Doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs), also known as podiatrists, diagnose and treat disorders, diseases, and injuries of the foot and lower leg.
Description
Doctors of podiatric medicine:
- Treat corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, bunions, heel spurs, and arch problems; ankle and foot injuries, deformities, and infections; and foot complaints associated with diseases such as diabetes
- Prescribe drugs
- Order physical therapy
- Set fractures
- Perform surgery
- Fit corrective inserts called orthotics
- Design plaster casts and strappings to correct deformities
- Design custom-made shoes
- Order X-rays and laboratory tests to diagnose foot problems
- Podiatrists in private practice are responsible for running a small business
Licensing
There are a number of certifying boards for the podiatric specialties of orthopedics, primary medicine, and surgery. Certification means that the DPM meets higher standards than those required for licensure. Each board requires advanced training, the completion of written and oral examinations, and experience as a practicing podiatrist. Most managed-care organizations prefer board-certified podiatrists.
Personal qualifications
- Scientific aptitude
- Manual dexterity
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Good business sense
- A desire to serve patients
- A good bedside manner
- Emotional stability
Employment opportunities
- Employment of doctors of podiatry is expected to grow about as fast as average (Increase 9 to 17 percent) through the year 2014
- Opportunities will be better for board-certified podiatrists, because many managed-care organizations require board certification
- Opportunities for newly trained podiatrists will be better in group medical practices, clinics, and health networks than in traditional solo practices
Salary
Median annual earnings of physicians in internal medicine with less than two years of experience: $ $60,180 (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, May 2004)
Progression
Most graduates complete a hospital-based residency program after receiving a DPM. Residency programs last from 2 to 4 years. Residents receive advanced training in podiatric medicine and surgery and serve clinical rotations in anesthesiology, internal medicine, pathology, radiology, emergency medicine, and orthopedic and general surgery. Residencies lasting more than 1 year provide more extensive training in specialty areas.
Podiatrists may advance to become professors at colleges of podiatric medicine, department chiefs in hospitals, or general health administrators.
Getting there: Your degree program at MCPHS
- Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Students earn a Bachelor of Science degree from MCPHS and a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree (DPM) from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. This seven-year program includes three years of study at MCPHS and four years at Barry University. Barry offers one of just eight accredited programs in podiatric medicine in the United States.