Dental Nurse to Podiatrist?

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Hello everyone, just thought I would introduce myself and say what a great forum! I have just found so many threads extremely helpful in my researching of this career path.

I have been a Dental Nurse for 4 years but have just returned to college to do an Access to HE diploma to apply for uni next year. My plan was always to do dental hygiene but am becoming more and more drawn towards podiatry for a number of reasons. I have arranged to do some shadowing over the next couple of months (two private practices and have also sent off an application to local hospital for work experience in their pod department - particularly interested in that one!).

Something I did notice when searching old threads on here were there are a couple of ex dental nurses about, so obviously what I'm thinking of doing isn't that unusual which is nice to know.

Any advice of places I can look for further info on podiatry would be appreciated!

 

Hi cotton bud welcome to Podiatry Arena and congrats on beiing pro active.... shadowing will allow you to access much info.
Not sure what type of further info you require?? Perhaps if you could be more specific we could help?
Good Luck

 

Hello Cottonbud
I'm an ex-dental nurse, you may have seen my post from 2010 asking for advice on whether to chose Combined dental therapy + hygiene or podiatry. I was accepted onto the combined therapy and hygiene degree at Curtin university Perth Australia (i'm a dual national) but declined my offer so as to study podiatry in Manchester.

I feel podiatry offers many advantages over DT+H. One major being autonomy. Also, podiatry is a profession unto its self, where as DT+H - it is an auxiliary position where your scope and work load will be dictated by the supervising dentist. Specialisation (as I can see) would be easier in podiatry than DT+H, and a diverse range of specialisms such as Rhuematology, diabetic foot management, paediatrics, bio mechanics and even foot surgery are possible. Podiatrists are also due to get independent prescribing rights (after completion of a post grad qualification), and I think this is a reflection of the scope and importance of the work that a pod can do. As far as I know DT+Hs can only supply toothpaste and LA - through a PGD, I think this reflects the emergent state and limited scope of the dental therapy profession.

Your prior dental nursing knowledge will not become redundant either, I found DNing prepared me well in many ways and now that I have started my placements in NHS community clinics, I find the environment much less daunting than many of my colleagues. It is amazing how many parallels there are between dentistry and podiatry.

All that said, think dental therapists are great, I see one for most of my dental work. All the therapists I've met have clean blown all the dentists I've met out the water, they seem to have a passion for what they do and take patient care so seriously. I have heard there is a movement to secure some kind of partial autonomy for therapists too, but I think its years away from happening.

Both are good choices, but podiatry is better I think!
Max

P.s - I think th ebest place to go for extra pod info - is here at Pod arena! Just take a look at the table of contents, http://www.podiatry-arena.com/podiatry-forum/view.php?pg=tags
there is so much useful info here and it gives you a nice idea of the potential diversity within podiatry!