What was your intern year schedule really like? If you could escape from podiatry debt-free, would you?
What was your intern year schedule really like?
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According to the AMA, our intern year is filled with coddling and pats on the back for trying. Honestly, it's so program specific. How are your uppers? You'll find out once the honeymoon period of residency starts.
Even if I could escape "debt-free".... what gives me my years back and how long will it take to re-tool into a new field?
Even if I could escape "debt-free".... what gives me my years back and how long will it take to re-tool into a new field?
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I often think about this. If I could go back in time, then 100%. However, I'm now approaching/in middle age with a family, and I have kind of past the point in my life where I can just easily up and chase career dreams. Thus trading all my debt to walk away but without another viable career would at a minimum give me pause.
Im in the honeymoon period right now haha.
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Normal days pgy1 were 6am-5pm mix of surgery, inpatients, clinic... some reading in evenings for case prep.
On-call q3 for pgy1 (the fourth pgy1 was off svc at any given time and on-call for that service was variable).
At home pager call... but called by ER basically every night and come in to ER or do late add-ons maybe 25% of days pgy1.
Hours and call got significantly better pgy2 and pgy3.
Yes. I would 100% do nursing and have much less responsibility, jobs basically anywhere, and similar enough income (plus grad school options from there - typically hospital-paid). Mainly, RN just has much better ROI near 1:1 or better... could eliminate loans and start superfunding retirement significantly earlier age.
On-call q3 for pgy1 (the fourth pgy1 was off svc at any given time and on-call for that service was variable).
At home pager call... but called by ER basically every night and come in to ER or do late add-ons maybe 25% of days pgy1.
Hours and call got significantly better pgy2 and pgy3.
Yes. I would 100% do nursing and have much less responsibility, jobs basically anywhere, and similar enough income (plus grad school options from there - typically hospital-paid). Mainly, RN just has much better ROI near 1:1 or better... could eliminate loans and start superfunding retirement significantly earlier age.
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All of this.
The nursing degree is just much more valuable and transferable. We got med school level debt and med school length of training without MD DO money
MoostashPod
DarkPathMedicine
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My intern year schedule was usually 6:30 AM - 5 PM, starting with sign-out, then rounding with the attending, academics, then clinic, and sometimes after clinic academics. Home at around 7-7:30 pm. On call was in-house q2 or q3 depending on who's off rotation, vacation, etc. It's hell first year because it's draining. Pgy2 and pgy3 got better and better with less call and better hours.
I wouldn't bet on the debt to do podiatry if I could go back in time. I'd do something else debt-free and be happier. The ROI with the income to debt ratio in podiatry is draining and depressing the first few years out.
I wouldn't bet on the debt to do podiatry if I could go back in time. I'd do something else debt-free and be happier. The ROI with the income to debt ratio in podiatry is draining and depressing the first few years out.
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Intern year? Maybe 1-2 hours a day on path, anesthesia, maybe 2 to 3 in gen surgery....sat by the pool a lot. Went home multiple times a day. When on podiatry was real maybe 6 to 6 but that was just 4 months. Maybe 8 hour boring days on internal med following around a hospitalst. Benefits of a community hospital with no other residents. Just follow attendings living their life trying to do our residency a director a solid. Someone large medical center/university based had literally a 180 degree experience from me. And guess what. I turned out ok and know what I am doing. Soooo much variability on training. Non le of it matters. Nothing matters in the end. Buy Bitcoin.
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its a common misconception that you have to continue practicing podiatry if you decide that you want to "escape", even with lots of debt. there are many ways to make as much/more money than one would typically make practicing podiatry doing completely unrelated things without sacraficing the 7 years you would have to practice podiatry, and without the stress thats attached to practicing podiatry.
its hard for most podiatry graduates to think like this, as most are unable to think outside of the box or too afraid to make a jump into something new.
its hard for most podiatry graduates to think like this, as most are unable to think outside of the box or too afraid to make a jump into something new.
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It depended, if off service, anywhere from 2-8 hours a day depending on the rotation. But on service, if on call then close to 80 hours a week but otherwise 8-10 hours a day.
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Are you talking about something that starts with Only- and ends with -Fans?
How else would a DPM find "many ways to make as much/more money than one would typically make practicing podiatry doing completely unrelated things"?
The only people I know personally who've left [standard patient care] podiatry left it to be industry surgical equipment reps (related, bit less money... maybe same money if very good and high commissions), medical insurance company middle manager (related, bit less money), pod school professor (highly related, same or bit less money), or a few who do SAHM (unrelated, but no income... any money depends on partner).
I'm not sure if there is some secret way to get skills and a bank loan for an apartment building or a couple electrician trucks... or borrow to buy 3 hotels or restaurants or gas stations... maybe find ways to trade stock options on margin after the debt and time of DPM degree? One's credit is trashed with the debt-to-income ratio from health profession school. It is very hard for docs (even MD/DOs... but absolutely DPMs) to change careers without sacrificing on income. Most are never even able to start/partner into a business in their own profession. The career changes by docs to a similar income are more often than not still related to medical field.
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You’re kind of illustrating my point. Docs change careers to medical because it’s all they know. Those are good examples you provide . But the average salary of 120k can be achieved by many other professions . You might have to sacrifice some money and time during the transition . But if you know anything about money management (something medical graduates are mostly horrendous at), you could pull it off . I’d argue if you’re young enough and hate podiatry enough, it’s worth it.
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Yes, there are many ways to absolutely slay $$$ without leaving the house now.
The vast majority of my new pts who list occupation as "manager" or "admin" tell me they work mostly from home when I ask what work entails for sit/stand or shoes.
My partner makes 2-5x what most DPMs do with stock bonuses and does 99% remote/zoom work now (she was 90% remote pre-Covid, though).
It would be neat to combo some form of tele-health. We have cardiology, pulm, etc who do that in my area (see pts f2f one or two days per week... the rest video visits with techs to do the tests EKG, PFT, stress, etc). I'd imagine a skilled doc for psych or endo or rad or even pain or something could probably do very well on $ and well on hours also with nearly 100% tele-med. It's impossible for pods, though... we have such a hands-on and procedure specialty.
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PGY1 took the brunt of the labor at my residency. Hours varied, but usually, you can expect to be rounding by 4-5AM: cases, floors, ED consults throughout the day. Clinic 1-2days/week while your co-residents covered the hospital. We had great relations with most surgical specialties so often they'd ask for our assistance which we always obliged, sometimes this can take you into the wee hours of the evening. Rotating primary call amongst PGY1 so on your week you'd get crushed throughout the middle of the night with ED and floors blowing you up. This plus the occasional powerpoint, presentation, etc. All in all, wouldn't have traded it for anything
