The U.S. Army won't give pod students scholarships!!!

[mrfeet]

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I was recently accepted to podiatry school at Scholl in Chicago. After doing much thinking about the cost of podiatry school and the amount of debt I would be incurring (about $160,000), I decided to speak to the military about a health professions scholarship. One of my good friends who is starting M.D. school in the fall is also taking this option. I thought, "hey, graduate with no debt and still make a pretty good salary in the Army, not a bad plan."

I spoke with the local health professions recruiter for the Army. He was very nice and said that they would love to have me apply. I filled out a crap load of paperwork, submitted for a physical, etc. A couple of weeks ago I was told by the recruiter that the U.S. Army does not give podiatry students scholarships because we don't receive an M.D. or D.O. degree!

I have read a lot of ranting and raving on here about how podiatrists are treated as second-class physicians, and now I can speak from personal experience. The funny thing is, the U.S. Army has a podiatric residency program at Fort Bragg, NC, yet they won't give a podiatry student a scholarship. The Air Force and Marine Corps both offer podiatry students scholarships, but not the Army. Does that make any sense? The one branch of the military that truly needs podiatrists with all of the infantry that they have, and yet they won't give pod students a scholarship.

So, I have decided to fight this injustice. I have set up a meeting with my local representative who is on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee about changing the policies. It is ludicrous that the Army won't give DPM's a health professions scholarship.

Please let me know what you think.

😡

 

[ProdPod]

Fight the Power Bro! 👍

 

[IlizaRob]

I agree that it is rediculous. I was talking to the residency director of the program in Fort Braggs and he said that its not that they treat pods as less than physicians but rather it takes longer to change things in the military than it does in Washington. Keep fighting though. Someone just needs to change the paperwork.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

Wow, that is news to me. Well, fight the good fight.

 

[dns3110]

I tried the same thing as you. I went through two different recruiters just to find out that the scholarship is not offered to Pod students, and this was for the Air Force.

 

[doclm]

I was recently accepted to podiatry school at Scholl in Chicago. After doing much thinking about the cost of podiatry school and the amount of debt I would be incurring (about $160,000), I decided to speak to the military about a health professions scholarship. One of my good friends who is starting M.D. school in the fall is also taking this option. I thought, "hey, graduate with no debt and still make a pretty good salary in the Army, not a bad plan."

I spoke with the local health professions recruiter for the Army. He was very nice and said that they would love to have me apply. I filled out a crap load of paperwork, submitted for a physical, etc. A couple of weeks ago I was told by the recruiter that the U.S. Army does not give podiatry students scholarships because we don't receive an M.D. or D.O. degree!

I have read a lot of ranting and raving on here about how podiatrists are treated as second-class physicians, and now I can speak from personal experience. The funny thing is, the U.S. Army has a podiatric residency program at Fort Bragg, NC, yet they won't give a podiatry student a scholarship. The Air Force and Marine Corps both offer podiatry students scholarships, but not the Army. Does that make any sense? The one branch of the military that truly needs podiatrists with all of the infantry that they have, and yet they won't give pod students a scholarship.

So, I have decided to fight this injustice. I have set up a meeting with my local representative who is on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee about changing the policies. It is ludicrous that the Army won't give DPM's a health professions scholarship.

Please let me know what you think.

😡

This is the attitude that we all need to have to put Podiatry on the "Map" of equivalence to an MD/DO. This is the same thing that the DO's had to go through in the past. However, it does seem funny to me why DPM's have such a legitimate cause that is 100% backed by scientific research yet we still need to fight for our rights to be equal with DO's and MD's.

 

[makewon99]

I was recently accepted to podiatry school at Scholl in Chicago. After doing much thinking about the cost of podiatry school and the amount of debt I would be incurring (about $160,000), I decided to speak to the military about a health professions scholarship. One of my good friends who is starting M.D. school in the fall is also taking this option. I thought, "hey, graduate with no debt and still make a pretty good salary in the Army, not a bad plan."

I spoke with the local health professions recruiter for the Army. He was very nice and said that they would love to have me apply. I filled out a crap load of paperwork, submitted for a physical, etc. A couple of weeks ago I was told by the recruiter that the U.S. Army does not give podiatry students scholarships because we don't receive an M.D. or D.O. degree!

I have read a lot of ranting and raving on here about how podiatrists are treated as second-class physicians, and now I can speak from personal experience. The funny thing is, the U.S. Army has a podiatric residency program at Fort Bragg, NC, yet they won't give a podiatry student a scholarship. The Air Force and Marine Corps both offer podiatry students scholarships, but not the Army. Does that make any sense? The one branch of the military that truly needs podiatrists with all of the infantry that they have, and yet they won't give pod students a scholarship.

