Podiatrist facts for kids
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| Occupation | |
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| Names |
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Occupation type
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Specialty |
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Activity sectors
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Medicine, podiatric medicine, sports medicine, endocrinology, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, radiology, biomechanics, rheumatology, neurology |
| Description | |
| Competencies | The science of medicine, surgical skills, biomechanics, ethics, critical thinking, analytical skills, professionalism, management skills, and communication skills. |
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Fields of
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Hospitals, Clinics |
A podiatrist is a medical expert who helps people with problems in their feet, ankles, and lower legs. They are sometimes called a podiatric physician or a foot and ankle surgeon. This name first came from North America. Now, it is used in many English-speaking countries for doctors who specialize in foot care.
Contents
What is a Podiatrist?
Podiatrists are healthcare professionals. They focus on keeping your feet and ankles healthy. They can diagnose, treat, and prevent many conditions. These conditions affect the lower part of your body.
What Do They Treat?
Podiatrists treat many different foot and ankle issues. This includes common problems like bunions or ingrown toenails. They also help with more serious conditions. These can be injuries, infections, or problems from diseases like diabetes.
- Foot pain: They find out why your feet hurt.
- Injuries: They treat sprains, fractures, and other injuries.
- Skin and nail problems: They help with issues like athlete's foot or thick nails.
- Foot problems from other diseases: They care for feet affected by diabetes or arthritis.
- Sports injuries: They help athletes recover from foot and ankle injuries.
Becoming a Podiatrist
The path to becoming a podiatrist is long and requires a lot of study. It is similar to becoming other types of doctors.
Education in the United States
In the United States, podiatrists are called Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPM). Their training is very thorough.
- College: First, they go to college for four years. They study science and other subjects.
- Podiatric Medical School: After college, they attend a special medical school. This school focuses on foot and ankle care. This takes another four years.
- Residency: After medical school, they complete a hospital training program. This is called a residency. It usually lasts three or four years. During this time, they learn surgical skills. Many American podiatrists are trained to perform surgery.
Podiatry Around the World
In many other countries, the term podiatrist refers to specialists who focus on non-surgical treatments. They diagnose foot problems. They also provide care without surgery. Some of these podiatrists may get extra training. This allows them to perform reconstructive foot and ankle surgery.
Old Names for Podiatrists
In the past, the term chiropodist was used in the United States. It meant the same thing as a podiatrist. However, this term is now considered old-fashioned. It is not used anymore.
