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12/25/2021
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION)
RE: Preparing Podiatric Medicine for its Future Role in Healthcare: A Half Century is Much Too Long (Leonard A. Levy, DPM, MPH)
From: Ivar E. Roth DPM, MPH
Kudos to Dr. Levy for leading the charge for podiatry to take the MBME back in the early ’70s. My son is attending podiatry school at Temple as a freshman this year and with him graduating from UCLA with a bioengineering degree with honors has made him competitive with any medical student anywhere. The current crop of podiatrists are super smart and need to be recognized for their hard work and brains. It is time the leaders of our profession make sitting for the MBME a priority. We have nothing to hide and should be proud to take on this challenge; our profession and our students deserve this.
Ivar E. Roth DPM, MPH, Newport Beach, CA
Other messages in this thread:
01/17/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION)
From: Leonard A. Levy, DPM, MPH
Richard Bloch, Executive Director of the Maryland Podiatric Medical Association, disagrees with my statement that there should "be an organized effort by our profession taking the National Board Examinations and/or acquiring a license comparable to other medical specialties (e.g., ophthalmology, ENT, etc.)." Furthermore, he describes podiatric physicians as being "generically licensed" and says that their specialization is by training, certification, and/or self-designation. He also concludes that “podiatrists elect to specialize by attending podiatric medical school and that the profession should be proud of its distinction in that regard.”
Mr. Bloch claims that whether the doctor has taken a particular exam is not something a patient looks at in deciding which doctor to...
Editor's note: Dr. Levy's extended-length letter can be read here
01/11/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION)
From: Brian Kiel, DPM
I have great respect for Dr. Kornfeld and his practice philosophy, but bluntly, I don’t care what MDs and DOs think of me. I treat my patients and they truly appreciate what I do for them. So a patient went to an Orthopod... okay, but how many times have you seen a foot screwed up by an MD and you were able to save it - probably lots. That’s what I love to do and it truly gives me satisfaction; I have loved doing it for 48 years.
For those who hate what they are doing, find something else that satisfies you. Life is too short to hate your life.
Brian Kiel, DPM, Memphis, TN
01/10/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION)
From: Robert Kornfeld, DPM
I wholeheartedly disagree with Dr. Kiel’s assessment of our reputation among the public. Too often, I have heard people say that they thought they broke their toe or foot and went to an orthopedist. When I tell them they should see a podiatrist for foot problems, they’ll say "oh but this was a fracture." The public may know we treat feet but they have no idea what our scope of practice is. At the same time, a good many orthopedists and other MDs belittle our training and expertise.
I personally have made it a practice to inform my patients what our scope and expertise in foot and ankle care is. But that doesn’t put a dent in the misinformation about us. I do agree that there are many MDs and DOs who hate what has happened to medicine and are very unhappy. I know quite a few of them. But they don’t feel ashamed of who they are. Too many podiatrists do.
Robert Kornfeld, DPM, NY, NY
01/07/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION) - PART 1B
From: Steven Selby Blanken, DPM
I am one of many DPMs who are happy with the fact that the NBME declined our request (the "White Paper"). I have stated before, as I will state today, that in this day and age, transparency needs to be in the forefront of proposals like this. Many of us who are even very active in our state societies and APMA didn't even know about this when it was being thought of. I believe that some few DPMs in our profession intended that to be that way. Issues like this in the future should be announced nationally by APMA, be forwarded to all state societies and evaluated, discussed by its members, and actually be voted on by each and every individual state society.
This, in turn, would be formally submitted to all the delegates and leaders of APMA prior to any discussions outside of our profession. I hope we can learn from this. The efforts that started in California actually had a negative effect in other states dealing with physician bills. This, in turn, will hurt several state societies from achieving resolution from several items that they have fought for years. I will also commend the DPMs that want "equality" but we need to do this in the correct format that is best for most of us in our profession. If polled, I feel most podiatrists feel that they have enough parity and respect overall from most of the healthcare professionals.
Steven Selby Blanken, DPM, Silver Spring, MD
Editor's note: In the next PM News, we will poll our readers on the issue of how podiatrists feel about parity.
01/07/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION) - PART 1A
From: Brian Kiel, DPM
Dr. Kornfeld, I think you are correct in that many podiatrists are "unhappy", but statistics show that a large percentage of physicians are equally unhappy and are quitting in record numbers. I do disagree with your inference that the public does not know who we are. I have been in practice for 48 years. Time and time again when people ask me what I do, I say "I am a podiatrist." They know exactly what I do.
In fact, years ago, I would say "foot doctor" and often they would say, "Oh, a podiatrist". Where we are going as a profession is questionable - too many foot and ankle surgeons and not enough podiatrists, but you can be sure the public knows who we are and appreciate our care.
Brian Kiel, DPM, Memphis, TN
01/06/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION)
RE: Preparing Podiatric Medicine for its Future Role in Healthcare: A Half Century is Much Too Long
From: Robert Kornfeld, DPM
As a 1980 graduate of NYCPM, I can say it has now been 41 years of the same old story - podiatry lamenting its role and position in healthcare. Podiatrists feeling "less than" and instead of calling themselves podiatrists, they introduce themselves as foot and ankle surgeons and say they went to medical school; 41 years of podiatry as a “second class” profession. To be honest, I have NOT had a good experience being part of this profession.
I now avoid interacting on a professional level with other podiatrists. However, I have had a wonderful and rewarding career and at 67 years of age, have no plans to retire. I love what I do and how I practice. But I have found the overall mentality of most podiatrists to be negative and disappointed in their career choice. Many “hate” podiatry. Most have a long list of grievances. It’s too late for me to...
Editor's note: Dr. Kornfeld's extended-length letter can be read here.
01/05/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION)
From: Bryan C Markinson, DPM
The ongoing USMLE discussion on PM News tends to embarrass me. Posts so far, giving thought to the past 50 years detailing buddy relationships with MDs, invitations to join professional MD/DO societies, faculty appointments in medical schools, task force generation, even teaching MD or DO students and residents, etc., are minimally interesting as historical and even present events. Disclosure: I also have enjoyed and appreciated much of the above in my four decades in the profession. However, these “achievements”, no matter how they stroke the ego, never did, and do not now, intimate anything close to recognition (by organized MD/DO medicine) of the education and training of Doctors of Podiatric Medicine as like or equal in any way to that of MD and DO degree holders.
It is also true that they do not intimate that the DPM degree is inferior to the MD or DO degree, just DIFFERENT. These things are true whether or not you are best friends with an orthopedic surgeon, or play golf with a neurosurgeon, or even if you operated on a member of their family. These “relationships” may indeed be advantageous to...
Editor's note: Dr. Markinson's extended-length letter can be read here.
01/04/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (SPECIAL COMMUNICATION)
From: Richard Bloch
Dr. Levy, I congratulate you on your career and efforts on behalf of podiatry. I am writing this letter as an individual, not on behalf of the Maryland Podiatric Medical Association in response to your article, “RE: Preparing Podiatric Medicine for its Future Role in Healthcare: A Half Century is Much Too Long.”
I have had the privilege of working as General Counsel to the Maryland Podiatric Medical Association since 1979 and also as Executive Director since 1991. I am proud to be associated with podiatry and have worked diligently to advance the profession, especially to expand its scope of practice legislatively, as well as recognition as the only non-MD/DO profession that is licensed to perform surgery. With the advent of the 4-4-3 model that is equal to the MD/DOs, podiatrists achieved “equality” in...
Editor's note: Mr. Bloch's extended-length letter can be read here.
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