Somehow podiatry came up ( I have no background in medicine) and I was wondering why in the world are feet doctors a specialty compared to a general surgeon or someone that might fix a broken arm or hand issues?
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So I’m Australian and only just learnt through researching for this post that in the USA, most podiatrists do foot surgery – so different to here! In Australia, that would be done by orthopaedic surgeons (someone who has studied medicine then gone on to specialise in Orthopaedics). Always interesting to learn how things are different across the world.
Speaking a little bit about semantics (this is how it applies in Australia, so forgive me if it’s different in the USA): podiatry isn’t a “medical speciality” in Australian semantics. A medical speciality is what a medical doctor (someone who has studied an MD/MBBS) specialises in – for example cardiology, orthopaedic surgery, psychiatry etc.
Podiatrists do a separate degree and then some post-graduate training to further their skills. However it looks like in the USA, podiatrists do a pretty gruelling residency program which is why many of them operate!
In Australia however, even without podiatrists being able to perform surgeries, there is a massive need for them! Every diabetic patient should be seeing a podiatrist every 6-12 months to minimise risk of diabetic foot infections. Podiatrists make orthotics for children and adults with disabilities whose gait or anatomy may be altered (cerebral palsy, foot abnormalities, leg length differences). They also deal with hammertoes, bunions, mallet toes, diabetic ulcers, vascular ulcers, foot care. So there is a range of problems that they deal with, and there is a big demand for them! Can only imagine how much more work there is for them if they are also able to do surgeries.
So I’m Australian and only just learnt through researching for this post that in the USA, most podiatrists do foot surgery – so different to here! In Australia, that would be done by orthopaedic surgeons (someone who has studied medicine then gone on to specialise in Orthopaedics). Always interesting to learn how things are different across the world.
Speaking a little bit about semantics (this is how it applies in Australia, so forgive me if it’s different in the USA): podiatry isn’t a “medical speciality” in Australian semantics. A medical speciality is what a medical doctor (someone who has studied an MD/MBBS) specialises in – for example cardiology, orthopaedic surgery, psychiatry etc.
Podiatrists do a separate degree and then some post-graduate training to further their skills. However it looks like in the USA, podiatrists do a pretty gruelling residency program which is why many of them operate!
In Australia however, even without podiatrists being able to perform surgeries, there is a massive need for them! Every diabetic patient should be seeing a podiatrist every 6-12 months to minimise risk of diabetic foot infections. Podiatrists make orthotics for children and adults with disabilities whose gait or anatomy may be altered (cerebral palsy, foot abnormalities, leg length differences). They also deal with hammertoes, bunions, mallet toes, diabetic ulcers, vascular ulcers, foot care. So there is a range of problems that they deal with, and there is a big demand for them! Can only imagine how much more work there is for them if they are also able to do surgeries.
So I’m Australian and only just learnt through researching for this post that in the USA, most podiatrists do foot surgery – so different to here! In Australia, that would be done by orthopaedic surgeons (someone who has studied medicine then gone on to specialise in Orthopaedics). Always interesting to learn how things are different across the world.
Speaking a little bit about semantics (this is how it applies in Australia, so forgive me if it’s different in the USA): podiatry isn’t a “medical speciality” in Australian semantics. A medical speciality is what a medical doctor (someone who has studied an MD/MBBS) specialises in – for example cardiology, orthopaedic surgery, psychiatry etc.
Podiatrists do a separate degree and then some post-graduate training to further their skills. However it looks like in the USA, podiatrists do a pretty gruelling residency program which is why many of them operate!
In Australia however, even without podiatrists being able to perform surgeries, there is a massive need for them! Every diabetic patient should be seeing a podiatrist every 6-12 months to minimise risk of diabetic foot infections. Podiatrists make orthotics for children and adults with disabilities whose gait or anatomy may be altered (cerebral palsy, foot abnormalities, leg length differences). They also deal with hammertoes, bunions, mallet toes, diabetic ulcers, vascular ulcers, foot care. So there is a range of problems that they deal with, and there is a big demand for them! Can only imagine how much more work there is for them if they are also able to do surgeries.
Every part of the body has their own subspecialist surgeons. Within orthopedic surgery there are subspecialties for hand surgery, orthopedic trauma, spine surgery, hip and knee reconstruction, shoulder and elbow, etc.
Foot and ankle surgery is also a subspecialty within orthopedics. Foot and ankle surgeons are firstly orthopedic surgeons with a complete orthopedic education and training who then specialize in treating everything to do with the lower extremity.
Podiatry itself is a separate field with an independent education pathway that has its own residency.
Typically, podiatrists are more narrow in their scope of treatment of lower extremity issues than foot and ankle surgeons. If you needed something truly complex done, especially if it involved not just your forefoot but your ankle, I would consider a foot and ankle surgeon, not a podiatrist. We see enough nightmare podiatry transfers from podiatrists who took on more than they could handle.
Every part of the body has their own subspecialist surgeons. Within orthopedic surgery there are subspecialties for hand surgery, orthopedic trauma, spine surgery, hip and knee reconstruction, shoulder and elbow, etc.
Foot and ankle surgery is also a subspecialty within orthopedics. Foot and ankle surgeons are firstly orthopedic surgeons with a complete orthopedic education and training who then specialize in treating everything to do with the lower extremity.
Podiatry itself is a separate field with an independent education pathway that has its own residency.
Typically, podiatrists are more narrow in their scope of treatment of lower extremity issues than foot and ankle surgeons. If you needed something truly complex done, especially if it involved not just your forefoot but your ankle, I would consider a foot and ankle surgeon, not a podiatrist. We see enough nightmare podiatry transfers from podiatrists who took on more than they could handle.
A physician once told me that podiatrists are just people who couldn’t get into med school. Pretty mean spirirted for an educated adult. But after my foot got messed up in the army, podiatrists have been my salvation.
Every part of the body has their own subspecialist surgeons. Within orthopedic surgery there are subspecialties for hand surgery, orthopedic trauma, spine surgery, hip and knee reconstruction, shoulder and elbow, etc.
Foot and ankle surgery is also a subspecialty within orthopedics. Foot and ankle surgeons are firstly orthopedic surgeons with a complete orthopedic education and training who then specialize in treating everything to do with the lower extremity.
Podiatry itself is a separate field with an independent education pathway that has its own residency.
Typically, podiatrists are more narrow in their scope of treatment of lower extremity issues than foot and ankle surgeons. If you needed something truly complex done, especially if it involved not just your forefoot but your ankle, I would consider a foot and ankle surgeon, not a podiatrist. We see enough nightmare podiatry transfers from podiatrists who took on more than they could handle.
A physician once told me that podiatrists are just people who couldn’t get into med school. Pretty mean spirirted for an educated adult. But after my foot got messed up in the army, podiatrists have been my salvation.
A physician once told me that podiatrists are just people who couldn’t get into med school. Pretty mean spirirted for an educated adult. But after my foot got messed up in the army, podiatrists have been my salvation.
In the US, it’s easier to get into podiatric medical school than regular med school to become an MD. In the US, podiatrists are doctors of podiatric medicine. Not the same thing as MD. You can practice medicine faster for less money and it’s way less competitive.
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