A podiatrist is a type of physician who specializes in conditions related to the human feet. The specific types of problems that a podiatrist commonly has to deal with are disfigured, injured or diseased feet, and the job involves the same routine procedures that are included in most other physicians’ jobs – e.g. diagnosing the problem, deciding on a proper course of treatment, and prescribing medications. Podiatrists may sometimes have to help patients born with disfigured feet to obtain shoes that can properly fit them, one of the most common problems being flat soles.
Becoming a podiatrist takes a medical degree like most other physicians’ jobs, and the educational process starts with a Bachelor’s degree and continues on with an education in medical school, during which the student specializes in the subject of podiatry. The education isn’t that harsh and most practitioners state that the job isn’t heavily demanding in any way, and in fact it’s one of the most sought after professions in the medical field, making it extremely popular.
As a podiatrist, one can earn between $120,000 – $250,000 a year, and the salary can be quite variable depending on a number of factors, often outside of the podiatrist’s control. The job, according to most who practice it, rewards well enough for the size of its salary, additionally with regards of the workload involved. It also lacks some common downsides like long working hours and other disadvantages some physicians’ jobs have.