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For A Qualified Podiatric Surgeon Austin Is Worth Visiting

By Karina Frost


Podiatric surgeon is the professional concerned with the medical care of feet. The professionals focus on treating, preventing, and diagnosing medical conditions that affect the feet, ankles, and related areas. This medical care is also provided by another group of professionals called orthopedists. In order to get a highly trained podiatric surgeon Austin is the right place to check out. There are several practitioners who are well qualified in this field in Austin.

Anyone with a dream to work as a qualified podiatric surgeon must follow the strict academic and professional requirements set by the governing body. One of the requirements is a bachelor degree or its equivalent. The degree is necessary for one to be granted admission into a podiatric medical school. The bachelor degree should place emphasis on subjects such as Physics, Biology, Chemistry, English, and Organic Chemistry. Generally, all courses that include lab sessions are required.

Even though a bachelor degree is mandatory during admission, not all students get admitted with it. Of all admissions granted, around 5 percent of them are given to students with alternative academic qualification while 95 percent have degrees. Apart from a bachelor degree and alternative qualifications, students need to take the Medical College Admission Test, MCAT. Before a student is considered for admission, they must take and pass the test first. Failing the test can deny one a chance for admission.

Other factors that can give one an upper hand in the admission process is having a recommendation letter and being good in co-curricular activities. The first year of study in the podiatry school covers similar courses to those studied by doctors of medicine and doctors of Osteopathic Medicine. However, more emphasis is placed on the ankles, feet, and the lower extremity in general. Podiatry schools take a minimum of four years for students to graduate.

The United States has seven schools that are accredited by the governing board. Students are awarded a degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, DPM, after the four years of study. After completing the four years of podiatry school, one must proceed to undertake a surgical based residency. The residency is a post-doctoral training that is purely practical. In most cases residencies last at least three years, but the period may vary from state to state.

Residents in residency programs have to rotate through the main areas of surgery and medicine. The podiatrists work together with other professionals such as doctors of medicine and Osteopathic medicine during the residencies. The core areas in which they rotate include behavioral medicine, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, general surgery, podiatric medicine and surgery, and dermatology among others. After the residency, one can choose to attend fellowship training in areas like limb salvage and ankle and foot traumatology to gain more knowledge.

To become a surgeon of podiatry, one must undergo further training in surgery after completing residency program. This training equips trainees with specific knowledge in surgery and surgical practices. Surgical training covers all parts of the lower extremity.

Certification is available after completing training. One can choose any of the many certification boards to be certified. Normally a certification exam is administered and only successful candidates receive licenses to practice as podiatrists.




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