Chiropody/Podiatry

The job of a podiatrist is to diagnose and treat abnormalities of the foot and lower limb. The work they do will largely depend upon which type of organisation they work for. For example, they might work for the NHS where they could choose to specialise in a particular area and work in a specialist hospital department or they could even convert part of their house and set up their own practice treating a range of conditions. Specialist areas can include anything from homeopathic treatment to rheumatic care, podopaediatrics (treating children’s feet), podiatric dermatology or treating diabetics’ feet. There are also a small number of graduates who specialise in podiatric surgery whose work can include performing toe amputations, correcting bunions or straightening parts of the foot.

Working hours are very flexible. Many podiatrists will work from home and part-time, private or NHS work is also frequently available. Those working full time in the NHS will often work nine-to-five hours but the working day tends to be slightly longer for those with their own practice.

New developments

One of the biggest developments in this area of healthcare within the last few years is the provision of legal access to a limited range of prescription-only medicines. This has enabled podiatrists to treat infections of the foot with antibiotics for example, thus saving a GP’s time. Future developments in the profession will involve an increased range of skills with podiatrists being recognised as the experts in all aspects of foot health, for example sports injuries to the lower limb, biomechanical assessment of lower limb abnormality and forensic work.

Fancy a job as a chiropodist? Here are the skills you'll require

• Patience and manual dexterity – you will be working with scalpels and sharp instruments so you need to have good physical control.
• Good communication skills – you will be working with a variety of people from different backgrounds and will need to be able to listen to their problems and explain the treatment they need.
• The ability to work independently – you will be working by yourself a lot of the time so you will need to be confident in your judgements.

Starting out after you graduate

Generally when graduates first start their careers in podiatry they will work on fairly straightforward conditions in general podiatry such as treating corns and calluses or athletes foot. Many will then progress to more advanced techniques such as destroying nail beds or injecting steroids for heel pain. The NHS operates more of a hierarchical system whereby graduates gradually work their way up through set levels by completing various competences. However, graduates will treat a wide variety of conditions immediately if they join a private practice.

There are often limited opportunities for podiatrists to progress within one organisation so they will need to be prepared to move on to further their career.

In brief

• Best bits
  Patient satisfaction is undoubtedly the best bit about the job. People who come to see you are often in pain so it’s rewarding when they leave feeling better. You’ll receive a lot of gratitude from patients and occasionally a few presents too.
• Worst bits
  Awkward patients make your job difficult. Sometimes people have expectations beyond what you can actually deliver and they can be unwilling to help themselves by changing their own lifestyle.
• Don’t bother if...
  ... you’re of a nervous disposition – you will see a lot of deformed feet, so you can’t be squeamish.
  ... you have poor co-ordination – you need a steady hand and a sharp eye for this kind of work.