The Foot Group

I picked The Foot Group for what would be suspect reasons: (a) close to work and (b) covered by my insurance — considering I was already slated for surgery I probably should have had more factors in my decision-​making but so far, I am really really happy with the office, Dr. Goldsmith, and my experience so far.
It is a little weird in that you have to go through one of those ‘abortion alternative’ clinics in the front of the office to visit the podiatrist. My first visit I was thinking ‘oh dear what am I getting myself into!?’ But once you get past the creepy front office it’s all good.
So I initially went to Dr. Goldsmith because I had a painful bunion and had seen two podiatrists on the West Coast before I moved. The second one said that I could stave things off but I would eventually need surgery and it was a matter of time before the pain level exceeded the fear of surgery. He was right. By the time I visited The Foot Group i was in significantly greater pain and I was sold on the idea of surgery.
Despite my ‘bring it on’ attitude about surgery, Goldsmith wanted me to be knowledgeable about my options and hold off on jumping into surgery if possible. To reduce pain and swelling I was given ultrasound (I think it was ultrasound?) treatments and cortisone injections which initially really helped (later on i think the cortisone only made my toe angry but I don’t think that’s the doc’s fault). In the end I had an Austin bunionectomy — the jury’s out because I’m still healing but so far so good!
I really appreciate that Dr. Goldsmith is so down-​to-​Earth and spells out what to expect before you get the surgery and gives you a clear run-​down of what happened and how to proceed after the surgery. In addition, the surgery center he uses (Center for Specialty Care), those people are on their game! I would recommend both The Foot Group and Dr. Goldsmith.

I went to Dr. Goldsmith of The Foot Group because he was the first person listed on my insurer’s website, and is very close to where I live. It was a relatively minor problem – the ball of my right foot seemed to be a bit too high, causing a callous to develop.
The staff is very nice, friendly, comfortable. The office is a bit odd: in the front, toward the street, is a pregnancy clinic that I suspect is the type of clinic that steers women away from abortions. You have to go through that clinic’s waiting area to get to the Foot Group.
Dr. Goldsmith is quite knowledgeable, but I instantly got the impression that they were out to siphon as much money from my insurer as possible. Xrays of both feet, massage therapy, electrical therapy, cortisone shot into the ball of my foot. Then they wrapped it up, told me not to take off the bandage for two days, and gave me a prescription of a pain-​killing narcotic.
I did get some idea about what was causing the rise – something happening to the bone under the skin. And the cortisone eventually seemed to work. I also got some info on other foot problems – flaky skin, athlete’s foot, toenail fungus.
My main complaint is about Dr. Goldsmith’s communication skills. Mostly, while I was at the office, he was interested in talking with others in the office about tennis, ignoring me. He prescribed some sort of cream, which I thought was for flaky foot, but it turned out was for athlete’s foot. And the narcotic! It was 30 tabs of darvocet, and I have a tendency to overuse such substances. I had no pain, there was no need to have darvocet, but I quickly went about abusing the drug. It’s a drug that I should not have had in my possession.
Once you see them, you’re constantly under pressure to make another appointment, as a followup.
I canceled my next appointment, and I’m not going back. But I can’t say that it’s a bad place, or that they give bad treatment. I’d avoid Goldsmith and go with Dr. Wolfson. However, I’m sure you can do better than this place. Not recommended.