A podiatrist or podiatric physician is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg.
What does a podiatrist do?
Podiatrists are healthcare professionals who have been trained to diagnose and treat abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs. They also prevent and correct deformity, keep people mobile and active, relieve pain and treat infections.
Do podiatrists cut toenails?
In most cases, yes; they regularly assist patients with toenail care. While cutting toenails may seem like a simple matter of grooming, there are actually many patients who have problems with their toenails or feet that prevent them from cutting them without professional help.
Are podiatrists real doctors?
Podiatrists are defined as physicians by the federal government. A DPM is a specialist in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of lower extremity disorders, diseases and injuries. Within the profession, podiatric physicians can specialize in a variety of areas such as surgery, orthopedics, or public health.
How to Become A Podiatrist In South Africa
Career, Salary and Education Information
Education for Podiatrists
Podiatrists must have a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree from an accredited college of podiatric medicine. A DPM degree program takes 4 years to complete. There are 9 colleges of podiatric medicine accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education.
Admission to podiatric medicine programs requires at least 3 years of undergraduate education, including specific courses in laboratory sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as general coursework in subjects such as English.
In practice, nearly all prospective podiatrists earn a bachelor’s degree before attending a college of podiatric medicine. Admission to DPM programs requires taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Courses for a DPM degree are similar to those for other medical degrees. They include anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology, among other subjects. During their last 2 years, podiatric medical students gain supervised experience by completing clinical rotations.
Podiatrist Training
After earning a DPM, podiatrists must apply to and complete a 3-year podiatric medicine and surgery residency (PMSR) program. Residency programs take place in hospitals and provide both medical and surgical experience.
Podiatrists may complete additional training in specific fellowship areas, such as podiatric wound care or diabetic foot care, among others.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations for Podiatrists
Podiatrists in every state must be licensed. Podiatrists must pay a fee and pass all parts of the American Podiatric Medical Licensing Exam (APMLE), offered by the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners. Some states also require podiatrists to take a state-specific exam.
Many podiatrists choose to become board certified. Certification generally requires a combination of work experience and passing an exam. Board certification is offered by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, the American Board of Podiatric Medicine, and the American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry.
Important Qualities for Podiatrists
Compassion. Since podiatrists provide care for patients who may be in pain, they must treat patients with compassion and understanding.
Critical-thinking skills. Podiatrists must have a sharp, analytical mind to correctly diagnose a patient and determine the best course of treatment.
Detail oriented. To provide safe, effective healthcare, a podiatrist should be detail oriented. For example, a podiatrist must pay attention to a patient’s medical history as well as current conditions when diagnosing a problem.
Interpersonal skills. Because podiatrists spend much of their time interacting with patients, they should listen well and communicate effectively. For example, they should be able to tell a patient who is slated to undergo surgery what to expect and calm his or her fears.
Podiatrist Salaries[About this section] [More salary/earnings info] [To Top]
The median annual wage for podiatrists is R 1959063.65 The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than R 805652.16, and the highest 10 percent earned more than R 3034141.77.
The median annual wages for podiatrists in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Federal government, excluding postal service | R 2377716.87 |
| Offices of physicians | R 2192750.92 |
| Offices of other health practitioners | R 1837843.85 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | R 1813337.32 |
Most podiatrists work full time. Podiatrists’ offices may be open in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate patients. Self-employed podiatrists or those who own their practice may set their own hours. In hospitals, podiatrists may have to work occasional nights or weekends, or may be on call.
Duties of Podiatrists
Podiatrists typically do the following:
Assess the condition of a patient’s feet, ankles, or lower legs by reviewing the patient’s medical history, listening to his or her concerns, and performing a physical examination
Diagnose foot, ankle, and lower leg problems through physical exams, x rays, medical laboratory tests, and other methods
Provide treatment for foot, ankle, and lower leg ailments, such as prescribing special shoe inserts (orthotics) to improve a patient’s mobility
Perform foot and ankle surgeries, such as removing bone spurs, fracture repairs, and correcting other foot and ankle deformities
Advise and instruct patients on foot and ankle care and on general wellness techniques
Prescribe medications
Coordinate patient care with other physicians
Refer patients to other physicians or specialists if they detect larger health problems, such as diabetes or vascular disease
Conduct research, read journals, and attend conferences to keep up with advances in podiatric medicine and surgery
Podiatrists treat a variety of foot and ankle ailments, including calluses, ingrown toenails, heel spurs, arthritis, congenital foot and ankle deformities, and arch problems. They also treat foot and leg problems associated with diabetes and other diseases.
Some podiatrists spend most of their time performing surgery, such as foot and ankle reconstruction. Others may choose a specialty such as sports medicine, pediatrics, or diabetic foot care.
Is a Podiatrist a Doctor in South Africa?
In South Africa, a Podiatrist is a medical professional who is registered with both the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the Council for Medical Schemes. Podiatrists are trained to diagnose and treat disorders, ailments and disabilities of the foot and ankle. Foot pain is not normal.
How many years does it take to become a Podiatrist in South Africa ?
How Long It Takes to Become a Podiatrist and What’s Required to Practice. Podiatry is a career path that requires a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from an accredited podiatry school, and earning this degree typically takes four years.
Which University offers podiatry in South Africa?
University of Johannesburg
The Faculty of Health Sciences offers a Master in Podiatry at University of Johannesburg in order to help students to perform independent scientific research with an original component.
What are the requirements for Podiatrist in South Africa ?
If you wish to become a podiatrist, you must first get a bachelor’s degree and then apply to an accredited podiatric medical college. Your graduate school course of study will take four years, after which you will receive a degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.).
Is there a demand for podiatrists in South Africa?
South Africa has a serious shortage of podiatrists and as I wrote the other day even our new graduates are emigrating. There are fewer than 200 registered podiatrists for our population of about 48 million people.
Can a podiatrist do surgery in South Africa?
Podiatrists may perform the following tasks: examine patients’ feet to diagnose any disorders or infections and decide on appropriate treatment. work with patients suffering from diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral vascular disorders and other neuropathies. perform surgical procedures on the foot.
Do podiatrists do surgery in South Africa ?
They also have “DPM” (doctor of podiatric medicine) after their names instead of “MD” (medical doctor). Podiatrists can do surgery, reset broken bones, prescribe drugs, and order lab tests or X-rays.
Is a podiatrist a doctor in South Africa ?
A podiatrist is a health professional who deals with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of medical and surgical conditions of the feet and lower limbs. Podiatrists perform clinical biomechanical evaluation of the lower limb.
Can Podiatrists call themselves doctors in South Africa ?
in psychology you are entitled to use the prefix Dr. If you have a masters degree you are not. Dentists, chiropractors, podiatrists, medical doctors all have doctorate degrees (here in the USA anyway) which means 120 credits after receiving a bachelor’s degree.
Can podiatrists remove toenails in South Africa ?
A foot specialist (podiatrist) may offer further treatments, such as: cutting away part of the nail. removing the whole nail.