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09/04/2013 Greg Aposperis, DPM
I Want to Work as a Podiatrist (Elliot Udell, DPM)
Dr. Udell asks how dentistry can have subspecialties but podiatry has only talked about it for 30 years. The answer is that, according to government statistics, there are 191,941 dentists practicing in the U.S., as of November, 2012.
Government stats also state there are approximately 16,000+ podiatrists practicing in the U.S. If this number is further divided, our impact on foot health will be diminished. Additionally, government stats note that many "baby boomer podiatrists" will be retiring just when the need for podiatrists increases (based on projected population and medical demands), just as the number of diabetics and other medical conditions increase.
We cannot afford to splinter into smaller specialty groups. In my opinion, the residency requirements are excessive, with the exception of procedures such as certain rear foot and ankle surgery.
Lastly, it has been suggested that we should be classified as having hospital privileges or not based on such training--granting a limited license. We are already a limited license profession! I believe that many podiatrists can easily qualify for performing procedures such as hammertoes, bunionectomies, neuromas, etc. Most hospitals grant privileges based on training, the individuals qualifications, and monitoring the individual, so why should WE limit our colleagues? The answer can only be to prevent competition. Yet, stats show that more competition is not only good for the profession but good for the patient as well.
Why not concentrate on producing well-trained podiatrists who can expect to be licensed and can practice once they have completed the required training? I feel we must work to remove the "black eye" to our profession caused by the graduates who are left to flounder with a hard earned degree.
Greg Aposperis, DPM, Santa Barbara, CA, santabarbarafootclinic@yahoo.com
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