Podiatrists look after the health of people’s feet by diagnosing, treating and
preventing foot abnormalities, and educating the public about good foot
health.
How much can I expect to earn?
Full-time employed Podiatrist earn an average of $1107 per week. The [average
annual salary for this job is $57564 excluding super.]
Personal requirements
desire to work with people on a one-on-one basis
independent and highly motivated
interest in health care
good communication skills
good with hands.
This job also involves:
Full use of hands/fingers
Use of precision or semi-precision tools or instruments or deft hand movements
are required for these occupations. Included are jobs where poor co-ordination
or incomplete use of hands or fingers may make tasks dangerous or difficult to
undertake.
Mainly indoor work
Workers performing these jobs would usually be expected to spend more than
three-quarters of their day indoors, in an office, factory or other enclosed
area protected from the weather.
Reading or writing
These jobs require moderate or better reading and writing skills. Workers may
be expected to prepare, understand or act on written materials, such as
letters or reports. People may wish to avoid these jobs if their reading or
writing English skills are limited to a small range of words or phrases and
symbols. Jobs remaining may still require very basic reading or writing
skills.
This occupation offers jobs at the following skill levels:
Professional Jobs
Jobs in this group usually require completion of a recognised Bachelor Degree,
or extensive relevant experience. Some jobs also require post-graduate study,
such as a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma or Master Degree.
Study requirements
At school, you can study these subject(s) to get a good foundation for this
occupation:
Biology
School subjects that include some aspect of BIOLOGY provide a useful
background to these jobs. In some cases a biology-related subject is a pre-
requisite for entry to courses that provide the training for the job.
Chemistry
School subjects that include some aspects of CHEMISTRY provide a useful
background to these jobs. In some cases a chemistry-related subject is a pre-
requisite for entry to courses that provide the training for the job.
Duties and tasks of a Podiatrist
Podiatrists may perform the following tasks:
examine patients’ feet to diagnose any disorders or infections and decide on an appropriate treatment
give advice about foot health and the prevention of foot disorders
treat deformities such as flat feet and foot imbalance by using corrective devices such as orthoses
work with patients suffering from diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral vascular disorders and other neuropathies
perform surgical procedures on feet
treat abnormalities of bones, joints, skin and nails such as bunions, toe deformities, ingrown toenails, corns, warts and other infections
recommend footwear for specific foot conditions
prescribe orthotic devices for protection and correction of a wide range of foot and leg irregularities.
Specialisations
Podiatrists may develop a special interest in dealing with particular client
groups, such as children, the aged or sportspeople. They may also work in a
particular area, such as occupational health, or with general medical
conditions that result in foot and leg problems.