How to Become a Podiatrist
Working as a podiatrist can be exciting and rewarding because it involves working in a variety of environments with a number of other health care professionals and many different groups of patients who have a wide range of foot problems.
Podiatrists practise primarily in private clinics in the community, although a few also act as consultants in community and teaching hospitals. Podiatrists also provide foot care services in some long-term care homes, in some retirement homes and some podiatrists make house calls to patients who are housebound.
In Manitoba, the College of Podiatrists of Manitoba is the regulatory body for the profession governed under provincial legislation. To be eligible to practise podiatry in Manitoba you are required to be licensed by the College of Podiatrists of Manitoba. For all Podiatrists only those practitioners who have graduated from an accredited College of Podiatry and who meet the minimum entry requirements are eligible to become licensed members of the College.
Accredited Colleges of Podiatry are located in USA, UK and a podiatry program is also offered at the University of Québec at its Trois Rivieres campus. The podiatry program consists of three to four years of medical, clinical and didactic study, followed by (for US Podiatry Colleges only) at least one year’s residency or internship in a hospital.
Entry requirements for the podiatry program at a College of Podiatry in North America requires a baccalaureate (BA) degree in the sciences and successful completion of the Medical College Aptitude Test (MCAT) (please check the entry requirements to each individual College as each teaching establishment varies). You can then apply to an accredited College of Podiatry either in the USA or the UK as an overseas student.
For further information on UK Colleges of Podiatry and their entry requirements please visit the ‘How to become a Podiatrist’ section on the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists website: www.feetforlife.org or contact the College of Podiatry directly. For entry requirements for Podiatry College in the USA please contact the individual college for further information, which can be found on the American Podiatric Medical Association’s website www.apma.org.
If you are looking to relocate to Canada from overseas to practice Podiatry, you are required to have a work permit or Canadian permanent residency status, to be eligible to work in Manitoba and Canada. For further information regarding immigration and work permits please refer to the Canadian Government Immigration website www.gic.ca.