The Profession
Who They Are
Podiatrists treat corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, bunions, heel spurs, and arch problems; ankle and foot injuries, deformities and infections; and foot complaints associated with diseases such as diabetes. Source: U.S. Department of Labor
What They Do
To treat these problems, podiatrists prescribe drugs, order physical therapy, set fractures, and perform surgery. They also fit corrective inserts called orthotics, design plaster casts and strappings to correct deformities, and design custom-made shoes. Podiatrists may use a force plate to help design the orthotics. Patients walk across a plate connected to a computer that "reads" the patients' feet, picking up pressure points and weight distribution. From the computer readout, podiatrists order the correct design or recommend treatment. Source: U.S. Department of Labor
Where They Work
Most podiatrists work in the offices of other healthcare professionals. Some work in hospitals or for the government. Finally, some podiatrists choose to own their own private office. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Outlook
Podiatry as a profession is growing about as fast as the national average. In the next 10 years, about 600 new podiatry positions are expected to become available.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Exploring Options
Though the U of M does not offer a DPM degree, there are nine programs around the country that do. You can find a complete list of these programs here. Prerequisites for podiatric medicine programs include biology, chemistry, physics, and english. Students must also submit letters of recommendation. Finally, students interested in applying to podiatric medicine programs must take the MCAT. You can learn about the MCAT here. Students apply to these programs using the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service, or AACPMAS. This application opens yearly in August and closes for priority applications March 1st. The final deadline is June 30th. Source: American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine