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Clowns and Harlots: Best foot forward

Today's Financial News - Posted February 13, 2008

by Christopher Corbett 

Baltimore — (TFN): The American Podiatric Medical Association says that the demand for foot doctors is about to surge over the next six years.  This came as quite a surprise to me as I can’t say that I keep up with the noble science of foot doctoring.  But I read the alarm they sounded closely and I admire their bluntness. I find it refreshing.  They mince no words.  There is no posturing here.  No high-mindedness.  They state their case from the get-go.

“For young Americans looking for job security in a lagging economy, entering the field of podiatric medicine – which currently boasts 15,000 doctors nationwide – may be a step in the right direction.”

In other words, it’s all about the Benjamins!

Of course it is.  And thus it has always been so.  But here we have simply stated the prehensile fact. If anyone studies medicine, dentistry or horse doctoring for any other reason than to make money, I am not aware of it.  Those are the traditional routes to respectability, the bourgeoisie.  Sail boats and ski chalets. An opportunity to claw one’s way up out of the working class.  A traditional career path for the child of the immigrant.

I’d wager that less than two percent of the applicants to the nation’s medical schools have any interest in doing any good for fellow man (accept themselves).  Dental applicants, no interest at all.  Veterinary medicine is a veritable pirate’s lair.  As for the law, all hope abandon ye who enter here.Instant respectability and MONEY, too. 

What could be better?

I salute the foot doctoring fraternity for its frankness.  Why shouldn’t they want to be well-heeled, so to speak?They state the case simply:“A recent workforce study indicates that the nation’s eight colleges of podiatric medicine would have to triple their graduates between now and 2014 in order to meet growing population demands.”It’s about the economy, stupid. Supply and demand and all that.  You don’t need Milton Friedman to explain the economics of this, pilgrim. The pickings are good and they will get better. 

Soooooey.

As the population ages, gets fatter (Americans are working overtime to do that) and develops diabetes from eating all things that made them fatter, business is going to pick up for the foot doctor.  And perhaps along the way a toehold, so to speak, of respectability for the lowly hoof man?  No more the butt of medical humor.  Don’t tread on the podiatrists!

The American Podiatric Medical Association says that in 2002 podiatrists provided close to 40 percent of all foot care services in the United States (I am assuming that did not include work with livestock).

Orthopedists, by contrast, were said to have only snapped up 13 percent of the takings while “other physicians” garnered 37 percent of the pie.  Medical doctors, I imagine, they leave the fringe pickings at the trough (in-grown toenails, et al) to the podiatrists and this may in the end prove to be their mistake.

Still, 40 percent is a respectable haul for the Republic’s 15,000 podiatrists.  There are more than 303 million Americans and counting.  Do the math. Yes, the takings look to be very nice, indeed.

The Podiatry Workforce Study is going to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.  That study shows the median salary was $150,00 annually among podiatrists in 2006. 

Last year, Forbes' survey of “America’s 25 Best Paying Jobs” put podiatry 15th on its list.Podiatrists are said to be an aging workforce, too!  The average age now for those who minister to toes and trotters is pegged at 45!  Further reason, if reason is needed, to take this step in the right direction.    

I quote exactly from the foot doctor’s press release: “The field of podiatry is really one of the most specialized in all of medicine. And anyone who has become a podiatrist knows that the payoffs associated with becoming a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) are priceless,” said Dr. Christian Robertozzi, APMA president.

“But when it all boils down to it, most medical students are concerned about what their salaries will be once they enter the workforce. Because the supply is less than the demand for podiatrists at the moment, the median income for our profession is at an all-time high.”

For this honesty alone the nation should be grateful.  Here we have a simple, bold statement of fact.  A profession driven by earning potential.  And why not?      

Plus there is the famously “flexible lifestyle” – as the press release notes – of the foot doctor.

It’s an easy line of work.  I imagine it must be nigh impossible to actually kill someone working on their feet (although I fear it has been done).  Still, it ain’t open heart surgery. An office may be opened in any strip mall – right alongside an H&R Block or Bedding Barn or hard by a Jiffy Lube or Pet Smart.  Fancy medical paraphernalia is not required.  Staff is not hard to find.  A quick stroll through any Wal-Mart would turn up recruits.  Cosmetology alone would provide ample assistants.  And what of retired masseuses?  A trip to Kinko for a couple of thousand cheap handbills (I think a coupon might be a nice touch, too).  Some leafleting in the parking lot of a few malls and the floodgates open.  We’re in the money!

The footmen are correct.  This is a craft that is on the cusp of something as America ages and falls to pieces.  The elderly seem most in need of such succor and they may be found in concentrations around retirement communities.  The Sunshine State alone is a veritable Comstock Lode for the footster.  Persons with little education?  Perhaps no insurance?  No primary care physician?  Obviously these are the best targets – let’s make that patients.  They’d have the money for this service.

Master Card and VISA, accepted, no doubt.

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Posted by Christopher Corbett · Filed Under American Life 

Comments

One Response to “Clowns and Harlots: Best foot forward”

  • Will Hall Says:
    July 10th, 2008 at 10:06 am

    I don’t believe veterianrians go in it for the money. they are not ranked in Forbes top 25 and the average stated from the AVMA is $75000 - not much when you consider that they have the same sort of debt as a human physician. Entry to one of the few veterinary school in the USA is very competitive so most of these students could have gone to the more profitable human medical school if they had wished however they didn’t, they chose to earn less. Its well known amongst anyone in the healthcare profession that the low salaries of veterinarians is an anomaly in the amongst the medical professions. bearing this in mind I muct ask myself how much research did this journalist do for this article. i am guessing he knocked it up as a quick story for …..guess what…… the money!!!

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