So, I have decided to fight this injustice. I have set up a meeting with my local representative who is on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee about changing the policies. It is ludicrous that the Army won't give DPM's a health professions scholarship.

Please let me know what you think.

😡

did you want to say navy? the Marine Corps has no doctors as they use the navy.

 

[whiskers]

Sorry, but I don't blame them!

I wouldn't give a penny of mine for "scholarships" at some of the schools (some, but not all).

 

[mrfeet]

Sorry, but I don't blame them!

I wouldn't give a penny of mine for "scholarships" at some of the schools (some, but not all).

Just out of curiosity, are you a pod student yourself?

 

[diabeticfootdr]

I was recently accepted to podiatry school at Scholl in Chicago. After doing much thinking about the cost of podiatry school and the amount of debt I would be incurring (about $160,000), I decided to speak to the military about a health professions scholarship. One of my good friends who is starting M.D. school in the fall is also taking this option. I thought, "hey, graduate with no debt and still make a pretty good salary in the Army, not a bad plan."

I spoke with the local health professions recruiter for the Army. He was very nice and said that they would love to have me apply. I filled out a crap load of paperwork, submitted for a physical, etc. A couple of weeks ago I was told by the recruiter that the U.S. Army does not give podiatry students scholarships because we don't receive an M.D. or D.O. degree!

I have read a lot of ranting and raving on here about how podiatrists are treated as second-class physicians, and now I can speak from personal experience. The funny thing is, the U.S. Army has a podiatric residency program at Fort Bragg, NC, yet they won't give a podiatry student a scholarship. The Air Force and Marine Corps both offer podiatry students scholarships, but not the Army. Does that make any sense? The one branch of the military that truly needs podiatrists with all of the infantry that they have, and yet they won't give pod students a scholarship.

So, I have decided to fight this injustice. I have set up a meeting with my local representative who is on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee about changing the policies. It is ludicrous that the Army won't give DPM's a health professions scholarship.

Please let me know what you think.

😡

I fought this same battle myself in 2001. The APMA has no desire to help, since so few of their constituents are actually in the military. I had a resolution passed in the APMSA to identify it as an area of "discrimination" and the APMA did nothing. I wrote letters to Sen Grassley and the Armed Services Committee. I actually got a response from VP Cheney (DPMs are not a needed speciality).

PM me with your phone number and we can chat, I'll give you some insight on how to proceed and the roadblocks I encountered.

LCR

 

[mrfeet]

I fought this same battle myself in 2001. The APMA has no desire to help, since so few of their constituents are actually in the military. I had a resolution passed in the APMSA to identify it as an area of "discrimination" and the APMA did nothing. I wrote letters to Sen Grassley and the Armed Services Committee. I actually got a response from VP Cheney (DPMs are not a needed speciality).

PM me with your phone number and we can chat, I'll give you some insight on how to proceed and the roadblocks I encountered.

LCR

Well, I agree with you, this is flat out "discrimination." The only way that any of this is going to change is if we as pod students and doctors stand up and fight it. Some people say that one person can't make a difference, but I disagree.

Not very long ago, a friend of mine who is a podiatrist, moved to Beaufort, SC from Illinois. After setting up his practice in Beaufort, he went to the local hospital to obtain privileges in order to perform surgeries. Much to his amazement, he was told that in the state of SC, podiatrists did not have surgical privileges. It was the only state in the U.S., which had still not granted podiatrists surgical privileges. I love the south and am a native southerner, but sometimes it takes us way too long to catch up.

At any rate, he fought the discrimination and through hard work and effort got the SC state legislature to pass legislation granting podiatrists surgical privileges in the state of South Carolina. This is proof that we can make a difference if we try!

I will continue to fight this, and I hope that the APMA will finally decide that this is a worthwhile fight and jump on board as well.

Cheney said that podiatry is "not a needed specialty" in the U.S. Army. That's about as crazy as saying that sailors don't need to know how to swim!

I bet the VP does however believe in first aid on hunting trips!!!!

 

[corpsmanUP]

Well, I agree with you, this is flat out "discrimination." The only way that any of this is going to change is if we as pod students and doctors stand up and fight it. Some people say that one person can't make a difference, but I disagree.

