Careers in Podiatry and Allied Health
To find out what being a Podiatrist is really like spend a day with. You will have a great day with our friendly team plus you will get a really good idea of what a career in Podiatry has to offer.
Please register your interest below
See what our practising Podiatrists as well as Physios and Allied Health Assistants do every day and hear about what they think about their jobs in this video…
Produced by www.behindthecareer.com
To find out why Podiatry is the best kept secret in health, and what it is like studying podiatry watch this production by LaTrobe University.
Why a career in Podiatry is health care's best-kept secret?……
Podiatry is an excellent career if you have an interest in helping people and learning about the human body. If you are considering a career in Physiotherapy, Medicine, Allied Health, Radiography, Dental or even Nursing please continue.
How does a podiatrist help people?
Podiatrists play a key role in helping people suffering from foot, ankle, knee, hip and lower back concerns to walk, run, and live without pain. By assessing, diagnosing and treating the foot, ankle and lower limb we enable our patients to maintain their overall health, strength, fitness and mobility.
What do Podiatrists do? What can a day in the life of a Podiatrist look like?
On any given day we can be:
Assessing and treating an athletic child with flat feet and growing pains
Order X-rays & MRI to confirm a fracture diagnosis and implement a treatment plan.
Perform an ultrasound to assess a diabetic's blood flow or confirm a tendon tear.
Using CAD software to design 3D printed orthotics for someone with painful feet, ankle, knees, hips and back.
Administering anaesthetic and performing a minor surgical procedure to resolve an ingrown toenail.
Using a surgical scalpel to give immediate pain relief for a problematic lesion for a regular care patient so that the patient can walk out of the clinic pain-free.
Applying a specialised dressing for a high-risk patient with a diabetic wound and assisting with nail care.
Educating a diabetic patient on how to prevent ulcerations and amputations.
Applying laser therapy for a nail infection or sports injury.
Prescribing medications.
Diagnosing and managing dermatological skin and nail conditions.
Assessing an athlete's gait using gait analysis software to help treat or prevent an injury and make considered athletic footwear and treatment recommendations.
Prescribing a strengthening program to rehabilitate an Achilles injury
Communicating with GPs, orthopaedic surgeons, Physios, diabetes educators, community nurses and other specialists as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Who do we treat?
Every age from babies to adults and every activity level from the immobile to elite athletes.
Why are podiatrists important in your community?
We all rely on our feet and legs every day to work, exercise, dance and play.
Everyone’s mobility is essential for life and this is why Podiatrists are so highly regarded by their patients and referrers. We have a diverse skill set like no other health or medical professional and we are often the key person involved in helping people to move pain-free. We play a key role in saving high-risk patients' limbs and often their life.
How does Podiatry compare to other medical and health career options?
Make no mistake, Podiatry is not just the study of the feet. We study all areas of the human body and we are very fortunate to own an area of expertise in the lower limb. and are often referred to patients by doctors, specialists and physiotherapists.
When compared
to Medical Doctors…
We spend 3-4 years at University managing conditions of the foot, ankle and lower limb rather than the 7-13 years of study it takes to become a Medical Doctor.
Most podiatrists don’t do shift or after-hours/on-call work and have a great family-friendly lifestyle.
to Physiotherapy...
Our job has so much diversity every day. While we do assess, treat and rehabilitate injuries and prescribe strengthening exercises and stretches we do so much more than just this.
So many of our treatments give instant relief and don’t rely heavily on completing exercises alone.
to Dentistry…
While we do administer local anaesthetic to ensure pain-free procedures most treatments we perform are comfortable and give instant relief to our patients.
Like dentists we can also prescribe medications.
We have the benefit of being able to chat with our patients throughout their treatments.
To Nursing….
We operate with high levels of autonomy whilst being part of a greater management team which gives an additional layer of responsibility in our decision making. For example, our timely treatment can save a patient's limb or even their life.
Specialities within Podiatry
The great thing about Podiatry is that you are qualified to treat patients from all specialties listed below in your everyday practice giving great variety every week. However, some podiatrists choose to specialise in their training and practice. Podiatrists can specialise in sports medicine, surgery, the high-risk foot, dermatology (skin & nail conditions), and paediatrics (children).
There is a lifetime of careers within the Podiatry profession. Careers can evolve to encompass research, lecturing, business, management, product design & innovation, health promotion & communications.
The benefits of being a Podiatrist
Podiatry offers a hands-on career with so much variety in every day.
As a Podiatrist, you have great autonomy in your work assessing, diagnosing and making treatment decisions that will have a massive impact on your patients' life.
This profession is incredibly rewarding as you form amazing bonds with patients. Many patients leave your clinic instantly more comfortable than when they first walked in to see you. You receive high levels of gratitude as you positively impact lives every day.
You can live the lifestyle you want, working full time or part-time making Podiatry a family-friendly profession, whilst earning a great wage with no shift work or weekends. In Australia, Podiatrists are in high demand. Podiatrists earning potential can be higher than many health professionals.
Is it really just about feet?
No it’s not! As we all know that no part of the body operates in isolation. Podiatrists learn about the anatomy, physiology and systems of the entire body from the head to the toes. We need to have a thorough understanding of the vital organs and body systems so that we can understand the context of our patient's medical history, treatments, and medications so that we can get the best outcomes for our patients. We apply this full-body knowledge every day!
We study assess and treat conditions within the vascular system (blood vessels), musculoskeletal system (muscles, joints and bones), lymphatic, and nervous (nerves). We study sports medicine, dermatology (skin), wound care, anaesthetics, surgery paediatrics, geriatrics (the elderly) rheumatology (diseases of the joints) and diabetes. As you can see it is not just about feet! We approach our care with a medical angle, always wearing gloves and when people do come in to see us they tend to be very considerate attending with very clean feet!
What qualifications do I need?
To become a podiatrist in Australia, you need to complete a Bachelor of Podiatry or Bachelor of Podiatric Medicine or similar from an approved university.
How long does it take to study?
4 years.
Where can I study Podiatry?
Charles Sturt University, Albury Campus
LaTrobe University, Melbourne
Monash University, Melbourne
The University of Western Sydney
The University of Newcastle
The University of South Australia
Central Queensland University
Queensland University of Technology
Southern Cross University
The University of Western Australia
How much do podiatrists earn in Australia?
The majority of podiatrists in Australia earn in the range of $75 000-$95 000 + superannuation.
Podiatrists’ packages in the private and public sectors can range from $71 5000 to $133 000+.
Podiatry clinic owners can earn upward of this.
Job Opportunities & demand for Podiatrists
Currently, there is an overall shortage of podiatrists in Australia. Demand for Podiatrists is anticipated to continue to grow making Podiatry a highly appealing career choice with high levels of job security. You can work and travel in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Canada. Non-clinical work can take you even further afield!
How do I find out more about studying podiatry or becoming a podiatrist?
Register your interest to find out more or for a day of work experience after school, during the school year or for a day in the holidays at the top of this page.