Podiatrist 

(Female, Age 32) from Gaithersburg, MD

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 32 who works as a Podiatrist in Gaithersburg, MD. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.

At a Glance

Current Job

Basic data on your current job

Job Title Podiatrist
Salary $130,000
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week 30
Company Size (not answered)
Location Gaithersburg, MD
Years Experience 4 years

Career Ratings

Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)

Years in Career 0
Education (not answered)
Income Rating 0 / 10
Interest Rating 0 / 10
Work-Life Rating 0 / 10
Fulfilment Rating 0 / 10

Current job Q&A

Describe the type of organization you work for.
I am employed by a small podiatry practice with one other doctor and three office staff women. Two of the women are full-time and one is part-time.

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I treat patient with foot and ankle conditions in an office setting several days per week. I also see elderly patients at assisted living facilities and nursing homes one day per week. I perform surgery on Fridays at either a hospital or surgical center.

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
all licenses and malpractice insurance paid for by the practice

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Slightly undercompensated

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I see patients all day long and work closely with my office staff. I enjoy talking to my patients and enjoy working with my office staff as well. I am an outgoing person and I feel that my interactions with others helps to make the day go by faster and makes work more fun.

Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?

Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?

Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in an office most days which I enjoy and feel comfortable in. I dislike going to nursing homes and assisted living centers which requires a lot of driving, carrying my instruments, and sitting on the floor to treat the patients. I also perform surgery at either a hospital or surgical center which I also enjoy.

Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 5
Hours: 4
Co-Workers: 3
Supervisors: 8
Job Title: 7
Level of Responsibility: 6
The Actual Work: 1

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
One of my attending physicians at my residency recommended me for the position as he was friends with my current employer.

What was the application process?
I sent my CV and spoke with the physician on the phone. Then, we followed up with a face-to-face interview/meeting.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I met with my employer initially in his office and then followed up with several phone conversations. We met again at his country club for brunch to further discuss my employment.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
He asked me about my surgical training and my comfort level in working with patients on my own. He also asked me what compensation I was looking for and if I was planning to move back to the area regardless of this job.

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. He explained exactly what was required of me and what type of productivity he expected.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
There was extensive training for my position. I was a pre-med major in college although this was not a requirement. I then attended four years of podiatry school and then was trained in surgical techniques during a two-year surgical residency in a hospital.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. I was trained not just in surgical technique, but also in a hands-on clinical setting. I also was given training in how to bill insurance companies and how to properly document treatment in patients charts.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
The training I received while in school and during my residency greatly helped to prepare me for my job.

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend shadowing a podiatrist in the office for a few days to make sure that they really want to pursue this career as it requires many years of school. Then, they should apply to a podiatry school and continue with a surgical residency.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
I think a person should have “good hands” and an interest in medicine/science. They should also be comfortable talking to people as they will be talking to patients all day long. Organization skills are helpful but not required and technical skills such as surgical technique are taught in residency.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
It is required to have 4 years of college, 4 years of podiatry school and some sort of residency training to get licensed as a podiatrist.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
I would advise someone to keep very good notes in patient’s charts and to make sure they know how to bill insurance companies properly as this is how they will get paid. I would also advise them to never make promises to patients about the outcome of their surgeries and to be honest with patients to avoid any problems with unhappy patients.

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. I always planned on working in an office setting and continuing on to either become a full partner or to buy-out my employer to become a solo practitioner.

What are your current career goals?
I am planning on buying out my current employer and taking over the office practice. I plan to become even busier over the next few years. My overall goal is to have a busy, successful, well-rounded practice with loyal patients and staff.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It provides a good salary with flexible hours and enjoyable work. I would recommend my career to anyone looking for balance between home and work life who enjoys medicine.

Prior work history

Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:

Title Length Salary Description
Prior Job 1 assistant teacher one year 15000 I was an assistant to the three-year-old nursery school teacher. I helped the children with activities and assisted the teacher with caring for and watching over the 10 kids in our class.
Prior Job 2 attendant 8 years $8.00/hour I was responsible for answering the phone and making massage appointments. I also made sure there were towels and sheets available and toiletry items for the women using the health club.

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:3.5

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
3.3 University of Maryland Biology major-Bachelor of Science
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)
92 Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Doctor of Podiatric Medicine

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