Podiatrists are physicians who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of conditions affecting the foot, ankle, and lower extremity. They hold the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree and are trained to treat a wide range of conditions including bunions, hammertoes, heel pain (plantar fasciitis), fractures, sprains, diabetic foot ulcers, peripheral neuropathy, sports injuries, structural deformities, nail disorders, and skin conditions of the foot. Podiatrists perform surgery (from minor nail procedures to complex reconstructive and ankle surgery), prescribe medications, order and interpret diagnostic imaging, design and prescribe custom orthotics, and manage the foot-related complications of systemic diseases like diabetes. Podiatric medicine is a distinct and independent medical profession with its own dedicated medical schools, licensing examinations, and residency programs.
Education Pathway
Undergraduate (4 years): Complete a bachelor’s degree with prerequisites similar to medical school (biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, English). MCAT®: Most podiatric medical schools accept the MCAT®, though some also accept the GRE®. Competitive MCAT® scores for podiatry programs are generally lower than for MD/DO programs, with average matriculant scores around 494 to 500. See our MCAT® prep guide. Podiatric Medical School (4 years): The DPM curriculum is modeled on medical school education and includes anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, and podiatric-specific coursework (biomechanics, podiatric medicine and surgery, orthopedics, sports medicine). Clinical rotations during the third and fourth years include general surgery, internal medicine, emergency medicine, and podiatric specialty rotations. There are currently nine accredited podiatric medical schools in the United States. Apply through AACPMAS (American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine Application Service). Residency (3 years): All DPM graduates complete a 3-year podiatric medicine and surgery residency, which includes training in foot and ankle surgery, wound care, biomechanics, and the medical management of lower extremity conditions. Residency training occurs in hospital settings alongside MD and DO residents.
What Podiatrists Do
A typical day for a podiatrist in private practice includes examining patients with foot and ankle complaints, performing diagnostic evaluations (X-rays, gait analysis, vascular assessment, neurological testing), developing treatment plans, performing office-based procedures (ingrown toenail removal, wart treatment, cortisone injections, wound debridement), and managing surgical cases (bunionectomy, hammertoe correction, ankle fracture fixation, reconstructive surgery for Charcot foot). Podiatrists who focus on diabetic foot care play a critical role in preventing amputations: diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations in the United States, and regular podiatric care has been shown to significantly reduce amputation rates among diabetic patients. This preventive and limb-salvage role makes podiatry one of the most clinically impactful specialties for underserved and high-risk patient populations.
Practice settings include private practice (solo or group), hospitals, multispecialty clinics, VA medical centers, wound care centers, orthopedic groups, and sports medicine practices. Many podiatrists own their practices, giving them professional and business autonomy similar to dentists. Some podiatrists subspecialize in sports medicine, pediatric podiatry, diabetic wound care, foot and ankle trauma, or reconstructive surgery through additional fellowship training.
Salary and Job Outlook
The median annual salary for podiatrists is approximately $148,720 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries range from approximately $80,000 for entry-level positions to $250,000+ for experienced podiatrists with surgical practices in high-demand areas. DPM tuition averages $40,000 to $55,000 per year, making the total educational investment generally lower than MD/DO programs at most institutions. The profession is projected to grow as the aging and increasingly diabetic population generates greater demand for foot and ankle care. However, the profession is smaller than medicine or dentistry, with fewer training positions and a more niche practice scope.
Advantages and Challenges
Advantages: Competitive admission (lower GPA and MCAT® thresholds than MD/DO programs provide a viable physician-level career path for strong students who may not be competitive for medical school), practice ownership potential, procedural variety (podiatrists perform both office procedures and operating room surgery), meaningful clinical impact (preventing amputations and restoring mobility for diabetic and elderly patients), manageable work hours in most practice settings, and less competitive residency matching compared to MD/DO specialties.
Challenges: Limited scope (foot and ankle only, which some practitioners find restrictive over time), lower public awareness of the DPM degree compared to MD/DO, lower salary ceiling compared to physicians, a smaller professional community and fewer training positions, and some institutional barriers in hospital credentialing and insurance reimbursement compared to MD/DO colleagues. Students considering this career should shadow a podiatrist extensively before committing to this pathway in order to understand firsthand whether the focused and specialized scope of practice centered on the foot and ankle is genuinely a good and sustainable fit for their long-term clinical interests and professional satisfaction. See our DPM pathway page.
Getting Started
Middle school: Explore healthcare careers broadly. High school: Take science courses and shadow a podiatrist. Undergraduate: Complete pre-med prerequisites, build clinical experience (podiatric office experience is ideal), prepare for the MCAT®, and apply through AACPMAS.
Diabetic Limb Salvage: One of the most impactful roles podiatrists play is in diabetic limb salvage, the prevention of lower extremity amputations in patients with diabetes. Diabetes causes peripheral neuropathy (loss of sensation in the feet), peripheral vascular disease (reduced blood flow to the extremities), and impaired wound healing, which together create a high risk for foot ulcers, infections, and ultimately amputation. Podiatrists manage this risk through regular foot examinations, wound care, offloading (redistributing pressure away from ulcers using custom orthotics and specialized footwear), vascular assessment, surgical debridement of infected tissue, and patient education on daily foot inspection and care. Research consistently shows that multidisciplinary teams that include podiatrists achieve significantly lower amputation rates than teams without podiatric involvement. For students motivated by making a measurable difference in patients’ lives, diabetic foot care is one of the most clinically impactful areas in all of healthcare.
Sports Medicine Podiatry: Podiatrists who focus on sports medicine treat athletes with conditions such as stress fractures, Achilles tendon injuries, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, and overuse injuries of the foot and lower extremity. Sports medicine podiatrists may work with professional and collegiate athletic teams, provide sideline coverage at sporting events, or maintain sports-focused private practices. They design custom orthotics to improve biomechanical efficiency and prevent injuries, perform surgical interventions when conservative treatment fails, and collaborate with physical therapists and athletic trainers on rehabilitation programs. If you love sports and want to combine that passion with a medical career, sports medicine podiatry offers a focused pathway.
Podiatry vs. Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery: Students interested in foot and ankle surgery sometimes compare podiatry (DPM, 4 years of podiatric medical school plus 3-year residency) with orthopedic foot and ankle surgery (MD/DO, 4 years of medical school plus 5-year orthopedic surgery residency plus 1-year foot and ankle fellowship). Both pathways lead to surgical treatment of the foot and ankle, but the training models, scope of practice, and professional culture differ. Podiatrists receive foot-and-ankle-focused training from day one, while orthopedic surgeons receive broad musculoskeletal training before specializing. In practice, the procedures performed by both groups overlap substantially, though some complex ankle and trauma procedures may be more commonly performed by orthopedic surgeons at certain institutions. Research each pathway carefully, shadow practitioners in both fields, and consider which training model best fits your career goals.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Podiatrists.” BLS, 2025. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/podiatrists.htm. Accessed March 2026.