Why Feet???

"What made you want to be a foot doctor?!", asks many of my patients.  This question always makes me laugh a little, as it seems weird or even gross to most of my patients to deal with people's feet daily, but I truly love what I do (and it's really interesting and rewarding!).  In this blog post I dive into why I chose to become a podiatrist and why you should consider seeing a board-certified podiatric surgeon.  You may have seen the comments online or heard someone say, "You should NEVER see a podiatrist!"  Let me explain why that just isn't true and hopefully you will gain some knowledge and share it with others too!  However, before we get into the practice of foot & ankle surgery specifically, I would like to share a little bit about me and why I decided to become a podiatrist.

At the age of 17, I started working in a "decently" sized community hospital, where I worked as a radiology aide in rural Wisconsin.  I was a receptionist, transported patients, and assisted in providing patient care alongside nurses, physicians, and x-ray technicians.  It's hard to believe, but this year marks 20 years of me working in healthcare, and occasionally making patients smile and laugh at stupid jokes.

Growing up and seeing my dad beat thyroid cancer, my grandparents (and a pair of great-grandparents) age, and having my own medical issues, I wanted to be able to help change people's lives for the better so they can be happier and healthier.  Having dealt with my own amount of chronic pain and health issues since I was young, I understand what it feels like to miss out on life because of pain or sickness.    

Right at the end of my senior year of high school I started shadowing physicians in emergency medicine, OB-GYN, cardiothoracic surgery, and interventional radiology.  I was incredibly fortunate to see an open-heart surgery with an excellent, funny, and passionate cardiothoracic surgeon, which astonishingly was my first-ever surgery to observe at the young age of 18.  Towards the end of surgery, the patient was taken off of bypass, the heart filled with blood and started pumping on its own, like it was magic.  At that moment I immediately felt a warm rush of amazement and that fueled by passion for surgery.  Surgery was the perfect mix of art, science, and helping others.  That same cardiothoracic surgeon said two things that I will never forget, “always treat your patients like they are your friend”... and “dark chocolate and red wine are good for your heart.”  Two things I continue to live by.

It was the middle of my college career when I met with my pre-health advisor and he recommended I go to podiatry school.  Thinking that he was saying I couldn't be a “real” doctor, I took offense (which is definitely not what he intended).  I immediately felt defeated and walked out of his office.  A few months passed when I was working in the hospital file room and a very nice, down-to-earth surgeon came in to have his pre-operative x-rays printed (this was before digital imaging).  I helped him with this and of course curious me started asking questions about the surgery.  I was amazed to know that he was performing foot surgery, was a podiatrist, and had a really great work-life balance.  He wasn't like the cardiologist who hadn't seen his wife and kids for 2 weeks, the emergency physician who was burned out, or the OB-GYN who was anxious and exhausted because she was running 2 hours behind on her clinic schedule. That night I researched the profession and applied to podiatry schools.  The following day I walked into my pre-health advisor’s office and told him the ironic news.  Needless to say, we did have a little chuckle about it, but after some education on my behalf, I had now actually wanted to be a podiatric surgeon. 

The next following months I continued to work at the local hospital as a radiology aide, before starting podiatry school.  While transporting patients in the hospital I would chat quite a bit with patients, and I had a few patients ask me the same question and give the same comment/compliment afterwards:

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Patient: “What are you going to school for?”

Me: “I’m going to podiatry school.  I’m going to be a foot and ankle specialist.”

Patient: “You're going to be a doctor? That’s amazing. Just promise to never lose your personality and sense of humor. You’ll be a great physician.”

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I have never forgotten that. My patients now continue to thank me for being me… for being a “real” human, not a “typical doctor”.

Now, think back to my response in college when I was recommended to check out podiatry school.  Not even I thought that podiatrists were “real” doctors at that time, but I was so wrong!  I love being a podiatric surgeon.  My job is never boring and always varies.  Whether it’s a dermatology or orthopedic issue, an ingrown toenail or a large disabling deformity, I have the knowledge and expertise to treat it.  I’m in the clinic seeing patients, in the operating room performing surgery, in the hospital saving limbs, on the football field helping athletes, and teaching our future foot and ankle surgeons.  The best part of my job?  Seeing patients’ faces light up and feel so much better once their issues have resolved and they get their life back. 

The podiatry profession has grown tremendously over the last few decades.  A foot and ankle podiatric surgeon has a comprehensive knowledge to be able to diagnose and treat general medical problems and surgical management of foot and ankle diseases, deformities, and/or trauma, and those structures that affect the foot, ankle, and leg (ABPS 110).  All podiatrists certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS) have:

• Completed 4 years of medical school- identical in length to MD and DO schools, covering basic and clinical sciences, but ALSO provides intensive foot & ankle specialty specific education beginning the first year of school.
• Completed surgical residency- similar to and often integrated with MD and DO residency programs, requires training in general medicine, surgery, and other specialties. Podiatry residencies provide significantly more foot and ankle training than any other specialty (Council of Podiatric Medical Education).
• Completed a rigorous two-step process board certification with a case review component- similar to orthopedic surgeons.

While podiatry may have started with chipping and clipping toenails and trimming calluses forever ago, foot and ankle DPM surgeons today with rearfoot reconstructive surgery board certification are the leaders in foot and ankle care.  We work alongside allopathic and osteopathic colleagues, train MD/DO students, residents and fellows, and in some cases orthopedic surgery residents. Here at Precision Foot & Ankle Center, we work very closely with family and internal medicine, endocrinology, orthopedics, vascular surgery, cardiology, infectious disease, and critical care, among others.  When patients have a team of physicians who work closely with one another and communicate, they have much better treatment outcomes in general.  Today, podiatric surgeons are equal partners in patient care coordination.  We perform complex surgeries, save limbs, and save lives.

Personally, my residency program consisted of training under both podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons (both general and foot & ankle fellowship trained).  How I see it, I had the opportunity to learn from both worlds.  My residency program was also known for having excellent hands-on surgical training, high case numbers for surgeries, and a large amount of elective reconstructive and emergent surgical training, including trauma.  Since residency, I continue to further my training and education to better serve others.  I am one of the few across the country to be certified by the ABFAS for total ankle replacement, training under the best surgeons internationally.  With added interests in pediatric medicine & surgery, minimally invasive surgery & arthroscopy, I have continued to gain more training in these areas, providing better care and additional treatment options for patients, & will continue to do so.

Whether you choose to have a podiatric surgeon or foot & ankle fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon provide your care, that doesn’t matter to me.  But, please above all make sure they are board certified by a legitimate national surgical board, so you are cared for appropriately.

              ~ Dr. Jacob

To learn more about the practice of podiatry, surgery, training, education, and certification please visit the following websites:

• ACFAS Position Statement: https://www.acfas.org/policy-advocacy/policy-position-statements/the-education-training-certification-of-acfas-foot-ankle-surgeons
• ABFAS, ACFAS, APMA, and WSPMA Joint Statement: https://www.abfas.org/detail/news/2022/06/10/a-joint-statement-from-abfas-acfas-apma-and-wspma
• AOFAS Position Statement: https://www.aofas.org/docs/default-source/research-and-policy/position-statements/position-statement-on-podiatry.pdf?sfvrsn=48b47dbb_10