"We Are Podiatrists. Nothing More, Nothing Less."

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MaxillofacialMN

MaxillofacialMN

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  1. Podiatry Student
I still don't know why Podiatrist are scared of their title. Big woop, you deal with feet, no one cares, at least it's not teeth.
 
Nice article.
I do agree that pods should declare themselves as pods. This way, when someone says "oh you work with kids?" they can be informed about the career. I also believe it is just what Dr. Raducanu states, the word podiatrist just doesn't sound sexy. When I hear that word, I remember the childhood visits to my local DPM for orthotics. From what I remember, the clinic had gray walls, crappy carpeting and it smelled a little weird (it is much better now, trust me).

People only associate a few medical problems to the feet; generally warts, toenails, and fungus; oh you're a foot doctor? it sounds like such a knowledgeable career, why don't I just check out the OTC aisle at Walmart.

When I tell people I want to be a podiatrist, the words somewhat stutter from my mouth and I quickly back it up with, "a medical and surgical specialist of the foot". It's not really that I am ashamed about it, it's just the word is so retro and people hold a stigma to it. Also, feet are not sexy (well to some people they are, YES YOU, REX RYAN). What is the difference in saying, I want to be a neurologist vs. I want to be a podiatrist? Or any specialty for that matter, except proctology :meanie:. IMO, neurologist sounds like a much cooler name. How about podiotrologists? Long, fancy, it could work...hell, the general public doesn't even know what a podiatrist does.

Life Sucks said:
I still don't know why Podiatrist are scared of their title. Big woop, you deal with feet, no one cares, at least it's not teeth.
Click to expand...
**at least its not ass**
 
Shinobiz11 said:
Nice article.
I do agree that pods should declare themselves as pods. This way, when someone says "oh you work with kids?" they can be informed about the career. I also believe it is just what Dr. Raducanu states, the word podiatrist just doesn't sound sexy. When I hear that word, I remember the childhood visits to my local DPM for orthotics. From what I remember, the clinic had gray walls, crappy carpeting and it smelled a little weird (it is much better now, trust me).

People only associate a few medical problems to the feet; generally warts, toenails, and fungus; oh you're a foot doctor? it sounds like such a knowledgeable career, why don't I just check out the OTC aisle at Walmart.

When I tell people I want to be a podiatrist, the words somewhat stutter from my mouth and I quickly back it up with, "a medical and surgical specialist of the foot". It's not really that I am ashamed about it, it's just the word is so retro and people hold a stigma to it. Also, feet are not sexy (well to some people they are, YES YOU, REX RYAN). What is the difference in saying, I want to be a neurologist vs. I want to be a podiatrist? Or any specialty for that matter, except proctology :meanie:. IMO, neurologist sounds like a much cooler name. How about podiotrologists? Long, fancy, it could work...hell, the general public doesn't even know what a podiatrist does.


**at least its not ass**
Click to expand...
Lol, Dr.Kramer, proctologist. What if we call the specialty podiorthotarsologist............
 
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Interesting article. Have I ever told anyone I'm a foot and ankle surgeon? Maybe a handful of times, but I've probably told them I'm a foot and ankle specialist much more often. That doesn't imply I only perform surgery, it just explains what I do. At times I guess I'm simply lazy and find that foot and ankle specialist is self explanatory, and sometimes podiatrist isn't. But the majority of times I simply say I'm a podiatrist.

However, if approached at a party or social event, when I'm asked "what I do", I tell the person that I'm in the repair business. When asked what I repair I tell them feet and ankles.

Dr Raducanu's points are valid and his observations are valid. But I'm not sure we can blame the docs who have this identity crisis. After all, it is the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. The American Board of Podiatric Surgery is proposing a name change to the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. So the problem of identity is flowing down from the top.

The bottom line is that no matter what you call yourself, you still have the initials DPM behind your name.......so you can't "hide". If you're embarrassed, that's truly sad. It reminds me of most of the optometrists I know. They all refer to themselves as "eye doctors", but all the ophthalmologists I know simply say they are ophthalmologists, not eye surgeons.

In my opinion, it's simply a matter of insecurity, or in my case sometimes I'm simply lazy and don't want to answer a hundred questions. Foot and ankle specialist is self explanatory.
 
I really liked this article and will likely be recommending to many of my future classmates. It seems like all of the people I interviewed with were only doing podiatry as a back up plan. I have a suspicion that a lot of the DPM's suffering from this identity crisis once belonged to a similar group.

My take on it is I tell people I don't know well or in causal conversation that I am going to medical school next year. If the conversation proceeds, to the logical: Where?/what do you want to do?/what the hell is that?/ oh feet are gross! why do you want to do that? pathway, then I clarify. I just don't have the time and energy to get into a long description of it most of the time
 
That was a very enjoyable and gripping read. It's great that this specialty focuses so much not on saving lives but on improving quality of life. That is very appealing to me.

Quick question, though. Do podiatrists ever deal with life and death issues as the primary provider?

Can anyone recommend some good podiatrist blogs?

Thanks for sharing, bro.
 