Not very long ago, a friend of mine who is a podiatrist, moved to Beaufort, SC from Illinois. After setting up his practice in Beaufort, he went to the local hospital to obtain privileges in order to perform surgeries. Much to his amazement, he was told that in the state of SC, podiatrists did not have surgical privileges. It was the only state in the U.S., which had still not granted podiatrists surgical privileges. I love the south and am a native southerner, but sometimes it takes us way too long to catch up.

At any rate, he fought the discrimination and through hard work and effort got the SC state legislature to pass legislation granting podiatrists surgical privileges in the state of South Carolina. This is proof that we can make a difference if we try!

I will continue to fight this, and I hope that the APMA will finally decide that this is a worthwhile fight and jump on board as well.

Cheney said that podiatry is "not a needed specialty" in the U.S. Army. That's about as crazy as saying that sailors don't need to know how to swim!

I bet the VP does however believe in first aid on hunting trips!!!!

You make a good point. You really don't need to be able to swim to be in the Navy. The swim test in the Navy is an utter joke and if you can hold your breath for about a minute, you can pass it even if you sink! And I hate to tell you this, but I spent 4 years with ground pounding Marines and I never once needed a podiatrist to handle the foot issues of my Marines. Myself as the corpsman and my doc were always able to cover them without issue. Military foot issues are not things usually needing the level of care a podiatrist offers. We are talking about young healthy feet and ever-increasing quality of foot gear. With a pair of Danner's, even the coldest and most wet climates offered little challenge for a Marine who knows to change his socks twice a day. There is are no diabetic feet, rarely anything requiring more than minor toenail surgery, and if they need anything more than that there are ortho foot guys at every major military hospital. So Cheney was right for a change, and the military does not stand to benefit greatly from a Pod.

And the biggest reason is that the military utilizes physicians as generalists all the time, even when they are specialized in something else. Its not uncommon to find peds, FM, and ortho docs as battalion surgeons. Pods are simply not trained to provide this broad a picture of care, and that is what makes a Pod different than a DO or an MD. That my friends is why a Pod is a specialist, but in no way truly a physician. I respect Pods for what they do, but I don't want them managing my battle buddies sucking chest wound or closed head injury.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

You make a good point. You really don't need to be able to swim to be in the Navy. The swim test in the Navy is an utter joke and if you can hold your breath for about a minute, you can pass it even if you sink! And I hate to tell you this, but I spent 4 years with ground pounding Marines and I never once needed a podiatrist to handle the foot issues of my Marines. Myself as the corpsman and my doc were always able to cover them without issue. Military foot issues are not things usually needing the level of care a podiatrist offers. We are talking about young healthy feet and ever-increasing quality of foot gear. With a pair of Danner's, even the coldest and most wet climates offered little challenge for a Marine who knows to change his socks twice a day. There is are no diabetic feet, rarely anything requiring more than minor toenail surgery, and if they need anything more than that there are ortho foot guys at every major military hospital. So Cheney was right for a change, and the military does not stand to benefit greatly from a Pod.

And the biggest reason is that the military utilizes physicians as generalists all the time, even when they are specialized in something else. Its not uncommon to find peds, FM, and ortho docs as battalion surgeons. Pods are simply not trained to provide this broad a picture of care, and that is what makes a Pod different than a DO or an MD. That my friends is why a Pod is a specialist, but in no way truly a physician. I respect Pods for what they do, but I don't want them managing my battle buddies sucking chest wound or closed head injury.

I have a buddy that had a talar dome fracture from twisting his ankle. The Army has a few hundred thousand invested in him but he will probably end up having to retire b/c an orthpod screwed things up. I guess the armed forces don't need our level of expertise. One less officer in the unit is worth keeping old stereotypes.

I'm a huge supporter of our troops so I ask you would you care if is battle a pod kept you alive? If you had a bullet in your arm do you ask, you’re an MD or DO right? What your a DPM you don't know how to suture or how to work an OR or how to maintain aseptic techniques. If you knew those things then you would be a surgeon and you are just a podiatrist. Seriously, not a great argument bud.

 

[mrfeet]

You make a good point. You really don't need to be able to swim to be in the Navy. The swim test in the Navy is an utter joke and if you can hold your breath for about a minute, you can pass it even if you sink! And I hate to tell you this, but I spent 4 years with ground pounding Marines and I never once needed a podiatrist to handle the foot issues of my Marines. Myself as the corpsman and my doc were always able to cover them without issue. Military foot issues are not things usually needing the level of care a podiatrist offers. We are talking about young healthy feet and ever-increasing quality of foot gear. With a pair of Danner's, even the coldest and most wet climates offered little challenge for a Marine who knows to change his socks twice a day. There is are no diabetic feet, rarely anything requiring more than minor toenail surgery, and if they need anything more than that there are ortho foot guys at every major military hospital. So Cheney was right for a change, and the military does not stand to benefit greatly from a Pod.

