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pros and cons of being a podiatrist?

Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by wizadora1979, Nov 3, 2011.

  1. wizadora1979

    wizadora1979 Member


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    hi, im a student and as part of an assessment i need to write about the pros and cons of being a podiatrist. would you please be able to help me and let me know what you all believe these to be? i have what i think to me are pros and cons but i wanted other views and opinions too.

    many thank

    x x x x
     
  2. wizadora1979

    wizadora1979 Member

    i have had over 100 views but no one wants to help? i am a pod student asking for help , please can no one spare 5 mins to offer there advice and opinion? :(
     
  3. timharmey

    timharmey Active Member

    People showing you their feet in Pubs , parties , social events , on holiday , on buses
    tim
     
  4. Peter

    Peter Well-Known Member

    Pros.
    Tend to be popular with other health professionals (always looking for a freebie off you)
    Short treatments, pts often don't bore you with their life story
    visit varied types of accommodation, from farms, to posh houses, to ****-holes (i once did a dom in a brothel!)
    meet some interesting people

    Cons.
    Skill transferability very low
    often seen as nothing more than a toe-nail cutter with other professionals
    often meaningless repetitive chit-chat
    presently poor degree of climbing career ladder (NHS)
     
  5. twirly

    twirly Well-Known Member

    Hi Kim & :welcome:to Podiatry Arena.

    Apologies for late welcome <place excuse here> :empathy:

    My thoughts on the upside of podiatry:
    1). Love people. Get new ones to play with all the time.
    2). Very few professions can give you the ability to reduce/remove pain & often (not always)result in good outcomes.
    3). If in private practice you are your own boss (although there's the tax man & the Health Professions Council & your professional body).
    4). You can earn a decent living doing something you enjoy.

    Bad stuff:
    1). If you don't network private practice can be an isolated place.
    2). Division in podiatry/foot health industry with lots of bitching & us & them type prodding.
    3). Providing a service to the public can be very trying & at times you may feel like banging your head against a wall when patients disregard all you advise them in favour of what Nellie next door told them to do.

    As with any career there are great days, good days & days you wish you stayed in bed. Most of my days are a mixture of the 1st two with the odd ARGHHHH :bang: thrown in now & then but the last one isn't a daily event thankfully.

    Regards,

    Mandy.

    :drinks
     
  6. cperrin

    cperrin Active Member

    Pros:
    - Meeting lots of people
    - Christmas - lots of chocolates being brought in
    - Specialising in a certain area you enjoy
    - Working as part of a MDT

    Cons:
    - Those patients!! everyone has them
    - DOMS - hate them!
    - Dull paperwork
    - Pretending to be in a good mood all the time

    The real pros and cons really depend on your setting private or nhs or both, and also where you work, if your lucky to work in a young energetic dept. you'll no doubt have more pros than cons!
     
  7. wizadora1979

    wizadora1979 Member

    thankyou all, your replies are very much appreciated x x x x
     
  8. footdrcb

    footdrcb Active Member

    pros....
    If you carefully construct your service and balance between surgery , bio and specialise a little more in a particular area, you can make over 200,000 dollars per year.

    cons.
    Isolation in private practice, depending on your views that may also be a pro.
    you will need at least a population of 30,000 people to make a viable practice. EG with a GP it is much lower around 6000 people
     
  9. twirly

    twirly Well-Known Member

    Another bad point!

    Receiving a text at 3am from a new pt' cancelling their appt; tomorrow!!!!

    On the plus side: Being able to whine about it to the world on Pod' A.
     
  10. Kyrret

    Kyrret Active Member

    I once had a phone call at 3 am from an elderly lady to tell me that her toe was hurting! She had no idea what time it was - she was awake so she thought she would let me know.
     
  11. LuckyLisfranc

    LuckyLisfranc Well-Known Member

    I note you are in the UK, so it is difficult for an Australian to comment on the profession over there.

    However, some broader issues are consistent amongst the Commonwealth.

    PROS:
    * a 'niche' profession, with a rapidly growing profile amongst the community and other health professions
    * Subspecialisation opportunities in reconstructive surgery, sports medicine, paediatrics and diabetology
    * One of the few professions outside of medicine and dentistry with drug privileges
    * Wide scope of patients possible (babies through to grannies)
    * Very rare to have after hours and on-call work duties
    * High incomes are obtainable if you work at it
    * Huge 'growth' potential - when say compared to the achievements of the profession in the US
    * A 'stable' generally non-volatile industry, when compared to other sectors of the economy

    CONS:
    * Generally endless conflicts with our competitors (usually orthopaedics)
    * Small profession, with sometimes limited political influence
    * Regulations and government policy tends to always favour the medical profession over our interests, slow to change and rectify to a more balanced playing field

    All in all, I would have no hesistation in recommending the profession to anyone (being as objective as possible).

    LL
     
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