Paul Potach, DPM

Paul Potach, DPM practises in Wheeling and holds fifth place on this site's list, which orders offices by Google rating, highest first. For an Arlington Heights reader the office comes with a trade: a deep record and a longer trip.

What fifth place is made of

Google shows a 4.9 rating across 315 reviews for this office. That is a high score resting on a large record. It tells you many reviewers were pleased. It does not tell you what their follow-up looked like.

Weighing the office

Points in its favor:

• A large review record makes the rating steadier.
• Fifth place on a rating-ordered list puts it among the better-rated offices reviewed here.

Points against:

• Wheeling is not Arlington Heights, so count the travel for every return visit.
• Nothing in a rating covers upkeep, follow-up schedules or how a failure months on would be handled.

Against offices with the same rating

The Foot and Ankle Studio, in Palatine, matches that score with a 4.9 rating across 386 reviews. Buffalo Grove Podiatry, listed in Arlington Heights, shows a 4.9 rating across 103 reviews. Between these three the score is the same, so record size and location are what separate them.

What to ask before the drive to Wheeling

Ask how far out return visits are booked, who sees you each time and what you are expected to keep up at home. Ask what the office does if a result fails. Write the answers down so you can compare them fairly.

If you want background first, Cleveland Clinic's explainer on what a podiatrist does and when to see one is a good start, and MedlinePlus's foot health page goes broader.