Career
Path Forecast
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
employment of podiatrists is expected to increase by 9 percent from 2008
to 2018, about as fast as the average for all occupations. More people
will turn to podiatrists for foot care because of the rising number of
injuries sustained by a more active and increasingly older population.
Also, demand for podiatrists will increase because of the rising number
of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes and who are severely
overweight. People with diabetes have circulatory problems that create
the need for them to seek the aid of podiatrists; persons who experience
rapid weight gain may have intense pressure on the foot and ankle, and
therefore need the services of podiatrists.
Medicare and most
private health insurance programs cover acute medical and surgical foot
services, as well as diagnostic X rays and leg braces. Details of such
coverage vary among plans. However, routine foot care, including the
removal of corns and calluses, is not usually covered unless the patient
has a systemic condition that has resulted in severe circulatory
problems or areas of desensitization in the legs or feet. Like dental
services, podiatric care is often discretionary and, therefore, more
dependent on disposable income than some other medical services.
Employment of
podiatrists would grow even faster were it not for continued emphasis on
controlling the costs of specialty healthcare. Insurers will balance the
cost of sending patients to podiatrists against the cost and
availability of substitute practitioners, such as physicians,
chiropractors, and physical therapists.
Although
the occupation is small and most podiatrists continue to practice until
retirement, job opportunities should be good for entry-level graduates
of accredited podiatric medicine programs. Job growth, coupled with the
need to replace podiatrists who stop practicing, should create enough
job openings for the supply of new podiatric medicine graduates.
Opportunities will be better for board-certified podiatrists because
many managed-care organizations require board certification. Newly
trained podiatrists will find more opportunities in group medical
practices, clinics, and health networks than in traditional solo
practices. Establishing a practice will be most difficult in the areas
surrounding colleges of podiatric medicine, where podiatrists
concentrate.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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