I’ve been writing this blog now for a few weeks and many of you may be wondering what exactly is a podiatrist and what can podiatrist do? In the world of foot and ankle medical care there seems to be a misunderstanding as to the level of care podiatrists can offer their patients
To start at the very beginning one must obtain a 4 year Bachelor’s degree. The major one chooses is not important but rather taking the appropriate pre-med courses, i.e. chemistry, biology, physics, are required. After completing a Bachelor’s degree, medical school is required. This is where podiatrists differ from other medical specialists. There is actually a special medical school just for podiatrist, which is called Podiatric Medical School. This school is 4 years in duration and it is as grueling as any medical school. The first 2 years of school require didactic classes covering all aspect of the human body. The second 2 years of school are clinical rotations, including non-podiatric and podiatric rotations.
After completing a four year Podiatric Medical School, the degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine is granted. This is also knows as a DPM. Despite obtaining this degree, a podiatrist is years away from practicing on their own. After school a 3 or 4 year Podiatric Medicine and Surgical Residency is required. This is offered by different hospitals around the country. The residency is a grueling number of years, requiring late nights, weekend, and many “on call” days. During these few years one is trained to be an excellent foot and ankle physician and surgeon. This is the time in a podiatrist’s career that they will see a lot of diversity within the specialty. Usually during residency, the resident works with 20+ different podiatrists, and therefore, it is an opportunity to learn many skills from a wide array of physicians.
After completion of residency there are many options for what type of work a podiatrist can obtain. Many podiatrists enter private practice, with a mix of office hours and surgeries. Some podiatrists are employed by hospitals and treat hospitalized patients, and some podiatrists tent to see and treat more trauma. Despite what type of arrangements one enters all podiatrists are the same in that their expertise in all things foot and ankle are far superior to any other specialty in the medical profession.
I personally did a three year surgical residency where I was heavily trained in trauma as well as foot and ankle reconstruction. Despite this I am also well equipped to deal with day to day pathologies, such as heel pain, toe nail fungus, and tendonitis. If someone has a problem related to the foot and ankle, a podiatrist should be sought out.
For more information on what podiatrist do visit the American Podiatric Medical Associations website at APMA.org, or visit our website at www.footnj.com
To start at the very beginning one must obtain a 4 year Bachelor’s degree. The major one chooses is not important but rather taking the appropriate pre-med courses, i.e. chemistry, biology, physics, are required. After completing a Bachelor’s degree, medical school is required. This is where podiatrists differ from other medical specialists. There is actually a special medical school just for podiatrist, which is called Podiatric Medical School. This school is 4 years in duration and it is as grueling as any medical school. The first 2 years of school require didactic classes covering all aspect of the human body. The second 2 years of school are clinical rotations, including non-podiatric and podiatric rotations.
After completing a four year Podiatric Medical School, the degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine is granted. This is also knows as a DPM. Despite obtaining this degree, a podiatrist is years away from practicing on their own. After school a 3 or 4 year Podiatric Medicine and Surgical Residency is required. This is offered by different hospitals around the country. The residency is a grueling number of years, requiring late nights, weekend, and many “on call” days. During these few years one is trained to be an excellent foot and ankle physician and surgeon. This is the time in a podiatrist’s career that they will see a lot of diversity within the specialty. Usually during residency, the resident works with 20+ different podiatrists, and therefore, it is an opportunity to learn many skills from a wide array of physicians.
After completion of residency there are many options for what type of work a podiatrist can obtain. Many podiatrists enter private practice, with a mix of office hours and surgeries. Some podiatrists are employed by hospitals and treat hospitalized patients, and some podiatrists tent to see and treat more trauma. Despite what type of arrangements one enters all podiatrists are the same in that their expertise in all things foot and ankle are far superior to any other specialty in the medical profession.
I personally did a three year surgical residency where I was heavily trained in trauma as well as foot and ankle reconstruction. Despite this I am also well equipped to deal with day to day pathologies, such as heel pain, toe nail fungus, and tendonitis. If someone has a problem related to the foot and ankle, a podiatrist should be sought out.
For more information on what podiatrist do visit the American Podiatric Medical Associations website at APMA.org, or visit our website at www.footnj.com
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