06/17/2022    William DeFeo, DPM

“Who wants to be a podiatrist?” (Dale Feinberg, DPM)

Interesting that Dr. Feiberg’s self-professed
“proudest moment ” was the suggestion that he
supposedly had an income greater than a plastic or
vascular surgeon. In my opinion, this conclusion
represents exactly what is wrong in medicine in
general. When financial success is the major goal,
to paraphrase Sir William Osler, you have lost the
true spirit for which you entered medicine. My
proudest moments have been those occasions on which
physicians praised my competence and have accepted
me, a podiatrist, as their intellectual and
academic equivalent as a health care provider.
Respect for your care is far more rewarding than
respect for your wallet.


As I look back on 45 years of podiatry practice, I
feel compelled to write about the discussion of
parity with medicine. When I read my classmates
letter Dr. Larry Oloff, I couldn’t agree more.
Maybe because of my own ignorance I felt after
finishing my residency that I was competent (with
the usual insecurities that come from beginning a
practice) to treat most foot and ankle maladies.
Much to the generosity of many names that won’t
mean much to today’s practitioners like Allen
Jacobs, Sid Arden, Harold Schoenhaus, Guido
Laporte, Art Helfand, I was given the opportunity
to learn the basics of medicine, surgery, and
podiatry. I was also taught how to manage stress a
large part of a professional education). Not one
time (as I practice part-time) did I regret the
career path that I chose.

To reiterate what Dr. Oloff stated, my patients
over the years have never questioned if I was an
MD/DO nor did it matter to them. I have operated
over the years on many physicians, their family
members, congressman and their wives, etc. Their
trust and confidence in me did not come from the
initials after my name, but from my competency and
compassion. We have parody in most issues with
allopathic medicine that does not mean there aren’t
issues to be addressed (payments, military, public
health issues). What medical profession today
doesn’t have issues? I am very grateful for the
opportunity that podiatry has given me and wish
there was a way I could thank all those who made
this possible for me.

William DeFeo, DPM, Allentown, PA

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