Yeah, I suppose you’re right. At least it was on topic, though 
So maybe we’re not talking “funny ha ha”, but maybe in a “funnyhowsomepeoplelikefeetandothersdont” way.
I know you have made your decision, but what about becoming a PA?
Nurses I have observed recently spend an inordinate amount of time charting/documenting, leaving themselves with much less time for true patient care. They are often the target of rude arrogant MD’s (I should know, I work for a group of those) particularly when things go “wrong”. There is a definate pecking order in nursedom, if that bothers you (it would me). The hospitals I work in are understaffed, the nurses have a huge workload and very little, if no, assistance from support staff. In fact one of the hospitals I work at recently let all the LVN’s go (to “cut costs”) and each nurse now cares for 5 pts solo. That’s a lot to handle.
Yes, compensation can be good, and it is nice to know that you can relocate and still work. I think that is very much one of nursing’s advantages. But the good still needs to outweigh the “bad”.
Mary
That’s the first thing i thought of… after 28 years in practice as a DPM, do you really want to get bossed around by somebody who just graduated med school?
There is nothing wrong with being bossed around if the issues are harmless. Graduation has nothing to do it. I think its more about animal magnetism.
Those are the reasons why I, personally, would not work in a hospital as a nurse no matter how much you pay me. But I love working in Public Health - yeah, there’s still paperwork and writing grants (yech!) but I’m pretty independent and rarely have to deal with doctors. (And when I do I’m usually telling them what they need to do ) The pay isn’t nearly as good as a hospital, but there are much more important things than pay.
Still not sure what field I want to go into. I will still be running my practice and maintaining my license. Who knows? When I graduate, I may be able to market myself to an Orthopedic practice, where I could still do some of the more basic foot cases that come through the door, nail surgeries, etc as well as assisting with Ortho cases, which I have a pretty sound knowledge of.
I don’t really see myself as a floor nurse longterm. Home care is a possibility. I forgot to mention it, but my wife is taking a BS-RN program right now and will go on to either NP or Nurse Anesthetist afterwards. Conceivably, we could end up working together. If we move to a more rural area, she could set up her own practice as an NP and work semi-autonomously. Lots and lots of options.
The PA suggestion is a good one, too, Paul. You’d have a good niche as a surgical PA, although the hours might be annoying. You’d still be in the middle of that practice management stuff.
But, you know, after thinking about this all night, my opinion is that you should go for the first VA podiatrist position that comes available in a sunny clime. No retraining required!
Almost all veterans have feet, and the ones who do often have special foot problems related to things like frostbite, immersion foot, and POW internment. Not to mention bunions, hammertoes and bone spurs, diabetes . . . you’d be in podiatrist heaven.
Your country needs you!
I dunno, Paul. Tyghre still worries about your choice. I personally think your previous career consideration was better 
Tyg
-Kudos to you both for the foresight, awareness & imagination to see more satisfying roles for yourselves, and for the gumption, energy and enterprise to pursue them.
I can thank my wife for that. Before I knew Charlene, I probably would have stuck with my current job, grumbling all the way,despite the fact that it was slowly driving me nutz. Char has no sympathy for inertia and thankfully I’m starting to pick up a bit of her attitude.
Your wife Charlene (yay, she spells her name correctly! ) is a lot different than me then. I tend to stay in situations I hate, grumbling and moaning more and more until something really gets me po’d, then I blow up.
Best of luck to you. I’m jealous - I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up - and I’ll be 51 next month.
There’s another way to spell it?
Robin
I’ve seen (and had my name misspelled as):
Charleen
Sharleen
Sharlene
Good for you Paul!
Do what makes you happy!
Nurses are the oft unsung footsoldiers of the medical proffession; there’s plenty of honor in that.
Gee, I though podiatrists were the foot soldiers. 
djm
Naw, they’re the ones that get after the foot soldiers when they go off to war without their shoes! 
Speaking as someone who started at the bottom 32 years ago and moved steadily sideways I would just like to say “Yay! Go for it!”.
It is an unjust world when whistles alone don’t pay all of Paul’s bills. We, as a community, must work to rectify this.
Hey, I’ve done my part. 
John
Happy owner of 3 (and purchaser of 5) Busman whistles.
I think it’s great that you’re taking the reigns and making a choice for your future.
BTW, who was it that said Paramedic had good pay??? Not in Michigan. Paramedics barely make poverty wage in Michigan. That’s why I quit the program.