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Podiatrist
As a Podiatrists you would be involved in the care of the human foot and leg promoting and maintaining healthy feet. You will diagnose, treat, manage and prevent foot and leg injuries and disorders.
Podiatrists diagnose and treat a wide range of problems on the foot and lower leg. They see a wide range of patients, from athletes with sports injuries to elderly people with arthritis or ulcers, pregnant women with problems that are brought on by extra weight gain.
The day to day work will involve:
discussing treatments options with patients
advising patients on foot care
carrying out a rnage of treatements using scalpels, chemicals and occasionally local anaesthetics
providing long-term care for people at high risk of foot injury or disability, such as people with diabetes
performing minor surgery such as removing bunions
screening children for foot problems
diagnosing and treating sports injuries
The role of the podiatrist is also to educate the publicabout the importance of healthy feet by speaking to individual patients, addressing groups and advising GPs or othopaedic specialists on various treatments.
Podiatrists examine the foot, sometimes using X-rays, analyse the results, and decide on a treatment plan. Treatment may take the form of cutting toenails, minor surgery, rubbing in creams, or prescribing exerices and special shoes. They give practical health advice and may recommend or custom make therapeutic biomechanical devices, such as in-shoe devices and inner soles to suit individual patients.
Podiatrists treat conditions such as knock-knees, inwardly turned feet, skin infections, diabetes, arthritis, circulation problems, and sports injuries, They also treat foot and leg disorders in children, older people, or disabled people. They may refer the patient to a medical specialist, if they find symptoms of other problems. Podiatry is a challenging career for someone who wants to work in the medical field and can be financially reqarding.
Useful Information
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Career Snapshot Podiatrist |
In Demand
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Qualification Required |
Work Outdoors |
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Maths Required |
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Science Required |
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This is a general guide - it is important to check admission requirements with the various training institutions first because entry requirements may vary.
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