RE: Testing Applicants for Podiatry School
From: Richard Silverstein, DPM
As a father of a child who is applying to dental school, the application process has been eye-opening to me. On the DAT (dental college admission test), there are sections that test the ability of the applicant to convey spatial relationships with objects and to be able to think in three dimensions as you rotate different objects according to the questions at hand. They also want to know what kinds of activities the applicant participates in to develop fine motor skills and dexterity. Some examples include sewing, woodworking, molding clay, or playing piano/violin. This information is added onto the application directly. Do we ask similar questions on the podiatric applications?
They obviously are assessing the potential skill level of working in a tight spot without being able to always visualize the teeth and gums. If an applicant can’t think like this, then they likely will have difficulty in mastering the skills necessary to become...
Editor's note: Dr. Silverstein's extended-length letter can be read here.
From Elliot Udell, DPM
Dr. Neuhoff who is both a podiatrist and veterinarian, brings up an interesting point in this discussion. People in my own neighborhood are ready and willing to take their dog or cat to a veterinarian and pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for many procedures. Many of these same patients will bark and fight about a ten-dollar co-payment after the pain in their feet is alleviated by our good work.
The same applies to dentistry which by and large is independent of insurance companies. It applies even more so in the case of a patient who will not want to pay out-of-pocket for cream or salve that we dispense. That same patient will go down the block and pay a plastic surgeon ten or more thousand dollars for a facial procedure.
I salute those of us who were successful in declaring their independence from the insurance industry.
Elliot Udell, DPM, Hicksville, NY
