Yes, a podiatrist is a licensed physician and/or surgeon who specialize in the evaluation and treatment of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. Treatment can be medical, surgical or biomechanical. DPM stands for Doctor of Podiatric Medicine.

Yes, podiatric surgeons are qualified to perform surgery for bone, joint, muscle, ligament, and tendon pathology of the foot, ankle and lower leg. Levels of surgical services do vary amongst DPM’s based on their training; this is true among MD’s and DO’s as well. Some DPM’s treat only the forefoot, some focus on the rear foot and still others specialize in the entire foot and ankle. Likewise, there are general orthopedists who treat only foot and ankle and those who treat neither. Because of the large diversity in this specialty, patient research is crucial. It is advisable to inquire about a doctor’s training, to obtain references and to seek second opinions.

Podiatric surgeons perform surgeries to repair such ailments and injuries as: Achillies tendon ruptures, foot and ankle fractures, ankle instability, arthritic disorders, flatfoot deformities, Neuromas, toenail disorders, bunions and hammertoes.

Podiatrists treat corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, bunions, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, and arch problems; ankle sprains, Achilles tendonitis, deformaties, and foot complaints associated with diabetes and other diseases. To treat these problems, podiatrists prescribe drugs and physical therapy, set fractures, and perform surgery.

A podiatrist (DPM) is a doctor with the same undergraduate prerequisites as an MD or DO physician and who attends a four-year medical school preparation in diagnosing and treating the foot, ankle, and lower leg. Orthopedic surgeons study for four years in a college or university, four years in medical school, five years in a postdoctoral residency program studying the whole body. Podiatrists study for four years in a college or university, four years in medical school, and typically 2-3 years in a postdoctoral residency program where they receive advanced training in podiatric medicine and surgery and serve clinical rotations in anesthesiology, internal medicine, pathology, radiology, vascular surgery, infectious disease, emergency medicine, and orthopedic and general surgery. The major difference is that while orthopedic surgeons are trained to operate on the entire muscle and skeletal system, podiatrists focus solely on the foot and ankle. So while an orthopedic surgeon may have a better general medical background, a podiatrist has spent more time studying the foot and ankle. DPM’s generally are better educated in regard to lower extremity anatomy, surgery, biomechanics, and bracing. DPM’s chose their specialty (foot and ankle) from day one, thus giving focus toward the specialty years before MD’s.