Saturday, September 20, 2014

For A Qualified Podiatric Surgeon Austin Is Worth Visiting

By Karina Frost


Podiatric surgeon is the professional concerned with the medical care of feet. The professionals focus on treating, preventing, and diagnosing medical conditions that affect the feet, ankles, and related areas. This medical care is also provided by another group of professionals called orthopedists. In order to get a highly trained podiatric surgeon Austin is the right place to check out. There are several practitioners who are well qualified in this field in Austin.

The governing authority enforces a strict curriculum, that all people hoping to become qualified podiatric surgeons must follow. As one of the major requirements, all applicants for admission into podiatry schools need to have a bachelor degree. The bachelor degree should cover core courses like Chemistry, English, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. Generally, the degree should encompass all courses with lab sessions.

A bachelor degree is a mandatory requirement for admission, although some students receive admission without it. Ninety five percent of all applicants have a bachelor degree while the remaining 5 percent have alternative academic qualification. MCAT or Medical College Admission Test must also be taken by students besides having the necessary academic qualifications. Those who fail the test are denied the chance for admission.

Other factors that can give one an upper hand in the admission process is having a recommendation letter and being good in co-curricular activities. The first year of study in the podiatry school covers similar courses to those studied by doctors of medicine and doctors of Osteopathic Medicine. However, more emphasis is placed on the ankles, feet, and the lower extremity in general. Podiatry schools take a minimum of four years for students to graduate.

In total, there are seven schools accredited by the governing body in the US. After studying for four years, students receive a degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, DPM. After the four years are over, a surgical based residency comes next. The residency is normally purely practical since it is post-doctoral training. Although the period of residency varies with the state, it takes three years in most cases.

The residency rotates residents through core fields of surgery and medicine. Rotations are available in general surgery, behavioral medicine, podiatric surgery and medicine, dermatology, plastic surgery, and vascular surgery among many others. Residencies provide an environment for doctors of Osteopathic medicine, Medicine, Podiatry to work together. Further knowledge is available through fellowship training in limb salvage and ankle and/or foot traumatology after residency program.

To become a surgeon of podiatry, one must undergo further training in surgery after completing residency program. This training equips trainees with specific knowledge in surgery and surgical practices. Surgical training covers all parts of the lower extremity.

Completing training opens way for certification. There are many certification board through which one can get certified. Certification involves sitting for an exam, which determines whether one is competent enough to practice or not.




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