Beware MichenerSpeak

To current chiropody students and those considering chiropody.... I agree with the statement the reason for the suspension of the chiropody program is, "in the need to ensure reliable clinical placements are available for upcoming students. Cuts to hospital chiropody programs, which served as 3rd year placement have created some issues especially in ensuring students are able to pursue placements within the GTA." BUT you must read between the lines... there are approximately 250 chiropodists in private practise in the GTA (depending on how large you consider your boundaries) but there is a lack of reliable clinical placements??????? Since most of the graduates are planning a chiropody career in lucrative(???) private practise why aren't they being placed with chiropodists in private practise?

Well let me speculate and if it makes sense, good. If it doesn't, point out the errors in my reasoning.

Many chiropodists in private practise are doing it part-time i.e. less than 30 hours/week despite the "extreme demand" for chiropody and the "severe lack" of chiropodists. So chiropody students placed at a hospital chiropody clinic see a six month waiting list and chiropodists seeing up to 18 patients/day. At my private chiropody clinic and many other private chiropody clinics they would be lucky to see us treat 8/day, 1-3 days/week at one clinic and maybe that many at another clinic 1-2 days/week. A day and night difference. (That's why so many chiropodists in private practise are located at 2 or more locations.) News of this would get to others considering careers in chiropody and to the chiropody students in 1st and 2nd year. So to maintain the illusion that there is an insatiable demand for chiropody treatment, 3rd year students were (& are) placed in hospital chiropody clinics and with chiropodists working at community health centers.

To keep the 3rd year chiropody students uninformed about private practise I found out that one of the chiropodists at a hospital chiropody clinic, who graduated more than 15 years ago that he makes more (with benefits) than almost everyone in private practise chiropody which had graduated at the same time that he did -he told me this!!! I asked him does he tell this to them placement chiropody students. He doesn't!!!! He worries that he may lose his job, so he's very positive about his position and informs all the students that private practise is a good option but to try get a hospital job or a community health center job first and then set up part-time and see how it goes. Once they make more part-time than full-time, then she/he should carefully go into private practise full time.