Speaker 1: 0:01

Hello everyone and welcome back to the show. Today we have a fantastic guest with us, Dr Ashim Wadera. Dr Wadera is a board-certified podiatrist who was trained in Chicago and now practices in the Detroit area. He's passionate about providing his patients with the most innovative and effective treatment options available, especially when it comes to minimally invasive surgery and also non-surgical regenerative medicine area. So I believe this interview with him will be interesting for most of you guys who are my listeners. Without further ado, here's my interview with Dr Wadera.

Speaker 2: 0:52

Welcome to the Podiatry Profits Podcast, where you will discover how to get more patients and multiply the profits of your practice with minimally invasive foot surgery, proven marketing systems and ethical influencing to your patients and now your host. Board-certified podiatrist. Best-selling author, speaker and founder of TJ Ahn Coaching and Consulting Dr TJ Ahn.

Speaker 1: 1:17

I'm here with Dr Wadera, so again, welcome to my show. Thank you for having me. Well, actually it's the show, but I'm checking out your place too, so this is also very awesome for me, so for our viewers. Could you introduce yourself to my audience and viewers?

Speaker 3: 1:40

Yeah, I'm Dr Ashwin Wadera podiatrist, Did my medical school training in Chicago. I came back to the Detroit areaera podiatrist, Did my medical school training in Chicago. I came back to the Detroit area, which is where I practiced, Did my residency here. Then I did a fellowship in Indianapolis to further my training. I had been practicing with a orthopedic group for several years, Did all aspects of foot and ankle surgery, from bunions to total ankle replacement surgery, ankle fractures, charcoal reconstruction, everything you name it. My last year there I started to start getting introduced to minimally invasive surgery. Then I really started to love the technique and I decided it was time to leave the group and start my own adventure.

Speaker 1: 2:14

Nice. So how long have you been out with your own practice?

Speaker 3: 2:19

It's just shy of a year. Actually, next month there'll be one year since we started this new venture.

Speaker 1: 2:25

So let's go back to even before you became a podiatrist. What made you want to become a podiatrist? Just give us some of your story. You know how you, you know your upbringing, you know, yeah, et cetera.

Speaker 3: 2:39

I actually thought I never, actually didn't know I would become a foot and ankle surgeon. I actually thought I'd be a veterinarian. My dad's a veterinarian and he's been in practice for about 35, 36 years very booming practice. And I thought myself and my brother my brother's also a podiatrist we thought we'd take over my dad's office, my dad's practice. But as I started to get a little older high school I came to realize that I can't see animals hurt or sick Makes me sense. We grew up with animals and I just love animals so much and I you know it takes a very special person to do that Is that dog or cat, both actually both Even reptiles, actually, growing up with reptiles, I love animals.

Speaker 3: 3:18

Anyways, as I got a little bit older, I started to shadow different specialties within health care and it wasn't until I got to college where I shadowed podiatry for the first time. And when I shadowed a podiatrist out of the local hospital here I well, first of all I thought podiatrists only did some you know pedicures. I didn't do anything about podiatry. I really thought it was just glorified pedicures, I'll be honest with you. But then I saw what these guys were doing I mean it was full-on surgery and then I saw how happy the patients were afterwards and so I thought to myself there's a lot of really great things with podiatry from surgery to non-surgical method, everybody needs their feet.

Speaker 3: 3:55

I even suffered from plantar fasciitis in college painful, painful condition. I knew nothing about it back then, I just sort of treated myself. But the point is, once I started shadowing and saw what podiatrists could do, I was pretty much all in. At that point I said you know what? This is what I'm going to do. And I got into school, seoul College of Podiatric Medicine my cousin left the business world he was in, saw what I was doing, followed my footsteps and then my brother followed my footsteps.

Speaker 1: 4:22

No, pun intended. I've been working with you for the past two and a half years. You took me as your mentor and I'm honored and you're one of the very few mentees I've worked with who literally took action without hesitation, fully committed. Without hesitation, fully committed. And I'm just shocked, astounded, like how driven you are. So my question to you maybe another podiatrist might be watching so what motivated you when I helped you and you got into our programs? What motivates you so much? Is it your personality, or is there any motivational factor? That's a good question I was.

