Dear Friend,
Here are some facts about podiatry from my own experience:
1. Over the years Podiatry schools have accepted less than qualified candidates from the pool of students. This was done for obvious monetary reasons and without regard for their ability to complete the 4 year program or even gain acceptance to a residency program. By less than qualified, I mean that they might not have been fully prepared academically, emotionally or socially(a successful podiatrist requires good inter-personal skills).
2. These folks, while well intentioned and perhaps even academically gifted, were not prepared for the reality of Podiatry in practice. The reality of the need for a strong business sense and a "self-starter" attitude. These same folks, with an allopathic degree might have found themselves settling into a research, teaching or consulting position and making a comfortable living (maybe not). In podiatry, however, these options are few and far between. Thus the resultant group of disgruntled, vocal and in some instances rightfully angry former Podiatrists. There is also, once in a while, the failed Podiatrist who through some unfortunate cofluence of bad luck and bad choices, finds himself without work. This is true for any medical field though and should not by any means be attributed to the field as a whole.
3. The large majority of students were, and still are, well qualified and above average in their achievements. Some quite exceptional.
4. More so than allopathic medical school, the Podiatry student needs the right combination of the following: Intelligence (this is a given in any medical field), Persistence, Personality skills, Business sense and a healthy spirit of Self-Reliance. The reason for this is simple: The DPM degree is not a flexible degree, those that are not practicing Podiatry find themselves with few other options.
5. The big payoff is that if you do the right things and work hard, you WILL be doing better than your average Internist, Hospitalist, Pediatrician, etc. (See,Bureau of Labor statistics numbers).The reason for this is the fact that a Podiatrist can do quite a bit within his/her scope of practice. For instance, you can create an operating room within your own office. You can run a wound care clinic from that same office, or a gait analysis/biomechanical lab, or a diabetic foot center, or an orthotics and shoe center or even specialize in cosmetic foot surgery if you like.
6. The large majority of Podiatrists are practicing out there, making a good living(well above the average income level), some doing extremely well. Most are in private practice, their own bosses and beholden to no one. Sure, you will hear of the insurance woes, this is true of all medicine. You work around it like any other obstacle. I'll tell you one thing; when I go to the hospital operating room, I know that without me,the Anesthesiologist, the Circulating Nurse, the Scrub Nurse, the X-ray tech and assorted others would not have a case.
7. Those students who gained access to Podiatry school, struggled through and for whatever reason failed to complete a strong residency are stuck in a difficult position. They are left with much debt and few options if they do not have the financial resources to follow through.
8. Much is being done to address these issues, Firstly; the Podiatric Medical Schools are beginning to allign themselves with academic medical centers and other professional schools, thereby relieving the burden on student enrollment profit to sustain their viability. The end result; a more selective process. Residency programs are becoming standardized. The three year model is the best option as it gives the Podiatrist the best combination of hospital experience, medical training and surgical skills to graduate and succeed right off the bat.
9. The following items need to be worked on: Much more needs to be done in Podiatry school and residency programs to educate Podiatrists in business and office skills (billing, coding, investment and financing). Much more needs to be done during residency to train Podiatrists in some of those areas that Podiatrists do best, such as biomechanics, orthotics and gait analysis (these are huge moneymakers). Pedorthists and Orthotists are doing great just on this alone. Many Podiatrists are realizing this and retooling their practice to include more of the biomechanics and orthotics which is truly our stongsuit.Much more can be done to identify those students who are doomed to failure within the first year and have an honest sit down and discussion with them regarding their aspirations, goals and ability to succeed in this endeavor. A truthful assessment of an individual's ability to proceed should be a requirement by the end of the first year of Podiatry school, taking into account the student's academic progress, personal initiative, financial stability and overall satisfaction with their career choice. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
10.Don't be so scared! Don't let all the rhetoric of failure discourage you. Life is scary enough as it is without worrying about what hasn't happened yet. Do what you like and enjoy, the success will follow.Open up any phone book and turn to the Podiatrist listings, you will see dozens of Podiatrists working, treating patients and enjoying their practices. Call one up and ask to speak to them. Hundreds graduate yearly and go on to rewarding professional lives. Good luck, live long and prosper.