Home/ Careers/ Podiatric Medicine/ Podiatrist (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine)

Podiatrist (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine)

Overview

Podiatric medicine is a branch of the medical sciences devoted to the study of human movement, with the medical care of the foot and ankle as its primary focus. A doctor of podiatric medicine is to the foot what a dentist is to the mouth or an ophthalmologist to the eye - a specialist who has undergone lengthy, thorough study to become uniquely well-qualified to treat a specific part of the body.

A Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of foot disorders, diseases and injuries. A DPM makes independent judgments and performs or orders all necessary diagnostic tests. They perform surgery; administer medications, including DEA-restricted medications; and prescribe physical therapy regimens.

DPMs often detect serious health problems that may otherwise go unnoticed, because a number of diseases manifest first through symptoms of the lower extremities (i.e., diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, or kidney disease). Podiatric physicians are educated in state-of-the-art techniques involving surgery, orthopedics, dermatology, physical medicine and rehabilitation.

To learn more, watch the video profile of "Podiatrists."

You can download, save and print a PDF of this career profile:

Podiatrist 14 May 2008 [pdf, 169 KB]

Working Conditions

Podiatrists work in general or group practices and are free to develop a practice focus such as pediatrics, geriatrics, or sports medicine. In addition to private practice, they serve on the staffs of hospitals and long-term care facilities, on the faculties of schools of medicine and nursing, in the armed forces as commissioned officers, in the U.S. Public Health Service, and in municipal health departments. Possible career settings also include foot clinics associated with hospitals in major urban areas or small rural towns.

In general, the practice of podiatric medicine lends itself to flexible hours and is therefore comfortable for individuals who want time for family, friends and other involvements that characterize a balanced lifestyle. The work hours of a podiatric physician can vary from 30 to 60 hours a week. Podiatrists in private practice can set their own hours.

Average Salary

$134,414

Years in school

8

Job outlook

Excellent

Sponsor

Take advantage of our generous credit transfer policy and no enrollment fee, giving you a strong start to your BS in Health Sciences with little investment up front. Excelsior College offers an accredited online program with financial aid and payment plan options that fit your unique budget and busy schedule. Learn more about Excelsior College ... Learn more about Excelsior College ...

Academic Requirements

The degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) is awarded after four years of study at an accredited podiatric medical college. Although the colleges differ in size and location, the curriculum leading to the D.P.M. degree is similar at each institution. The first two years concentrate on classroom instruction and laboratory work in the basic medical sciences. The third and fourth years of study focus on the clinical sciences and patient care.

As is the case for all physicians, the coursework includes anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, pathology, immunology, etc. In addition, podiatric medical students learn the fundamentals of specialized medicine, including biomechanics, lower extremity anatomy, podiatric pathology, infectious diseases, orthopedics, and sports medicine courses.

Clinical exposures begin as early as the second year. Students of podiatric medicine gain practical experience by working in podiatric clinics in any of a variety of settings, including community clinics, hospitals, satellite clinics or professional office settings.

After completing four years of podiatric medical training, graduates select a Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency of 24 or 36 months in duration. In most states, podiatric physicians must complete a minimum of one year of postgraduate residency training in an approved healthcare institution; two years are required for board certification. A podiatric residency provides an interdisciplinary experience with rotations such as anesthesiology, internal medicine, infectious disease, surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics and ER. The 36-month residency includes extensive training in rear foot and ankle surgery.

The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM) offers an online application service, known as CASPR, in which all entry-level residency programs are required to participate. Also, if you're interested in connecting with other podiatric medical students, check out:

American Podiatric Medical Students' Association

Student Doctor Network

Student National Medical Association

Preparation Timeline

Our timeline is a helpful guideline, as you prepare for entry to a school of podiatric medicine.

Freshman Year

Meet with a Pre-Med Advisor. If it is not required, arrange to have one assigned to you to help plan when to take the courses required in the pre-med/health professions program.
Join pre-med science and other related clubs or groups. This will help you to meet other students interested in becoming doctors. Getting to know Junior and Senior pre-med students can be helpful in providing a wealth of information on completing a podiatric medical school application as well as how to prepare for the MCAT exam.
Take Biology 1 & 2 and General (Inorganic) Chemistry 1 & 2 with labs this year.

Freshman Year – Summer

Volunteer to work in any type of health care environment, i.e., hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, VA Medical Centers, Adult Day Care or Child Care Centers, podiatrist' practice --- the goal is to have exposure to the health care profession as much as you can. But don't limit yourself to just one type of experience in the health care field.
Visit the AACPM Website for information on podiatric medicine, and to utilize the DPM Mentors Network to shadow a podiatrist.

Sophomore Year

Take Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 and Physics 1 & 2, both with labs. (This will also help prepare for taking the MCAT in April of your Junior year.)
Start thinking about your major. Remember you don't have to be a science major. Plan your schedule carefully so it's not too heavy a course load.
Meet with your Pre-Med Advisor to discuss your program.

Sophomore Year – Summer

Attend a free Summer Internship Program offered at several podiatric medical colleges. Check the colleges' websites for location. They are directly linked from the AACPM website at: www.aacpm.org
Continue with your Volunteer experience this summer.
Shadow a local Podiatrist – go to the above listed Website and follow the instructions how to contact a podiatrist for shadowing.

Junior Year

Take Biochemistry this year.
Be on the lookout for a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) visiting your campus.
Contact the colleges of podiatric medicine for their catalogs and re-visit the colleges' Websites.
Register to take the MCAT exam in April of this year.
Start making decisions about the type of podiatric medical school you want to attend: what region of the country, size of the school, faculty/student ratio, curriculum – traditional or problem-based learning style.
Meet with your Pre-Med Advisor to discuss if you will have fulfilled all admission requirements to the colleges of podiatric medicine by end of your Senior year.
Visit the colleges of podiatric medicine to talk with the admissions dean.

Junior Year – Summer

Prepare for re-taking the MCAT, if necessary.
Re-take the MCAT exam in August.
Continue with your volunteer work and/or shadowing a Podiatrist.
Attend the free Summer Internship Program at a podiatric medical college if you did not do so last summer.

Senior Year

Take advanced science courses this year.
In September of this year, submit your entry to the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine's electronic Application Service (AACPMAS), which processes all applications submitted for admission to the AACPM-accredited colleges of podiatric medicine.
Arrange for your MCAT scores to be sent to the centralized application service, AACPMAS.
Check with the Career Placement Office for someone to help you with interviewing skills.