Welcome to the Podiatry Arena forums

You are currently viewing our podiatry forum as a guest which gives you limited access to view all podiatry discussions and access our other features. By joining our free global community of Podiatrists and other interested foot health care professionals you will have access to post podiatry topics (answer and ask questions), communicate privately with other members, upload content, view attachments, receive a weekly email update of new discussions, access other special features. Registered users do not get displayed the advertisements in posted messages. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our global Podiatry community today!

  1. Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
Dismiss Notice
Have you liked us on Facebook to get our updates? Please do. Click here for our Facebook page.
Dismiss Notice
Do you get the weekly newsletter that Podiatry Arena sends out to update everybody? If not, click here to organise this.

First year podiatric teaching of corn, callous cutting and nail care

Discussion in 'Teaching and Learning' started by Dennis Rehbock, Oct 7, 2010.


  1. Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    Hello Colleagues and friends

    Once again I want to pick some brains.

    I am involved with first year teaching of some of the basic techniques of corn cutting, callous cutting and nail cutting and drilling.


    I am looking for some new ideas on ways of teaching these techniques.
    Because of large student numbers it is not possible to teach this using live real patients. This happens in second year.

    Any ideas or any stories of how you were taught ?

    Thanks
     
  2. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

    Articles:
    8
    Our students do not even get to touch a foot in first year. I think they get to look at some though...
     
  3. If you can´t use live patients

    are they allowed to use each other ?

    If so demonstrattion or 2 then cut each others nails etc

    Video demonstrations of all the different skills required, from instrument holding all the way through, then practice as much as they can in a clinicial setting on each other.

    It going to very boring without hands on stuff
     
  4. Pork scratchings are great for practicing drill work on gryphotic nails, even down to the layering of crunchy and soft!

    Plus you get to eat the leftovers! (pork scratching obviously. Eating the leftover nails would be gross)
     
  5. Kyrret

    Kyrret Active Member

    We started off with oranges for removing callous, and potatoes - the 'eyes' are good substitiute seed corns. We then moved on to strips of wax which had poppy seeds in them attached to each others feet with double sided tape. Then we practiced on each others feet before we moved on to real people.
     
  6. blinda

    blinda MVP


    They were lucky...we used t` dream of lookin` at a foot in first year.

    Tell kids today.
     
  7. cornmerchant

    cornmerchant Well-Known Member

    We went straight in at the deep end with real patients. As first year students we had a 3rd year role model who mentored us and let us get hands on under supervision. The problem with oranges and potatoes is that you do not get any feel for skin tension which is a big part of technique.


    Cornmerchant.
     
  8. We used candle wax dripped onto fleecy web to form a callus.

    These days I'm more aligned with Craig, teach them how to assess the patient before they start treating them.
     
  9. Thanks guys and girls.

    We do practice these techniques on each other and not on patients. It is only in second year that patients are seen.

    We also use oranges and various wax corns and callouses to get them used to the techniques. It seems to work. I know some schools use soap bars to cut on.

    Any other great ideas ?
     
  10. W J Liggins

    W J Liggins Well-Known Member

    In surgical training we used pigs feet. I don't see why the idea could not be used for C & C, always provided religious or other sensibilities were catered for. The poor teachers could take them home for tea afterwards!

    Bill Liggins
     
  11. markjohconley

    markjohconley Well-Known Member

    Mr Webber noted the video demonstration. YES Video some 'gun' podiatrists hands on and add commentary. this was sorely lacking when i trained. there are so many facets that need emphasising.
    i was 'bottom of my class' debriding, until i started taking home a blade and practising debriding the skin on the hypothenar eminence which gave me SO much confidence.

    (It didn't help having a fellow student, from the very first day, who could debride and enucleate with her knees crossed and turning her head whilst talking, oh Angela D-N!!!!!)
     
  12. Tkemp

    Tkemp Active Member

    we were given a special wax mixture to practise debridement and then special fake nails for cutting.
    However after 7 weeks we were straight into treating real patients. Initially just nail cutting and callous, then corns were included as our experience grew.
    We were fortunate in having a full podiatry clinic on campus for members of the public who were willing for students to practise
    .... well fortunate until my final exam when 2nd patient told me one medical history, changed it when examiner came to check and then when he left said she hoped to see me again when I returned to repeat the year as she really liked my treatment!!! but i was passed , so haha
    Taught you quickly how deal with the public LOL
     
  13. ajs604

    ajs604 Active Member

    Probably just best to say his a scalpel and a blade - get on with it. Best way to learn is to be thrown in the deep end!!
     
