Podiatry

Podiatrist, podiatric surgeon, podiatric physician

Podiatric surgeon performing reconstructive surgery
Occupation
Names	Podiatrist Podiatric surgeon Foot and ankle surgeon Doctor of podiatric medicine Podiatric physician
Activity sectors	Medicine, sports medicine, orthopedics, plastic surgery, endocrinology, endocrinology, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, radiology, biomechanics, rheumatology, neurology
Description
Competencies	Expertise in medicine, surgical skills, ethics, critical thinking, analytical skills, professionalism, management skills, and communication skills
Education required	Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Fields of employment	Hospitals, private practices

Podiatry (/poʊˈdaɪ.ətri/ poh-DY-ə-tree), or podiatric medicine and surgery (/ˌpoʊdiˈætrɪk, poʊˈdaɪ.ətrɪk/ POH-dee-AT-rik, poh-DY-ə-trik), is a branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle and lower limb. The healthcare professional is known as a podiatrist.^[1] The US podiatric medical school curriculum includes lower extremity anatomy, general human anatomy, physiology, general medicine, physical assessment, biochemistry, neurobiology, pathophysiology, genetics and embryology, microbiology, histology, pharmacology, women's health, physical rehabilitation, sports medicine, research, ethics and jurisprudence, biomechanics, general principles of orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, and foot and ankle surgery.

Podiatry is practiced as a specialty in many countries. In Australia, graduates of recognised academic programs can register through the Podiatry Board of Australia as a "podiatrist", and those with additional recognised training may also receive endorsement to prescribe or administer restricted medications and/or seek specialist registration as a "podiatric surgeon".

Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) data shows that a general podiatrist with a single specialty earns a median salary of $230,357, while one with a multi-specialty practice type earns $270,263. However, a podiatry surgeon makes more with a single specialty, with the median at $304,474 compared to the multispecialty of $286,201.^[2] First-year salaries around $150,000 with performance and productivity incentives are common. Private practice revenues for solo podiatrists vary widely, with the majority of solo practices grossing between $200,000 and $600,000 before overhead.^[3][4]