Podiatrists

High School

High school students should explore all science classes first—such as biology, zoology, and inorganic and organic chemistry—and take as much physics and math classes as possible to determine whether they have an interest in this field. Courses in English are also recommended. The profession requires a scientific aptitude, manual dexterity, a good business sense, and an ability to put patients at ease. You will need to excel academically starting in high school to become a podiatrist.

Postsecondary Training

A minimum of 90 semester hours of prepodiatry education is required for entrance into a college of podiatric medicine. This is typically accomplished by earning a bachelor's degree, preferably with an emphasis on general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, and biology.

There are 11 accredited colleges offering the four-year course leading to a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.). Visit https://aacpm.org/colleges for more information about these schools. All colleges of podiatric medicine require the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as part of the application procedure.

The first two years in podiatry school are spent in classroom and laboratory work in anatomy, bacteriology, chemistry, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and other basic sciences. In the final two years, students gain clinical experience in addition to their academic studies.

Most podiatrists will need to complete a residency program that typically lasts three years. Residencies for podiatrists are usually carried out in teaching hospitals, and include training and experience in such fields as emergency services, anesthesiology, radiology, general medicine, pathology, general surgery, and podiatric surgery, as well as dermatology, neurology, orthopedics, physical medicine, and rehabilitation.

Other Education or Training

The American Podiatric Medical Association, the primary association for podiatrists in the United States, offers virtual continuing education opportunities, both live and on-demand, for its members. Recent offerings include Infection Prevention for Podiatric Settings; Recognizing and Responding to Elder Abuse; New Technologies in Patient Monitoring; and Sports Medicine/Biomechanics. The American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, and other medical associations also provide professional development opportunities.