3. Podiatric medicine deals with the
evaluation, diagnosis and medical
treatment of pathologies affecting the
lower extremities
4. Foot Facts
• ¼ of all the bones in your body are
in your feet
• Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints,
107 ligaments and 19 muscles
• People walk 115,000 miles in their
lifetime which is equivalent to
circling the earth 4.6 times
• The feet may be the first area to
show signs of serious conditions
such as diabetes, heart disease, and
Peripheral Vascular Disease
• Women have four times as many
foot problems as men
5. What is a DPM?
Doctors of Podiatric Medicine are the
only doctors to receive specialized
medical and surgical training and
board certification in the care of the
lower extremity. They conduct
physical examinations, prescribe
medications, and treat patients in a
myriad of sub-specialties
21. Where do DPMs Work?
•Private or group practices •Consultant firms
•Hospitals •Government
•Sports Industry •Public Health
•Medical Schools •Veteran’s
•Research facilities Administration
22. The Podiatric Advantage
• Limited on-call hrs
• Do surgery when you want
• No life-threatening cases=low mortality
rate=peace of mind and less concern over
malpractice suits
• Set your own hours
• Provide immediate relief of pain
• Help people improve their quality of life
23. Job Outlook
• Colleges of podiatric medicine would have
to triple their graduates between now and
2014 in order to meet growing population
demands (Center for Health Workforce
Studies)
• There are more and more foot problems as
a result of growing obesity, diabetes and
aging (Center for Health Workforce Studies)
• Median salary- $171,000
• 15th on Forbes’ survey of "America’s 25
Best Paying Jobs“
• Ranked 12’th highest paid occupation
by the U.S. Dept. of Labor
25. About the College
• 4 Year Medical School
• First podiatric medical
school
• Located in Manhattan
• Produced more than
25% of all DPMs
• Foot Center of New
York attached
26. Podiatric Medicine Allopathic Medicine
Anatomy Anatomy
Physiology Physiology
Histology Histology
Biochemistry Biochemistry
Embryology Embryology
Neuroscience Neuroscience
Genetics Genetics
Pathology Pathology
Pharmacology Pharmacology
Microbiology Microbiology
Immunology Immunology
Physical Assessment Physical Assessment
Anesthesiology Anesthesiology
Dermatology Dermatology
Internal Medicine Internal Medicine
Surgery Surgery
Ethics Ethics
Podo-pediatrics Pediatrics
Psychopathology Psychiatry
Nutrition Nutrition
Radiology Radiology
*OBGYN*
27. NYCPM Program
• 1st year: Preclinical Sciences
• 2nd year: Preclinical Sciences and Intro to Podiatry, Boards Part I
• 3rd year: Morning class and Clinical Rotations in the Foot Clinics of New
York and affiliated hospitals
• 4th year: (4) Month-long Externships in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery;
Clerkships in General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine,
Radiology; Boards Part 2
28. Research Opportunities
Available in various subjects including:
•Biomechanics •Pathology
•Podo-pediatrics •Alzheimer’s Disease
•Anatomy •Vascular System
Current studies include:
•Anatomic study of the transverse
occipital ligament with clinical relevance
•Prevention of amputations secondary to
diabetic foot ulcers
•Utilizing brain stimulation to determine
alterations in electrical patterns
•Use of rocker sole shoes to alleviate discomfort associated with
hallux limitus
29. Affiliations
• Foot Center of New York
• Metropolitan Hospital Center
• Harlem Hospital Center
• Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center
• The New York Presbyterian Healthcare Network
• Columbia University College of Physicians and
Surgeons
30. Residencies
• Residencies across the US
• Required 3 year residency
• Rotations performed in
every department from
internal medicine to
general surgery
31. Fellowships
• Diabetic Foot
• Sports Medicine
• Pediatrics
• Vascular Surgery
• Trauma
32. Licensing & Certification
• 3 Parts to the National Boards which are taken
after the 2nd and 4th years in podiatric medical
school with the option to take Part III before or
during residency
• Most states also require a written and/or oral
exam prior to licensure
• Certification is available in orthopedics, primary
medicine or surgery
33. Programs for Prospective Students
• Pre-Health
Student Internship
• Open House
• Exploratory Visit
34. Admissions Requirements
• Completion of a minimum of 90 semester hours of
undergraduate study, including:
Biology (lecture and lab) 8 Hours
Chemistry (lecture and lab) 8 Hours
Organic Chemistry (lecture and lab) 8 Hours
Physics (lecture and lab) 8 Hours
English 6 Hours
• MCAT
• 3 Letters of Recommendation or Pre-Health Committee
evaluation
35. Application Procedure
• Apply online using AACPMAS, which can be
accessed at nycpm.edu
• Official Transcripts sent to AACPMAS
• Official MCAT score(s) released to AACPMAS
• Three letters of recommendation submitted to
NYCPM by mail, Interfolio, or VirtualEval
• Deadlines for applications
– September Class – June 30th
– January Class – November 30th
36. The NYCPM Advantage
• Full-time pre-clinical faculty
• 6:1 student to professor ratio
• Visiting faculty from prestigious
medical schools in NYC
• Video Capture System
• Virtual Microscopy
• January term
• DPM/MPH Dual-Degree
• Affiliations with major hospitals in
NYC, nationwide and abroad
• Affordable housing
Well hello everyone. My name is Mark Litwa and I’m the Associate Director of Admission for the NY College of Podiatric Medicine and today I’d like to talk to you about a career that most of you probably never considered, some of you maybe never even heard of, and is in my opinion one of the best kept secrets in medicine. Well, hopefully after today, you will learn something new about podiatry and will be able to see it as a viable career option. I will take questions at the end so if you do have a question I just ask that you save it until the Q&A at the end.
Well, before we start, I think it’s important to have a working definition of what podiatric medicine is.
“ Very simply put.” (Read the slide) Anything hip down depending on an individual state’s scope of practice but it normally encompasses the foot and ankle
So why do we need podiatrists and not just MDs? Because the feet are very complex! (Read first 2 bullet pts) Because the feet are so complex they require the expertise of a specialist and a podiatrist is a specialist I like to use a car analogy to make a practical comparison. You probably don’t think about the well-being of your tires or wheels that often, but what would happen if you let your tires go bald or you don’t get your wheels aligned? Driving on bald tires could cause you to lose traction and drive off the road. And if you’re wheels aren’t properly aligned, your car won’t steer straight, putting stress on other parts of the car as well as the driver. Well the same goes with your feet. If you don’t take care of them, they’ll cause problems in other areas. Does anyone think they know why women have 4x as many foot problems as men? Because of hi-heels and other poor fitting shoes. Women too often sacrifice comfort for beauty, without realizing that they will most likely pay for it down the road.
Well I know I already said that podiatry is a specialty but within podiatry, there are many sub-specialties which means podiatrists see a lot of variety of cases. There’s things like Vascular surgery, Orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, geriatrics, diabetes, and sports medicine
Sports medicine is a very popular subspecialty within p.m. Theres at least one podiatrist on every major sports team. One of our students got into podiatry because of dance and one of our professors is the podiatrist for the NYC Ballet. Sports medicine can include anything from strapping, to injection therapy, to reconstructive surgery.
Every podiatry student learns how to perform surgery in their 4 th year, as well as in their residency So, by default, every podiatrist is a surgeon So, if you like cutting, dissecting things and blood and guts, podiatry could be a great option for you. Let me give you some examples of why you would need to know how to perform surgery:
Flat foot happens when the arch of the foot collapses Can cause pain in other joints like ankles, knees, hips, and back since they are all connected. If the joints in your feet aren’t absorbing shock, then it will put stress on your other joints because your arch absorbs a lot of shock. Flat foot can usually be treated w/orthotics but surgery is needed in some cases.
And so here is a post-op x-ray of someone with flatfoot where surgery has been used to artificially rebuild the arch using pins and screws. This procedure is called ankle fusion
Bunions are structural deformities of the bones and joints between the foot and great toe (Happens gradually over several years- great toe grows toward 2 nd toe) (Some doctors say it is genetic, others say it is caused by poor-fitting shoes, but either way its very painful) Orthotics or custom-designed shoes can be used, but they only treat the symptoms Surgery is needed in most cases: either filing down the bone or realigning it with screws (bunionectomy)
Here we see the before and after x-ray of someone who underwent surgery to have their bunion removed. You can see that their great toe has been realigned with screws. This procedure is called a bunionectomy.
Literally means “tumor of nerve tissue” Often very painful Caused by pinched nerves from wearing shoes that are too tight. Injections can help alleviate the pain but surgery is required in most cases. If you have surgery to remove the nerve, you will lose feeling in those toes, but most patients prefer a feeling of numbness to the excruciating pain they were feeling before.
And here is what the nerve looks like once it’s removed
This is an example of something you would see if you worked in the ER/trauma dept. This fracture was caused by an incident with a lawnmower. Foot fractures are very different from, for example, an arm fracture, because there are so many bones involved. If you break your arm, you can just reset the bone and slap a cast on it and the arm will usually heal. With a foot, you can’t just put a cast on the foot and expect it to heal. Most fractures require invasive surgery to realign the bones.
And here is a post-op x-ray and photo with the bones surgically realigned with metal plates
Deformity of the interphalangeal joint of the 2 nd , 3 rd , or 4 th toe which causes it to be permanently bent (resembling a hammer) Caused from wearing shoes that are too small where you’re toes can’t fully extend and they’re very painful Imagine having a hard ball on the top of your toe pushing into it every time you take a step Physical therapy and custom-designed shoes can be used to treat them although surgery can also be used where the top of the bone is shaved off and the top tendon is replaced with the bottom tendon.
