01/02/2014    Judith Rubin, DPM

RE: Would You Change Occupations if You Could?

There are many people who would have loved to be
something else if they had the chance. But, I know
many of you feel like I do. Back in the early
1980s, I felt very special being a 2-year
residency trained surgical podiatrist. I got paid
what I asked and all was good.

We could open up cold and the profession was there
to help you. Now going out on your isn't an option
due to the money. I was always a little rebellious
trying to put myself on par with my MD colleagues.
Being a woman made it harder. We should have
worked harder as a society to get equal pay for
codes used by other physicians.

To this day, we are frustrated that orthopedists
get more money for the same codes. I think we are
all fearful that what it took a lifetime to work
up to will be snatched away by this government.

Make a New Year's pledge with me, please. We will
not testify against each other in court. I see
that and my heart breaks in pieces. It is rare
that MDs do it. After reading that case in New
York where the woman got $800,000 for a fifth toe,
I say no more testifying against our own. PLEASE!
There are other ways to make a living.

We will, as a profession, respect our worth in
medicine and that we cannot be replaced by another
profession. We will work harder to help each other
when we need it. Most of all, we will not let
insurances run our practices.

As a medical profession, we have the right to say
no to lessening payments and increasing
frustrations. This was the most unhappiest
holidays of my life. Let's get better more diverse
AFFORDABLE seminars in all phases of podiatry, and
more often. For the New Year my friends, let's
come together again as a profession and stay the
course because we can't be replace.

And that's a wrap. Happy new year. Let's make 2014
the best podiatric year ever.

Judith Rubin, DPM, Houston, TX, Jrubinfoot@
aol.com.

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