Another Response

MY RESPONSE IN CAPS


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."

THE CLASS SIZE OF MEDICAL SCHOOLS ARE NOT GETTING SMALLER. WHICH MEDICAL SCHOOL DID NOT GET ENOUGH APPLICATS TO FILL A CLASS?

ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATIONS, BASED ON FIGURES THOUGHT TO BE CORRECT, THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS IN PODIATRY IS GOING DOWN BY SOME 30 PERCENT. THIS YEAR, THE NUMBERS WERE NOT PUBLISHED.

"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."

SPECIALIST MEDICAL DOCTORS ARE EARNING 200,000 PLUS EVEN WITH THE INSURANCE PROBLEMS. 500,000 A YEAR INCOMES FOR SURGEONS ARE COMMON.

PODIATRISTS ARE GETTING MUCH MORE HITS FROM MANAGED CARE AS WE ARE LIMITED LICENSED DOCTORS.

"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.

WOW. THIS IS AN ENDORSEMENT FOR PODIATRY.

"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."

THE PROBLEM IS NOT KEEPING PATIENTS HAPPY, BUT GETTING PAID FOR THE ROUTINE OFFICE VISIT AND SURGERIES. THE PROBLEM IS GETTING ON INSURANCE PANELS AS THEY ARE CLOSED. THE PROBLEM IS GETTIN LOAN MONEY FOR THE PRACTICE WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE 150K IN LOANS. THE PROBLEM IS IN DEFAULT AS IT MAY STOP MEDICARE MONEYS.

PODIATRY IS DEPENDENT ON MEDICARE MONEY. WHAT ARE THE PREDICTIONS ON HOW MEDICARE WILL TREAT PODIATRY IN THE FUTURE?

"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."

PLEASE PISS ON MY LEG AND TELL ME IT'S RAINING.

"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."

THIS IS UTTER SPIN. JUST WORDS.

"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."

YES. RESPONSIBLE FOOT SURGEONS DON'T HAVE TO BE AVAILABLE WHEN THEIR PATIENTS NEED THEM. THIS IS IRRESPONSIBLE SPIN.

"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."

WHAT IS THE SECRET REGARDING THE NUMBERS IN EACH CLASS? THIS IS PUBLISHED MATERIAL.

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.

NOW, THAT IS LOGICAL.

"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.

FINALLY PRODUCING A WELL TRAINED PODIATRIST WHERE EVERY ONE GETS EXCELLENT RESIDENCY TRAINING.

"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."

PODIATRISTS EARNINGS ARE EQUAL TO HEART SURGEONS.
THIS IS SO VERY IRRESPONSIBLE.

"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.

NO KIDDING. WHAT DO YOU THINK THOSE REASONS ARE?

"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."

ONE COLLEGE HAS SOLVED THAT PROBLEM WITH GETTING INVOLVED WITH NURSING AND PT PROGRAMS.

DISCLAIMER: THESE COMMENTS ARE MY OPINIONS ONLY AND ARE STATED TO ENCOURAGE DEBATE SO WE CAN IMPROVE PODIATRY. PLEASE DEBATE THESE FACTS AND HOPEFULLY A CONSENSUS CAN BE REACHED.