Podiatrist

Education and/or Training Required:

 High school diploma or GED, 4 years of undergraduate study for Bachelor’s Degree, 4 years to
get Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), 3 year residency program, and pass state license test
 Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine, California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel
Merritt University, Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine

Responsibilities and Daily Activities:

 Schedule individual consultations to patients regarding constant treatment of disorders and

preventive foot care.
 Diagnose foot diseases such as tumors, ulcers, fractures, skin or nail diseases, and congenital or
developed abnormality such as weak feet and foot imbalance.
 Use advanced procedures to treat conditions such as corns, calluses, bunions, heel spurs,
ingrown toenails, arch problems, shortened tendons, cysts, bone disorders, and abscesses.
 Plan corrective orthotics, plaster casts, and strappings to correct abnormalities.
 Design stretchy molding for foot and ankle fractures, sprains, or other injuries.
 Correct walking forms and balance and encourage the skill to move about more efficiently and
easily.
 Refer patients to other doctors when symptoms detected in the feet show disorders, such as
diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, or kidney disease.

Career Outlook and Earning Potential:

 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2013 podiatrist’s median annual salary was
between $134,170 and $167,450.
 The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects this career to increase 10% from 2014-2022.

Documentation of Sources:

Becoming a Podiatric Physician - The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM).
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aacpm.org/becoming-a-podiatric-physician/

List of Podiatric Medical Colleges | CPME. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.cpme.org/colleges/content.cfm?ItemNumber=2425

Podiatrists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018, January 30).
Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/podiatrists.htm

Self-Reflection:

I would not pursue this job because I would not like to look at people’s feet all day. This would be good
for people who like feet.