing a wart, and repacking a huge diabetic foot wound.)

However, I have not seen any Podiatrist do surgery yet!! All the Podiatrists that I have spoke with or shadowed only have 1 yr of residency! To date, I have spoke with 7, but only shadowed 2 (at most 8 hours). Currently I am on a mission to find more recent grads and am planning on shadowing a famous DPM on another week at Gunderson Luther with a PM&S-36. (I have contacted HR and filled out papers over a month ago, I cannot wait!)

For my sake and the op, could some people list the things that they do or see a Podiatrist perform on a daily basis. Also, do people tend to see different types of patients and procedures between Solo, Multispecialty, and Ortho groups? In my recent travel to South Dakota, I have been on the look out for Podiatrists in the phone book. The procedures that are most commonly listed in the yellow pages are: Bunion, Hammertoe, Heel Spur corrections, in grown toe nails, nail fungus, diabetic foot care, and orthotics. I called three different Podiatrist offices today, and all of them have been in practice 15-20 years. Is this what you people usually see in clinical training? What would a current grad with a PM&S-36 usually do on a daily basis?

Thanks for your feedback

Most recent PM&S grads have a pretty rounded practice. Dealing with hypertrophic nails and other palliative care issues is a part of the job that every podiatrist will see even if you are highly surgically trained. My wife is from SD so I decided to contact a poditatrist in her home town (Yankton) and spend some time in his office. He works at a large hospital and spends about two days a week in surgery, while spending the other three seeing patients for everything you might see in a clinical setting. The hospital built him an amazing surgical office on the hospital property and he is doing really well. SD has a scope that prevents him from getting into the tibia or fibula, but he says he is so busy with other surgeries that letting the local orthopods do the leg stuff is no big deal. Obviously if you are working in an ortho group you will probably spend a lot more time in surgery than someone in solo practice, but even docs in ortho groups spend time seeing patients for things that may not require surgery. The best way to find a recent grad to hang out with is to contact your pod schools alumni office. They will supply you with a list of graduates near your home town and you can just give them a call and see if they will let you observe some procedures. You really can't get an accurate picture of what practice will be like for you from someone with only a year of post-grad training since you will be required to have at least 2-3 yrs.

 

[krabmas]

I have only shaddowed one DPM outside of my school requirements and visiting programs.

I shadowed a DPM at georgetown but he sort of specializes in wound care and limb salvage so I saw some Apligrafs being applied and post op amputations.

He also saw a posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. he cut one nail and debrided one callus just because the patient had them present and diabetes and already had non-healing ulcers. so it was just good patient care.

This is a special case I think. That the pod does very little nail cutting.

I think alot will depend on how you market yourself and what you are willing to do for the patient.

 

[IlizaRob]

I recently asked a friend of mine (1 year out of residency) how much time he spends on nail care. His response was that there are many patients that come in for palliative care but he doesnt do it. His medical assistants do it all and then he walks in after to say hi for PR. He is busy dealing with other stuff. He mentioned that nail care is good income though and those same routine patients will most likely need other things later on like bunion and hammertoe surgery.

For me personally in the university clinic: I have seen only 3 patients for nail care. Everything else has been variable from plantar fasciitis to a comminuted 5th met fracture from a nail gun injury. Ive seen sever's disease, trimalleolar fracture, and post op fusions. Ive also seen plantar warts, noninsertional and insertional achilles tendonitis as well as posterior tibial tendonitis. The point is that you will see everything from palliative care to complicated rearfoot reconstruction (Given you are trained to do so). I think it also depends on how you practice. One doc here in town came to talk to us about his situation. He is employed as the foot and ankle surgeon with an ortho group and is about to make partner. All he does is surgery. Some are more clinical and dont favor that style of practice. Just know that although you can somewhat tailor your practice to your likings with time, it is your job to treat it all.

 

[krabmas]

I recently asked a friend of mine (1 year out of residency) how much time he spends on nail care. His response was that there are many patients that come in for palliative care but he doesnt do it. His medical assistants do it all and then he walks in after to say hi for PR. He is busy dealing with other stuff. He mentioned that nail care is good income though and those same routine patients will most likely need other things later on like bunion and hammertoe surgery.

For me personally in the university clinic: I have seen only 3 patients for nail care. Everything else has been variable from plantar fasciitis to a comminuted 5th met fracture from a nail gun injury. Ive seen sever's disease, trimalleolar fracture, and post op fusions. Ive also seen plantar warts, noninsertional and insertional achilles tendonitis as well as posterior tibial tendonitis. The point is that you will see everything from palliative care to complicated rearfoot reconstruction (Given you are trained to do so). I think it also depends on how you practice. One doc here in town came to talk to us about his situation. He is employed as the foot and ankle surgeon with an ortho group and is about to make partner. All he does is surgery. Some are more clinical and dont favor that style of practice. Just know that although you can somewhat tailor your practice to your likings with time, it is your job to treat it all.

how many days have you spent in clinic so far - this will give some perspective and how many total patients about have you seen?

