Why

[postbacpremed87]

Why aren't more people interested in podiatry? You're a doctor (as Seinfeld says) and even though other specialties make more...if you do well in school, get your DPM, graduate from 36PM&S residency you can easily make 175-200k...at least after a few years. What other professions allow you this compensation and the ability to effect lives?

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[SLCpod]

Ha! I actually find this kind of funny. Yesterday the dean of Western (Dr. Harkless) stopped by our school to have a podiatry Q and A. Only two pre-pods showed up. When there are pre DO/MD Q and A sesssions the school has to do it in a 350 seat auditorium which completely fills up.

Anyways, I think that a lot of people don't have a ton of exposure to a pod and therefore don't think about it as a career when they are looking at jobs in medicine. I also believe that there are those that don't find the foot as an appealing body part to specialize in. There may be those who also believe that pods don't make money. There are also those that..... The list could go on and on. Who cares? Just make the career choice that will make you happy.

 

[feet2017]

In all honesty I think it has a lot to do with the letters behind your name. Also podiatry doesn't have the greatest reputation, many older people don't know about the advances of our profession and so they do not promote it to the new generation of students. I go to a huge public university part of the UC system and when I went and talked to one of the counselors I was literally the only student she has meet that is going into podiatry.

Another interesting random thought is that when I tell people I am going to do podiatry they ask what it is first and then after I explain it to them they ask if I have a feet fetish. People generally don't ask dentist if they have a teeth fetish. I guess people don't know the earning potential of podiatry.

 

[buBBa15]

lol its crazy how many times ppl have asked me if i had a feet fetish...idiots...

 

[skierbum]

lol its crazy how many times ppl have asked me if i had a feet fetish...idiots...

that is so true...anyway people usually say "feet are gross" and I always say, "better than teeth or butts."

 

[feet2017]

lol its crazy how many times ppl have asked me if i had a feet fetish...idiots...

I just give them a sarcastic yup....I loveeee feet

 

[hughesn2]

What I have realized....

a) People are just afraid of feet and think it is gross to work on feet for a living

b) People assume that the ONLY thing you do is cut toenails or look at bunions

c) People think podiatry schools is part of MD school

d) There are only 9 schools so not much exposure there

e) People think feet are gross....yeah again!

The problem for us that actually want to go into podiatry is the $$$$$$$. Some of these people would think I will do it only for the money.
Again, one of my friends who was a KIN major thinking of going into PT thought I was joking when I said I wanted to go into Podiatry. She laughed and thought, "what 4yr doctorate to get paid $60,000 a year" I laughed and said "that is how much you make just in residency" it was funny to hear from someone who will go to PT school for 3yrs thinking Podiatry was a joke career. I then explained to her that if she understands that PT school is 3yrs and if you really think money is the only issue in life then you will have a problem going down the PT route.
So I looked at it like this for comparing PT vs. DPM:

PT: 3yrs, $22K-$28K in tuition (in state) per year....highest salary you will EVER make $90K
DPM: 4yrs school, $31K in tuition per year...lowest salary you will make after your 5th year in practice, $90K

It isn't all about the money, but for a pre-PT student to think DPM is a joke was really odd.

 

[ManUnderFire]

What I have realized....

a) People are just afraid of feet and think it is gross to work on feet for a living

b) People assume that the ONLY thing you do is cut toenails or look at bunions

c) People think podiatry schools is part of MD school

d) There are only 9 schools so not much exposure there

e) People think feet are gross....yeah again!

The problem for us that actually want to go into podiatry is the $$$$$$$. Some of these people would think I will do it only for the money.
Again, one of my friends who was a KIN major thinking of going into PT thought I was joking when I said I wanted to go into Podiatry. She laughed and thought, "what 4yr doctorate to get paid $60,000 a year" I laughed and said "that is how much you make just in residency" it was funny to hear from someone who will go to PT school for 3yrs thinking Podiatry was a joke career. I then explained to her that if she understands that PT school is 3yrs and if you really think money is the only issue in life then you will have a problem going down the PT route.
So I looked at it like this for comparing PT vs. DPM:

PT: 3yrs, $22K-$28K in tuition (in state) per year....highest salary you will EVER make $90K
DPM: 4yrs school, $31K in tuition per year...lowest salary you will make after your 5th year in practice, $90K

It isn't all about the money, but for a pre-PT student to think DPM is a joke was really odd.

this list sums it up

But again, better feet than butts, genitalia, and teeth

 

[Arijos0222]

Pretty sure it's the scope of practice, the foot thing, and the DPM.

