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The AHPRA have just put out a media release on the number of health professionals in Australia:
http://www.podiatryboard.gov.au/News/Snapshot-of-national-registers-Media-Release.aspx

Attached is a table from that release breaking down the numbers. - there are 3439 podiatrists

ACT 44
NSW 911
NT 12
Qld 583
SA 346
TAS 84
Vic 1,087
WA 346
Other 26

 

Linking this to ABS population data
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0

PRELIMINARY DATA . . Population . . .Podiatrists . . . Pop Per Pod
New South Wales . . . 7,253,400 . . . . . .911 . . . . . . . 7962
Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . .5,567,100 . . . . . 1087 . . . . . . 5122
Queensland . . . . . . . . 4,532,300 . . . . . .583 . . . . . . .7774
South Australia . . . . . .1,647,800 . . . . . .346 . . . . . . .4762
Western Australia . . . .2,306,200 . . . . . .346 . . . . . . 6665
Tasmania . . . . . . . . . . . .508,500 . . . . . . 84 . . . . . . . 6054
Northern Territory . . . . . 230,200 . . . . . .12 . . . . . . .19183
ACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359,700 . . . . . .44 . . . . . . . .8175
Australia . . . . . . . . . . 22,407,700 . . . .3413 . . . . . . . 6565

This shows that if all states had the same ratio as Vic we would need another 960 Podiatrists across the country!!!

with 500 of them in NSW

 

interesting stats. surprises me that there are more pods in Vic than elsewhere. I should have set up my clinic anywhere but Vic! haha

 

Dear All,

Fascinating stuff.

Howcome no one wants to work in the N.T.???????:rolleyes:

Seriously why????

I did not get up to the N.T. when i was in Aus so have no idea what it has to offer.

David:drinks

 

The NT is BIG place and the population is very widely spread out.

 

In Darwin, NT, the dry season is beautiful for six months of the year, but many find the wet season difficult to tolerate. The humidity can take its toll on people. Personally, I didn't mind the humidity during the wet season on our last visit some years ago, but my wife and 2 kids found it unbearable.

Darwin is also along way from every other major capital city in Australia and is relatively small in population so, although it has its own unique attractions (like crocodiles), some prefer the life styles that the bigger cities can offer.

 

Does anyone know the number of podiatrist graduating Aust wide this year? It seems that there are a lot of new podiatrists coming through. I know pharmacy went through a similar growth that changed it from an in demand profession to an over qualified taxi driver profession (not yet but close I believe). How is podiatry going to make sure we do not go from feast to famine?

 

~220 ..........

 

isn't pharmacy a bit different to podiatry as there are less spots in public hospital and takes more than $1mil to get license to open a private pharmacy store?

not sure if I'm right or not, but I too also hope that podiatry opportunity will stay plentiful in the future :D

 

Yes, with pharmacy graduates, its a 1 year intern then exam while on $34,000 for that year. With private it is required to find a suitable area and apply, then you must either set it up or you can buy an existing one for $2 - $4 milllion. Oh and fully qualified pharmacists start form $45,000 and dosent get much higher unless you boss really likes you

 

And yet I'm sitting in Edinburgh, UK waiting for a visa to get me out to Oz to work.. currently working part time as there are too many pods here! Aghhhh!!

Lucy

 

Attached is the March 2012 figures from the Board

 

So ... Medical Airship and mobile podiatry ~ any good?

 

I'd be interested to know the credentialing process for podiatrists in Australia.
Who oversees and is responsible for licensing Podiatrists and what the training is.

I understand there are several USA trained podiatric surgeons practicing there. Are all Podiatrists
practicing within the same scope of practice?

Steve

 

Really interesting. Just wondering any similar stat in UK.

 

Hello,

I can fill you in. In Australia currently there a 2 levels of professional accrediation the general podiatrist and the the specialist - the podiatric surgeon. respon

Universities are responsible for the training of a general podiatrist and the degree varies from a 3-4 year undergraduate degree of bachelor of Podiatry to the 3-4 year postgraduate Doctor of Podiatric Medicine. All of these degrees lead to general registration as a podiatrist.

Endorsenment for scheduled medicines (ability to prescribe drugs) is post graduate study culminating around a time frame of 12 months to complete. Such training will allow podaitrists to prescribe and hence increase scope of practice.

The Podiatry Board of Australia is a federal government board responisible for the licensing and registration of podiatrists and podiatric surgeons to practice.

The podiatric surgeon is a reconstructive foot and ankle surgeon. To attain the accreditation of specialist and to be a podiatric surgeon, one must have completed 2 years of clinical practice and either choose one of two pathways:

1. Undertake a degree from UWA known as the Doctor of Clinical Podiatry
2. Undertake a Fellowship from the Australasian College of Podiatric Surgeons after one has completed a Master in Podiatric Medicine

All podiatrists and podiatric surgeons must apply for registration from the Board to practice legally. Podiatric assistants/nurses have a different qualification equivalent to a junior college/college in the United States

 

Some schools, such as UWA, no longer offer a B.A. in podiatry but instead an equivalent graduate degree. I assume this degree is for a general podiatrist? Also, would a degree like that allow prescription rights, or is there something else needed?

 

Yes the UWA course is a pre registration course (though they also have a post grad Pod Surgery course). Almost all the podiatry courses in Australia prepare a podiatrist for prescribing, ie give you the knowledge, but there is also a practical component that needs to be completed post registration, it is all on the Podiatry Board Website