On the contrary.....

Sorry, that's no excuse. If you spent your time in residency handing out fliers and playing houseboy to some idiot, that means you did not "put in" the proper work, research and evaluation of the residency before you accepted the program. This is not highschool, son. This is not the old bull---t game where you showed up for class, then tried to sneak out and smoke a J in the boy's room. This is where you decide what you do with the next two to 4 years of your future and the rest of your professional life. If you could not discern from visits to the program, word of mouth, placement history, surgical logs, reputation and externship programs; that this was a crappy residency program, you have no one to blame but yourself. If it is a legitimate residency program, you should take every day as an opportunity to learn. That means, scrubbing in on any and all foot cases possible. Knowing the surgical approach and objectives beforehand. Knowing the contra-indications and indications for the procedure. Knowing the possible complications. Video-taping them for your own library. Asking questions. Practicing on cadavers in the hospital morgue. Seeking out patients from clinics who are in need of surgery. And this should not be limited to surgical skills, this applies equally as well to podiatric medicine, wound care, orthotics and prosthetics, medical rotations and business skills. That last one is one of the most important. Go to the attending's offices, see how they bill, see how they manage patients, see how they run their business. And learn!
My final advice to you is this: if you are stuck in such a bad residency experience. Quit. And seek another program. There are many out there accross the country. Or just finish out the year, say thank you very much and move on. Find a legitimate residency program with podiatrists who know what they are doing. And learn from them! If you find a podiatrist that is very successful, stick to them like glue. Ask questions. Let them become your mentor and stop the whining for goodness sakes. Good luck to you.