What do you think a day in the life of a Podiatrist involves?
If you were a fly on the wall, what kinds of problems and people would you expect a Podiatrist to encounter every day? Are Podiatrists just toenail and corn cutters? And…the most frequent question I’ve been asked…Why would anyone want to be a Podiatrist?
Podiatrists do really cool stuff and see the most coolest people ever! Over the last 23 years, I’ve met humans ranging from newborns to 106 years of age. Don’t get me wrong, all my clients are memorable, but one individual I will never forget is Ron – 98 years young, drove to all his appointments in his vintage car every 8 weeks. Single, no kids and regularly played the saxophone with his band at the local town hall for the dancing folks. He had a face that reflected so much life experience and history – the deepest wrinkles on his forehead and ear lobes that were as long as buddha’s. He always looked forward to his foot appointments. He would tell me stories that go back to days when my own great grand parents were still alive – and that was a long time ago! There were no problems in his life, he was a contented man that loved the simple things. He often told me the secret to his longevity was because he wasn’t married! Over the years I noticed a decline in his short term memory, his ability to respond quickly worsened as he nearly came close to driving straight into our clinic window and soon after I never saw Ron again.
I see families who bring their kids in, I see the kids grow into adulthood, I see families go through times of happiness and then break-ups and the hardest of all is when I hear of clients who I’ve bonded to over the years pass away.
The wonderful thing about being a Podiatrist is we often become someone’s hero in a matter of minutes after meeting them. A problem is presented and with our skilful hands we discover, we sculpt, we prune, we knead, we use tools to assist with treatment and we give valuable advice to educate the client. I’ve had patients hug me with tears after standing up realising the pain they had is no longer there. On the other end of the spectrum I’ve had clients expecting miracles walk out disappointed after being told their problems will take more than one treatment to resolve. The one liner I often hear is – ‘Oh I didn’t know you guys could do more than just cut nails and calluses!’. Yes world, Podiatrists are the hidden gems that are waiting to be discovered. We are lower limb specialists in all problems of the knees, legs and feet. We assess gait, give local anaesthetic, do minor surgery, treat musculoskeletal problems and sports injuries, assess running mechanics and footwear and soooo much more! Just check out our website to learn more of what we do!
Here’s the thing, Podiatrists don’t claim that we have a glamorous career, but you’ll find that most Podiatrists are there because they LOVE what they do. If you wake up and put on a professional outfit to get to work, with the possibility of being presented with a pair of feet that could possibly ruin your lunch then I think you must love your job. It’s common to be presented with ulcers on feet to heal, fungal growth to resolve, bacterial infections in nails to clean and the list goes on. Feel like lunch anyone?
So there you have it! In a day’s work a Podiatrist will see roughly 20 – 25 patients, trying to make sure everyone can get back to their normal activity with little to no discomfort in their legs and feet. I’m sure if we all regarded our feet with the same respect as our teeth and hair we’d be at the Podiatrist for treatment on a regular basis. If you haven’t yet seen a Podiatrist then do your feet a favour and book in for an assessment. Podiatrists are a cool bunch of professionals who do amazing stuff! So come on in, and hopefully we will become a part of your life’s story – while you can become part of ours.
