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Who am I? Jean Valjean?

Have you ever seen the musical Les Miserables?

There is this part where Jean Valjean (me) sings a song called "Who am I?" It is when he finally decides he must reveal who he really is (not quite) to save someone else from danger (prospective podiatry students and young trusting people). A former petty thief, imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread in an effort to survive (going to podiatry school) , a mistake which he operatically agonizes over (every day) , he escapes and is pursued by the relentless Inspector Javer (student loan people and the APMA) . While he is disguised and able to avoid Javer (who chucks himself off a bridge, hint, hint) , Valjean (me, still) is able to lead an exemplary life and help many people.

Who am I? Jean Valjean, prisoner number $157,482.95.

In my essay, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," I make the point that despite my hardship, things have gone "comparatively well" for me. I went to a non-Midwestern podiatry school. I took my studies seriously and did well. I played the residency roulette and lucked out after much travel, expense, and indignation. I spent another good sum of money to research and travel to find good job opportunities. I have a ton of podiatry school debt. Despite my attempts to keep it under control, and despite the fact that it is oppressive and interferes with my otherwise good feelings about myself, it has controlled me from the moment I borrowed the first dollar. I looked at jobs based on my loan payments, and I made unhealthy decisions in a desire to reconcile my loan situation. I am thankful that I have not gone completely bankrupt, ruined my marriage, turned to drugs or alcohol, or suffered anything beyond the "challenges" (a faulty APMA word) of my podiatry career. I know others that have not been so lucky.

Despite my obvious angst with podiatry loans, it is not so easy to say, "He is bitter because he has loans." I know for a fact that if the podiatry school had said to me, "You will have to take $140,000 in loans for school and you might never be able to pay them off because job opportunities are shrinking and managed care is cutting reimbursements substantially," I would not have gone to podiatry school. But I bought into the deceitful propaganda spoon fed by the schools and professional organizations. Yes, after careful research, I made the conscious decision to go to podiatry school, but it was based on information that was simply untrue. I was duped, and the problem worsens because once it starts, it is a downward spiral. Loans and games for school, spent money and more games for a job, money and games for boards, games for managed care contracts...how much do I have to sacrifice before something good comes out of this?

I can't change what has happened to me. I will make it work, somehow, but I can make every attempt to inform young students and young doctors of what is really happening to doctors of podiatry (notice I didn't say ALL doctors of podiatry, because I know some of you cats are still getting fat). I get more than enough complimentary email to affirm (and reaffirm) that what I am doing is just and necessary.

Podiatry needs to be looked at critically. One of my earlier essays (The Temple Tumble, temporarily offline) sadly illustrates that the way we think is; admittedly there is a dwindling opportunity for podiatrists, so let's add some fluff to get more seats filled at the schools. This is unfair to students who are making LIFE CHOICES. Choices that will change their life — possibly for the worse. Choices on which they are pinning their hopes and dreams of families, houses, self-esteem, and the satisfaction of a life well lived.

These young people are not stupid kids that you should feel you can take advantage of.
These are young people trying to do the right thing and they deserve the truth!

Every one of you misleading professional cheerleaders, you professional organization propagandists, you smarmy docs in the field screwing over young doctors, you misnamed Financial "Advisors" at the school who disburse this loan money in spite of spiraling default and decreasing professional opportunity...every one of YOU is deceitful and you should be ashamed. Don't dismiss me as a phantom menace...

Best of luck.

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