And the biggest reason is that the military utilizes physicians as generalists all the time, even when they are specialized in something else. Its not uncommon to find peds, FM, and ortho docs as battalion surgeons. Pods are simply not trained to provide this broad a picture of care, and that is what makes a Pod different than a DO or an MD. That my friends is why a Pod is a specialist, but in no way truly a physician. I respect Pods for what they do, but I don't want them managing my battle buddies sucking chest wound or closed head injury.

"That my friends is why a Pod is a specialist, but in no way truly a physician."

Okay, I read your statement and most of it is informative, but then you had to go ruin it with the aforementioned statement in quotes. Hmmm, lets see what Webster's dictionary refers to as a physician.

phy·si·cian ( P ) Pronunciation Key (f-zshn)
n. A person licensed to practice medicine

Well, we are licensed to practice medicine in all fifty states, so guess what bud, WE ARE PHYSICIANS!!! I don't mean to sound like an #$$hole, but I wish that you D.O.'s would quit posting on here. I started this thread to get the opinions of other DPM's and pod students in regard to this matter, because it directly affects us. This does not affect D.O.'s, so leave it alone and don't post in regards to our topics unless you have something informative or creative to add. Don't add crap like, "you're not truly physicians."
😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡

 

[Podman]

"That my friends is why a Pod is a specialist, but in no way truly a physician."

Okay, I read your statement and most of it is informative, but then you had to go ruin it with the aforementioned statement in quotes. Hmmm, lets see what Webster's dictionary refers to as a physician.

phy·si·cian ( P ) Pronunciation Key (f-zshn)
n. A person licensed to practice medicine

Well, we are licensed to practice medicine in all fifty states, so guess what bud, WE ARE PHYSICIANS!!! I don't mean to sound like an #$$hole, but I wish that you D.O.'s would quit posting on here. I started this thread to get the opinions of other DPM's and pod students in regard to this matter, because it directly affects us. This does not affect D.O.'s, so leave it alone and don't post in regards to our topics unless you have something informative or creative to add. Don't add crap like, "you're not truly physicians."
😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡

dude relax. He didn't say anything wrong with regards to calling us "specialists". or "not physicians" in the true sense of the word. We are podiatric physicians and experts on the lower extremity manifestations. There was a long big thread opened up about our "physician status", if you are interested. At any rate, i don't see his post as totally "off" or condescending so there's no need to say "i wish DOs would quit posting here". His point of view is shared by other D.O.s and MDs, so it is important to establish communication and clarify any misconceptions - don't you think? My only disagreement with that poster is regarding the viability of the podiatric physician in the army or marine corps - and this was addressed brilliantly by Dr Feelgood.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

Thanks Podman. Yeah, I don't think he was challenging our profession. In my opinion he didn't think about how many lower limb problems they have in the armed forces. Also, I don't know if he is aware that DPMs have many of the same privileges that DOs and MDs have. Heck in most countries they would ask you to work in a clinic as a primary care physician. Only in the US do we separate our professions.

I think it is funny that you can be a medic in the Army w/ 12 weeks of training but a Pods can't be physicians. We have to be medical specialists, which you can become out of high school w/ 7-52 weeks depending on the area of expertise. Something else to think about is we can only be enlisted. But if we were nurses, OTs, PTs, or PAs, we could be officers.

Another thought, the Army has Vets that our officers and work with the other health care providers. Most of the vets work in research on human health concerns. I guess that don’t want pods defending the country, we’re too crazy!

 

[doclm]

I actually got a response from VP Cheney (DPMs are not a needed speciality).
LCR

I hope this is not the general publics view on Podiatry? Also, I once thought differently considering there is one DPM per 50,000 people in the U.S.

Why in the heck would someone go through 4 years of "med school". 2-3 years of a medical residency and be considered not needed in a world full of medical shortage, and patient demand. 😕

It makes no sense! Are DPT's and OD's a needed profession?

What exactly has changed within the past 10 years to assure that we will be utilized by the public like our other medical counterparts? I heard things are better now than what they used to be for Podiatry. However, what has changed besides better residencies being more abundant?

 

[jays2cool4u]

Something else to think about is we can only be enlisted. But if we were nurses, OTs, PTs, or PAs, we could be officers.

