Kent help please

Any Kent students, particularly first and second year students, feeling isolated and as though the environment is toxic? Not trying to troll or hate. Really asking because I’m ok academics wise but in other aspects struggling here and see at least one other person seeming to be targeted by the toxicity more so than I might be.

Or if you’re a current and/or past Kent student, did you easily fit in with everyone? What would you do if you didn’t fit in or if something out of your control was making you struggle?

I’m an extrovert but the atmosphere in my class has started to take its toll on me. Maybe I’m alone in how I feel but if I’m not, anyone know what is going on and why everyone is fighting and so toxic to each other?

Any Kent students, particularly first and second year students, feeling isolated and as though the environment is toxic? Not trying to troll or hate. Really asking because I’m ok academics wise but in other aspects struggling here and see at least one other person seeming to be targeted by the toxicity more so than I might be.

Or if you’re a current and/or past Kent student, did you easily fit in with everyone? What would you do if you didn’t fit in or if something out of your control was making you struggle?

I’m an extrovert but the atmosphere in my class has started to take its toll on me. Maybe I’m alone in how I feel but if I’m not, anyone know what is going on and why everyone is fighting and so toxic to each other?

Hi! I'm deciding between WesternU and Scholl and was wondering if anyone had any input on either of the schools. For WesternU, I'm worried about the cost of living and traffic. For Scholl, I'm worried about the school not having their own clinic. I got a 25k scholarship from Scholl and 10k from WesternU, so the cost is better at Scholl. Some things I value are: diversity in student population (preferably have some East Asians), friendliness of the students and faculty, involvement/opportunities for clubs/extracurriculars. I also like suburbs more than cities. I would appreciate any input!

Hi everyone! Recently accepted student and I constantly battle seeing the “doom and gloom” of our field. I see a lot of people day to day who are happy and grateful for their role and work within podiatry — but the forums consistently say that students are making the a huge mistake with going to school. Of course ROI is important and I am grateful to have 80% of my education paid for (veteran benefits) — but what would you say as a student, resident or practicing podiatrist there is to look forward to within our career? Or what do you look forward to everyday?

What's your favorite podiatry joke/pun? I'll go first!

What do you say about a pregnant podiatrist?

She's got a "bunion" the oven!!!!

This is a topic I think is not spoken about enough among doctors. In our profession generally speaking there are many elderly patients and sick patients who are likely going to die while under your care. I personally become very attached to some and take it quite hard when my patients pass away. I guess I have 2 questions:

1)How do you handle it? Any tips are appreciated, I’m only 2.5 years out and I have never seen so much death and honestly it really is taking a toll on me emotionally.

2)What is the general opinion on docs attending funerals? I would like to attend one of my most recently passed patients, but unsure how this will be received.

I know fellowships are always a hot topic. One if they are even needed and two if half of them are even worth doing. All of that aside, how competitive are fellowships, especially the ones that are “worth doing” or “top fellowships”

I find this topic infuriating when it comes up here and the other place. Btw, this post isn't about MONEY. It's about KNOWLEDGE.

Why? For a few reasons. Somehow, some disgruntled podiatrists like to spread this fallacy that MDs and DOs have vastly more knowledge than DPMs. Which is an absolute load of BS. We are experts in our specialty, just like a Pediatrician is an expert in his or hers, or a Nephrologist is an expert in his or hers. The idea that, somehow, Podiatrists should know the body systems as intimately as an Internist is ridiculous. Does an internist have more than passing knowledge of severe kidney disease? No. Which is why they refer out. Like we do.

A couple of case in points from this weekend's call.

1. Get a call for a patient admitted for severe pain, redness and swelling of their 1st MPJ. Suspect of Osteo. No white count, patient has no complaints of feeling ill, vomiting or fever. The ED docs gets an X-Ray, the radiologist sees erosion of the Met head and calls it Osteo. The Hospitalist admits the patient, and gets an MRI. Radiologist reads bony erosion with inflammation within the 1st MPJ. "Septic Arthritis". They call us to come in and amputation, despite patient having no cardinal signs of sepsis. Non-diabetic. If MDs know so much more than we do, why couldn't they collectively realize that this is Gout. We see this ALL THE TIME.

