Please Call Dr. Wilner

Dear Student:

As Dr. Wilner eloquently sums up, most of the "negative" (reality) information regarding podiatry is truthful on these websites. Those who are students or young practitioners are mostly naive, or are up to their ears in debt that they are in denial about their real job prospects. Until the profession has a major overhaul in education, loan repayment, practice, and scope, podiatry will get worse. The admissions to the podiatric schools and the tactics used to lure "applicants" is equally distrurbing.

For the record, I am a former PSR-36 trained doc who taught, and was fully entrenched in podiatric medicine and am 34yo. Due to the low caliber training, scope, and lack of real research in podiatry I left to pursue investing. For 150K in nonbankruptable student loans, to make 40-90K a year before taxes is a joke based on 60-70 hr work week (reality). In fact, podiatry is NOT 8-5, it is 24/7 filled with paper work, medicare audits for tailnail clipping, and hospital restrictions of your surgeries SOLELY b/c of the DPM degree. With 120-150K in student loan debt, you as the pod, need to start up a practice. What US bank is going to blindly give you another 6 figs. to start up a small business?
Also, you need a house or an apt (you will mostly likely be late 20-early 30s, perhaps a used car to go to clinic/hospital, bills,hygiene etc..). Pretty tough on 45-90K before taxes.
There was a former CCPM pres who stated that the reason for high student loans was that pod students were using the money for hi-fi stereos, high-rise living, and having families. That is unbelievable, and just the TIP of the iceberg of the mentality of this "profession." So to practice podiatry, don't have family, don't own a car to go to work (bus, subway), and live in an apt at 30 something for the privelge of working on feet.

And please remember that most of us when we turned 18 where on our own (the umbilical cord was cut), we paid for college, pod med school, electric bills,food, etc... therefore, help from family was/is ridiculous, you are an adult and as such need to fund your own education if you so chose to go to college--which in 2004 has dubious value.
If pod schools charge as much and in many cases more than an MD degree, then the schools have a fiduciary duty to ensure that the degree is viable and can pay for itself and offers a middle-class lifestyle. Do not use examples of pods who have been in practice for 15 years who made all their money in 80's and now own 2 homes, 3 cars, and first class vacations. That is analgous to stating that all actors live in Bel Air and have loads of money when REALITY is the majority of actors are waiting tables and living in a 1BR apt with 3 other people.


If you want to invest 150K in education, then a MD, DDS, or DO degree would be infinitely more desirable. Those who disagree are respectively defensive or part of the political podiatric contigency.

Thank you, and best of luck speaking with Dr. Wilner, he is a gem and an excellent resource.

Alan.