Podiatry is really interesting. I really think it's an amazing profession, however, the limited scope of practice to the lower extremity isn't for some people. Thus, having more of a variety in medical school to choose specialties is more appealing.

 

[darklabel]

Why aren't more people interested in podiatry? You're a doctor (as Seinfeld says) and even though other specialties make more...if you do well in school, get your DPM, graduate from 36PM&S residency you can easily make 175-200k...at least after a few years. What other professions allow you this compensation and the ability to effect lives?

Well you're a Pre-Med (Not Pre-Pod) so I guess you're not as interested in Podiatry

And its just general lack of knowledge of the profession in general. People clamor for nursing yet their median salary isn't even in the range of the lowest amount a DPM can make.

I can tell you that Pod isn't interesting for me simply because the idea of specializing in only one area of the body isn't appealing to me. I'd prefer to work with the whole body in a 'holistic' fashion

But I have respect for those going into Pods and honestly I wouldn't worry too much about exposure since seats do still fill up for Pod Schools. More people who know about Pods = more competition for yourselves.

 

[postbacpremed87]

Well you're a Pre-Med (Not Pre-Pod) so I guess you're not as interested in Podiatry

And its just general lack of knowledge of the profession in general. People clamor for nursing yet their median salary isn't even in the range of the lowest amount a DPM can make.

I can tell you that Pod isn't interesting for me simply because the idea of specializing in only one area of the body isn't appealing to me. I'd prefer to work with the whole body in a 'holistic' fashion

But I have respect for those going into Pods and honestly I wouldn't worry too much about exposure since seats do still fill up for Pod Schools. More people who know about Pods = more competition for yourselves.

Actually the guarantee that you'll go into surgery is quite appealing. I'm shadowing both and I am keeping my options open. Isn't that what us pre-(fill in the blanks) are supposed to do?

 

[air bud]

Unfortunately that also means some people who have no business doing surgery will be trained that way as well. Hopefully they someday realize they suck at it and decide to function as a podiatrist in other ways.

 

[darklabel]

Actually the guarantee that you'll go into surgery is quite appealing. I'm shadowing both and I am keeping my options open. Isn't that what us pre-(fill in the blanks) are supposed to do?

Yeah, just messing around, thats why I added the "".

As for people going into surgery who don't, well if residency is a problem as said, I'm sure they'll wash out or won't match. If they do, then they deserve to be there.

 

[PatchAdamsFan]

If only that were true. There are more incapable doctors out there than one would like to admit (some in all medical professions).

 

[ManUnderFire]

If only that were true. There are more incapable doctors out there than one would like to admit (some in all medical professions).

We fit in a bell curve, for everything. Most people are average (with some deviation away from the mean), some are exceptionally incompetent and few are exceptionally competent.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Hi everyone. I'm a pre-DO/MD that just recently became informed about your profession following a thread on pre-osteo. The reason I never really considered pod, primarily, is because I am fairly certain I want to go into Neurology or Psychiatry. However, I have had little to no exposure whatsoever to the field. I've been at a number of colleges in California as a student or just health career fairs and have never seen a podiatrist/podiatry school. I was actually surprised to learn the compensation, the reasonable market of competition and even the ability to perform surgery after a short residency. I definitely have much respect for this field now that I've learned about it, and if it weren't that I knew that Neuro/Psych is for me, I'd definitely consider pod school over being a family med, ob/gyn, pathology, etc.

 

[feet2017]

Hi everyone. I'm a pre-DO/MD that just recently became informed about your profession following a thread on pre-osteo. The reason I never really considered pod, primarily, is because I am fairly certain I want to go into Neurology or Psychiatry. However, I have had little to no exposure whatsoever to the field. I've been at a number of colleges in California as a student or just health career fairs and have never seen a podiatrist/podiatry school. I was actually surprised to learn the compensation, the reasonable market of competition and even the ability to perform surgery after a short residency. I definitely have much respect for this field now that I've learned about it, and if it weren't that I knew that Neuro/Psych is for me, I'd definitely consider pod school over being a family med, ob/gyn, pathology, etc.

best advice anyone can give you is to go shadow a podiatrist. since you are already pre-med all the pre-reqs are exactly the same and you were planning on taking the MCAT anyways.

best way to get in contact with a podiatrist is http://www.aacpm.org/contactpod/default.asp

good luck