Why so many negative people here are out of touch

Recently have seen comments by many here that show that they probably have not attended a scientific state of the art seminar for years. It is obvious that many of these same people do not read any scientific journals be it DPM, MD or basic science journals.

I see DPMs touting minimal incision surgery, not realizing the advanced training more and more of our grads receive, and not recognizing the increase in certain job opportunities for our grads because of their training. In addition, hospital access which was scattered in the 80s now is almost a slam dunk and with this access we come out of the dark ages.

Paradigm shifting a word used to excess and nausea has occurred. Yes if you plan for a future similiar to our past you are doomed to fail just as an MD that refuses to deal with the economic shifts within medicine. Chiropody is and could have been done by a number of health care providers. Trying to build this type of practice and depending on greedy insurers to cover it is like assuming you will get social security(as we know it today) when you retire. You will need to be a doctor. You will diagnose and recommend treatment plans that others will implement. There will always be activities that require advanced training or that you can do better and you will perform those. Not all will or should do surgery. This includes even forefoot for some. You must begin to think like a foot and ankle specialist (which can be someone of many degrees)not as a podiatrist that thinks they can or worse that they can't do everything. Refer to your colleagues whether refer back or not, eventually some will.

Some of you do not attend the meetings because you have chosen not to be in the various associations and therefore you do not recive the appropriate discounts. I would argue that this is a good investment even if you disagree with the politics since this access to education will allow you to stay current and perhaps allow you to see what mainstream truly is in the 2000s. It will also give you access to scientific journals so that you can see articles from around the USA by DPMs and see where are going. In addition you can purchase ortho and other journals to see how similiar we are and where we still hold an edge in certain areas.

Until you do this it is no different that someone who critizes how bad music sounds and they still are using a stereo with albums.

I have been doing this going on 20 years. Yes we can improve but this is the best I have seen the profession from a training, access, and mainstreaming with medicine perspective. If you stay at home and sit in front of the computer and only attend advertisement type CMEs from drug companies or take them online you are living in a cave. Make yourself a promise that you will attend one of the larger scientific seminars, see what is being exhibited, listen to what some of the younger people are talking about. These advances are not just surgical. Bracing advances, wound care management, shockwave etc. are occuring daily. If this doesn't excite you then I feel it's probably too late for you and I wish you luck. My request is until you do that, please do not belittle those who use a stethoscope,who are happy, or accuse them as someone who kissed butt to get them where they are today. It's simply not fair to them
My opinion..............