Do I need a podiatrist or an orthopedist?

As a general guideline, if you have an injury, condition, or symptoms affecting your foot or ankle health, it’s best to see a podiatrist. If you have an injury, condition, or symptoms affecting any other part of your musculoskeletal system, it’s best to see an orthopedic physician.

What kind of doctor should I see for foot pain?

A podiatrist, also called a doctor of podiatric medicine, is a specialist who provides medical diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle problems, including, but not limited to sprains and fractures, bunions, heel pain/spurs, hammertoes, neuromas, ingrown toenails, warts, corns and calluses.

Does orthopedic doctor treat feet?

Both podiatrists and orthopaedic surgeons are qualified to treat foot and ankle conditions, surgically and non-surgically.

Can a podiatrist do surgery?

Podiatrists can do surgery, reset broken bones, prescribe drugs, and order lab tests or X-rays. They often work closely with other specialists when a problem affects your feet or lower legs.

What is the difference between a podiatrist and a foot surgeon?

The primary and most important difference is the level of training each completes. Altogether, a foot and ankle surgeon will have 10+ years of training. Podiatrists attend podiatry school for four years followed by a 2-3 year residency. Altogether, a podiatrist will have 6-7 years of training.

Are podiatrist real doctors?

Podiatrists are defined as physicians by the federal government. A DPM is a specialist in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of lower extremity disorders, diseases and injuries.

Can a podiatrist perform foot surgery?

More specifically, a podiatrist is trained to be a doctor of podiatric medicine and can perform surgery, prescribe drugs, and order lab tests. A podiatrist can also treat and perform surgery for common foot problems such as ingrown toenails, plantar fasciitis, foot ulcer treatment, corns, calluses and more.

Do podiatrists cut toenails?

In most cases, yes; they regularly assist patients with toenail care. While cutting toenails may seem like a simple matter of grooming, there are actually many patients who have problems with their toenails or feet that prevent them from cutting them without professional help.

How long is podiatry residency?

Currently, the majority of podiatric residency programs are three years in length. After completing their residencies, foot and ankle surgeons may receive additional training in specific areas of foot and ankle surgery through fellowships.

How much money does a foot doctor make?

The national average annual wage of a podiatrist is $148,220, according to the BLS, which is almost three times the average annual salary for all occupations, $51,960. No matter in which state you reside, podiatrist salaries are much higher than the pay for most jobs.

Is podiatry school easier than medical school?

Their admissions standards are generally lower than medical school (DO or MD). Some of the podiatry schools don’t even require an MCAT score but will take a GRE score instead. Applicant numbers are rumored to be down recently, making it even easier to get in. It is definitely easier to get into than MD school.

How difficult is podiatry school?

Podiatry programs are typically selective, though not quite as hard to get into as the most prestigious M.D. programs, Trepal says. “Admission to a college of Podiatric Medicine is indeed competitive, although not at the level of an Ivy League or top-tier Allopathic Medical School,” he wrote.

Are podiatrists in demand?

Employment of podiatrists is projected to show little or no change from 2019 to 2029. Despite limited employment growth, some podiatrists will be needed to replace those who leave the occupation.