2. Patient admitted with large plantar wound. Wound is healthy, with surrounding redness, minimal odor. No white count, very high Blood Sugar. They are concerned for Necrotizing Fasciitis. Get x-ray. Claim "gas in the soft tissue" despite no documentation of drainage, only mild odor, mild redness and patient not complaining of fever, chills, etc. If MDs and DOs know so much, why can't they see that the "gas in the soft tissue" is really just some air in the tissue from the wound itself and not "gas gangrene" as diagnosed by the Hospitalist. Again, we see this ALL THE TIME.

These are just two examples of the dozens of times out expertise over shadows that of many MDs and DOs. Also, I've practiced in four states. There are/were common occurrences everywhere I was.

The point here is that there are good and bad in all professions. You can't compare the good ones to the bad ones as a generalized basis to compare PROFESSIONS rather than PEOPLE. Which is what I see all these disgruntled podiatrists doing. If you didn't learn it in residency, that's their failure, but will be ours if you don't educate YOURSELF.

Hello! Can ya'll tell me what a typical or common pay structure looks like for an associate DPM 5 years out? Are there typically benefits covered? Malpractice insurance?

Asking because my brother works as an associate DPM. He has been with his employers for over 5 years now. He works for two different practices, putting in 6 days per week, every week, for years now. His annual income has really not changed much over the years (I.e. it's not growing) and he's been sitting around 220k. He makes a percentage of what he brings into the office (I want to say it's 30% or 35%) with no base salary. They do not provide any benefits (no health insurance, no pto, no 401k, etc) and he pays his own malpractice out of pocket, which this year has increased to some crazy number like 15k, I believe. He performs surgery for both offices and is the only surgeon at one of them. He has 3 young children and a wife who stays home with them. They live in the burbs of a big metro city where cost of living is asinine. And he's drowning. Like cannot survive. Especially at the beginning of each year, when deductibles have reset and patient load drops down. Is this pay structure with no benefits the common deal?? Should he be looking for a new gig?

Appreciate any and all feedback. He works so hard and watching him struggle is heartbreaking.

How is the difference in difficulty wise between USMLE for medical school and APMLE for podiatry medical school in general? Also, how is the test different?

I have been in management consulting specializing in podiatry for the last six years. I help private practices in early stages of growth through preparing for a sale/retirement. In that time, I have talked to hundreds of private practice owners, associates, and employees of all phases in their careers from different areas of the country. I love podiatrists. They are good people, providing a great service for their communities.

It surprised me when I came into this specialty and amazes me still how many solo practitioners there are. Something like 80% of private practice podiatrists are 1-3 doctor practices. From an economic standpoint, there is so much to gain by pooling resources and working in a group (doctor-owned). Private equity recognized this and is now taking advantage of the fragmentation. It will be hard to compete with P/E backed super groups when there is more consolidation 10 years from now. That's for another post, but what I really want to know is: in your experience, why do you remain a solo practitioner? Is it mostly preference or simplicity? What is preventing you from adding more doctors to your practice, if you wanted to?

I got a question,

Is the cycle for podiatry on rolling admissions year round? Also, if someone can give me a timeline of when to apply if I wanted to start Fall of 2026. Also what is the breakdown of the application of podiatry school?

Hi All,

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I recently got into a podiatry school and a DO school I like. I am passionate about hands-on surgery, biomechanics, and also have heard that podiatry offers a nice work-life balance, which I value. I know that DO can open doors to other specialties although I think I'd enjoy podiatry very much. Would I be nuts to not go DO? I feel like my head and gut are telling me 2 different things. I've also seen many commenters on here say, "if you get into DO, go DO." Opinions?

