For A Good Podiatric Surgeon Austin Is The Way To Go

By Karina Frost


Podiatric surgeons refer to health workers who medically care for the lower extremities in people. They concern themselves with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of all conditions and diseases of feet and ankle. Orthopedists also care for lower extremity making their career appear similar to that of podiatrists. To get a qualified podiatric surgeon Austin must be among the places to give priority when conducting a search. Austin has many well qualified podiatrists with the right qualifications to medically care for feet and related regions.

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.

Although a bachelor degree is required, not all students have it at the time of admission. About 5 percent of all students admitted use alternative requirements to gain admission while 95 percent have a bachelor degree. Besides having the required degree, one is required to take and pass the Medical College Admission Test, MCAT. This test is administered by the governing body and all applicants must sit for it to be considered for admission.

Recommendation letters and superior skills in co-curricular activities can earn one an advantage in the admission process. During the first year of podiatry school, the courses covered are the same as those covered students taking Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine. However, generally, the courses stress more on feet, ankles, and lower extremity. Students in podiatry schools study for four years before completing the training.

In total, there are seven schools accredited by the governing body in the US. After studying for four years, students receive a degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, DPM. After the four years are over, a surgical based residency comes next. The residency is normally purely practical since it is post-doctoral training. Although the period of residency varies with the state, it takes three years in most cases.

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.

Becoming a surgeon of podiatry requires further training in surgery. This further training is meant to equip trainees with knowledge in surgical practices and surgery. Surgical training encompasses all fields in treatment of lower extremity.

Completing training opens way for certification. There are many certification board through which one can get certified. Certification involves sitting for an exam, which determines whether one is competent enough to practice or not.




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