04/07/2026    Robert Kornfeld, DPM

Burnout and Staffing Strain Hit Podiatry: NCHWA Projection Samuel Makanjuola, DPM

Dr. Mankanjoula makes a very valid point about
podiatrists being classified as "allied health
professionals" and not physicians. I cannot help
but raise my eyebrows and shake my head. This is
exactly the issue that the "leaders" of the
profession promised to fix back when I graduated
NYCPM in 1980. Is it at all logical that almost 46
years later, the same issue still plagues
podiatry?

At the same time, there are NPs in NYC opening up
"Foot Care Clinics" and because of their plenary
license, they have access to treat anything they
choose. Clearly, the reason they are opening up in
foot care is because there is a market out there.
And what is the market they are moving in on? Non-
surgical foot care. Why? Because this profession
decided we should be surgeons first. And just to
put this in perspective, I gave up surgery in
2011. For the past 15 years, my income has been
higher than it was when I was doing surgery.

So is there a shortage? Yes, but not a shortage of
foot surgeons. We made a grave error and are
losing the bigger part of the foot care market.
Something I have written about many times. So
let's be honest. Insurance payments for surgery
are insultingly low. Insurance payments for non-
surgical foot care are insultingly low. And every
day you continue practicing in the insurance-
dependency model, you lose money, status and a BIG
part of yourselves.

I am 71 and have been trying really hard to help
the future of DPMs younger than me, but there's
only so many more years left in me. I always try
to open up conversations on this forum so we can
have dialogue about where we are and where we need
to go, but my posts almost never generate any
responses. I think it's time to leave complacency
behind and get more proactive. Or, in my humble
opinion, you can say goodbye to a viable future in
podiatry. It doesn't have to be this way. And it
shouldn't. Not after all the years of education,
training and debt.

And for the majority of you who are employed, as
insurance payments continue to decrease (and they
will), your contracted positions do not make you
immune from salary and benefit cuts and job loss.
And I can only stand here saying, "I told you so".

Robert Kornfeld, DPM, NY, NY

There are no more messages in this thread.