Another thought, the Army has Vets that our officers and work with the other health care providers. Most of the vets work in research on human health concerns. I guess that don’t want pods defending the country, we’re too crazy!

Podiatrists are commissioned as Captains in the Army. Podiatrist benefits in the army

Jays2Cool4u 😎

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

So we just don't qualify for an scholarships???

 

[jays2cool4u]

So we just don't qualify for an scholarships???

I read an article about a young lady at OCPM that was in the Army and her unit was called for deployment. She wrote a letter requesting exemption and her request was denied. If she was in a MD or DO school, she would have been exempted for deployment. The Army does not seem to think that DPMs and MD/DO students are on the same level of importance.

College Promises to Save a Seat for a Soldier

Jays2Cool4u 😎

 

[corpsmanUP]

Guys, lighten up please. DrFeelgood, I really had a tough time understanding your thesis in your last paragraph. It was incoherent at best. I assume you were ticked off and wrote it in haste. I believe I read that you were stating you felt a DPM would be an adequate asset for an Army battalion surgeon position. I apologize in advance, but I beg to differ. You cannot possibly be such experts to qualify as specialists (the word specialist is a compliment by the way, so stop being so defensive please) but at the same time know enough about the remainder of the body to be competent with it as well. You guys do 4 years of medical school as do we, but your residency is basically an intern year like most internships for MD's and DO's but then another couple working on LE. This does not make you competent to be putting in chest tubes and central lines upstairs. And I am sorry, but one solitary example about your friend's talar dome fracture is not exactly a double blind placebo controlled study on the efficacy of Pods in the service. I am not kidding when I tell you that I spent thousands of patient care hours with some of the most elite grunt soldiers on earth, and as I told you, the need for a Pod was remote. It was so remote that the Bethesda Naval hospital sent a Pod to our entire base of 50,000 Marines once a month, and we routinely had no patients for him to see. We had already done the acutely needed wedge resections and we successfully managed the vast majority of plantar warts, fasciitis, and fractures. There may very well be a need for Pods in the service, but not such a great need that they need to give incentives to join. Sadly but true, a captains salary and benefits would be a nice upgrade for many working Pods, so the capitalistic market forces are at work keeping the Army and Navy well supplied with the few Pods they do need.

DO's overcame the final hurdle to equivilancy when they were allowed to take the FLEX exam back in the 70's. Later they came out with their own board exam the COMLEX, but they proved they could pass the same licensing exam as MD's. And still today we have the option of taking the USMLE (and any DO with a reasonable expectation of matching at an ACGME program takes it), and we routinely pass it. I think for Pods to prove their equivilancy to DO's and MD's, they will ultimately have to do the same thing. Not to ruffle any feathers, but I doubt honestly that many Pods would pass such a general medical exam such as the COMLEX or the USMLE. And that knowledge needed to pass such an exam is what makes a physician well rounded enough to be experts across the board, generally speaking. Dentists are specialists of the oral cavity, but you don't see them trying to become battallion surgeons. They know their place, and unfortunately for you guys they are much more needed in the service. But they are not physicians any more than Pods; they just stick to their specialty designation and that is it. And they too would have equally tough a time passing a general medical exam like the USMLE.

Bottom line...I would be more than happy to vote to allow Pods to take the USMLE, and if they pass it, I believe they deserve to enjoy the right to be a physician in any specialty. But I truly believe that DO's gained their equivilance because they were truly equivilant across the board. I don't believe you can say the same thing about Pod specialists.

 

[capo]

Podiatrists are commissioned as Captains in the Army. Podiatrist benefits in the army

Jays2Cool4u 😎

To corpsmanUP: Then WHY are DPM's allowed to be captains in the Army if they're 2nd-class docs, to which you have alluded (in no uncertain terms) that they are?

A DO that does ONLY manipulation, by specialty, is NO MORE (actually LESS) needed in the service. But STILL they get to capt. level, correct? So... by the SAME reasoning DPM's can get to the same level by doing a much MORE needed specialty.

Therefore that much-needed specialty, is that of caring for the lower limbs through the use of meds AND surgery, unlike a "manipulation or BETTER-trained" as you would say "specialist", such as this aforementioned back adjuster. Who by the way kind sir, has NO proficiency in surgery -- albeit a look-see during a rotation or perhaps a residency month or so.

