Kudos to Dr. Gary Dorfman on podiatric identity.
As one of the older members of our profession,
this post truly resonated with me. When I entered
podiatry school nearly 60 years ago, I confess
that I carried a degree of professional
insecurity. Our profession was still working to
earn its rightful place within the medical
community. There were only 5 or 6 one year
internships/ residencies. We were relegated to
performing foot surgery in our offices as surgical
privileges in hospitals were unattainable.
Looking back, it has been a privilege to witness
the remarkable evolution of our profession. As
Dr. Dorfman posited, “podiatrists are highly
trained physicians and surgeons who play an
essential role in limb preservation, diabetic
care, sports medicine, reconstructive surgery, and
multidisciplinary healthcare”. Thankfully, we have
come a long way baby. All of the discussions and
angst about parity, plenary licensing, student
debt and decreasing enrollment in our schools are
real but…There will always be a need for our
services.
Now, in retirement, I have found some of my
greatest professional fulfillment and purpose in
mentoring future podiatrists. I remind them to
appreciate the shoulders upon which they stand but
never stop advancing the profession by “passing it
forward” to the next generation. I also remind
them that their patients don’t care what your
degree is “Patients don’t care what you know, they
just want to know that you care”. (Bernie Hirsch).
It reminds me that, regardless of where we
practice, our calling has always been the same—to
relieve pain, preserve mobility, and restore
dignity. To those entering our profession, be
proud of the initials after your name, but let
your character, your knowledge, and your care for
patients define you. Continue to elevate our
profession through excellence and humility, just
as those before us did. I have never been prouder
to have been a podiatrist. It just took me a few
years to realize it.
David S. Wolf, DPM, retired, Houston, TX
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