Dear Admissions director:

I am a graduate of this podiatry college in ______. I have borrowed an enormous amount of money and spent years to achieve licensure as a DPM. I have not yet realized my dream of financial survival; nor have I obtained even a modicum of satisfaction as a practicing podiatrist.

This has been hard on my family as well. We are barely surviving our burden of paying back these enormous loans, the proceeds of which you quite willingly accepted when I was a student.

I am angry about this. I feel that you have lied to me and possibly others to get these student moneys from the Government.

I don’t want this letter to appear reactionary or to sound “sour grapes.” I realized then and now that there are no guarantees in life of the benefits of any education, even a very expensive one. I also realize that you need to recruit new students to keep the school open and maintain your salary.

All I’m asking for is a balance and honesty from you, at least in the future. So I am making these “reasonable” recommendations and requests:

1.  All new students who sign up for their loans (and turn them over directly to you) sign this statement as part of their loan contract:

“You have the opportunity to make an excellent living and be a great success at podiatry. However, not everyone is suited to the political and administrative disadvantages of being a minority medical professional. Unless you are willing and able to deal with that; and learn and utilize effective practice management tools, there is a possibility that you will never be able to repay this loan. It can never be excused and you will never be able to declare bankruptcy to escape it. The successful practice of podiatry requires great talent and tenacity because 99% of its employment opportunities exist only in the private entrepreneurial market. The advantages of the DPM degree rest entirely in the practice of podiatry and are not easily transferred or accepted by other colleges or employment venues.”

I hereby acknowledge that I have been informed of the above:

Signed:______Date

2.  You need to establish mentoring programs, and more important, explain to all students the dangers of SUBSISTENCE PODIATRY, which depend on routine foot care for the basis of a podiatry practice.

Nobody will deny the importance or value of routine foot care. However, if only that is used for the basis for practice, one will never be able to repay student loans. All podiatry teachers must drum it into students’ that they will NEED to practice a multitude of other techniques. If they don’t, they will fail.

3. Where are your “outreach” programs for podiatrists who either never made it in practice or are starving? Why are you not holding FREE seminars for these people and hiring experts to lecture and teach them how to avoid SUBSISTENCE PODIATRY?

Your failure to accomplish these things, both now and when I went to podiatry school there are a shocking failure of policy and display an arrogance and lack of caring to both graduates and students.

You need to understand that I will NEVER refer a new potential podiatry student to this or any other podiatry school as long as you persist in this present laissez faire policy. I say this not out of vindictiveness or anger. I simply don’t want potential new students to submit themselves to a life of indentured servitude without at least being properly informed of that risk.

I submit that the above recommendations are ultimately as much to your advantage as to mine and potential new students. It is time to submit to a bond of trust with your potential students, once and for all.

I believe that bond of trust will ultimately create a new atmosphere at podiatry school, and will establish you as the practitioners of the golden rule: “Honesty is the best policy.”

Respectfully,

You,

Graduate, year______