What does a podiatrist do?
As a podiatrist, the responsibility is to diagnose and advise treatment of minor or serious injuries and diseases of the feet, ankles, and the lower part of legs. They examine patient's leg and even perform surgeries concerning the foot and ankle, prescribing orthotics and step by step application of treatments for issues like arthritis, including fractures and calluses. They also review the patient's medical history and advice the patient's foot care. This role requires a doctoral degree and experience in a hospital or clinic.
Podiatrist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real podiatrist resumes:
- Manage all incoming medical records requests (ensuring office is within HIPPA guidelines).
- Utilize ultrasound, x-ray, casting, and orthotics.
- Adhere to OSHA, CILA and HIPPA regulations.
- Schedule appointments, register patients and verify patients' eligibility and claims status with insurance agencies.
- Perform evaluations and treatments of patients with vascular, dermatological, orthopedic and neurological problems of the lower extremity.
- Assist Dr.Guidice in office surgeries.
- Perform simple laceration repairs, application of cryotherapy for skin lesions, gynecologic and prostate examinations.
Podiatrist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 32% of Podiatrists are proficient in Patients, EMR, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Compassion, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Podiatrists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 32%
Performed evaluations and treatments of patients with vascular, dermatological, orthopedic and neurological problems of the lower extremity.
- EMR, 16%
Entered patient demographics into EMR database and schedule appointments.
- Patient Care, 11%
Partnered with doctors with differing specialties to broaden knowledge and enhance perspective to patient care.
- Medical Care, 6%
Responded to priority issues to ensure the prompt referral of urgently needed medical care.
- Ankle, 4%
Provided range of treatment and clinical care services for foot and ankle injuries and abnormalities.
- Test Results, 4%
Diagnosed diseases and deformities of the foot using medical histories, physical examinations, x-rays, and laboratory test results.
Common skills that a podiatrist uses to do their job include "patients," "emr," and "patient care." You can find details on the most important podiatrist responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a podiatrist to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "podiatrists spend much of their time interacting with patients and also must work well as part of a medical team coordinating patient care." Additionally, a podiatrist resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "developed excellent communications and interpersonal skills through supervising, training and interacting with co-workers and patients. "
Detail oriented. podiatrists are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to podiatrist responsibilities, because "when diagnosing a problem, podiatrists must pay attention to details, such as those about the patient’s medical history and current conditions." A podiatrist resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "draw blood samples, prepare charts, and take vital signs and detailed patient histories. "
Communication skills. Lastly, "communication skills" is an important element of what a podiatrist does. Podiatrist responsibilities require this skill because "podiatrists must be able to listen and convey information to patients, such as about the diagnosis and ways to improve their condition." This resume example highlights how podiatrist duties rely on this skill: "stimulated the retention and referral of patients for the practice through excellent communication skills and a focus on patient-centered service. "
The three companies that hire the most podiatrists are:
- Indian Health Service6 podiatrists jobs
- Private Practice3 podiatrists jobs
- Quad2 podiatrists jobs
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Compare different podiatrists
Podiatrist vs. Foot doctor
A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between podiatrists and foot doctor. For instance, podiatrist responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "emr," "patient care," and "medical care." Whereas a foot doctor is skilled in "schedule appointments," "examination rooms," "phone calls," and "patient registration." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, foot doctors reach similar levels of education than podiatrists. Foot doctors are 3.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 27.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Podiatrist vs. Doctor
The job of speech pathologists is to diagnose, treat, and prevent speech, social communication, language, swallowing, and cognitive-communication disorders in both children and adults. They are responsible for providing aural rehabilitation for people with hearing impairment and hearing loss, and alternative and augmentative systems for people with severe language comprehension disorders such as progressive neurological disorders and the autism spectrum. Speech pathologists may also work with individuals without language, swallowing, or speech disorders, but are eager to know how to communicate more effectively.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real podiatrist resumes. While podiatrist responsibilities can utilize skills like "ankle," "patient rooms," "medical services," and "insurance coverage," doctors use skills like "customer service," "emergency medicine," "surgery," and "strong work ethic."
Doctors earn a higher average salary than podiatrists. But doctors earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $178,767. Additionally, podiatrists earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $101,815 annually.doctors earn higher levels of education than podiatrists in general. They're 5.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 27.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Podiatrist vs. Speech pathologist
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a podiatrist is likely to be skilled in "emr," "medical care," "ankle," and "test results," while a typical speech pathologist is skilled in "language," "speech," "home health," and "slp."
Speech pathologists make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $74,516. On the other hand, podiatrists are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $101,815.speech pathologists typically earn higher educational levels compared to podiatrists. Specifically, they're 39.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 26.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Podiatrist vs. Foot specialist
Types of podiatrist
Updated January 8, 2025
