PODIATRIC MEDICINE

              A Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, injuries and deformities affecting the human foot and ankle.  Doctors of podiatric medicine can perform and order all necessary diagnostic tests and treatments, including laboratory tests, x-rays, CAT scans, surgery, medications and physical therapy programs.  These doctors are educated in state-of-the-art techniques involving surgery, orthopedics, dermatology, physical medicine and rehabilitation.  Podiatrists can work in general or group practices and are free to develop a special practice focus such as pediatrics, geriatrics or sports medicine.  Possible career settings also include foot clinics associated with hospitals.  In addition to private practice, they serve on the staff of hospitals and long-term care facilities, on the faculties of schools of medicine and nursing, as Commissioned Officers in the armed forces and in the U.S. Public Health Service and in municipal health departments.

              Podiatrists are one of the few types of health care providers that can provide immediate alleviation of pain.  Some of the great stories from the profession come from practitioners who watch patients walk into their office in extreme pain, be treated by them, and walk out feeling better.  Another positive aspect of the profession is the amount and quality of patient contact.  Podiatrists see an average of 90 patients per week, and the time spent doing procedures and examinations calls for a podiatric physician to interact with the patient, not to just hand the patient off to an assistant or aide.  Podiatrists enjoy a lifestyle that is “normal”; they work regular office hours, schedule surgeries during the workday, and rarely get called to tend to emergencies.  Podiatric physicians, as rule, do not need to put in 70 – 80 hour workweeks, which are common in some other branches of the medical community.  There are more than 1,400 podiatric shortage areas in the United States; 2,300 counties in America have no podiatrists at all.  It is estimated that the United States should have 6.2 podiatrists per 100,000 population to meet needs; we now have 4 podiatrists per 100,000.  The current emphasis on physical fitness and recreation combined with the growing population of the elderly are creating a new demand for podiatric physicians.  There is only 1 podiatrist for every 23,000 Americans, compared with 1 M.D. for every 600 and 1 dentist for every 2,000. When newer areas of podiatric practice - such as sports medicine – are combined with the growth of traditional areas (podogeriatrics, orthopedics, podiatric surgery, etc.) it is estimated that the number of podiatrists will have to double in the coming decade to meet the demand for podiatric health care. Podiatric medicine is the third fastest-growing occupation in the United States among those professions that require a college education.

              There are seven colleges of podiatric medicine in the United States; in fact, these are the only ones in the whole world!  Their total enrollment is approximately 2,400 and they admit 550-650 new students each year.  In 2001, 41% of the applicants and 43% of the first year students were women.  Minority students represent 38% of all applicants.  Approximately 85% of all applicants are accepted.  Podiatric medical education typically takes four years to complete.  In addition to typical medical school subjects, courses in biomechanics, lower extremity anatomy, orthopedics and sports medicine are taken.  The first two years of the training are devoted to 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 judgement.  In about 1/3 of the states, graduates of podiatric medical colleges may enter practice immediately after graduation.  However, nearly all prospective podiatric physicians seek and are placed in residency programs; these are usually hospital based and range from one to four years in length depending upon the particular program.  Average indebtedness is approximately $60,000 at the end of training in podiatric medicine; median annual earning of salaried podiatrists were $ 107,560 in 2000; median net income of podiatrists in solo practice, including the self-employed, was $ 89,681 in 2000; those in group practices or partnerships earned median net income of $ 96,200.

              Further information is readily available from the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine, 1350 Piccard Drive, Suite 322, Rockville, Maryland 20850; phone toll-free 800-922-9266 (inside Maryland 301-990-6882); on the web, http://www.aacpm.org  

and http://www.apma.org.