Since the human foot is interrelated with the rest of the body in a complex fashion, it may be the first area to show signs of serious conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As the podiatric physician is often the first to detect symptoms of these disorders, they are a vital, sometimes lifesaving, link in the health care team. Employment for podiatrists is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2006. The trend toward physical fitness and active lifestyles, and the fast growing geriatric population, will maintain the need for this type of medical service. The current ratio of podiatric physicians to the general population approaches one to 25,000.
Most podiatrists are self-employed as solo practitioners.
The average work week varies from less than 40 hours to 50 hours.