In a few years NOT one DPM will leave training/residency, devoid of surgical training. Can the same be said of ALL MD/DO's? I think not. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

Guys, lighten up please. DrFeelgood, I really had a tough time understanding your thesis in your last paragraph. It was incoherent at best. I assume you were ticked off and wrote it in haste. I believe I read that you were stating you felt a DPM would be an adequate asset for an Army battalion surgeon position. I apologize in advance, but I beg to differ. You cannot possibly be such experts to qualify as specialists (the word specialist is a compliment by the way, so stop being so defensive please) but at the same time know enough about the remainder of the body to be competent with it as well. You guys do 4 years of medical school as do we, but your residency is basically an intern year like most internships for MD's and DO's but then another couple working on LE. This does not make you competent to be putting in chest tubes and central lines upstairs. And I am sorry, but one solitary example about your friend's talar dome fracture is not exactly a double blind placebo controlled study on the efficacy of Pods in the service. I am not kidding when I tell you that I spent thousands of patient care hours with some of the most elite grunt soldiers on earth, and as I told you, the need for a Pod was remote. It was so remote that the Bethesda Naval hospital sent a Pod to our entire base of 50,000 Marines once a month, and we routinely had no patients for him to see. We had already done the acutely needed wedge resections and we successfully managed the vast majority of plantar warts, fasciitis, and fractures. There may very well be a need for Pods in the service, but not such a great need that they need to give incentives to join. Sadly but true, a captains salary and benefits would be a nice upgrade for many working Pods, so the capitalistic market forces are at work keeping the Army and Navy well supplied with the few Pods they do need.

DO's overcame the final hurdle to equivilancy when they were allowed to take the FLEX exam back in the 70's. Later they came out with their own board exam the COMLEX, but they proved they could pass the same licensing exam as MD's. And still today we have the option of taking the USMLE (and any DO with a reasonable expectation of matching at an ACGME program takes it), and we routinely pass it. I think for Pods to prove their equivilancy to DO's and MD's, they will ultimately have to do the same thing. Not to ruffle any feathers, but I doubt honestly that many Pods would pass such a general medical exam such as the COMLEX or the USMLE. And that knowledge needed to pass such an exam is what makes a physician well rounded enough to be experts across the board, generally speaking. Dentists are specialists of the oral cavity, but you don't see them trying to become battallion surgeons. They know their place, and unfortunately for you guys they are much more needed in the service. But they are not physicians any more than Pods; they just stick to their specialty designation and that is it. And they too would have equally tough a time passing a general medical exam like the USMLE.

Bottom line...I would be more than happy to vote to allow Pods to take the USMLE, and if they pass it, I believe they deserve to enjoy the right to be a physician in any specialty. But I truly believe that DO's gained their equivilance because they were truly equivilant across the board. I don't believe you can say the same thing about Pod specialists.

Okay bud. I tried to defend you but if you want to throw insults around, then lets dance. One, you sounds truly ignorant when you say our residency is a "year of internship." Maybe you should do some research on podiatry, before you claim something like that. (I freely admit I was wrong about pods rank, I couldn’t find anything online) As for the central lines, ect, we are not trained at our residencies to do that but the Army has a different set of rules than the rest of the US. They could easily train DPMs at their residency at Fort Bragg to do anything they wanted.

I'd love to sit for USMLE, just let me in. Bet I do better than you, since I'm guessing you are a wanna-be MD that couldn't cut it so he ran off to DO school. (Do you like people making ignorant statements that are assumptions?) I was accepted to MD school but walked away and later enter podiatry school, can you say the same? This year CPMS has a few students that scored over a 30 on their MCATs, what was your score? Don't assume you know what we are capable of or what we know.

P.S. I'm a surgical TA so I do know how to run a central line, thanks though.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

Let me clarify my first comments for the corpman. I understand that a bullet eater, I'm sorry a ground pounder, are very slow. I'm glad you worked you way out of special ed, from the short bus to the Hum-V.

First a talar dome fracture is a common traumatic (do you understand that word, it’s a big one) fracture. The problem is when you have doctors who might not be experience in lower limb trauma, the patient can develop arthritis. You see the talus sits in the ankle joint and is covered in cartilage; if you lose the cartilage you can develop arthritis (another confusing word). If the Armed Forces used more qualified physicians such as pods, they may get better results.

You claim there is a lack of need. So no one gets shot in the foot or leg? No one gets scrap metal in the foot or leg? No one breaks bones in the foot or leg? No one sustains burns or road rash to the foot or leg? No one gets puncture words or ulcers in their foot or leg?