Some podiatrists who like working with children choose to specialize in pediatrics For example, you might see things like: clubfeet, 6 th toes, and gait problems Some children need leg braces to correct walking issues (think Forest Gump as a kid) Pathologies in children are much easier to correct b/c their bones are still developing so it can be very rewarding. These pictures depict a child with severe clubfeet. The podiatrist is performing a procedure called serial casting where the child’s legs are massaged, repositioned and wrapped in a cast for 2 weeks, repeating until the feet are aligned correctly.
And as you can see her legs are fixed, she’s walking normally (and she’ll probably want to be a podiatrist when she grows up)
Every med student studies dermatology, so podiatry is no different. Doctors must be trained in recognizing melanoma since it’s cancerous. Therefore, podiatrists may need to biopsy certain skin growths to properly diagnose their patients. Top/Bottom Left: Worts Bottom right: extreme athlete’s foot/foot fungus. This patient has a particularly bad case because they have late-stage AIDS which inhibts the immune response. Top right: melanoma
Consulting is a great way to build a patient base. You can consult for shoe companies like Nike, Reebok and Crocs, for health insurance companies, or sports teams all hire podiatrists as consultants
Now lets get to the real reasons why podiatry is such a great field. Podiatrists (unlike other doctors) are able to practice medicine and still have a great lifestyle. Among other things, they are able to work when they want, be their own boss, raise a family, and maintain a high standard of living. No life-threatening cases. Let’s face it, no one’s gonna die from an ingrown toenail. Unlike dentists, people who see a podiatrist feel better when they walk out of the doctors office If a person experiences pain in their feet, it’s hard for them to really enjoy anything—so it gives you a great feeling knowing you are helping people improve their quality of life
Well one thing podiatrists don’t have to worry about is job security Currently, there is about 1 podiatrist for every 20,000 americans And because of higher obesity rates, diabetes, and the ageing population, podiatrists are going to be in even higher demand in the years to come. There are a lot of variables that influence a person’s salary including location, years of practice, type of practice, etc, but the salary range is comparable to a GP or Dentist
Now I’d like to talk to you specifically about NYCPM and some of the programs we have for students like you
This slide depicts a comparison between the pre-clinical course work of a podiatric student with that of an allopathic student. What’s the difference? The programs are almost identical. The only real difference is that podiatric medical students do not focus on OBGYN – we have yet to find any real connection between gynecology and feet… So, I think we can safely debunk the myth that podiatrists aren’t real doctors
1-2 year: Biochemistry, Histology, Anatomy (with full cadaver dissection)…full body gross anatomy 2 nd year focuses more on lower extremity anatomy 3 rd year: white coats get put on and rotations begin in our foot clinic—get TONS of hands-on experience. Students see b/w 800-1200 patients (Also do rotations at our 3 main hospitals: Lincoln, Metro, and Harlem – you are rotating with regular medical students, doing the exact same things. Our students often report that they feel ahead of medical students because they have had so much hands on experience in the clinics.) 4 th year: Externships done all over US at one of our 170 hospital affiliates
About half of our students choose to do their externships out of state
3 year surgical residency. Our students consistently place in some of the top residency programs at places like Scripps/Mercy in San Diego, Inova-Fairfax in Virginia, West Penn in Pittsburgh and Cambridge in Boston.
If you want to be a leader in a particular specialty of podiatric medicine, you can do a fellowship after your residency. Basically, you work with an expert in that specialty for 1-2 years, and learn everything you can from them. Then you are considered an expert as well.
Like all medical students, podiatric medical students must pass the boards to become licensed. Students must complete a two-part National Board while in podiatric medical school and another part upon completion of the podiatric medical school program. Part One- covers basic pre-clinical science areas Achieved a 99% pass rate in 2010. Part Two- covers clinical areas Part Three- assesses clinical judgment (usually taken after residency) Although most states accept the results of the National Board Examinations, some states may also require a written and/or oral examination prior to licensing.
The Pre-Health Student internship program – everyone should have a flyer with information on it inside the brochure you received. It’s 4 days long, and completely free. It gives you a chance to get a feel for the profession, shadow in the clinic, meet some students, sit in on classes, and see New York. And it’s completely free, we even give you housing, so all you have to do is find a way to get to New York.
We look for a 3.0 GPA and at least a 20 on MCAT 23 is our average MCAT and 3.3 is our average GPA
Apply using AACPM’s central clearinghouse/common application Whole process can be completed in about 1 month if you do what you’re organized and send us your documents on time Interviews are scheduled in about 3 weeks after you submit your application Admission committee meets about 1 week after your interview (usually on a Monday) (If you are admitted you are notified by letter and phone 1-2 weeks after you interview)
So why NYCPM? Lots of personal attention!
That’s about all. I’ve listed our website, email phone # and your favorite social networking websites so you can follow us online. Any questions??? Thank you!
