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Podiatric Surgery training in Australia?? HELP!!!

Discussion in 'Australia' started by nl689, Feb 24, 2012.

  1. nl689

    nl689 Member


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    Hi everyone,

    Im a long time reader first time 'thread starter' and a current 2nd year pod student. Im liking podiatry so far and have had quite a few good experiences already which give me cause to feel optimistic towards my future. I had previously completed a degree at USYD have always wanted (and still do) to become an ankle and foot surgeon.

    After finishing my last degree I had an offer to study postgrad med but after talking to my career advisor he told me that taking the road through podiatry and then podiatric surgery would be much shorter so thats what I did. I now work part time at a podiatry clinic and have been told that;

    a) pod surgeons are being phased out
    b) veteran podiatrist and clinic owners told me its not worth it
    c) I wont have any work

    And on top of all of that despite my best attempts to get information about the process of becoming a pod surgeon I have not received any clear help or guidance from anyone including my course co ordinator who I emailed a number of times.

    All of this is making me feel demotivated and im worried that if I continue this mindset my results will suffer and Ill be stuck feeling unfulfilled. :wacko:

    So I ask this forum.. is there anyone who can give me guidance regarding pod surgery training in Australia? Is it really not worth it? What is the process? Has anyone had experience with the training or finished it?


    Forgive me for the 21 questions but its just one of those burning feelings that perhaps I should not have listened to my advisor and gone into med.:bang::bang:

    Thanks alot for any input!

    Nel
     
  2. Admin2

    Admin2 Administrator Staff Member

  3. Canuk

    Canuk Active Member

    Hey Nel,

    My advice would be to do a search of Qualified Pod Surgeons in Australia, contact a few, and go visit them, meet them and buy them a coffee and discuss it with them. They are all very talented and Educated. Get it form the Horses mouth as we say. Also, I believe there was a PHD programme out in WA for Pod Surgery Training. Again Search the internet. Good Luck! If I can be of any further help just ask! I do Know of some Aus Pod Sugeons, and Uk Sugeons.

    Alan
     
  4. nl689

    nl689 Member

    Hi everyone,

    First off thank you to admin2 for posting those links it made for.some interesting reading and has given me alot to think about.

    Alan thank u for your advice it is definitely something im considering doing. Im originally from nsw and i know that there are a few pod surgeons located there but as of yet here in qld all ive managed to do is to get people who tell me im being abit premature or that i should forget about it. So it has all been abit disapointing considering ive become so focused and set on doing it. I have even started researching about possibly doing it overseas and relocating because as sad as it is going to sound (and ill.probably get attacked) but podiatry here in pz does not seem to have a very bright future. In my opinion its because of the poor structure and lack of prestige that we will always be confined to mediocrity..

    If you are able i would be grateful if you can forward some contacts to suppliment any others i find in the area. Thanks again

    Nel
     
  5. nl689

    nl689 Member

    Sorry for the typo above.. i meant "here in Oz"
     
  6. LuckyLisfranc

    LuckyLisfranc Well-Known Member

    Nel

    Respectfully, you are a very new student to the profession, with but a year of the sheltered workshop of university life under your belt. Additionally, you are in Qld which has the smallest penetration of podiatric surgery in mainland Australia.

    A few pointers from someone who has been around for a long time...

    Harness your enthusiasm, and temper it with some reality. If your (?) long held ambition was to be a foot and ankle surgeon, then probably doing medicine would have been arguably an easier road to reaching your goal. Then again, there is the hurdle of first gaining an orthopaedic training position, getting through general orthopaedic training, then obtaining subspecialty training in foot and ankle.

    Foot and ankle surgery in this country is competitive, and the medical profession holds most of the aces. They have Medicare, paid training positions, and a suite of professional privileges that makes day to day working life reasonably straight-forward. Podiatric surgery has very few of these in this country, and most podiatric surgeons I know work very hard to do their cases under constant scrutiny and with little government support. In the UK, and particularly the US, it is a completely different story.