I would like to know where you served. Did you see action? My father in law served in the Persian Gulf War. I have three of my best friends who have served or are serving in the Middle East. My unlce flew on Air Force 2, my brother in law has served as security in and around the Middle East. I have friends serving in the coast guard and the Iowa and Nebraska Air Guard. My point is I have heard may first hand accounts of the incompetence of the military. This is just another example, and your my friend are another example.

 

[jonwill]

Bottom line...I would be more than happy to vote to allow Pods to take the USMLE, and if they pass it, I believe they deserve to enjoy the right to be a physician in any specialty. But I truly believe that DO's gained their equivilance because they were truly equivilant across the board. I don't believe you can say the same thing about Pod specialists.

The USMLE isn't much different from the boards we take (NBPME). They cover the same material and most USMLE study guides actually address our exam and give study tips, etc. Either way, I wouldn't put much stock in any standardized test.
I do agree with you in that pods AS A WHOLE are not equivilant across the board. Before my pod brothers freak out, let me explain. I believe this to be our own profession's fault. Some podiatric medical programs meet an extremely high standard in that they are fully integrated with MD/DO programs, general medicine is well taught, etc. Others are not so well taught. There is no real standard of education. Students at my school would smack the USMLE down pretty quick while, for other schools, it would be suicide! We must standardize podiatric medical education!
I'm sure you've probably already looked further into our residency training so I won't bother other than to say that 3 years of surgical training prepares us well.
I do feel that a well-trained podiatric surgeon would be a huge asset to our armed forces. We are the best in medicine at foot & ankle surgery and last time I checked, most of the men and women in the armed forces still had feet! I can honestly say that I wouldn't feel comfortable with a podiatric physician as an army battalion surgeon but then I could say that about pretty much every other doctor other than a general surgeon.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

The USMLE isn't much different from the boards we take (NBPME). They cover the same material and most USMLE study guides actually address our exam and give study tips, etc. Either way, I wouldn't put much stock in any standardized test.
I do agree with you in that pods AS A WHOLE are not equivilant across the board. Before my pod brothers freak out, let me explain. I believe this to be our own profession's fault. Some podiatric medical programs meet an extremely high standard in that they are fully integrated with MD/DO programs, general medicine is well taught, etc. Others are not so well taught. There is no real standard of education. Students at my school would smack the USMLE down pretty quick while, for other schools, it would be suicide! We must standardize podiatric medical education!
I'm sure you've probably already looked further into our residency training so I won't bother other than to say that 3 years of surgical training prepares us well.
I do feel that a well-trained podiatric surgeon would be a huge asset to our armed forces. We are the best in medicine at foot & ankle surgery and last time I checked, most of the men and women in the armed forces still had feet! I can honestly say that I wouldn't feel comfortable with a podiatric physician as an army battalion surgeon but then I could say that about pretty much every other doctor other than a general surgeon.

Jon, I agree w/ you assessment of inequality of education; our ignorance fuels their ignorance.

 

[dawgs2119]

Forget the Army. Our family has had a very distasteful experience with that branch. Go Air Force. It treats you MUCH better - like a human, doctor and an American. They need podiatrists, too!
- Mom of former ROTC student

I was recently accepted to podiatry school at Scholl in Chicago. After doing much thinking about the cost of podiatry school and the amount of debt I would be incurring (about $160,000), I decided to speak to the military about a health professions scholarship. One of my good friends who is starting M.D. school in the fall is also taking this option. I thought, "hey, graduate with no debt and still make a pretty good salary in the Army, not a bad plan."

I spoke with the local health professions recruiter for the Army. He was very nice and said that they would love to have me apply. I filled out a crap load of paperwork, submitted for a physical, etc. A couple of weeks ago I was told by the recruiter that the U.S. Army does not give podiatry students scholarships because we don't receive an M.D. or D.O. degree!

I have read a lot of ranting and raving on here about how podiatrists are treated as second-class physicians, and now I can speak from personal experience. The funny thing is, the U.S. Army has a podiatric residency program at Fort Bragg, NC, yet they won't give a podiatry student a scholarship. The Air Force and Marine Corps both offer podiatry students scholarships, but not the Army. Does that make any sense? The one branch of the military that truly needs podiatrists with all of the infantry that they have, and yet they won't give pod students a scholarship.

So, I have decided to fight this injustice. I have set up a meeting with my local representative who is on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee about changing the policies. It is ludicrous that the Army won't give DPM's a health professions scholarship.

Please let me know what you think.

