A physician and surgeon for the foot and ankle, a podiatric medicine doctor treats everything from everyday foot pain to diabetic wounds and reconstructive surgery. Where keeping people walking is the whole point.
The week tends to split between clinic visits, in-office procedures, and surgery, treating bunions, wounds, fractures, and more. Much of the care is ongoing and conservative, and diabetic foot care can prevent amputation. Many run a practice, business and all.
Practice ranges from solo, group, hospital, or wound-care settings, with different surgery and call. For many, the demanding part can be the long training and running a practice. Outcomes hinge on patient compliance, and the work spans routine to genuinely high-stakes.
It tends to suit people who are practical, precise, and good at long-term relationships. Trade-offs can include long training and the business side of practice. For someone who likes restoring something as basic as walking — pain-free again — the work and income can reward it well.
Still figuring out what you want to become
when you grow up?
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Your job belongs to your employer.
Your career belongs to you.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Healthcare roles →A physician and surgeon for the foot and ankle, a podiatric medicine doctor treats everything from everyday foot pain to diabetic wounds and reconstructive surgery. Where keeping people walking is the whole point.
Median pay for a Podiatric Medicine Doctor (DPM) is about $153K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $58K to $208K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Speaking.
Most people in this role hold a professional degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 1.8% through 2034, with roughly 9,520 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Foot Doctor, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery (DPM and Surgery), and Attending Physician.
Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.
More career advice
We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.
Browse career adviceStill figuring out what you want to become
when you grow up?
Don't know if you want to stay in your job?
Get your career on record. Then decide.