|
|
|
|
Search
08/27/2013 Robin Myers, DPM
I Want to Work as a Podiatrist (Sarah Montgomery, DPM)
Do I feel bad for this young person who can't get a residency? Sure. But she should get in line! For 2 years during my senior year and after, I attempted to get a surgical residency unsuccessfully. This was 14 years ago. I felt at that time that getting a surgical residency, ANY surgical residency, was critical to my being able to perform at my maximum capacity as a podiatrist. I felt cheated that there were any of us who wanted a surgical residency and were not able to get one, but that year there were somewhere around 90 people who were unable to get a surgical residency. A friend had been trying for 3 years to get a surgical residency. I have struggled ever since! Most of the job opportunities state they want a 2-3 year surgical residency-trained applicant. Many of the hospitals require a surgical residency to be allowed on staff even to do a referral to trim toenails. The list goes on. I am pretty much relegated to doing nails and calluses. My average taxable income ranges around $22,000 per year.
I do not have any staff, cannot afford to hire anyone. I do all my own scheduling, filing, billing, etc. Is this fair? NO! I did not anticipate my life would be like this when I started my 4 years of medical school hell which resulted in my owing student loans in excess of $100,000! One respondent implies that perhaps some people should not have gone into medicine. Is he trying to imply that he is superior to those of us who could not get surgical residencies? I don't believe that! My background is medicine. My mother was in the medical field, I started as a nurse, my ex is a doctor. My career assessment test showed results practically off the charts for any profession related to the medical field. I finished my undergrad program with an average 3.7 GPA.
As a medical student I was in the top 25% of my class, often getting dean scholarships for grades. When they started the new residency plans 1-2 years after I graduated, I thought things would be different for the new graduates, but apparently not. It should be a requirement that ALL graduates be given residencies. It should have been a requirement that all graduates from previous years be grandfathered in and given future residencies as well.
It is deplorable that the medical school administrators are making huge salaries and driving fancy cars. The administrators' main concerns seem to be meeting the admission quotas and maintaining the public appearance and reputation of the school. They have little or no concern as to the student's future in the podiatry world.
Any pre-med student I meet during my daily activities will get a lecture from me as to the reasons why NOT to go to medical school. Robin Myers, DPM, Tucson, AZ, lauri3rkc@aol.com
Other messages in this thread:
08/28/2013 Philip Larkins, DPM
I Want to Work as a Podiatrist (Sarah Montgomery, DPM)
I offered a medical assistant job to Sarah here in San Diego, and unfortunately, it could not be arranged. I truly hope that this doctor gets into the podiatry field soon, as I told her in my e-mail. I truly feel saddened and have a kindred heart with this colleague. Sarah, you were wronged by your profession and the proletariat group that formed this cluster of nonsense that is known as a "podiatry residency standard". This is obviously a group of intellect devourers living and dining in a white, ivory tower.
You and the rest of the unmatched podiatry graduates have been long coming, and I am sorry that no administrator or educator or fellow student warned you of this. I saw this horrible cloud of unmatched residents looming on the horizon back in year 2000, as I was an unmatched soul looking for an out back then as well.
Somehow, I scrounged up a paltry program that should have had a flame thrower taken to it many years before, but this got me a foot in the door for a real residency program the following year. Sadly, this option is no longer available to you because of the impetus for podiatry to streamline their education profile.
Here is what I have to say to you, Sarah; do not despair, do not give up. Think about the times in school that you were the force, the guiding light. Your fellow students for sure relied on you many times for their educational lives during their time, and now, the deed will be repaid in spades. Please do not forget nor exaggerate the fact that you are a doctor, and are able to dispense the full armament of knowledge that a physician has at the helm. Expand your mind, forget about podiatry in the purest sense, work on humanity and the care it requires, it is still medicine.
