A podiatrist carries out medical foot care measures and also various foot treatments . The focus of this profession is therefore the direct cooperation with the patients. However, this job is not about cosmetic foot care , but about various medical measures and close cooperation with the doctors. Treatments include corns, calluses and also nail transplants, depending on the needs of the patients.

Personal requirements at work

In order to work as a podiatrist, various personal requirements have to be met, with good interaction with people being particularly important. After all, it is about advising and treating patients. A keen interest in the foot and various diseases should also be present, as well as very skilled fingers, since warts sometimes have to be removed with a scalpel. Very precise work and thus a high degree of concentration is required to work in this profession. Manual dexterity is also important to a certain extent, as the various tools used in foot care must be handled with great care. In any case, the profession of podiatrist is unthinkable without a winning personality and a high degree of confidentiality and customer service. Empathy is also important as many people are ashamed and need to be treated with care.

Prerequisites for the job / training / studies

Normally, an intermediate school education is required for the training . However, applicants with a lower secondary school leaving certificate can also be admitted if they have completed vocational training lasting at least two years. In addition, the health suitability for the profession must be proven by a medical certificate. There are various school subjects in which good performance makes admission to the training more likely. These are biology and physics and chemistry. However, biology in particular is essential for training and for later practice of the profession, since a lot of medical knowledge is required and, among other things, basic hygiene regulations must be observed.

The training / the qualification

It is possible to complete this training full-time or part-time. The full-time training lasts two years, part-time a maximum of four years. The dual training takes place alternately at the vocational school and in a company. Important theoretical knowledge is imparted at the vocational school, whereas the knowledge learned can be put into practice in practice. Numerous things are learned during the training, for example the structure of the foot , the various treatment measures for pathological changes in the foot and how to deal with the patient. Since some of the patients are sensitive and difficult to treat, talking to the patient is practiced. There is extensive imparting of all the necessary knowledge to work with the patients and to be able to carry out medical foot care measures.

locations

A podiatrist can usually work in podiatry practices and in podiatry departments of hospitals and rehabilitation clinics. However, there are other facilities with podiatry departments, such as a physiotherapeutic practice, where use is also possible. Wherever there is a medical treatment offer for the feet, podiatrists can work without any problems. This results in a versatile field of activity with very different customers.

career development opportunities

First of all, there is the possibility to specialize in this profession and to look for a specific field, for example only the treatment of patients with diabetes. In addition, there are various options for further training and development in this profession. On the one hand, an adaptation training can be done in many areas and on the other hand, a degree in the field of health management or health economics is also possible. Possible further training courses include hygiene and wound management , to name just two options. With the appropriate further training, there is therefore the opportunity to develop considerably in this profession.

The everyday life of the podiatrist

Podiatrists have a very varied working day, which, however, depends heavily on the customers to be treated. Pathological changes in the foot must be identified and treated, and patients must be advised and examined. These measures are carried out on doctor's orders and sometimes under medical supervision. Podiatrists often have their own practice, so various administrative tasks and bookkeeping are also important everyday tasks. First and foremost in this profession there must be good cooperation with the patients, since their problems have to be treated very precisely.

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