😡

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

Forget the Army. Our family has had a very distasteful experience with that branch. Go Air Force. It treats you MUCH better - like a human, doctor and an American. They need podiatrists, too!
- Mom of former ROTC student

I'm in total agreement. My father in law slept in the middle of the desert during the Perisian Gulf War. My unlce who is in the Air Force said in a 5 star hotel in Greece.

The Army and Marines fight wars with numbers; the Air Force fights wars with technology.

Either way neither of them offer a medical scholarship to pods.

 

[whiskers]

It's kind of funny to read some of the "patriotic pods" tell their war stories from thier second hand experience.... What's so difficult for some of you hot shots to simply say, I didn't do that so I can't comment on it???

Obviously corpsmanup at least claims to have "been there and done that... ie was in the marines as a grunt" which kind of means more than "well, my second cousin was a cook in the air force... and he told me, based on his super-duper combat experience, that the marine grunts were stupid and that the army and marines need more podiatrists..."

Good grief... You don't have to know it all folks! Really, it's ok to have not done something/! Just don't give contorted opinions based on zero experience and then insult the real deal for his experience and subsequent opinion.

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

It's kind of funny to read some of the "patriotic pods" tell their war stories from thier second hand experience.... What's so difficult for some of you hot shots to simply say, I didn't do that so I can't comment on it???

Obviously corpsmanup at least claims to have "been there and done that... ie was in the marines as a grunt" which kind of means more than "well, my second cousin was a cook in the air force... and he told me, based on his super-duper combat experience, that the marine grunts were stupid and that the army and marines need more podiatrists..."

Good grief... You don't have to know it all folks! Really, it's ok to have not done something/! Just don't give contorted opinions based on zero experience and then insult the real deal for his experience and subsequent opinion.

Hey whiskers when you remove you lips from corpsman's backside say something that adds to the conversation. You know that the second hand rhetoric of an actual veteran is better than the first hand opinion of an idiot. Anytime you want the email addresses of my father-in-law, uncles, or friends, you can contact them and get my second hand experience first hand.

Do you know what Marine stands for? Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not Essential

What is your excuse? Just dropped a lot as a baby?

 

[whiskers]

repeat

 

[whiskers]

repeat

 

[whiskers]

repeat

 

[whiskers]

repeat

 

[whiskers]

Hey whiskers when you remove you lips from corpsman's backside say something that adds to the conversation. You know that the second hand rhetoric of an actual veteran is better than the first hand opinion of an idiot. Anytime you want the email addresses of my father-in-law, uncles, or friends, you can contact them and get my second hand experience first hand.

Do you know what Marine stands for? Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not Essential

What is your excuse? Just dropped a lot as a baby?

"Do you know what Marine stands for? Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not Essential"

That's funny because the same could be said about our profession as podiatry. Intelligence for podiatry? hahaha, who are you joking to? I know the deal! Oh well, I think that the marines got one on us.... at least they have a requirement (muscle) and a spine... plus they're a heap braver....

 

[Dr_Feelgood]

Wow. That was quite witty. I have been put in my place. And posting if over and over again makes me even more shamed.

I wonder what your future will hold? Your perky outlook on your chosen profession and your obvious unending wit and intelligence, you’re destined for great things.

Let’s look into the crystal ball…..

After you've lost your license b/c the state board is feed up with your ignorance (why you ever thought you could do a prostate exam when the patient is their for a diabetic foot screening, the world will never know. Also the normal prostate exam is done w/ the finger not the tongue), what will you do? Are the custodial arts in your future? Maybe, or maybe corpsman will leave some money on the night stand for the nice reach around. Either way you’ll be elbow deep in another man’s crap.

Post that 5 times.

 

[jonwill]

"Do you know what Marine stands for? Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not Essential"

That's funny because the same could be said about our profession as podiatry. Intelligence for podiatry? hahaha, who are you joking to? I know the deal! Oh well, I think that the marines got one on us.... at least they have a requirement (muscle) and a spine... plus they're a heap braver....

Pretty insulting. Please don't try and speak for an entire profession of which you do not represent. 👎

 

[ProdPod]

"Do you know what Marine stands for? Muscles Are Required Intelligence Not Essential"

That's funny because the same could be said about our profession as podiatry. Intelligence for podiatry? hahaha, who are you joking to? I know the deal! Oh well, I think that the marines got one on us.... at least they have a requirement (muscle) and a spine... plus they're a heap braver....

Dude,

My question is how can you stand yourself? You have alot of negative energy to vent on this field and I have to assume the rest of your life. Oh man! This just in..... Whiskers has finally identified himself

http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/gay_village/pride_2004/gallery3/images/white_mask_whistle.jpg
Well sort of!