A New Doc on the Block
Welcome to a new year and congratulations. New residents are starting their programs, many of you have progressed to your next year, and many of us have graduated and are transitioning into the workforce as new podiatric practitioners. As part of this transition, the folks at PRESENT Courseware have asked me to continue writing for them, but in a new role: as a rookie podiatrist in practice. As everyone is aware, there are many different areas that we may now practice after residency: academia, research, group practice, etc. I've decided on the private practice model. Here's a quick update on my situation. I decided to go into practice as an associate with a doc in Lansing, Michigan who's been in practice for 27 years and is extremely busy. Recently, he decided to slow down and take me on as an associate, and I just finished my first week. My wife, son, and I moved into a new temporary apartment, and if all goes well, we'll look for something more permanent in the area. I hope to provide you with a realistic and hopefully positive view of what it's like to be a new practitioner. My goal is to leave you with some of my impressions and opinions regarding this new stage that all of you will eventually experience. Additionally, I aim to give you some practical information that might help make your transition into your post-residency years a bit easier. There are an immense number of details to complete in order to actually practice medicine; I had no true idea how much it actually took to start practice! Along the way we may even engage in some discussion, just the way we did with the Residency Rap. I encourage all of you to write in with your thoughts. If you're interested in a particular topic feel free to write me. I also invite any young practitioners who receive this to write in with your experiences. Experience is a most valuable professor. I look forward to hearing from you and engaging in some interesting discussion. Talk to me,
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