Part of their training is devoted to foot and ankle surgery. Some orthopedic surgeons also take training to specialize in the foot and ankle. Podiatrists Podiatrists attend a four-year podiatric college, studying medicine and minor surgical procedures. The focus is specialized, concentrating on the foot and ankle. The graduate becomes a doctor of podiatric medicine, or D.P.M. Podiatrists are not medical doctors.
Some podiatric surgeons complete surgical residencies of up to three years.
Our preference is obviously for podiatrists.