  14. brevis

    brevis Active Member

    they should all partner up and hold the mandrill/burr in one spot for too long!!
     
  15. Nasty yet nice.

    Apparently no practicing on each other any more. Which I think is dumb. How can you have empathy if you've never been on the dangerous end?

    I know I'm much more aware of patient comfort with digital blocks having been practiced on by someone so nervous I could FEEL the needle shaking.
     
  16. When we did local I was the only person our teacher new the name of so I was the patient demo. When I heard Tim say if you see the needle do this then you have hit bone - I made sure not to do that on a patient - pain I tell you. Bloody stupid not to practice on each other.
     
  17. Brandon Maggen

    Brandon Maggen Active Member

    Hey Dennis

    If I remember right, we used wax on all manner of plaster and it worked. It was the tension and feel of the foot that was key in learning rather than 'managing' the handel. Of course all the great suggestions above give invaluable 'handel-management' beforehand.

    Hope you well.

    Brandon
     
  18. markjohconley

    markjohconley Well-Known Member

    ....doesn't surprise

    ..or on onself, i tried it and again it helped me (confidence-building)


    Jag förbliver Eder ödmjukaste tjänare, mark
     
  19. susiesue

    susiesue Member

    not allowed to practice on each other??????????????

    who's idea was that?

    we used dental alginate to practice sharp debridement-we put it on the plantar surface of our feet.
     
  20. mr2pod

    mr2pod Active Member

    When I was trained our 1st scalpel exercise was on candle wax melted onto fleecy web.
     
  21. Probably breeches their human rights. You know, life liberty and not being repeatedly and unnecessarily stabbed with a trembling hypodermic.

    I have to say, supervising someones first time is more stressful than either doing it or having it done to you!
     
  22. Hey Prof ... candle wax on stretch strapping...brings back memories. Hope there is a new "blikkie". Thumbs up for alwyas trying to find new ideas to teach the new students. The ideas given above are rather interesting. Have you considered asking the anatomy department if the first year students can practice on the cadavars that the 2nd years are using? I suppose that callous may be a bit hard to debride though...
     
  23. Dr. Bates

    Dr. Bates Member

    If you can cut the peel in layers off an orange and/or apple with a blade you know how to hold the instrument. Then you are qualified to practice on another student only if he has good blood supply and normal sensation. You will cut too deeply, but he will heal.
     
  24. cjhopper1

    cjhopper1 Active Member

    Hi Guys,
    I am a second year student, during our first year we used wax on tape stuck to each others feet and had a go. We also cut each others nails. Once the tutors considered it safe ( tm varied between students dependent upon manual dexterity), we got to practice on each other for real :) Then later in the year we where allowed to practice on patients selected by our tutors. Worked well for us, no problems for students or patients.
     
  25. wdd

    wdd Well-Known Member

    Dennis,

    Not sure if you would consider it part of 'technique' or not but I think it is something that should be included right from the start.

    When cutting toe nails, where some of the toe nails are fungally infected, ensure that the uninfected nails are cut before the infected nails and if part of a nail is infected ensure that the uninfected part is cut before the infected part.

    Good luck.

    Bill
     
  26. Catfoot

    Catfoot Well-Known Member

    Before we did any clinics we were taught learn how to clean down and set up a trolley and prepare (swab) a foot, take a medical history and we also learned all the abbreviations we would need for record-keeping

    In the first year we didn't see a "real" patient until the third term. In the second term we cut each others' toenails, and then went on to wax cutting - a blob of wax put onto ZO tape and stuck to the foot. Finally in the third term we saw "real" patients but these were all screened, so we just did nail-cuts and maybe a bit of callus or an HD.
    Running concurrently with this was Padding & Strapping and detachable/ chairside appliances so we could relate these to the type of problem we might encounter

    The real "heavy" cases came in the 2nd year because by this time we were learning something about biomechanics and orthotics and could devise off-loading strategies for our patients.

    I can't see how any of this could be taught without hands-on training? :confused:

    Catfoot
     
Loading...

Share This Page