A podiatrist is a type of clinician who specializes in treating conditions such as fungal infections and circulatory problems that affect feet, ankles, and lower legs. A person who is interested in becoming a health care provider may want to consider becoming a podiatrist. Podiatrists treat patients who have conditions such as these.
According to the income figures provided by the American Podiatric Medical Association, podiatrists often make salaries in the six-figure range. According to these numbers, there were 57 percent of podiatrists in 2017 who had incomes that were between $100,000 and $250,000, and there was a 25 percent chance that they made salaries of $250,000 or more.
According to podiatrists, it is feasible to follow this career path without working excessively long hours, making this one sort of health care employment that allows for a healthier balance between work and personal life.
The majority of podiatrists have work schedules that are regular and constant, according to Dr. Matthew Reiner, a fellowship-trained podiatrist and foot and ankle specialist in Ohio. Dr. Reiner believes this is because "there are just a few crises that need to be treated."
To become a podiatrist requires a large amount of time and work, but the income is substantial, and the hours are flexible enough to meet the needs of most people.
How Many Years It Will Take You to Become a Podiatrist and What You Need to Do to Start Your Own Practice
To pursue a career in podiatry, one has to get a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from a school that is recognized in the field of podiatry; normally, this degree may be obtained in a span of four years. In addition, in order to be qualified for a license to practice podiatry independently, graduates of podiatry schools are required, by the majority of states, to complete a residency program in podiatry in a health care facility that has been licensed for the purpose. However, the minimum amount of time that must be spent living in a state before becoming a legal resident differs from state to state.
The average length of time spent in resident training in podiatric medicine and surgery is 36 months; hence, finishing the residency in its entirety requires a time commitment of three years. After graduating from college, an individual who has goals of obtaining a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree and completing a residency in podiatric medicine and surgery might anticipate devoting a total of seven years to the study of podiatry.
In addition, in order to get a license to practice podiatry in the United States, one must typically pass at least part of the four sections that make up the American Podiatric Medical Licensing Examination. In addition, it is possible that you will be required to take a state podiatry license exam that is unique to the state in which you plan to practice podiatry and that you will need to pass all of the sections of the national examination.
According to Dr. Michael J. Trepal, the dean and vice president for academic affairs at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, many people choose to complete more than the standard amount of podiatry training. Some opt to complete a fourth year of podiatry residency, while others decide to pursue a post-residency fellowship. Both of these options are available to individuals.
According to Trepal, the majority of people who want to become podiatrists commit three years to residency training, even though it is technically possible for someone to practice podiatry in certain states in the United States without having spent three years in residency training. However, this is an extremely unusual occurrence.
According to what he stated in an email, "All residency programs are a minimum of three years in duration." "Therefore, if a participant were to quit the program before it was completed or were kicked out of it, they would not get their diploma. Now, in certain jurisdictions they may meet the requirements for a license, but they were unable to obtain board certified by any of the recognized boards in the field. In addition, privileges at certain hospitals are contingent upon successful completion of a residency program. This is something that is taken into consideration by some health insurance companies when choosing practitioners to serve on their panels. Therefore, it is possible to practice medicine even if one has not successfully finished a residency program; nevertheless, this would be considered a very basic level of practice. Only a very small percentage of people choose this path."
According to Trepal, podiatrists are often required to participate in ongoing medical education over the course of their employment in order to keep their license to practice in good standing.
Podiatrists are required to have a license, and to further bolster their credentials, they may decide to pursue board certification through a podiatry professional organization such as the American Board of Podiatric Medicine, the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry, or the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
Dr. Damian Roussel, a foot and ankle surgeon and podiatrist with the Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics in Maryland, wrote in an email that "national podiatric specialty boards grant certification to qualified podiatrists who have completed the specified educational requirements and who successfully complete written and oral examinations."
How One Can Improve Their Chances of Getting Into Podiatry School
According to the admissions requirements that are listed on the website of the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine, or AACPM, an aspiring podiatrist must complete a minimum of either three years or 90 semester hours of undergraduate education in order to be eligible to enter podiatry school. This is the minimum amount of education that is required in order to be eligible to enter podiatry school. According to the information provided on the AACPM website, undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in podiatry are required to complete coursework in the subjects of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and English.
According to the website of the AACPM, more than 97 percent of students enrolled in podiatric medical schools have a bachelor's degree, and a large number of them have previously earned some kind of graduate degree. According to the information provided on the AACPM website, the Medical College Admission Exam (often known as the MCAT) is the one and only standardized test that is typically required for admission to podiatry school.