Do you think its true that DPM offers a good lifestyle as opposed to most Do/MD specialties? Are there specialties in MD/DO that are similar that I can pursue? Like sports medicine? Orthopedic surgery is a long track to do (minimum 5 year residency)

Hi! I have received acceptances from AZCPM and NYCPM and I would appreciate any advice in choosing the best school in terms of education. Thank you!

Hello!

Current undergrad junior here. I am fully committed to attending podiatry school, and planning on taking my MCAT test this summer. I am wondering what your MCAT scores were? I know your application also relies on other factors. I have 1800+ hours of patient care, nearly 1000 of those are in a podiatry clinic as a CNA. I am involved in school and have volunteering on my resume, and my GPA is probably going to be near a 3.8 at the time I apply. I wanted to know what you guys were scoring on your MCATs, especially those of you who had similar resumes to me?

I realize this can be a touchy subject and is extremely case dependent, but if you are offered a good contract, particularly one you negotiated, please don't string your potential employer along. And if/when you decide to reject the offer, have the decency to do it in person (EDIT: if at all possible geographically). Especially if the practice you are rejecting the offer from went above and beyond during the "courting" process. Getting a text saying "sorry, this isn't going to work out", isn't appropriate or professional.

The same can be said vice versa, too. Employers should not string potential applicants along, and also should not reject an applicant via text.

Start your career with integrity.

About to be starting my residency this summer and with that marks the beginning of paying off my loans. I have approximately 250k in student loans. I am in a fortunate enough situation where I will be expecting to receive a generous gift of around 300k within the next 5-10 years give or take. My question is, if you were me would you take the gift and pay off 100% of your loans or would you make minimum payments in hopes of forgiveness ie SAVE plan( don’t plan on working for PSLF program) and then I can finally buy a house or take that money and invest in it

Hello I am currently deciding between Barry, NYCOPM, Samuel Merritt, and Scholl and wanted to see if any students at these schools can give their insights / if any tips on how to decide what school to go to. Also if anyone can give any tips on what to get in terms of materials / how to prepare before school starts please let me know too thank you!

I was trying to get involved in my Alumni Association (TUSPM) and there was a call for past graduates to join the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association. The President of it took a year to get back to me, and only after I complained via LinkedIn on their feed. I then had some questions before I officially applied. I get a phone call answering my questions, but then was told that in order to VOLUNTEER to be on this Board, I was REQUIRED to give a $1K donation to the fund EVERY YEAR.

Seriously? You want me to PAY to VOLUNTEER. How in the world does TUSPM think this model is sustainable? I basically told the person I was talking to that I had kids to put through college and with the way the economy was, there was no way I could afford to PAY to VOLUNTEER. It's unbelievable. Just one more thing to add to the change needed in our profession. I couldn't believe it.

I got my paramedic science bsc and am taking some time out to travel. After a lot of thought I'm wanting to switch careers and I'm very interested in retraining in podiatry (when travels are over).

Does anyone have any recommendations on either going straight into a masters (which it looks like I could do with a first class undergrad bsc) or going down the apprenticeship route in the UK? I am also open to doing either of these things abroad.

Is one better than the other? Would the same job opportunities be available with both?

Any advice would be appreciated!

I am currently in undergrad and graduate this coming December. I am taking my MCAT in May and intend on applying in August as I was made aware that applications are for the following fall. First, will applying a semester before I graduate hurt my chances of acceptance and second is my interpretation of this timeline correct?

There is a big practice with "Orthopedic" and "Foot and Ankle" in their name. Except seven out of the ten doctors in the practice are DPMs and I'm almost sure that the practice was started by a DPM. They've even gone so far as advertising that one of the DPMs is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon. On one of the feedback posts on their website, someone said they saw a Podiatrist at the practice, but this doctor is a DO. I'm sure this was just a mistake, but seriously?

