A foot doctor was called a chiropodist until the 1960s in the U.S. It is a term that is still used in the U.K. A foot specialist is now called a doctor of podiatry medicine. These doctors can fall into two categories, a podiatrist or an orthopedic foot and ankle specialist. Many podiatrists are not trained to do surgery. Podiatrists are in high demand today as the population gets older.