The podiatric doctors address various problems that affect the lower legs as well as ankles and feet. They are educated and receive training to offer a variety of medical treatments for ailments that affect the lower extremities, so that patients can get back to their active lives. Understanding what podiatric medicine is will help you determine whether you'd like to pursue an occupation in this field.
Is podiatric medication a medical condition?
Podiatric medicine is a field of medicine which focuses on the prevention diagnosis and treatment of ailments, injuries and other disorders of the lower foot, ankle and leg. Doctors who specialize in podiatric medicine seek to aid patients to regain mobility and flexibility so that they can run and walk normal. They can also contribute to the overall health of the body. This is due to the fact that the lower extremities share an complex connection to the rest of the body. They can be a major factor in diagnosing conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease before symptoms appear in other parts within the body.
The subspecialties of podiatric medicine are:
Neuro-podiatry
Onco-podiatry
Orthopaedics for Podiatrics
Sports medicine
Podiatric Rheumatology
Diagnostic podiatry
Dermatological podiatry
Pediatric podiatry
Gerontological podiatry
Forensic podiatry
Podiatric diabetes
Podiatric vascular health
Learn more about on: How Is Podiatric Medicine? How to become a Podiatrist FAQs
What can you learn from learning about podiatric medicine?
If you decide to learn about podiatric medical studies You can expect to be educated on the following subjects:
General Human Anatomy
The anatomy of lower foot, ankle and leg
General medicine
Biomechanics
Neurobiology and neuropathy
Histology
Fundamentals of ankle and foot surgery
The foundations for Orthopedic surgery
Physical rehabilitation processes
Medicine for sports
Pharmacology
Pathophysiology
What exactly is a podiatrist's job?
Podiatrists are medical professionals who have completed advanced education in the discipline of podiatry. They treat conditions, injuries and other ailments in the lower extremities with non-surgical or surgical methods. The podiatric physician can decide to specialize in a variety of areas of this field like orthopedics, public health or surgery. They can practice as an individual or in the health care team in many medical settings including hospitals and clinics.
The tasks of a podiatrist may differ, but they could include:
Offering consultations to those suffering from foot-related problems.
The diagnosis of foot, ankle and lower leg problems that could be caused by fractures, bunions, ulcers Gout, tumors, or abnormalities
The severity of the issues which affect circulation and connective tissues, nerves muscles, skin joints and bones in the lower extremities.
Conducting various diagnostic tests, including lab tests, X-rays, and physical examinations
Ankle and foot surgery is performed including correcting deformities removal of tumors and fixing fractures
Prescription of medications to patients, such as to manage swelling and pain caused by an ankle strain
Helping clients on how to take care of their foot-related ailments
Patients are referred to other doctors for foot-related issues that could indicate other conditions, like kidney disease or arthritis
The gait of a patient is analysed to identify any abnormalities
Some podiatrists be able to spend their entire time performing surgeries, while other podiatrists may specialize in particular foot-related ailments, like diabetic foot and sports medicine. The specialization of a podiatrist is the main factor that determines the duties they perform.
How to become a podiatrist?
Take a look at these steps to consider a career as a podiatrist.
1. Earn a bachelor's degree
First step to becoming podiatrists is to obtain a bachelor's degree. It typically will take approximately the span of four months to complete. The bachelor's degree can be different for those who want to become podiatrists, you could choose a degree course that provides courses in physics, biology as well as chemistry and other related medical subjects. If you're not able to get a bachelor's degree you could choose to focus on earning minimum 90 semester hours in three years of college credit in an accredited university which is the requirement to enter many podiatric colleges.
Learn more about: What Is a Bachelor's Degree, or an equivalent degree?
2. Complete a doctorate in podiatric medicine
After completing a bachelor's degree or completing the minimum amount of credits from a college, future podiatrists are able to complete an entire 4-year Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) program at an accredited institution. This is because the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME) currently has accreditation for nine colleges across the United States for studying podiatric medicine. In order to be accepted into the podiatric programs requires an impressive score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and meeting the other admission conditions.
This is different from a traditional doctor who goes to medical school. DPM Medical school and DPM curriculums are similar, however DPM programs focus on the lower ankles, feet and extremities. Students complete their initial two years in the DPM program in a classroom as well as lab studies. In the final two years of the DPM course, the students are required to complete clinical rotations in various healthcare facilities so that they get hands-on experiences in the field of the patient treatment.
3. Complete and apply for the podiatric residency
Following the completion of the DPM program, students are required to finish a three-year residency in podiatric medicine and surgery program. They typically complete these courses in hospitals since these types of programs provide students with the needed knowledge and experience in surgical and medical podiatry.
Through residency programmes, patients receive special training through rotating in various specialties such as the field of internal medicine and anesthesiology, emergency room surgeries infectious diseases, and pediatrics. Future podiatrists might also decide to pursue additional training in specific podiatric areas like diabetic foot care. People who wish to become podiatrists cannot do a residency in any other specialty apart from podiatry.
4. Get a license and the certification
Before they can begin working on their own they can seek licensure. To obtain their license they must take and take the Podiatric Medical Licensing Exam (APMLE) which is offered by the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners (NBPME) provides. Certain states also require people to be able to pass and take a state-specific exam.
In addition to licensure many podiatrists also obtain certification as a board member from the Australian Board of Advanced Foot Surgeons in Perth as well as the Australian Board of Podiatric Medicine or the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry. To be certified, you must usually taking and passing an examination in addition to having an established level of expertise.
