Educators say that economic times have been good and students don't want to spend the additional six years in school and graduate with heavy student loan debt. Still, podiatrists are in demand. As a rule, podiatrists treat the parts of the body that take a pounding every day. When people think of podiatric medicine, they think of doctors who treat problems with the feet and ankles. Generally they're correct.
Different states have different laws.
In Florida, podiatrists have the right to care for patients from the soft tissue and bone just above the knee to the toes. In Ohio, a podiatrist treats from the ankle to the toes and the wrist to the end of the fingers. The stress to maintain a financially solid practice and still be able to make an appropriate living is unreal. I realize that all professionals are faced with difficult choices and decisions, but our profession seems to be effected by external influences more than others. Tuvel, who graduated from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland and completed a two-year surgical residency, said he's not sure if given the opportunity he would do it over again.