Is being a Podiatrist a good career choice?

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Hello all, I have just signed up to this forum to get a REAL opinion on this career. I am 20 and currently considering careers.

1. I am introvert. Are podiatrists just working one on one for most of the day?

2. The future outlook. Is there a shortage of podiatrists?

3. Salary. What will I earn, in Scotland?

 

Re: Is Podiatrist a good career choice?

hope this isnt a wind up??

introvert?? 99% of the work is talking and interacting with patients and collegues, you need people skills to do this job.

 

Re: Is Podiatrist a good career choice?

If i were going to do it all again i would become an optician or a dentist or audiologist or an accountant!
You never meet a poor dentist or accountant and clients do the talking (or no talking) in these job. As a podiatrist I talk all day long, spend a fortune on autoclaves, registration, CPD and insurance. Think carefully about what you really want to do or spend some time in a chiropody clinic. Hopefuly someone on this site who works near you will offer this opportunity.
As for the future of Podiatry, just have a glance at some of the debates and discussions on this site, its definately a time of change and opinions are polarised.
Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

Re: Is Podiatrist a good career choice?

From good ol' Wikipedia:

It appears Podiatry may be more aligned with an extrovert. Teaching, sales and managing will all need to be done on a daily basis in private practice (and the same qualities would be required for working in the NHS - minus the sales)

 

Re: Is Podiatrist a good career choice?

If you are really an introvert then podiatry is not for you. This is a people based profession. Can you make a good living? Like any other profession if you work at it you certainly can, I dont have millionaire collegues but most if not all have a good standard of living. During my career I have sent both of my children to good private schools, lived in quality owned houses, i n the early days run a yacht in the solent. have a good collection of antigues, travelled extensively abroad and worked hard for it. There is not a profession in the world n which you can make a fortune or even a good living without hard work. Is there a future in podiatry.People will always have foot problems. In podiatry as in any other profession money will follow specialisation. If you come out of university thinking thats it forget the professions generally.Its a start. The high earners in podiatry are always going to be those who specialise and that is the way the profession is going.

 

Re: Is Podiatrist a good career choice?

I have been a Podiatrist longer than I care to remember. Introverts do have a problem in the profession. This of course depends what kind of introvert you are.By that I meanif you are scared to open your mouth for fear of being ridiculedthen you will have real problems, in or out of the profession. If however you decide to to come in then that is when you will find a lot of good people and not so good.This of course appllies to other careers. From my perspective, it is a vocation. It is not as disciplined as it should be. The PR leaves a lot to be desired. The public in the UK and certain other countries are still confused by the use of Chiropodists/ podiatrists. Little effort has been done to reduce the title to Podiatrist. The USA have and are light years ahead of every one else, in their training and consequently in their standing with the Medical Profession .Yes become a podiatrist and make difference. You will make a living.

 

It's perfectly ok to be an introvert in podiatry or any other medical profession for that matter, but you have to be able to assert yourself in difficult clinical situations. Shy wallflowers will inevitably struggle as you have to be able to deal with and relate to other health professionals and the general public with all their vulnerabilities and idiosyncracies. There is a lot to be said for a calm, quiet approach as against having a big loud voice, waving your arms around a lot and bouncing off the walls! I am an introvert and get along fine with my patients. I look forward every day to coming to work and feel very lucky to be doing what I am doing. It is all about being comfortable in your own skin at the end of the day.
I wouldn't concern yourself with the political aspects, every job has that and it is a road to nowhere worrying about it. Look at the technical aspects, job opportunities, etc and go from there.

Just my two pence worth

Tim

 

Hello there podofhope,
I would agree with Edward1so, get some experience in a podiatry clinic watching a pod in action and then see what you think.
I would say if you have an introvert personality try dentistry or medicine (and then specialise in pathology or anaesthetics). That way the patients won't be doing much talking and you won't have to either.
I spend all day talking to people and sometimes it gets a bit wearing. You need to be a people-person to do the job.
Also at the moment the future of podiatry is being undermined by the unregulated and 3rd sector providers who are providing cheap nail-cutting services and devaluing our image in the eyes of the public. There is even talk of giving away the title of "Chiropody" which could then be picked up by the unregulated sector.

If you are smart and committed enough to do 3 years at Uni then you deserve a profession with some status at the end of it.

Just my 6 pennyworth.

Good luck.

regards Catfoot

 

I really dont know where people are getting the idea that converting to the title podiatrist is giving away the title chiropodst. Both titles are written into the HPC regulation and I cannot see why that would change. There are few professions that dont have an unregulated section we have just got to be better than them or if you want to spend your career cutting nails join them.