05/21/2025    Lawrence Oloff, DPM

Do We Really Have a Medical Degree (Jack Reingold, DPM)

I want to acknowledge and thank two doctors who
recently contributed to PM news, Dr. Gottlieb for
his cogent argument for the 4-4-3 model and Dr
Jack Reingold for his affirmation that we are
doctors. Both were clear on the need for a full
educational experience, and it is best to have a
rich broad educational experience and done, then
focus on what you want to do or not do once you
are in practice. This is the standard medical
education/practice model. These discussions made
me feel better after reading the tirades about the
death of the profession and the need to have a
degree change. I would like to address both of
these areas of concern.

Let me first address Dr. Tomczak’s DO degree
argument. If you are unhappy with the DPM degree,
do you really think that a DO degree is going to
improve your status with the public? I trained in
a DO Hospital and they suffered the same
insecurities about their degree that podiatrist
did then now. When I refer a patient to an
osteopath today, I inevitably get asked, “Are they
real doctors?”, which of course is a resounding
yes, just as it is a resounding yes for the DPM
degree. I cannot even imagine the nightmare of
explaining a combined DPM/DO degree. Really?

The other issue is the aspect of a restricted
degree. I have practiced most of my professional
life in orthopedic practices. Do you think that
orthopedists practice differently because of their
MD degree? The answer is no. A sports orthopedist
is a good example. They see their injuries, do
their surgeries, and function primarily in the
office. They do not treat heart disease, kidney
disease or the common cold. They have no interest
in using the full extent of what their degree
allows. They send all of their pre-op patients
with questionable medical issues or agedness to
their PCP for medical clearance before surgery.
They have no interest in giving vaccinations,
Covid or otherwise, unlike some posts on PM News
have asked for.

Does Podiatry have a problem - yes. We have always
suffered from an identity problem. Prospective
students know little to nothing about podiatry.
Health science advisors know little to nothing
about Podiatry. This has always been the case.
There needs to be an all-out effort to change
that.

Do we have too many podiatry schools? Absolutely!
How do you fix that- survival of the fittest? All
of our graduates are trained to be the best foot
and ankle medical providers. Let me suggest a very
simple thought - you are what you think you are.
So why don't we as a profession just get over
it...

Lawrence Oloff, DPM, Burlingame, CA

Other messages in this thread:

---

05/22/2025    Arden Smith, DPM

Do We Really Have a Medical Degree (Jack Reingold, DPM)

Maybe I am overly simplistic, or maybe I’m just
old! But, if you open up a foot, move the bones
around as needed, put it all back together again,
that sounds like a doctor to me; and also to
everyone that I know, including other medical
professionals. If you heal a nasty wound that’s
been around for a long time and possibly save a
limb, that sounds like a doctor to me; and also to
everybody that I know, Including other medical
professionals.

On the flipside, if you have a busy office full of
patients that love you, because you make them feel
better, that sure sounds like a doctor to me; and
also, to everyone I know, including other medical
professionals. I can understand the fixation on
the degree, but it’s time to either get over it,
or to somehow try to fix it. I hope that I’m not
the exception, but I’ve always been treated as an
equal both professionally in and out of the
hospital and socially in the community as any
other doctor.

As far as a length of time of residency programs,
we have no choice other than to go with the norm
of other medical professionals and 4, 4, 3 is the
minimal side of the norm. Once upon a time,
doctors became doctors by apprenticing. Times have
changed. One can never have enough knowledge; and
the people that scare me are the ones who don’t
know what they don’t know.

Also, except for those who had the clout of huge,
super groups or hospitals, I’m pretty sure that
for the most part I have always been paid on an
equal basis for the same covered procedures as
other medical professionals for the same
procedures. Maybe I’m just getting old, but the
one thing that I strongly believe is that we
should insist on, as well as our medical and
dental brothers, is that we should never let
ourselves be called providers! We are doctors!

Before I end my rant, I would like to give a shout
out, at least here in New York, to two guys who
really pushed the envelope professionally
especially surgically; and gave of their personal
and family time teaching on the post-doctoral
level, so that we all benefited from their
dedication here in New York, Russell Caprioli, the
chief of service at Long Island, Jewish and the
director of the residency program at Long Island
Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University
Hospital in Manhasset; and Charles Lombardi now
Director of all Podiatry Services for the entire
Northwell System.

I would also like to remember the two fathers of
podiatric surgery who trained most of the early
foot surgeons in Philadelphia [where I went to
podiatry school and trained in my residencies]
many of them went on to become teachers and
leaders of the profession, Isadore “Buzz” Forman
and Louis Newman [may they rest in peace], who in
their time, really pushed the envelope to move our
profession forward. It’s important to remember the
early pioneers who helped bring us to where we are
now.

Anyway, enough of a rant from an old retired guy,
who has been able to observe, enjoy, and benefit
from the growth of our podiatry profession through
the years.

Arden Smith, DPM (Retired), Great Neck, NY

---

05/22/2025    Arden Smith, DPM

Do We Really Have a Medical Degree (Jack Reingold, DPM)

Maybe I am overly simplistic, or maybe I’m just
old! But, if you open up a foot, move the bones
around as needed, put it all back together again,
that sounds like a doctor to me; and also to
everyone that I know, including other medical
professionals. If you heal a nasty wound that’s
been around for a long time and possibly save a
limb, that sounds like a doctor to me; and also to
everybody that I know, Including other medical
professionals.

On the flipside, if you have a busy office full of
patients that love you, because you make them feel
better, that sure sounds like a doctor to me; and
also, to everyone I know, including other medical
professionals. I can understand the fixation on
the degree, but it’s time to either get over it,
or to somehow try to fix it. I hope that I’m not
the exception, but I’ve always been treated as an
equal both professionally in and out of the
hospital and socially in the community as any
other doctor.

As far as a length of time of residency programs,
we have no choice other than to go with the norm
of other medical professionals and 4, 4, 3 is the
minimal side of the norm. Once upon a time,
doctors became doctors by apprenticing. Times have
changed. One can never have enough knowledge; and
the people that scare me are the ones who don’t
know what they don’t know.

Also, except for those who had the clout of huge,
super groups or hospitals, I’m pretty sure that
for the most part I have always been paid on an
equal basis for the same covered procedures as
other medical professionals for the same
procedures. Maybe I’m just getting old, but the
one thing that I strongly believe is that we
should insist on, as well as our medical and
dental brothers, is that we should never let
ourselves be called providers! We are doctors!

Before I end my rant, I would like to give a shout
out, at least here in New York, to two guys who
really pushed the envelope professionally
especially surgically; and gave of their personal
and family time teaching on the post-doctoral
level, so that we all benefited from their
dedication here in New York, Russell Caprioli, the
chief of service at Long Island, Jewish and the
director of the residency program at Long Island
Jewish Medical Center and North Shore University
Hospital in Manhasset; and Charles Lombardi now
Director of all Podiatry Services for the entire
Northwell System.

I would also like to remember the two fathers of
podiatric surgery who trained most of the early
foot surgeons in Philadelphia [where I went to
podiatry school and trained in my residencies]
many of them went on to become teachers and
leaders of the profession, Isadore “Buzz” Forman
and Louis Newman [may they rest in peace], who in
their time, really pushed the envelope to move our
profession forward. It’s important to remember the
early pioneers who helped bring us to where we are
now.

Anyway, enough of a rant from an old retired guy,
who has been able to observe, enjoy, and benefit
from the growth of our podiatry profession through
the years.

Arden Smith, DPM (Retired), Great Neck, NY