Sole Purpose 17
Why I Chose Podiatry

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I feel incredibly lucky for the diverse range of rotations WesternU sent me on during my 3rd and 4th years. Some of these specialties rarely interact with podiatry students, residents, or attendings, leading to some hilarious "left-handed compliments" exchanged among my friends and me. I have often heard things like, "You're too good for podiatry, ortho needs you!" or "Your bedside manner is wasted on surgery!" And of course, the timeless classic, "Your medical knowledge is SO strong for being a PODIATRY student”.

While these comments are well-meaning, they do make me chuckle inwardly. It often just takes a bit of education on what podiatry entails for folks to grasp why I'm sticking with "toenails for life." Today, I want to illuminate the reality of podiatry, why I'm passionate about it, and why I'm firmly planted in this profession. And hey, I welcome the curious humor about my chosen field—I love podiatry and I am happy to tell others why!

So, what IS Podiatry?

While I assume most readers know, let me explain what I tell others, including my nonmedical family and friends. Podiatry is a specialized branch of medicine focusing on the foot and ankle. Podiatrists, like other medical specialists, have a comprehensive understanding of the entire body but specialize in foot and ankle care. This encompasses a wide range of conditions such as vascular issues, dermatology, musculoskeletal disorders, bone-related problems, infectious disease and more.

A podiatrist holds the title of DPM, which stands for Doctor of Podiatric Medicine. We're medical doctors, just like MDs or DOs, but our training is specifically tailored to podiatry through a four-year program. At WesternU, the medical school where I studied, our education was integrated with the DO students and holistic to all of medicine. The first two years mirrored those of our DO (“regular” doctors) counterparts, with additional podiatry coursework layered on top of the standard medical curriculum.

Podiatry school spans four years, similar to traditional medical school. The initial two years are spent in a classroom setting (preclinical), followed by two years of clinical training in hospitals. Nowadays, all podiatry students undergo a three-year residency in podiatric medicine and surgery. This training equips podiatrists to handle both medical and surgical aspects of foot and ankle care, although the exact scope of practice can vary by state (thankfully, I try to avoid a state-by-state breakdown!).

What does it take to go into podiatry?

Podiatry school, similar to MD and DO medical programs, requires specific premedical prerequisite courses such as general biology with lab, general chemistry with lab, organic chemistry with lab, general physics with lab, and an English class or proof of English proficiency. For me, this involved completing my undergraduate degree (a typical four-year duration). Additionally, you must take the MCAT, similar to the process for MD/DO schools.

Furthermore, applicants are required to have a letter of recommendation or proof of shadowing experience with a podiatrist. The application process involves submitting a comprehensive application, including a personal statement and responses to various short and long-answer questions. Subsequently, candidates are invited for interviews, and acceptance offers are extended thereafter.

So WHY did I decide to become a foot (and ankle) gal?

I'm passionate about podiatry, to the point where my classmates jokingly predict I'll be practicing or teaching well into my 90s (although let's revisit that after residency!). My journey into this field began with a love for medicine, but it was during college that podiatry revealed itself as the perfect fit for me.

Podiatry offers everything I was seeking. It's a surgical specialty that also allows for clinic and inpatient work. Having experienced my fair share of sports injuries (thanks to running), I felt a personal connection to many of the conditions that podiatry patients could present with. Moreover, as someone living with diabetes, podiatry provided an avenue to engage closely with the diabetic community. While I can't ever fully comprehend a patient's experience with diabetes, I have found that something as simple as sharing how I utilize my continuous glucose monitor and its phone application can really help patients.

One of the aspects I appreciated about podiatry was the comprehensive medical background it provided, thanks to Western's integrated classes with DOs (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) during my preclinical years. I knew from the start of podiatric medical school that a surgical residency was in my future. This certainly spared me the stress of dual-applying to multiple specialties based on board exam scores and potentially ending up in a field I didn't desire but kept as a backup. Podiatry offered a clear path, with the option for fellowship post-residency if I wished to specialize further.

In addition to a reasonable and fulfilling salary, podiatry promised meaningful work that fueled my excitement for four more years of schooling and three grueling years of residency. Opting for podiatry wasn't about not being "good enough" for MD/DO medical school—it was a conscious decision after thorough research, shadowing experiences, and a strong desire to pursue a career where I could make a real difference because I WANT to be a podiatrist!

Okay, but what don’t you like about podiatry?

Podiatry is a choice I'd make over and over again without hesitation. However, one challenge I've noticed is the identity crisis that many podiatrists face. Some of them prefer to be called foot and ankle surgeons or even go as far as referring to themselves as orthopods, distancing themselves from the term "podiatrist." This confusion stems from the lack of clarity about what podiatry entails and our scope of practice.

Podiatrists often struggle to gain the respect they deserve, particularly because many people are unfamiliar with the scope of podiatry. I've encountered my fair share of awkward moments when I mention that I'm training to be a podiatrist, only to have people comment I must be good with kids. It can be uncomfortable having to clarify that I'm becoming a foot doctor, not a kid doctor (pediatrician). Sometimes, it's tempting to simplify things by just saying "surgeon," but that can also lead to further explanations since not all podiatrists perform surgery.

Even as a podiatry student, I sometimes felt a bit of pressure to prove myself. I found myself working twice as hard to show that I'm just as capable as the third and fourth-year students in traditional medicine programs. It's a challenge, but it also motivates me to excel and showcase the value of podiatric medicine.

During one rotation, an attending physician consistently made disparaging remarks about podiatry, calling it "dumb" and criticizing podiatrists' surgical abilities. He went as far as to tell me directly that I had no future in the OR because he could do my cases better than any podiatrist. Working with him left me feeling defensive and angry. However, I realized this was more of a problem with the attending's rudeness. The situation ended up escalating to the point where the attending's staff filed a complaint, and the department chief got involved. The attending was reprimanded for his treatment of the students, and I received an apology after explaining the extensive education and training involved in podiatry.

Despite this negative experience with this singular individual, the rotation itself was valuable, and I learned a great deal. It was just a case of one bad apple among many positive experiences. However, there are moments when I wish I didn't have to constantly fight for respect or spend time educating other medical professionals about podiatry and my educational background. It's a subtle but persistent issue, although I acknowledge that it has improved significantly over time. Nevertheless, my love for podiatry remains unwavering, and I'll proudly extol its virtues until I'm blue in the face.

But what is your favorite part about podiatry?

People often ask this question right after they ask how I handle the SMELL of podiatry. To answer the smell question, if the smell is truly horrendous, I will put essential oils on the inside of my mask, but I seldom have to do that, and I still think the diabetic foot smells better than a lot of general surgery cases. My favorite thing about podiatry is seeing a patient walk out of the office with their problem fixed. This can be for something as simple as an ingrown nail, seeing a corrected rearfoot valgus with a proper orthotic, or seeing the long-awaited first steps after a giant recon with an ex-fix. Witnessing the before and after of clubfoot casting feels like actual magic. Seeing those patients walk again or seeing a previously uncontrolled diabetic get their sugars under control and watching their ulcer slowly resolve or being able to avoid another amputation makes my heart soar. Podiatry is the best.

I've known since I was young that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine to help others, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have discovered the remarkable specialty that is podiatry.