Speaker 3: 5:13

You know, before I started working with you and the group, I was on the verge of burnout, to be honest, and the orthopedic group I had was my first job out of my training and very fast I was already heading towards burnout. I didn't even know what burnout meant. You hear it from people you know 30 years in the career, I'm done, I'm burnt out. But I truly started to feel it. I was seeing how my patients, even after big surgery, everything went great in surgery. Then, you know, just dealing with day-to-day hospital stuff being delayed in the hospitals, surgery centers. You know I have a wife at home too and I just was not coming home on time. And it was just becoming too much Volume-based practice too, where I was seeing so many patients and wanted me to see more and more and more Seeing a lot of denials and insurances and in the real world.

Speaker 3: 5:59

You know, let's take it back in training. They don't teach you that stuff. You know training it's a business side of it. No business in training. I think a lot of young docs can agree with that that you get no business at all. At Mindset In residency it was all about surgery. Do the biggest surgery possible learned all these cool surgeries and I got the orthopedic group job. And that's a podiatrist quote-unquote dream job, foot and ankle surgeon for orthopedic group. Thought I landed the dream job.

Speaker 1: 6:24

So how many patients did you see?

Speaker 3: 6:26

daily Probably sure easy 40, maybe 50 a day Wow.

Speaker 1: 6:34

And then that will basically result in a burnout.

Speaker 3: 6:38

Absolutely, and yeah. So, coming back to what I was saying was the patients were miserable after surgeries, you know, and I thought to myself well, why are these patients so mad and, you know, depressed after surgery? Well, nobody likes to be out their foot for three months at a time. You know eight to ten weeks. Nobody likes big incisions. It creates a lot of swelling and possible postoperative infection, possible DVTs, as we all know.

Speaker 3: 7:00

I started to see it myself and I talked to some of my mentors from my fellowship and residency and I asked them is this how it is in the real world? You know, I was a resident of yours, a fellow of yours. I said to myself this is not why I got into this career. I truly came to this career to help people.

Speaker 3: 7:15

That's when I started to learn about minimally invasive surgery and I started to see things differently. I started to do the two screw technique. With that, I started to see a big difference right away. So this is great lapidus sputinectomy versus this technique. I'm already seeing patients so happy already walking the same day. They had called me a magician and I was like this feels pretty good. Then I found your YouTube videos and I saw hey, you know what I'm. I met Dr Ahn and I hear Dr Ahn's doing surgery in the office and I was like, wait a minute, I didn't even know that's possible under local. That's great, and that really perked my interest. Then I started hearing about the real MIS, without fixation and such, and once I learned about that, I joined the group and I was just like this is it, I'm all in.

Speaker 1: 7:59

once I learned about that, I joined the group and I was just like this is it? I'm all in. That makes perfect sense to me. So to recap, your burnout was caused. I mean this whole motivating factor. Majority of it is burnout absolutely.

Speaker 3: 8:08

Is that right yeah?

Speaker 1: 8:09

and that you just kind of focus like all in right. That's what happened to me too, so I was just wondering if it is similar.

Speaker 3: 8:17

Yeah, I mean, even before I decided to move and start my own practice, I never really wildest dreams thought I would be a business owner. I was even deterred by my mentors. You know, at this day and age you can't start a practice. Ehrs is really a big headache, an insurance company is a headache. So you're better off working for a big institution, just take home a nice salary and just follow the rules. I was weighing that back and forth and I thought you know what, let me just leave this ortho group. Maybe I can start a. I'll just join another group somewhere else. And so I kept thinking about it and we almost moved out of the state to Florida. I have family in Florida.

Speaker 3: 8:54

I started to intervene with some groups and my wife actually asked me one day you know you us moving, is that going to, is that going to help all your problems? I thought about it. I said you know, if I go to another group it's going to be volume based again. Maybe there'll be a honeymoon period, new, new location, six months. This is great. I really thought about it, took a real. I really really had to think deep about this. I told myself you know what I have to create my own, my life. I know what I want out of my career. I need to create it, and that's what motivated me to start this practice.

