Adam Philps
Masterton Foot Clinic
As a podiatrist, Adam finds it rewarding to use his skills to improve the lives of others and observe their improvement in not just pain management but in their overall happiness and quality of life as well. For over 20 years, he has consistently provided his patients with the best care by learning new skills, using the latest advancements in podiatric technology, adhering to best-practice guidelines, and placing patients at the center of everything he does.
Questions & Answers
Q. Why did you choose podiatry?
A. I chose podiatry because I was introduced to it through my father's career as a lecturer/tutor at the Podiatry School and then CIT. I was drawn to a career in health as I saw a need for it, and I enjoyed being in a position to help people.
Q. Who has been your main inspiration in podiatry?
A. Definitely my father. He was a leader in his profession, a pioneer in orthotic fabrication and clinical biomechanics, as well as a gifted and patient teacher.
Q. What is the most common condition you treat?
A. Arthritis, both traumatic and degenerative.
Q. What has been the most unusual condition you have seen?
A. The traumatic injuries probably throw up the most unusual presentations simply because no one is ever the same. From the mode of injury (motor vehicle accidents through to high energy falls), through to the end results (palsy, arthritic ankles....the list is pretty long!)
Q. What is your favourite treatment that gets the best result?
A. I've enjoyed seeing the effects of prescribing the 3D printed EXO-L system. It's produced some of the most impressive results in recent times in our practice, including in clients with Charcot Marie Tooth, an inherited peripheral neuropathy. The system is essentially an external AFO that performs the function of the lateral ankle stabilisers in people for whom this is no longer happening or possible. It has literally changed people's lives in an instant.
Q. What advice would you give your newly qualified self?
A. Take every opportunity to learn and develop. Find a mentor or three to soak up their knowledge. Build on your formal learning habits - it gets harder to pick up later, even if it's just a paper a year. As the profession evolves, this will put you ahead of the curve and ready to take on new responsibilities, for example, prescribing rights, sports medicine accreditation, podiatric medicine and surgery.
Q. What are you most proud of in your career?
A. I'm very proud to have run my own practice, for nearly 20 years, and survived. Taking on employees- particularly new graduates. Watching them develop in confidence and skill and seeing them become independent thinkers who practice, with their patients at the centre of all their decision making- it's been a tremendous honour to share in their success.
Q. What would people be surprised to know about you?
A. I've got a couple of webbed toes. I'm very partial to raspberry liquorice, and I'm probably the world's slowest reader.
Q. What's the funniest thing that has happened with a patient?
A. Early in my career, I had a patient remove most of their clothes after I had asked them to relax in my room and get ready for their consult. I'm still not sure to this day how they got the idea I meant to strip off, but needless to say, I was in and out of that consult room pretty sharp.
Q. What can a new podiatrist do to connect with the profession?
A. Reach out - we don't bite. Seriously though, most of the pods I know who have been doing it for a while love to share their knowledge and experience. We've all been there, asked what we thought were dumb questions, made mistakes, got the tee-shirt (or complementary pair of trainers).
Q. Who's the most famous person you have treated, you are allowed to mention?
A. Can't really say. Oh, go on then. I 'assessed' former Prime Minister, John Key's feet in his 9th floor Beehive office. It's a long story, but essentially it boils down to me asking him if he supported small business (as a conservative politician, he could only say "yes"). I explained to him that it would be great for my business if I could have a photo with him of his feet on my lap. For the record, he had next to no calluses, healthy nails, and excellent ROM, and I discharged him from my services.