Podiatrists : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Summary

Podiatrists use x rays to diagnose foot and ankle problems.

Quick Facts: Podiatrists
2010 Median Pay	$118,030 per year $56.75 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Doctoral or professional degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Internship/residency
Number of Jobs, 2010	12,900
Job Outlook, 2010-20	20% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	2,600

What Podiatrists Do

Podiatrists provide medical and surgical care for people suffering foot, ankle, and lower leg problems. They diagnose illnesses, treat injuries, and perform surgery.

Work Environment

Most podiatrists work in offices of podiatry, either on their own or with other podiatrists. Some work in hospitals. Others work in group practices with other physicians or specialists.

How to Become a Podiatrist

Podiatrists must complete a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree and a medical and surgical residency. Podiatrists must be licensed.

Pay

The median annual wage of podiatrists was $118,030 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of podiatrists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of podiatrists with similar occupations.

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What Podiatrists Do About this section

Podiatrists treat common foot and ankle ailments as well as perform more complicated surgeries.

Podiatrists provide medical and surgical care for people suffering foot, ankle, and lower leg problems. They diagnose illnesses, treat injuries, and perform surgery. For example, podiatrists treat calluses, ingrown toenails, heel spurs, and arch problems. They also treat foot and leg problems associated with diabetes and other diseases; they may set fractures.

Duties

Podiatrists typically do the following:

Listen to a patient’s concerns about their feet, ankles, or lower legs
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
Offer advice and instruction on foot and ankle care
Prescribe medications
Refer patients to physicians or specialists if they detect larger health problems, such as diabetes
Read journals and attend conferences to keep up with advances in podiatric medicine

Podiatrists who own their practice may also spend time on business related activities, such as hiring employees and managing inventory.

The following are examples of types of podiatrists:

Podiatric sports medicine focuses on treating and preventing foot and ankle injuries commonly encountered by athletes.

Pediatric care podiatrists provide treatment to children with foot and lower-leg health problems.

Advanced surgical podiatrists spend most of their time performing advanced surgeries, such as foot and ankle reconstruction.

Work Environment About this section

Patients with diabetes may develop foot problems that require the care of a podiatrist.

Most podiatrists work in offices of podiatry, either on their own or with other podiatrists. Some work in hospitals. Others work in group practices with other physicians or specialists. Many podiatrists are self-employed; they own or are partners in their medical practice. Podiatrists also work in health maintenance organizations (HMO’s), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the military, and academic health science centers and universities.

As shown in the following tabulation, 51 percent of podiatrists were employed in the office of other health practitioners, including podiatry offices, in 2010.

Offices of other health practitioners	51%
Offices of physicians	10
Federal government, excluding postal service	6
General medical and surgical hospitals; private	4

About 26 percent of podiatrists were self-employed in 2010.

Work Schedules

Most podiatrists work full time. Podiatrists’ offices may be open in the evenings to accommodate patients. In hospitals, podiatrists may have to work occasional nights or weekends or may be on call.

How to Become a Podiatrist About this section

Podiatrists listen to a patient’s concerns about their feet, ankles, or lower legs.

Becoming a podiatrist requires completing an undergraduate college education, a 4-year postgraduate degree, and a 3-year medical and surgical residency. Podiatrists also must be licensed.

Education

Podiatrists must have a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree, which is a 4-year degree after earning a bachelor’s degree. 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 have earned a bachelor’s degree before attending a school of podiatry. Admission to DPM programs usually also requires taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). In 2011, there were nine colleges of podiatric medicine in the United States.

Courses for a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree are similar to those for other medical degrees. They include anatomy, pharmacology, and disease pathology, among other subjects. Also, during their last 2 years, podiatric medical students must complete clinical rotations, where they gain supervised experience in hospital settings, in specialties such as general surgery and emergency medicine. After earning a DPM, podiatrists must apply to and complete residency programs, which last 3 years. They may do additional training beyond 3 years in specific fellowship areas. Residencies allow for additional training in a clinical setting.

Important Qualities

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 condition when diagnosing a problem and deciding on a treatment.

Interpersonal skills. Because podiatrists spend much of their time interacting with patients, they should be able to 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.

Licenses

Podiatrists must be licensed in every state. Licensure usually requires passing a state exam (written or oral) and paying a fee. In most states, podiatrists also must have completed a residency program to be licensed. Licenses must typically be renewed periodically, and podiatrists must take continuing medical education.

Certification

Many podiatrists choose to become board certified, either in podiatric surgery or in orthopedics and primary care podiatry. The American Board of Podiatric Surgery is the certifying agency in podiatric surgery, and the American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine is the certifying agency in orthopedics and primary care podiatry. Certification requires a combination of work experience and passing scores on exams.

Pay About this section

Podiatrists

Median annual wages, May 2010

Podiatrists: $118,030
Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners: $71,490
Total, All Occupations: $33,840

The median annual wage of podiatrists was $118,030 in May 2010. The median annual 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 $50,150, and the top 10 percent earned more than $166,400.

Self-employed podiatrists may earn more than salaried doctors, but they are also responsible for the costs of running a business, such as providing benefits for themselves and employees.

Most podiatrists work full time. Podiatrists’ offices may be open in the evenings to accommodate patients.

Job Outlook About this section

Podiatrists

Percent change in employment, projected 2010-20

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners: 26%
Podiatrists: 20%
Total, All Occupations: 14%

Employment of podiatrists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. As the U.S. population both ages and increases, the number of people expected to have mobility and foot-related problems will rise. More podiatrists will be needed to provide this care. In addition, podiatrists are increasingly working in group practices along with other healthcare professionals. Continued growth in the use of outpatient surgery also will create new opportunities for podiatrists, as all podiatrists complete 3 years of standardized hospital-based residency training.

Job Prospects

Job prospects for trained podiatrists should be good, given that there are a limited number of colleges of podiatry. In addition, the retirement of currently practicing podiatrists in the coming years is expected to increase the number of job openings for podiatrists.

Employment projections data for podiatrists, 2010-20
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2010	Projected Employment, 2020	Change, 2010-20		Employment by Industry
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2010	Projected Employment, 2020	Percent	Numeric	Employment by Industry
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Podiatrists	29-1081	12,900	15,500	20	2,600	[XLS]

Similar Occupations About this section

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of podiatrists.

Occupation	Job Duties	ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION	2010 MEDIAN PAY
Chiropractors	Chiropractors treat patients with health problems of the musculoskeletal system, which is made up of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. They use spinal manipulation and other techniques to treat patients' ailments, such as back or neck pain.	Doctoral or professional degree	$67,200
Occupational Therapists	Occupational therapists treat patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help these patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working.	Master’s degree	$72,320
Optometrists	Optometrists perform eye exams to check for vision problems and diseases. They prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses as needed.	Doctoral or professional degree	$94,990
Orthotists and Prosthetists	Orthotists and prosthetists, also called O&P professionals, design medical support devices and measure and fit patients for them. These devices include artificial limbs (arms, hands, legs, and feet), braces, and other medical or surgical devices.	Master’s degree	$65,060
Physical Therapists	Physical therapists help people who have injuries or illnesses improve their movement and manage their pain. They are often an important part of rehabilitation and treatment of patients with chronic conditions or injuries.	Doctoral or professional degree	$76,310
Physicians and Surgeons	Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses in patients. Physicians examine patients, take medical histories, prescribe medications, and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and deformities, such as cleft palates.	Doctoral or professional degree	This wage is equal to or greater than $166,400 per year.