Response

some of the items in this article were puzzling to me




"While we have seen a general decrease in applicants and class size, it mirrors that of medicine all over," said Tom Melillo, president of the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine."

it's not at the same rate is it?

"Medicare and insurance companies have lowered the allowable charges and reduced payments to an unacceptable level," he said. "The stress to maintain a financially solid practice and still be able to make an appropriate living is unreal. I realize that all professionals are faced with difficult choices and decisions, but our profession seems to be effected by external influences more than others."

is it really worse for podiatrists?

"Tuvel, who graduated from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland and completed a two-year surgical residency, said he's not sure ­ if given the opportunity ­ he would do it over again.

"It's often long, hard work and sometimes not very attractive," he said. "Podiatrists can find themselves having to reinvent themselves and their profession, just to keep their patients happy."

this kind of goes against the junk we here about good hours and a 6 figure income.

"Weiner said the drop in applications is a concern, but so far the school has been able to fill the slots without lowering admission standards."

this cannot possible be true.

"Most podiatrists have a balance in their profession and have control over their own life," Taylor said. "They don't work the 70 -80 hours like osteopaths and allopaths."

maybe, but they don't make the same money either.

"Our profession allows for a quality of life and a balance in your personal life," Lie said. "While podiatry offers a six-figure income, you can still spend quality time with the family. No beepers and no after-hour emergencies. This is an ideal profession for women who want a career and have the ability to have a family."

i think i'm going to barf if i hear this one more time

"It's a small profession and any drop off has the tendency to be magnified, said Dr. Robert Yoho, dean of the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines. He declined to provide year over year application data, but did say enrollment had been declining."

i guess because the actual number is too embarassing to admit.

Yoho said with the reduced numbers of graduates, the profession should take the opportunity to match the number of graduates with the multi-year surgical residency programs.

"If we can get our students into those important surgical residencies then we won't get caught up in the desire to increase students, but we can focus on providing the public with quality graduates offering excellent health care services," Yoho said.

wow! what an idea! they're just figuring this out!?

"Our profession must unify and this slowdown is an opportunity," Kasten said. "We have a diversified scope of practice and we must show students that podiatrists are well respected. Financially, not many people are aware that during the past 10 years, podiatrists earnings were equal to heart surgeons."

WHAT!!?? Sounds like a New Yorker!!

"Another problem: students often don't perceive the profession as an alternative to medical school, said Anthony McNevin, president of the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine in Rockville, Md. He said the drop in podiatric student enrollment is because of a mixture of reasons.

"In the minds of some students, the profession doesn't enjoy the same prestige and esteem as regular doctors," he said. "I believe that podiatric medicine suffers from not being in the mainstream of higher education. We in the profession have not been successful in getting it identified in the academic centers around the country."

and still they refuse to get into the "mainstream"