I spent my wad on the Podiatry Forum a couple of months ago. I said what I wanted to say (usually more than once), got flamed, got more ornary, got flamed some more and finally felt like I needed to take a shower.
I think that most of the DPM's who post their gripes ARE not very successful. That kind of goes without saying. I happen to be financially successful (through pure luck), but am intellectually and emotionally dissatisfied. I have my issues with podiatry, but the issues are only with the schools, the education and the institution of podiatry. I think podiatry is a great sub-specialty and definitely needed (MD's and DO's know precisely dick about the foot and ankle).
My reasons for posting on the Pod Forum were mostly cathartic (if you went through the BS that I did, you'd need to vent, too), but partly instructional (I'd like to think). There's no doubt that most DPM's make a good living in podiatry, but, proportionally (compared with DO's and MD's) there are more that don't. Just a quick look at which fields have the highest default rates can give you an idea (synopsis: Chiropractors have the highest, followed by DPM's, Dentists, DO's and MD's). I don't know how else to interprate this other than job availability and income potential.
You want to know why there are so many "negative" posters on the Pod Forum site? Simply put, it's harder to make a living as a podiatrist vs. MD's and DO's (virtually NO jobs for DPM's...we are forced to start from scratch while most MD's and DO's can find an actual job in an actual practice), there's a subtle inferiority complex that runs through the world of podiatry (which doesn't affect everyone) and you tend to get less respect in the real world vs. DO's and MD's. We are also looked at with greater scrutiny by Medicare and Medicaid because of the relatively high rate of fraud amongst pods. It all adds up to a stressful podiatrist.
If you guys want some honest opinions and advice, feel free to ask.
Dr Moon/Toejam