    Whilst, in your short time entering the profesion you might have made some observations about the profession you are entering into, I would argue that there is a much bigger and broader world out there, and podiatric medicine and surgery has a VERY bright future in this country. Yes there are obstacles to overcome, and the playing field is far from level, but I would focus on doing well in your undergraduate studies for now. I can all but guarantee you that by the time you exit the undergraduate program things will be very different with respect to podiatric surgery, post graduate training, drug prescribing and a whole host of other issues. You will have also spoken to and met a range of other people who may give you a broader perspective on the profession.

    LL
     
  7. nl689

    nl689 Member

    Hi LL

    Cheers for the extensive input mate its always good to hear experienced opinions. As I mentioned before I realise that chances are Ive jumped the gun abit but after being bombarded by negativity by PODs I work with it gets a person thinking. Perhaps its their environment and working conditions that has shaped their opinions of a profession which they have themselves decided to dedicate time and effort towards. Having said that Im not new at all to the university scene and and I have spent time in RPA and Westmead as part of my previous degree so maybe that added to my anxiety in wanting to achieve that level. There is alot for me to learn though and perhaps you are right I should just buckle down, do the hard yards and hope for the best.

    Nel
     
  8. Laurie Foley

    Laurie Foley Member

    HI Nel, I suggest you try the University of WA Podiatric Medicine unit site in the medical faculty. Prof Alan Bryant is the unit cordinator
    http://www.meddent.uwa.edu.au/podiatry

    A/prof Laurie Foley
     
  9. PowerPodiatry

    PowerPodiatry Active Member

    As a Qld boy who was also a Podiatric surgical registrar...you have bitten off a lot.

    Everything is possible...the road will be far longer than you think...at least 8-10 yrs from graduation.

    I never finished due to a number of reasons but it made me a much better podiatrist and I was able to help a lot of patients with very complex conditions that the orthopods had brushed their hands of.

    Only you can decide if it is worth it...but few finish.

    Just my 2 cents...
     
  10. nl689

    nl689 Member

    Hi again

    Thanks alot for the input Laurie, WA is definitely an option for me I just have to progress through and see how I go. The only thing that puts this idea down is the fact that i heard once you leave WA you cant practice pod surgery elsewhere is there any truth to this? Or is uni the best place to contact regarding that?

    Colin thank you as well as I said im thankful to be able to get alot of different opinions to really put things in perspective for me. At the moment im very motivated and keen and i know that ill be in for a long and arduous time to achieve my goals. So im going to focus on maintaining that enthusiasm until it comes time to decide concretely whether or not to follow through on it. My main concern is the talk of PODS not getting alot of work which seems to me makes the whole process and work not really worthwhile. But then again maybe Im not seeing the whole truth in this and im keen for any further input.

    Thanks again.

    Nel
     
  11. LuckyLisfranc

    LuckyLisfranc Well-Known Member

    Nel

    Time to get familiar with the Podiatry Board of Australia. This is the most reliable source of information for facts about your chosen career. The registration requirements to be a specialist podiatric surgeon are stated here.

    As you will see, both Fellowship of the ACPS or the Doctor of Clinical Podiatry from UWA are accepted for specialist registration across the country. Just like your undergraduate degree allows you to work anywhere in the country.

    Don't rely too much on heresay...

    In terms of work, most podiatric surgeons I know are generally busy, but would like to be busier. This is because patients are at a financial loss if they choose to see a podiatric surgeon for their procedure, vs orthopaedics. When the playing field eventually and inevitably levels, then workloads will increase as cost is removed from the equation of choice of provider. This has been demonstrated internationally with the maturity of the specialty in the UK and US, where there is negligible financial discrepancies between providers of foot surgery.

    As Colin mentions, the road is long, hard and expensive; particularly the current ACPS program. If I was a little less committed I would be doing the UWA program in heartbeat, which I personally see as more financially achievable, realistic and with a definitive end point - plus its delivered in the School of Surgery of a Go8 medical school.

    LL
     
  12. nl689

    nl689 Member

    Hi LL

    Thanks again for the input you have been a great source of information as has everyone else so im very thankful. Ive come to realise that i shouldnt pay attention to what people are saying unless its from someone who knows what theyre talking about. At the moment the Degree at UWA seems like a good option for me which might be a bit more achievable (financially speaking). I will keep an eye on it and any other things that change because as many, including yourself, have already mentioned podiatry is constantly evolving so ill be patient.

    Thank you to everyone who helped

    Nel
     
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