Podiatrist

Pay

Getting in

Typical entry education

Doctoral or professional degree

On-the-job training

Internship/residency

Prior experience

None

Calculate your switch to podiatrist

What the work is like

Core tasks

• Treat bone, muscle, and joint disorders affecting the feet and ankles.
• Diagnose diseases and deformities of the foot using medical histories, physical examinations, x-rays, and laboratory test results.
• Advise patients about treatments and foot care techniques necessary for prevention of future problems.
• Prescribe medications, corrective devices, physical therapy, or surgery.
• Surgically treat conditions such as corns, calluses, ingrown nails, tumors, shortened tendons, bunions, cysts, or abscesses.
• Refer patients to physicians when symptoms indicative of systemic disorders, such as arthritis or diabetes, are observed in feet and legs.
• Make and fit prosthetic appliances.
• Correct deformities by means of plaster casts and strapping.

Also called: Attending Physician · Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) · Doctor of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery (DPM and Surgery) · Doctor Podiatric Medicine (DPM) · Foot and Ankle Surgeon · Physician · Podiatric Physician · Podiatric Surgeon

Outlook and AI

Podiatrists held 10,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 10,200 by 2035 (+2%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).

Occupational substitution - share decreases as growing adoption of team-based care models allows other healthcare practitioners, such as nurses and orthopedic surgeons, to provide foot and ankle care services.

Compare with

• Podiatrist vs. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric
• Podiatrist vs. Pediatric surgeon
• Podiatrist vs. Dermatologist
• Podiatrist vs. Physician (other specialties)
• Podiatrist vs. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric
• Podiatrist vs. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons
• Podiatrist vs. General internal medicine physician
• Podiatrist vs. Cardiologist
• Podiatrist vs. Neurologist