After graduation, students continue their educations in residency programs at leading hospitals. Depending on the type of work they choose to pursue, students will spend from 1 to 4 years in a residency program. Most common are the 2-year residencies that provide podiatrists with thorough training in multiple types of procedures and surgeries of the foot, ankle and lower leg. To be a podiatrist, students must demonstrate excellence in orthopedics, radiography, sports medicine, dermatology and surgery. Often they are the first health professionals to diagnose vascular problems that have previously gone unrecognized.
Podiatrists also contribute significantly to the areas of diabetic foot care and wound healing.
Individual states regulate what parts of the body a podiatrist can work on. All allow podiatrists to work on the foot. Most allow them to work on the ankle and mid-calf. Some states allow podiatrists to work on the entire leg.