Podiatrists treat the lower extremity, meaning the foot and ankle. All podiatrists are trained in surgery, although the degree to which they practice surgery varies. The terms podiatrist, podiatric surgeon, and podiatric physician all refer to individuals who have earned Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPMs). Podiatrists can choose to become board certified in specialties like orthopedics and surgery, and many podiatrists practice in subspecialty areas such as diabetic foot care, pediatric podiatry, and sports medicine. Like MDs and DOs, podiatrists attend medical school for four years followed by a residency program.
There are nine accredited podiatric medical colleges in the United States. Students preparing to apply to DPM schools will follow a similar pathway to those applying to MD and DO programs and will be required to sit for the MCAT. Applicants should be sure to check the prerequisites for the schools to which they are applying. While in many cases the required courses will be identical to those of MD and DO programs, nearly half of podiatry schools also recommend histology, anatomy, and physiology. Some schools recommend additional courses such as immunology, medical terminology, or an extra laboratory course in biology. DPM applicants should be sure that they demonstrate preparation for a career in podiatry. To learn more about careers in podiatry, explore websites of the American Podiatric Medical Association and the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine.