This is not a competition just for perspective. Percentages mean more than whole numbers - to me anyway.

 

[IlizaRob]

how many days have you spent in clinic so far - this will give some perspective and how many total patients about have you seen?

This is not a competition just for perspective. Percentages mean more than whole numbers - to me anyway.

No, thats a good question. I meant to include that but forgot. It has been 2 weeks since I started clinic. We rotate only half days in the summer 4 days a week. I have personally seen a little over 20 patients. It still takes me forever to get through each patient. Hopefully I will get better.

Side note: Other students in my class have seen more patients with nail care than I. The doc I rotate with probably sees 20% or less palliative care. Other docs see more.

 

[Podman]

Returning to what the OP has said about what Podiatrists do, we should all explain what we usually see a Podiatrist doing.

Although, I have talked with many Podiatrists a lot more than seen anything done, I just viewed some comprehensive foot care. (60% nail trimming, 20% post-op check ups, recasting a leg, removing a wart, and repacking a huge diabetic foot wound.)

However, I have not seen any Podiatrist do surgery yet!! All the Podiatrists that I have spoke with or shadowed only have 1 yr of residency! To date, I have spoke with 7, but only shadowed 2 (at most 8 hours). Currently I am on a mission to find more recent grads and am planning on shadowing a famous DPM on another week at Gunderson Luther with a PM&S-36. (I have contacted HR and filled out papers over a month ago, I cannot wait!)

For my sake and the op, could some people list the things that they do or see a Podiatrist perform on a daily basis. Also, do people tend to see different types of patients and procedures between Solo, Multispecialty, and Ortho groups? In my recent travel to South Dakota, I have been on the look out for Podiatrists in the phone book. The procedures that are most commonly listed in the yellow pages are: Bunion, Hammertoe, Heel Spur corrections, in grown toe nails, nail fungus, diabetic foot care, and orthotics. I called three different Podiatrist offices today, and all of them have been in practice 15-20 years. Is this what you people usually see in clinical training? What would a current grad with a PM&S-36 usually do on a daily basis?

Thanks for your feedback

doclm,

podiatrists with 3 year surgical training don't always do rearfoot surgery every day of the week - its not all surgery - for one, it takes alot of years and experience to build an exclusive surgical practice. Two, from a business perspective, the payoff for some of the non-surgical in-office procedures are really great considering they take less time out of your schedule, and three, believe it or not, not all your patients want surgery done - conservative care and orthotic treatment is very popular. So although you are trained to do all aspects of podiatry. The regular day will involve a bit of everything and you have to be smart about managing your time and your patients. The beauty about our profession is that despite what some might believe, we do have choices. Some will specialize in wound care - which in my opinion, is the best way to go - some will specialize in trauma and choose to be on call. This you will notice more when you begin going to the clinic and start thinking about externships as you develop a picture of what you want to do. We recently had a practice management conference and its truly exciting to see the opportunities available for new DPMs - our training is sufficient enough to give you the confidence of diagnosing and treating any condition pertaining to the lower extremity with full proficiency. It is imperative to have a strong well rounded training but your options will be open. I was speaking with one of the DPMs at the conference and he said his specialty is diabetic wound care and so he is the expert at the hospital and is on call for those cases. However, he still manages patients for heel pain, nails, and the other aspects of a podiatry practice but he leaves those cases to his associate as he fully established himself as a diabetic wound care expert and pretty much only handles those cases.

 

[doclm]

doclm,

podiatrists with 3 year surgical training don't always do rearfoot surgery every day of the week - its not all surgery - for one, it takes alot of years and experience to build an exclusive surgical practice. Two, from a business perspective, the payoff for some of the non-surgical in-office procedures are really great considering they take less time out of your schedule, and three, believe it or not, not all your patients want surgery done - conservative care and orthotic treatment is very popular. So although you are trained to do all aspects of podiatry. The regular day will involve a bit of everything and you have to be smart about managing your time and your patients. The beauty about our profession is that despite what some might believe, we do have choices. Some will specialize in wound care - which in my opinion, is the best way to go - some will specialize in trauma and choose to be on call. This you will notice more when you begin going to the clinic and start thinking about externships as you develop a picture of what you want to do. We recently had a practice management conference and its truly exciting to see the opportunities available for new DPMs - our training is sufficient enough to give you the confidence of diagnosing and treating any condition pertaining to the lower extremity with full proficiency. It is imperative to have a strong well rounded training but your options will be open. I was speaking with one of the DPMs at the conference and he said his specialty is diabetic wound care and so he is the expert at the hospital and is on call for those cases. However, he still manages patients for heel pain, nails, and the other aspects of a podiatry practice but he leaves those cases to his associate as he fully established himself as a diabetic wound care expert and pretty much only handles those cases.

Thanks for the feedback everyone