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06/17/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (PM EDITORIALS) - PART 1C
From: Bryan C. Markinson, DPM
The calling for retrofitting the colleges of podiatric medicine to educate the same as MD/DO schools, making their graduates eligible for all MD/DO residencies, seems to come with the fantasy that podiatric medicine would actually be a desired and ACGME-approved residency choice, a sentiment expressed often in this forum. That may be what some want, whether or not they have thought it through to what that would eventually look like. In reality it would be the death of any semblance of what podiatric practice currently is.
Even though some of our colleagues opine that podiatric medicine as an MD/DO residency option would be popular, I don’t think ACGME would, as for the most part, ACGME residency choices extant, pretty much have foot, ankle, and leg covered. Yes, trust me, they have it covered. What they don’t have covered is...
Dr. Markinson's extended-length letter can be read here.
Other messages in this thread:
06/25/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (PM EDITORIALS) - PART 1C
From: Jon Purdy, DPM, Jeffrey Klirsfeld, DPM
Dr. Markinson commented that podiatric residencies would suffer if we were to reach the MD/DO designation. All arguments aside as to why I believe a dual degree is imperative to this profession, I disagree. I certainly don’t have a crystal ball, but I believe the pool of graduates would add to DPM residencies. In my experience as a resident at a trauma 1 hospital, I found many graduating MD/DOs were clamoring for a “surgical residency.” Many wanted orthopedics, but due to stiff competition, begrudgingly took general surgical residencies. This was their admission, not my assumption. Since we are a limited surgical specialty, I think the three or four year residency resulting in surgical skills would be attractive.
Jon Purdy, DPM, New Iberia, LA
I have been reading many of the posts "who wants to be a podiatrist?" Some have discussed routine foot care and all the training that we did. I completely understand that. Has anyone picked up PAD, atrial fib, many skin pathologies (thanks Dr. Markinson), etc. etc. while doing RFC? RFC is one of the many procedures that we do. It’s not the most glamorous but we can pick up many issues that are in need of treatment. RFC can be the gateway to other procedures like bunion and hammertoe surgery, etc.
Jeffrey Klirsfeld, DPM, Levittown, NY
06/21/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (PM EDITORIALS) - PART 1C
RE: “Who wants to be a podiatrist?”
From: John Chisholm, DPM
I think this topic is a good reminder that our profession has very passionately-held opinions about the need for real parity, and the best way to achieve it. It is also becoming clear that our perspective on this issue is heavily influenced by the type of education and training that each of us received, and how recent that education and training was obtained.
To paraphrase the great Jon Hultman, "today's graduates of podiatric medical school are either (1) over-trained or (2) under-licensed". The only systematic study of the comparison between medical, osteopathic, and podiatric medical schools that I know of was the California Physicians and Surgeon's Taskforce. Its findings were that at the end of 4 years of podiatric medical school and 3 years of residency training, the education and training of the podiatric graduate was comparable to that of a medical or osteopathic graduate. It is foolish, and useless to base my opinion on how my education at CCPM in 1986 and my PSR-12 residency compares to those of an MD or DO. Today's graduates have a broad-based, comprehensive educational experience. I didn't.
Another pertinent quote, "it's the license, not the degree, that determines what you can do as a doctor." As long as we practice with a limited license, we will not be able to practice to the extent of our education and training, and thus will not have parity. All efforts towards parity should be focused on changing the license of a DPM to an unlimited, plenary license in our respective states. Wishing for an MD or DO degree to magically appear is...foolish.
John Chisholm, DPM, Chula Vista, CA
06/20/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (PM EDITORIALS) - PART 1C
From: Kenneth Jacoby, DPM
I agree 100% with Dr. DeFeo. I practiced for over 37 years and enjoyed 99% of it. I loved treating my patients as well as visiting with them. I felt like a member of the medical community and not a second-class citizen. It is how you look and feel about yourself which is so important. I feel I was very successful not by the amount of money I made but the differences I made in people’s lives. In that case, I am extremely wealthy. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose the same path. I have no regrets. PS. My son has followed in my footsteps and I had the honor to have practiced with him for 6 years before I retired.
Kenneth Jacoby, DPM, Elgon, IL
06/15/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (PM EDITORIALS) - PART 1C
From: Patrick (Pat) Caputo, DPM
Who wants to be a podiatrist? Excuse the levity, but I do. It was how I met my wife. Many years ago, as a second year student, I met a cute girl in a bar in Princeton, NJ. She was working as a medical secretary for a cardiology research group at Squibb. They were working on a project for the beta blocker Corgard.
My friend introduced us and said I was going to be a chiropractor. I corrected him. She said to me, “Podiatrist? Is that a REAL doctor?” I said, “Yes”; she then quizzed me, “What’s tachycardia?” Without missing a beat, I replied, “I get tachycardia thinking you are going home with me tonight.” We’ve been married 39 years.
Patrick (Pat) Caputo, DPM, Holmdel, NJ
06/14/2022
RESPONSES/COMMENTS (PM EDITORIALS) - PART 1C
From: Lawrence Oloff, DPM
When I read these posts, there is unending frustration about the profession they have chosen and the blame is usually cast on their degree. Everyone needs to consider that prospective students and the medical world have access to all this online content. When choosing a profession, why would one choose a profession when all the dialogue they research on the Web are statements by podiatrists who self-proclaim themselves as second class medical citizens?
One thing I heard since entering this profession over forty years ago is how “podiatrists are their own enemies and that they eat their young”. In this case, they are eating their embryos. This is the part of the problem. The insecurities of podiatrists continues to be...
Editor's note: Dr. Oloff's extended-length letter can be read here.
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