Commentary

For much of its history, podiatry has been misunderstood. When people hear the word podiatrist, they may think first of toenail trimming, corns, calluses, or routine foot care. Those services can be medically important, particularly for patients at increased risk of foot complications. But they represent only one part of a profession that has undergone … Read more

For decades, podiatry has wrestled with a familiar question: Why does the public so often misunderstand what we do? Many podiatrists have experienced being introduced as the “nail trimmer,” or someone who is excluded from referrals. Yet today’s Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) completes four years of professional school, a three-year hospital-based surgical residency, and … Read more

Healthcare has changed. Patients no longer move through a simple pathway from primary care physician to the appropriate specialist. Instead, modern medicine has evolved into a network of specialized services, each designed to address specific aspects of patient care. For foot and ankle conditions, this has created increasingly fragmented pathways. A patient with heel pain … Read more

  Modern podiatric medicine has never been stronger. Today’s podiatric physicians complete four years of medical education, three years of comprehensive hospital-based residency training, and pursue board certification in areas ranging from comprehensive podiatric medicine to foot and ankle surgery. We diagnose, treat, and operate on conditions spanning sports injuries, diabetic limb preservation, biomechanics, wound … Read more

  For much of the twentieth century, podiatry fought to become recognized as a physician specialty. Expanded medical education, hospital-based residency training, board certification, reconstructive surgery, and hospital privileges transformed the profession from its origins in chiropody into today’s comprehensive foot and ankle specialty. Those achievements remain among the greatest successes in podiatric medicine. Yet … Read more

Most areas of the body are cared for by well-defined medical specialties. Patients with heart disease see cardiologists. Eye problems are evaluated by ophthalmologists. Skin disorders are treated by dermatologists. Yet many people are surprised to learn that the United States developed a medical specialty devoted exclusively to the foot and ankle. Why did that … Read more

Patients are often surprised to learn that podiatry is not practiced the same way around the world. Depending on the country, the word podiatrist can describe anything from a foot care provider focused on skin and nail conditions to a physician and surgeon trained to diagnose, treat, and operate on complex foot and ankle disorders. … Read more

If you recently moved to Seattle from another country or grew up hearing the term chiropodist, you may be wondering whether you need a chiropodist or a podiatrist. In the United States, the modern equivalent is a podiatric physician and surgeon—a foot and ankle specialist trained to diagnose, treat, and operate on conditions affecting the … Read more