It's been an exciting few weeks in practice here in Michigan. Things are settling down to a certain extent for me, and the realities of starting this job are becoming apparent. One of these realities is just how slow the hospital credentialing process is, so don't expect to do much surgery at the start of practice.

Although I've seen a good number of patients, enough to generate around 5 cases in the last week and-a-half, I don't yet have privileges at the two major hospitals in the area. Additionally, the local surgery centers require staff privileges at one of these two hospitals. Credentialing is a time consuming and very necessary part of practice. For those of you planning on opening your own practice, plan to spend around $250-$300 for each hospital you apply to for dues (I'm sure this amount varies around the country). Don't expect it to take a week either. I started the application process about 2 months ago and am only just now getting close to completion. Just like the federal government, the hospitals move at their own (turtle-like) pace in credentialing physicians.

Once I'm on staff I can perform hospital consults, but I'll have to be proctored by local docs to complete my surgical privileges. This may not sound difficult-we spend our entire residency being watched by our attendings-but I have to actually find docs to proctor me. If you're in a community well represented by podiatry, you should have no trouble finding someone with enough training to proctor you. In my case, I'm the best surgically trained podiatrist in the area and the only docs who can proctor me on rearfoot and ankle work are the orthopedists. Luckily, my boss is well connected in both the orthopedic and podiatric communities. If I were on my own, this part of the process would be significantly more difficult. Remember to read your hospital bylaws. They should have a credentialing process set up and should not limit you if you're adequately trained. It's a VERY political process so be sure to make friends with podiatrists in the community. Remember, there's strength in numbers!

Talk to me,

Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT Resident Editor
[email protected]

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