2. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Podiatrist

3. Overview: The human foot is a complex structure. It contains 26 bones -- plus muscles, nerves, ligaments, and blood vessels -- and is designed for balance and mobility. The 52 bones in the feet make up about one-fourth of all the bones in the human body. Podiatrists, also known as doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs), diagnose and treat disorders, diseases, and injuries of the foot and lower leg.. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center

4. Preparation: Podiatrists must be licensed, requiring 3 to 4 years of undergraduate education, the completion of a 4-year podiatric college program, and passing scores on national and State examinations. Prerequisites for admission to a college of podiatric medicine include the completion of at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate study, an acceptable grade point average, and suitable scores on the Medical College Admission Test. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Podiatrist

5. Preparation (continued): There are currently 8 colleges of podiatric medicine fully accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education. They offer a 4- year program whose core curriculum is similar to that in other schools of medicine. During the first 2 years, students receive classroom instruction in basic sciences, including anatomy, chemistry, pathology, and pharmacology; 3rd-4 th year students have clinical rotations in private practices. A list of programs is available on the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Podiatrist

6. Day in the Life: Podiatrists usually work in small private offices or clinics, sometimes supported by a small staff of assistants and other administrative personnel. They also may spend time visiting patients in nursing homes or performing surgery at hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers. Podiatrists with private practices set their own hours but may work evenings and weekends to accommodate their patients. Podiatrists usually treat fewer emergencies than other doctors. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Podiatrist

7. Earnings: Podiatrists enjoy very high earnings. Median annual wages of salaried podiatrists are $113,560 in the United States. Podiatrists in partnerships tended to earn higher net incomes than those in solo practice. Salaried podiatrists typically receive heath insurance and retirement benefits from their employer, whereas self-employed podiatrists must provide for their own health insurance and retirement. Also, solo practitioners must absorb the costs of running their own offices. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Podiatrist

8. Employment: Podiatrists hold about 12,200 jobs in the United States. About 19 percent of podiatrists are self-employed. Most podiatrists are solo practitioners, although more are entering group practices with other podiatrists or other health practitioners. Solo practitioners primarily are self-employed workers, although some also are incorporated wage and salary workers in offices of other health practitioners. Other podiatrists are employed by hospitals, long-term care facilities, the government, and municipal health departments. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Podiatrist

9. Career Path Forecast: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of podiatrists is expected to increase by 9 percent from 2008 to 2018, about as fast as the average for all occupations. More people will turn to podiatrists for foot care because of the rising number of injuries sustained by a more active and increasingly older population. Job opportunities should be good for entry- level graduates of accredited podiatric medicine programs. OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Podiatrist

10. Resources: More information about Podiatry is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, including accredited university programs, suggestions for precollege students, a free monthly careers newsletter, and a PDF summarizing the field.PodiatrySloan Career Cornerstone Centeraccredited university programsprecollege studentsnewsletterPDF summarizing the field Associations:  American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine  American Podiatric Medical Association American Podiatric Medical Association  Council on Podiatric Medical Education Council on Podiatric Medical Education OverviewOverview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – ResourcesPreparationDay in the LifeEarningsEmploymentCareer Path ForecastResources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Podiatrist