Mixed Feelings About The ‘Toe Bro’ Show

A few months ago, my patient showed me a YouTube video of a podiatrist doing an ingrown toenail procedure. My patient then showed me that this podiatrist had over 12 million viewers on his YouTube channel. I did not think much about it for a few weeks.

Then one weekend, while flipping channels between commercials, I got to A&E and there was a commercial for a new show called The Toe Bro, featuring Dr. Jonathan Tomines, the same person I saw on the YouTube channel. I really did not have that much interest but I was curious to see what the show would offer the public.

As I watched the show, it pretty much was sensationalizing ingrown toenails with the patients and their friends ooh-ing and aah-ing over how deep and red the toes got, or how much pus was coming out of the corners, etc. I thought that was actually great for podiatry. The general public will get to see what podiatrists do and the show gets our name out without having to spend a dime of our own money or the American Podiatric Medical Association having to spending marketing or advertising dollars.

Several shows later, I am seeing the treatment of more conditions such as warts, calluses and the trimming of very long and thick toenails. The other night when I was watching The Toe Bro, Dr. Tomines was treating a patient with extremely long, thick nails with large bunions. I was excited that the public would get to hear about mechanical conditions and surgical options. I heard the Toe Bro tell the patient and his family about how the toenails can get thick from ill-fitting shoes, vascular deficiencies or fungus infections. The Toe Bro said the bunions contribute to pressure in shoes that may not fit well. “This is great,” I thought. “This is what I tell my patients about thick toenails and how biomechanics can cause nail issues.”

Then the hammer came down. The Toe Bro tells the patient he should look into getting surgery for the bunions. “You will need to consult with an orthopedic surgeon,” he says. I was floored until I read the credits at the end and was reminded that even though the show is on A&E, the doctor is in Canada. This is also why the doctor is referred to as a “board-certified chiropodist.”

I have written to  Dr. Toe Bro and the producers of the show, and asked that in the future, they may want to include something about the fact that in the United States, podiatric physicians are licensed to do most foot and ankle surgery. We will need to see if the show actually includes this information.   

I still feel the show introduces podiatry and foot care to the general public. This show has already made some impact in my medical community. The other day I had a referring doctor’s office request a consult for one of their patients. The staff member who called asked my receptionist if we did what the Toe Bro does. Even with this little hiccup of the chiropodist not doing surgery in Canada, I feel this is a win for podiatry.