Speaker 1: 9:21

So, beyond MIS, what other specialties? Because I'm a true believer in self-specialized in podiatry in order for us to sustain and thrive. So what other specialties are you focusing beyond MIS Great?

Speaker 3: 9:38

question. I also specialize in something known as regenerative medicine harnessing the body's own potential to heal itself, utilizing certain modalities like laser therapy, shockwave therapy, also known as EPAT, even using injections such as amniotic fluid. The phenomenal thing about these is that we're truly treating the root cause of the problem without the big side effects that can come with traditional medications. Traditionally, with laser and shockwave therapy, there's no need for injections. Patients don't typically have pain with this stuff. Afterwards, they're able to walk the same day to help reduce pain, reduce the swelling and allow them truly to get back to their life, and so I have that aspect of my practice as well that has really helped a lot of people. Even though I'm a surgeon, I'm a big believer in non-surgical modalities and, in my mind, if we can fix something without surgery, that's a win.

Speaker 1: 10:28

So you always like to recommend more non-surgical, non-invasive to minimally invasive.

Speaker 3: 10:36

Absolutely, and in my book and again, even as myself, if I take the doctor hat off for just a second, if I'm a patient and I see a doctor or a specialist, I would want something non-surgical for myself before jumping to more invasive type procedures, and I think that most people would want that for themselves. The thing is, most patients will understand that these things exist because they're so used to going to an insurance-based clinic and only given treatments that insurances allow. But we have so many great modalities here that can truly help patients without a lot of side effects that truly correct the root cause of the problem.

Speaker 1: 11:16

Let's talk about that part. So a lot of surgeons, a lot of podiatr, truly correct the root cause of the problem. Let's talk about that part. So a lot of surgeons, a lot of podiatrists and also other specialists know there are so many great treatment solutions exist, but I know the main reason why they don't like to implement those treatment solutions and modalities for their patients is because of that insurance situation. So I know you adapted that model that I'm preaching and you know big advocate of, which is hybrid model, hybrid concierge model, and you totally adapted in your practice. So tell me more about you, know why you felt that was necessary for you, and you know like explain to our viewers what is hybrid concierge model to you and to your patients, and then maybe we can go from there.

Speaker 3: 12:11

Simple Hybrid concierge model is still taking some insurances, but I don't let the insurance company dictate how I treat my patient. Insurances only allow certain things to be covered and I'm not saying that those things are bad for patients. There's a place for them. But there's other modalities and most of the time better modalities that I can offer my patient that the insurance company just doesn't want to cover. But those modalities truly help patients from the root cause of the problem, versus more of a band-aid approach such as a steroid injection, and all too often I hear about it from my patients. They've seen three or four doctors, have all had the same treatment and then they come to me and then they're just well. No other doctor explained this to me. Why is that? Well, it's not covered by insurance. However, this is a better treatment solution for you and I believe in this treatment solution because I've helped a lot of people with the same condition you've had and every single one of them have done significantly better than what they've had in the past.

Speaker 1: 13:15

So another reason why most doctors are afraid of this is that, which is not again their fault, because they're not trained, like you mentioned earlier in a business aspect. So, again, what were the challenges for you when you started introducing hybrid concierge model, adapted to it and build your practice, you know, based on that. Were there any challenges?

Speaker 3: 13:43

Yeah, the biggest challenge most people are going to face, and you know most doctors are going to ask you as well if they have insurance, why are they coming to you? Why are they wanting to use something that's outside this insurance? Again coming back to the what is the best treatment solution for the patient? It's not about okay, well, I know this is the best, but unfortunately this blue cross plan doesn't cover it, so I have to only do a steroid injection. You have to stop thinking like that and if you show the patient exactly what they want to hear, in the sense that they're going to be out of pain, help the root cause, allow them to walk and be out of pain so that they can still work, provide for their families, they're going to take you up on the offer every time.

