Podiatry or podiatric medicine is a field of healthcare devoted to the study and treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and the “anatomical leg” (i.e. below, and not including, the knee). The range of disorders podiatry can address largely depends on the scope of practice laid down in national, state, and/or provincial jurisdiction. It is practiced by podiatrists and podiatric surgeons.
A podiatrist or foot doctor is a medical professional devoted to the study and medical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle and lower extremity. The term originated in the United States but has now become the accepted term in the English speaking world for all graduates of podiatric medical schools who have earned one of the following degrees: (DPM, DP, BPod, PodB, or PodD or BSc (Hons)).
The United States is one of the few countries that grants more invasive surgical privileges to podiatrists. This is due to the fact that podiatric medical education in the US trains podiatric physicians to heal the body attached to the feet, as the school curricula are mirrored after MD medical programs. The programs stress nearly the same basic medical science courses in the first two years as their MD counterparts, but with more emphasis on lower leg anatomy and pathology than obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, etc.