podiatry or change course

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Currently studying Podiatry and have the opportunity to jump ships into Nursing . I'm Looking at the pros and cons of both professions, I feel the podiatry course is much harder than Nursing and the rate of failed students across all yrs is very high. I also worry that after all the hard work I will be entering a market that has llimited NHS opportunities.

My peers are always speaking about starting private practice however I question just how realistic this is , when your in competition with other established practices, the NHS and they general Footcare workers. In a perfect world we would all start successful private clinics With an abundant amount of patients req MSK assessments, nail surgery and general pod stuff , but it's definitely not a perfect world.

Despite not being as interesting a job as podiatry and all the night shifts and stress u need to deal with , Nursing is a guaranteed NHS gig , with unsociable hrs pay, sick pay , holiday pay and a pension , plus all that high paying agency work.

I guess I'm just loooking for honest opinions from people in the industry , Is it going to be very difficult to make a decent living from podiatry in the current market ?

Thanks

 

My advice to you is do what you enjoy doing, because you are going to be doing it for a long time. There are disillusioned people in both professions who are leaving every day. I work part time in private practice and also do 2 days a week as a band 7 MSK nhs podiatrist, so I guess I have the best of both worlds. Private practice can be lonely and mundane if you work solo. The NHS gives you all the things you talk about, like a pension, sick pay , holiday pay and also team support, CPD paid for. As long as you are prepared to be flexible as to where you work, you will never be out of a job in the NHS. Just have a look on NHS jobs to see what is there. Where I work, we have advertised for the last 2 years for 2 Band 6 posts and had no applicants. Setting up a private practice takes time and money unless you can go into an existing practice and yes you are competing against FHP's and other colleagues and if you don't work you don't get paid!!
Hope this helps with your decision.

 

Thanks for the reply and MSK is very interesting , I guess you have the best of both worlds.

 

My 2c you get out of the profession, what you put into it. Not sure if NHS Podiatry is guaranteed based on what I am hearing, and the moribund status of the beleaguered NHS - but this is from an outsiders perspective. Nursing can be great too but I would never be happy without the independent ability to formulate treatment planning for a patient. Nurse practitioners, on the other hand, also do very well as do Physician's Assistants. I always felt you need to have a passion for Podiatry.

 

Thanks for the reply, I had a look at your webpage, impressive Journey.. good luck !

 

I know someone who did both. He preferred nursing by a mile.