Why I Quit Podiatric Surgery After 20 Years (And My Practice Got Better)

Michele McGowan of Podiatry Unfiltered reflects on Muhammad Ali’s late-career fights to introduce the uncomfortable idea that quitting can be a win, then explains why she stopped doing surgery after 20 years in private practice. Trained in a strong surgical residency at West Penn Hospital, she built her own Florida practice and became board certified, with surgery once central to her identity. Over time, the realities of OR delays, lost time, and two decades of hospital call—weekend emergencies and missed family time—left her unfulfilled, and she wishes she’d changed sooner. Four years ago she stopped surgery entirely, found malpractice costs dropped, and discovered her practice and patient care improved. She now focuses on regenerative and conservative treatments (PRP, SoftWave, laser, orthotics) while referring surgical cases, emphasizing that doctors are allowed to change what no longer serves them.

00:00 Ali and Quitting

01:03 Why I Left Surgery

03:17 Training and Identity

04:42 Private Practice OR Reality

06:09 Call Burnout Turning Point

07:23 Stopping Cold Turkey

08:00 New Conservative Focus

09:23 Practice Got Better

10:41 Permission to Change

11:48 Closing Thoughts