Speaker 1: 14:27

Yeah, and what are you seeing from your patient's experience, patient's point of view? You seeing from your patients experience, patients point of view. Share with us. Help us understand what have you seen? You know from patients perspective that are different from traditional volume-based practice.

Speaker 3: 14:44

I can't tell you how many times patients have said after treatment I wish I found this office sooner because I wasted so much time or I've been in so much agony because I've wasted so much time or I've been in so much agony. Patients are blown away that we are able to fix them, sometimes without an incision. But even when it comes to the incision that we do keyhole incision, small incision to correct the big bunion or the painful hammer toes or even heel pain where most often we can heal without the need for procedure but when it comes to a procedure, they're amazed with how did Dr Wadera through a three millimeter or one eighth of incision? How did he help me? It's amazing, and I can't tell you how many times these people say you're a magician. I'm not a magician. I've just learned a technique that I love, that I believe in. I have good mentors that have taught me this technique and I believe in.

Speaker 1: 15:37

I have good mentors that have taught me this technique and I believe in it because this is exactly what I want for myself. So this is what I'm going to offer to my patient. So this part, this question, is for potential patients who might be looking for this type of solutions, but they don't know where to go. They don't know what you provide. So what type of medical conditions are you specializing in? Again, we're foot and ankle specialists, but I'm talking within foot and ankle. What are you truly focusing on and you know, become being the expert on those areas. So tell us some you know foot and ankle conditions you'd like to focus on on.

Speaker 3: 16:13

We've see and I see bunions that's probably a better bread and butter bunions hammer, toe conditions, heel pain conditions, any tendon injuries, ligament injuries. You know certain fractures as well. Now again, I'm no longer doing big open surgery for fractures. What what I try to do is heal the patient without needing surgery. So, for example, if a patient has a torn ligament, traditionally they'll go to a doctor's office and they'll likely book them for surgery. But we have modalities in this office that may not require surgery, such as amniotic fluid laser therapy, even with the heel pain. Same scenario utilizing the modalities we have through regenerative medicine techniques to help.

Speaker 3: 16:57

So just to sort of answer that question again bunions, hammer, toes, arthritic conditions, bumps on the foot that may be causing pain. Tendon problems such as Achilles tendonitis are very common plantar fasciitis, also known as heel pain. We try to help everybody honestly at the end of the day and we will never say no to anyone. If you're going to come to our office, your way to see it's different. It's not pushing you to do a surgery right away, it's not pushing you to take a bunch of drugs and medications that might create side effects. We truly utilize the power of regenerative medicine and take a holistic approach to helping our patients Because, again, that's exactly what I would want and that's what I want to provide for my family and my patient.

Speaker 1: 17:32

What do you see yourself in the next two to three years?

Speaker 3: 17:36

Because I have a family that's also in podiatry and they currently are in the traditional model. They see what I'm doing here. The next two to three years we're looking to really expand this practice and bring them on as MIS minimally invasive surgeons and regenerative medicine specialists, so that I can help more people. My goal is I want to help as many people as possible and the next two to three years you'll see a big expansion, but still utilizing these techniques that we just discussed, not straying away from the overall message here, which is we try to heal everybody without surgery if we can, and when it's time for the procedure, we'll do it through the small incision. You'll walk the same day less swelling, less swelling, less pain and you'll be happy thank you for listening to the show today.

Speaker 1: 18:21

If any of the topics discussed resonated with you, head over to the description box below. You can find dr wadara's contact information there, along with more resources on minimally invasive surgery and regenerative medicine. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insightful interviews with leading experts. Just like Dr Watt. To your health and well, until next time take care.

Speaker 2: 18:49

You've been listening to the Podiatry Profits Podcast with Dr TJ Ahn. To find out more about Dr TJ Ahn or discover how you can grow your podiatry practice, visit drtjahncom. Or you can also get a free copy of Dr Ahn's bestselling book Opt Out how to take back financial control of your private clinical practice without the hassle of insurance companies. Just go to optoutbookcom.