According to Trepal, while admission to podiatry schools is competitive, it is not nearly as competitive as admission to the most prominent medical school programs. According to what he stated, "Admission to a college of Podiatric Medicine is definitely tough, but it is not at the level of an Ivy League or top-tier Allopathic Medical School."
According to Roussel, prospective students of podiatry need to show that they have the level of maturity required to work in the medical field. He goes on to say that they must also have outstanding academic accomplishments in the scientific fields. "Strong sense of inter- and intrapersonal communication skills are all traits I would expect to see in a podiatry school applicant," he continues. "Good time management, problem-solving abilities, and a strong sense of self-awareness are all important." "In addition, please specify on the application whether the applicant has participated in volunteer work or other charitable activities."
What It's Like to Go to School for Podiatry
The educational framework of podiatry schools, which are also known as podiatric medical schools, is comparable to that of both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. It takes the same amount of time to graduate from podiatric medical school as it does from standard medical school. The preclinical scientific classes come first, and then they go on to the clinical rotations in the end.
During the scientific component of the program, students study topics such as anatomy and pathology. At contrast, during the clinical component of the program, students learn how to communicate with, diagnose, and treat patients, exactly as their counterparts in conventional medical schools do.
The courses that are taken in podiatry school focus primarily on the lower body, whereas the classes that are taken in traditional medical school focus on the body as a whole. This is one of the key differences between what a student will learn in podiatric med school and what a student will learn in traditional medical school.
Dr. Sophia Solomon, a board-certified podiatrist of Manhattan Foot Specialists in New York City, noted in an email that "our education varies from other doctors notably in our second two years of podiatry school when we change our emphasis to the lower limb disorders and treatment."
What Podiatrists Do and How to Determine If the Profession Is Right for You Here's a Look at What They Do!
According to Dr. Bruce Pinker, a podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon in New York, podiatrists have a lot of leeway in terms of how they choose to practice their profession. While some podiatrists choose to only work during standard business hours, others decide to take calls from emergency rooms, which can come at any time. Podiatrists have the ability to choose how they want to practice their profession. Pinker has been in private practice as a podiatrist for close to twenty years.
"One may deal with serious injuries that need surgical correction, or one can only treat patients in a private office environment," Pinker stated in an email. "One can only treat patients in a private office setting." It is possible to provide patients with attractive foot treatments that are optional, or it is also possible to provide patients with routine services on a consistent basis.
Pinker observes that podiatrists often work in conjunction with other medical professionals in order to assist diabetic patients in the prevention and management of foot infections. He goes on to say that podiatrists are able to provide a wide array of treatments, including sports podiatry procedures, foot and ankle operations, and pain reduction therapies, to name a few of their specialties.
He noted that being a podiatrist allowed him the opportunity to "change a patient's life in just one visit," which he considered to be one of the profession's biggest advantages. According to Pinker, one of the challenges is dealing the complexities of many health insurance programs. Pinkers notes that health insurance policies often include coverage for podiatry treatments. As a result, insured patients who have podiatric disorders are able to get the support they need from podiatrists.
Pinker told U.S. News in a phone interview that even though a podiatrist focuses primarily on the lower extremities of the human body, he or she still needs to understand what is happening in the rest of the body in order to appreciate the impact of overall health conditions. This is because the lower extremities are connected to the rest of the body.
However, there is a significant difference between a podiatrist and a primary care health care practitioner, who, in Pinker's words, "may see anything and anything walking through the door." Because their work focuses on resolving issues that occur in a particular part of the human body, he says that podiatrists have a specialty that can be easily identified as their area of competence.
According to Pinker, a profession in podiatry often includes providing assistance to a diverse range of patients since a sizeable percentage of the general public suffers from ailments related to their feet and other extremities in their lower limbs. Patients in need of podiatric care come from a broad variety of backgrounds, ranging from elderly people coping with conditions associated with aging to young athletes nursing wounds sustained while competing.
In an email, Dr. Yolanda Ragland, a podiatric reconstruction forefoot surgeon who routinely performs hammertoe and bunion surgeries, expressed that one of the most frustrating aspects of being a podiatrist is the fact that some people do not understand that podiatry is a "medical art" that requires technical skill. Dr. Ragland performs surgeries such as hammertoe and bunion surgeries on a regular basis. According to Ragland, the founder and CEO of Fix Your Feet, a podiatric clinic with locations in New York and Maryland, not everyone is aware that podiatrists can examine patients, prescribe drugs, and conduct procedures. Fix Your Feet has offices in both New York and Maryland.