Currently rotating on a Vascular Surgery service as a General Surgery resident. I keep ordering DH soft-top offloading shoes for our patients as we work side by side with a Podiatrist and it's eating me alive. I asked the Podiatry attending and he had know idea. What is DH?! We even called össur who did not know.

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I graduate soon but I have the pre requisite left to do. Not all; some. I was wondering if I could complete them online ? Has anyone done it ? I am not sure if I should take this course before applying or just do temple pre podiatry program.

Helloo Based on my location in choosing between TUSPM and NYCPM. Both schools seem impressive and I’m confident I’d get a good education at either. TUSPM has a 91% cutoff to maintain while NYCPM has a 3.4 I feel like scholarships are bait and most people lose theirs early on. Am I too pessimistic? How attainable are these cutoffs?

Hi! I got offered an interview with LECOM (in two days), Temple, and WesternU. I would really appreciate any advice or input on how other people's interviewing process went. Thanks!

I had a very interesting discussion with a mentor of mine about how I would start podiatry all over again. From the foundation up. Let's imagine you had the power to create podiatry from the ground up with today's training, resources, and knowledge. How would you do it? Let's just assume we still want the DPM degree, rather than just an arm of the MD. I know that, in and of itself is what many want, but that would have to change the whole system, rather than our profession.

I'll start. This is not an all inclusive list. Just some of my thoughts on a Sunday morning

1. Three schools. 100 seats per school. Minimum 500 MCAT, 3.2 cGPA. I've always contended that the best doctors are rarely the ones that perform best on examinations. That's just me.

2. Two types of residencies: One year Podiatric Medicine, three year surgical. Not everyone should or wants to be a surgeon. The one year programs would let anyone practice anywhere in the USA. Plenty of non surgical podiatry opportunities out there.

3. One board: Medicine track and surgical track. Get rid of all the people involved in the old boards and get some fresh faces in there. Preferably young, fresh faces.

4. Replace the APMA and CPME: The new APMA would ONLY be involved in legislation. This way we know our money is going to things we want it to go towards. No DEI funding, no student recruitment, no "seal of approval/acceptance". None of that BS. The CEO of the APMA has to know legislation and the business of medicine. Not another DPM who is a company man. Someone who can run a business and isn't a yes man for all the BS. CEO changes every ten years.

Also, term limits for EVERYONE. 2 terms of 4 years each at most. This will force the lifers out. The new CPME would be responsible for oversight and approval of all residencies, the schools, student recruitment, etc. And they would function on a budget paid for by the residency program fees. Not dues from the APMA membership. Also, term limits for people involved and a completely separate oversight committee with people other than anyone involved in residencies, the APMA, and the CPME. This will force bad residencies out and quickly. No back alley deals or power trips. Term limits within residencies as well. No 25 years as a Director. Ten years at most. Keep it young and fresh.

5. No more State societies. Within the APMA, member voted Delegates. Two per state. Term limits as well. If states want to start their own societies, by all means. But no affiliated with the APMA in any shape or form. The membership within the APMA would be the driving force for legislation.

6. No more "affiliates" under the APMA. The are useless and the APMA doesn't support them. Along with the one board, have one "American College of..." The other organizations can function independently if they want to. No need to force APMA membership on them at all.

7. One national scope of practice based on training. Not board status. Board status should not be a requirement at all. It is a feather in your cap. Not a basis of proficiency. Only the gatekeepers want board status to mean anything. Get rid of that. If you passed part three, and completed a residency, that should be enough. No one will ever convince me that passing a written examination for performing surgery tells anyone anything. If you maintain surgical privileges, keep your nose clean as far as malpractice is concerned and comply with the state requirements for licensure, the board money grab should end.

8. Podiatry union. This can prevent all the saturation and pay issues the younger generation are dealing with. This will also give the practitioners power to negotiate better fee schedules without dealing with anti-trust issues. Yes, unions can become very corrupt. I'm trying to think of ways to prevent that. Term limits, etc.

I'm sure I'm missing a ton of stuff. I'd love to know what you think. Happy Easter!