Employers

Approximately 9,770 to 18,000 podiatrists are employed in the United States. A newly licensed podiatrist might begin working in a multi specialty group, a clinic, a hospital, or in an established solo or group podiatric medical practice. There are jobs for podiatrists in the armed forces, too. Most offices are found in large cities.

Starting Out

The American Podiatric Medical Association lists job openings and practices for sale. Checking the online job Web sites and applying directly to area clinics and practices are other ways to uncover job leads.

Most podiatrists provide all types of foot care. However, some specialize in such areas as surgery (foot and ankle), orthopedics (bone, muscle, and joint disorders), podopediatrics (childrens foot ailments), podogeriatrics (foot disorders of the elderly), or sports medicine (treating athletes who have sustained foot or ankle injuries).

A podiatrist can also advance his or her career by opening their own practice, becoming a professor at a college of podiatric medicine or the head of a hospitals podiatric department.

You will need to take the MCAT to get into medical school. Learn more about the test by going to https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/.

Visit the Council on Podiatric Medical Educations Web site at https://www.cpme.org to see a list of accredited colleges, available residencies, and continuing education for podiatrists.

Get a mentor through the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine. You can request a mentor as a student by visiting http://www.aacpm.org/about/contact.

Follow the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) on Twitter (@APMA) to stay current on trends, issues, and tips. Research other popular podiatrist-related Twitter feeds as well.

Watch APMAs videos to learn more about the life of a podiatrist (http://www.apma.org).