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Hi all, I'm just wondering has anyone any ideas on the biggest challenges that will face me when I qualify. I am one of the first graduates from the first school of podiatry in the Republic of Ireland so as we are the first, I would love to be equipped to overcome these challenges and also promote and get the profession recognised over here.:)

 

I would say the biggest challenge will be to realize the value in what you do. You may become a specialist and do things no one else can. You may become an academic an discover things no one else can. You may become a generalist and do much good for many people. All of these are vital career paths but for some reason the generalist is afforded less esteem than the others.

I would say that the most good, to the most people, for the lowest risk, is not done by the surgeons, the specialists or the researchers (in the main). Every day, good old fashioned "chiropody" gives an amazing opportunity to help a LARGE number of people a LOT. And make no mistake, learning to be a good "chiropodist" is not easy, nor is it a skill set which you will possess right out of university. You have to work at it, and work at it with less recognition and kudos than you would receive in other areas. But consider this. If a highly specific plague were to descend and kill all the researchers, all the surgeons, all the specialists, or all the generalist podiatrists, which is the group the world could least do without?

I suggest the latter.

If you can do that, if you can realize the value in what you do, whatever that is, then you will have achieved something very difficult, something many pods never do.

 

After 30 odd years teaching podiatry (and other) students, I wish to reinforce Rob's words - above. Good old fashioned podiatric skills are incredibly useful, and provide huge benefit and relief to huge numbers of people. If I may add three words or phrases in terms of challenges you and your many colleagues will face: beneficence, non-maleficence, and evidence-based practice. These will become more and more dominant issues in your life as health-care dollars become more scarce. Rob

 

What a joy it is to find other people who believe in the power of excellent podiatry/chiropody. Good scalpel work, good shoe advice, good silicone work,good diagnostic skills.
That is the joy of our job, making patients comfortable, mobile,pain free.
And accepting our limitations,and being prepared to refer on when necessary.

 

What a joy to find other practitioners who believe in the power of chiropody/podiatry. we can make our patients comfortable, mobile, happy. With good scalpel skills, good silicones, shoe advice and diagnostic skills we can keep our patients in their own homes, enjoying life. We also need to be able to accept that we can't necessarily cure, but we can keep immobility at bay.

 

Agreed. The SCP once produced a pyramid chart with "generalists" at the bottom, working up through various specialisms to pod surgeons at the acme. I was livid. With absolutely no disrespect to our surgical colleagues it seems grossly inaccurate and unfair to me that somebody who has spent 30 years honing generalist and technical conservative treatment skills has a lower standing than someone who has spent ten years learning surgical, biomechanical or wound-care skills exclusively.

How strange that in medicine a GP is a highly respected member of the team for their broad scope of knowledge, yet in Podiatry this parity of esteem has never really happened. I wonder why that is.

 

Strongly suspect it is partly because feet are considered lowly and untouchable, and partly because, unlike most clinicians, dentists etc, we sit in an inferior position to our patients, ie they look down on us. Powerful psychology, and one of the reasons I maintain a professional look, in a White coat and smart clothes., and prefer my patients to refer to me as Mrs Humble-Thomas. I know it seems old fashioned, but it helps me to maintain my dignity!

 

same way as I prefer to be called Mr Morgan, and don't like calling pts by their 1st name. Oh and BTW, the post by Robert about generalists is bang on!

 

Was taught medicine at London Foot by a brilliant consultant general practitioner called Zachuroff. He could diagnose just about anything by history and observation. Saved patients being referred all around the houses as happens now. Do Consultant Gps still exist? And if not why not?