I was wondering, is it necessary for me to even pursue research as an undergrad to be able to write a thesis and graduate with honors? It’s something I’ve been contemplating especially if it would make a difference in my podiatry application or not.

I got a call from a representative of PICA who told me that we should not be making money off of wound care products. It is his opinion that we should pay Medicare back the difference between the allowed amount and the invoices of the product. In other words, we should make zero off of the product itself. Has anyone else heard this?

I am a podiatry assistant in a geriatric facility. My podiatrist and I have been trying to find a better vac file that will be used only in the office (doesn’t need to be particularly mobile). We currently are using the Medicool Pro Vac File-2 but have found that the hand pieces in particular are poorly made, frequently break and are not easily repaired. The entire hand piece has to be replaced at about 50% of the price of a brand new vac file. Anyone have any suggestions for a vac file that is better quality, reliable, or at least allows for repairs? I know there has to be something better out there. Thanks!

Just to be clear, I don't do "big cases" for the most part. Bread and butter podiatric surgery and amputations, mostly.

Last week, I had five case. Total cut time was under two hours. I was there for 6 hours. Happily, between cases I can do consults and IP visits, but sitting around for 4 hours waiting makes us, and the hospitals no money. Just another reason why office works pays better in most situations.

Hello!! I was wondering what the typical salary is in podiatric residency, thank you!

I'm currently a podiatry student and would like to assist marginalized communities in the future locally or globally!

I'm curious if anyone is familiar with any humanitarian aid projects that need podiatric doctors? Or if there's even residency programs that involve assisting a vulnerable community or going abroad?

Hello! I’m new to the podiatry world and I was wondering if I’m allowed to apply to schools while being in progress for pre requisite classes? I won’t finish my pre requisite classes until summer 2025! Thank you!

Hey y'all, this title might be a little intense but I wanted to know why other medical pathways like ortho or MD dislike podiatrists so much. From what I've read, they don't consider podiatrists as "real doctors" but I'm not really sure why that is. I mean, the degree is literally called "Doctor of Podiatric Medicine." Yes, the average income may potentially be lower than people who go the MD or DO route, but I feel like this pathway is what you make of it. Ive met a number of podiatric surgeons who make a great income while also having a nice work-life balance. I'm an incoming podiatric student at AZCPM and I absolutely LOVE the community around this field and how the medical school itself is organized. I just want a better understanding of why other medical professions have so much disdain for this field.

Also, I know this may be a pretty contentious topic but please, keep it civil in the comments :)

Hi guys,

I need some help please; so I have interviews coming up, and I want to prepare for in case I get the "why is your MCAT score low?" question. I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses, but the only reason I could give for this is that I had a health condition that I wasn't receiving proper care for at the time I took the MCAT. I couldn't sit for more than 15 minutes in the same position, so while I was studying, I moved around/shifted my position, but MCAT day was different since you can't really do that. If I say this, would it sound like I'm making excuses?

HIRING Two Advanced Research Fellowship position ~90k with benefits. Open to graduates of podiatric school in NY OR graduate of, residency program located in NY. If interested, kindly DM with your CV. Job position: https://www.pagny.org/careers/research-fellow (https://www.pagny.org/careers/research-fellow)

I am looking for a bank/lender that offers physician loans to DPMs. I’ve contacted a dozen so far that have either ghosted our appointments or don’t offer loans to DPMs. I am in Nevada but willing to work with someone out of state! Hoping someone here has some good suggestions

Anyone have the latest and greatest info from MGMA for hospital physicians wRVU payout?

Hi guys, so honestly I'm torn between Midwestern (AZCPM) and Kent State. I've been accepted with a $15k scholarship (first year only) at AZCPM but a $20k scholarship (per year if I maintain a certain gpa) at Kent State.

I'm partial to AZCPM because I live in AZ but I've also never been out of state for basically my entire life, and I feel like going to Kent might give me some cool new experiences.

From what I've heard, the DPM program at Midwestern is top-tier and I really liked the campus when I checked it out. But I heard Kent's program is also quite good and I'd be saving more money going there in the long run.

I'd love some feedback from people who are considering these schools or are attending!! How do you like the curriculum there? And what are some pros and cons of going there? Thanks :)

Hey Guys!

Are there any MCAT prep recommendations or special tutors near UCF or online? I am looking at TheMcatProfessor website and it seems to be good, have anyone studied that website?

First Gen medical school applicant hopefully next year and I am kind of concerned with the MCAT. Any recommendations are acceptable on how to study and resources to use are welcome!

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