Podiatry has abandoned you and your unmatched colleagues, and I stand by you all, and any future endeavor you may have in the wheelhouse. Philip Larkins, DPM, San Diego, CA, larko33139@yahoo.com
08/26/2013 Don Peacock, DPM
I Want to Work as a Podiatrist (Sarah Montgomery, DPM)
There are more than a few reasons that we have a deplorable number of unmatched doctors this year. One rationale has to do with the way residencies are scrutinized by the approval process. I was fortunate to realize my training in the Memphis surgical residency program. This program had been in existence for more than 20 years when I was a resident there. The residency was hands-on, high volume (1,200 cases per year) with lots to do for the two residents there. Regrettably, increased rules and regulations in the residency approval process lead to the closing of the Memphis residency several years ago.
Additional issues also remain in the way of our equals getting trained. An unmatched doctor could easily get surgical training by simply coming to work with me. In spite of this, in North Carolina you cannot be licensed without a one-year residency program. I appreciate that many of these rules were made to advance our profession. Sadly, rules can harm.
We have to remember that we are actually talking about doctors, not students. The schools are only responsible for making them doctors. Our profession is responsible for training them. We are the ones at fault. The rules need to be flexible so that we can accommodate these doctors. I suspect there are numerous podiatric physicians who could teach these doctors more than they would ever comprehend in a residency.
In our search for perfection, we have created imperfection. Training does not have to be perfect. It does not have to be in approved residency program. In trying to make our training perfect, we have in fact become obsessed with the imperfect.
Don Peacock, DPM, Whiteville, NC, peacockdpm@gmail.com
08/24/2013 William Deutsch, DPM
I Want to Work as a Podiatrist (Sarah Montgomery, DPM)
How is this situation different from any other scam? Enroll into a school to get a degree, then find you can't get a license or insurance because the implied continuation of that education, a preposterous three year residency requirement, is illusory. The length of the residency is preposterous for performing most of what podiatry care comprises.
The 3-year residency requirement has become an educational but more a political solution to counter the lack of acceptance by allopathic medicine. But does any podiatrist really think an orthopedist is going to respect a podiatrist more because of a three year residency? A podiatrist isn't an MD regardless of the years of training and that won't change even with a 5 year residency.
For years podiatrists practiced successfully with either no residency or a year-long residency. The short term solution is to secure at least a one year residency to all graduating students. The APMA will have to backtrack and certify this is as sufficient training for licensure and offer two or three year programs to those who want to continue their education. But at least the specter of impoverished ghosts wandering about with a worthless degree won't haunt podiatry and embarrass the profession. In the meantime efforts can be made to increase the number of 3-year programs. There was obviously a rush to mandate a 3-year residency requirement without consideration that the demand exceeded the slots. And I doubt schools will voluntarily limit class size since it isn't in their interest.
The profession has made a mess of things and it's up to the profession to rectify it. Otherwise, lawsuits will propel podiatry into further embarrassment. If I were a graduate with a worthless degree I would be hunting for a good lawyer. At the present time the only remedy for this poor podiatry school graduate is a lawsuit.
William Deutsch, DPM, Valley Stream, NY, woollfy1@yahoo.com
08/24/2013 Brian Kiel, DPM
I Want to Work as a Podiatrist (Sarah Montgomery, DPM)
I write this opinion with great hesitation, but I think it must be said. The letter from "Sarah", who has been trying to get a residency since 2010 was quite depressing in several ways. Obviously it is sad that someone has put in the time, effort and expense to attain a DPM degree and is unable to use it. It is also very sad that she is not an isolated case. However, there is another issue that must be faced. Perhaps being a podiatrist is not the right profession.
I have to question what is the issue when someone cannot get a position after 3 years of applying. Is there a personality issue, is there a competence issue, is there a some unrealized issue that has prevented her or anyone else in her position from attaining a residency? She and others have obviously had multiple interviews and there must be a reason for the overall lack of a positive response.
I am not involved with any institution such as a school or residency, but it seems from my observing various letters in this forum that the schools are taking almost anyone who applies and can pay by whatever means the tuition. Without some sort of "quality control", this situation will obviously occur repetitively and not only will our reputation as a profession suffer but if someone unqualified is to receive a license the public will suffer as well.
I am not trying to simplify or reduce the critical nature of this problem. I am not trying to insult or demean any individual. I just think that there is more to this issue than a mere shortage of spots for residents.
Brian Kiel, DPM, Memphis, TN, footdok4@gmail.com
|
|
|
|
|