Pretty cool read. It seems that most of us get the typical, "feet? but why?" when telling people that we plan to pursue podiatry. While I also plan on applying to DO schools, I don't understand the stigma attached to podiatrists. When people question my plan to possibly become a foot and ankle specialist, or gasp, podiatrist, I find it easier to respond with, "foot fetish."
But in all seriousness, do most people really become specialists due to their fascination with that particular body part? OB/GYN? Urology? Do oncologists love cancer? No. Podiatrists, like any other physician, chose their profession because it's the one career that they believe will best enable them to benefit society.
 
CapCrunch said:
Pretty cool read. It seems that most of us get the typical, "feet? but why?" when telling people that we plan to pursue podiatry. While I also plan on applying to DO schools, I don't understand the stigma attached to podiatrists. When people question my plan to possibly become a foot and ankle specialist, or gasp, podiatrist, I find it easier to respond with, "foot fetish."
But in all seriousness, do most people really become specialists due to their fascination with that particular body part? OB/GYN? Urology? Do oncologists love cancer? No. Podiatrists, like any other physician, chose their profession because it's the one career that they believe will best enable them to benefit society.
Click to expand...

The foot fetish comments usually stem from the same individuals who think being an OB-GYN is awesome for a guy.
 
Good read 🙂

Agree, I would much rather deal with feet than teeth 😀
 
As I've mentioned in other threads, when people asked my "why feet", I tell them I wanted to be a proctologist.......but there weren't enough openings.

In actuality, I always wanted to be a dentist since I was about 5 years of age. But I played Division 1 soccer and had a problem that no one was able to figure out, until I met a bright and talented podiatrist. Then I gained an interest and shadowed, and the rest is history.
 
PADPM said:
As I've mentioned in other threads, when people asked my "why feet", I tell them I wanted to be a proctologist.......but there weren't enough openings.

In actuality, I always wanted to be a dentist since I was about 5 years of age. But I played Division 1 soccer and had a problem that no one was able to figure out, until I met a bright and talented podiatrist. Then I gained an interest and shadowed, and the rest is history.
Click to expand...

What position, left wing? :meanie:
 
Shinobiz11 said:
The foot fetish comments usually stem from the same individuals who think being an OB-GYN is awesome for a guy.
Click to expand...

My brother is doing his OB/GYN residency... it is not awesome for him in the sense that he gets to check out lady parts all day. A lot of the work he does is not pleasant (anyone heard of a PANIS check out urban dictionary if you haven't: click here). But a lot of the work he does is awesome and rewarding. He gets to deliver babies and be a part of one most people's top five life events.

🙂

I <3 podiatry... I'm gonna jazz it up and throw "Toetologist" in there as an option. :laugh:

PADPM said:
As I've mentioned in other threads, when people asked my "why feet", I tell them I wanted to be a proctologist.......but there weren't enough openings.
Click to expand...

Read this wrong. Apparently I have a dirty mind LOL.
 
Ya anyone who thinks an OB/GYN is always looking at super models is dreaming...I always get the foot fetish joke after I tell people I am going to podiatry school. Dude if I (or we) had a foot fetish I don't think I would be a pod, I never saw any beautiful women's feet when I was shadowing.😡lol
Most the people that I tell I am going to be a pod know what a podiatrist is, and if they don't I say it's a foot doc.
 
billBOB213 said:
Ya anyone who thinks an OB/GYN is always looking at super models is dreaming...I always get the foot fetish joke after I tell people I am going to podiatry school. Dude if I (or we) had a foot fetish I don't think I would be a pod, I never saw any beautiful women's feet when I was shadowing.😡lol
Most the people that I tell I am going to be a pod know what a podiatrist is, and if they don't I say it's a foot doc.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I think the point I was trying to make was that people don't always become specialists due to their fascination with a particular body part. Podiatry, along with other medical specialties, is just one of the many important players.
 
mees said:
My brother is doing his OB/GYN residency... it is not awesome for him in the sense that he gets to check out lady parts all day. A lot of the work he does is not pleasant (anyone heard of a PANIS check out urban dictionary if you haven't: click here). But a lot of the work he does is awesome and rewarding. He gets to deliver babies and be a part of one most people's top five life events.

🙂

I <3 podiatry... I'm gonna jazz it up and throw "Toetologist" in there as an option. :laugh:



Read this wrong. Apparently I have a dirty mind LOL.
Click to expand...

tumblr_m8egivwuJ11qkx5cro2_r5_250.png


Lol, do the toes really need their own specialist?
 
Only reason for a name change would be just for better public perception / 'PR'.

We live in a world of marketing.
 
PR is definitely a reason...but that kind of change has to be accompanied by something more substantial...like, say...I dunno...a universally recognized definition between states of what a pod really is and more importantly: universal scope of practice. Without the latter, a new title is just window dressing.
 
Pktgresch said:
Loved the world of Warcraft/Star Wars comment.
Click to expand...

Lol, right? As a fellow gamer it makes me happy that even as a busy physician he can still make time to pick up a controller/mouse+keyboard and have some fun.
 
Pre-WotLK was amazing. I was actually thinking about WoW earlier today; all the time I wasted, all the friends I miss, how much fun I had lololol.
 
I would literally go from kicking arse to failing out of school if I got back into gaming. :laugh:

These days I just stick to knitting sweaters and stuff to entertain myself between study sessions.
 
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