What is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)?

Podiatrists are highly trained heath care providers and the only health professionals who exclusively specialize in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of problems affecting the foot and ankle.

Podiatric medicine is a branch of the medical sciences devoted to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle disorders, diseases and injuries.

The course of instruction leading to the DPM degree is four years in length. The majority of the first two years is devoted to didactic instruction and laboratory work in the basic medical sciences such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, histology, neuroscience, microbiology, pharmacology and pathology. During the second and third years students also concentrate on didactic courses in the clinical sciences.

After completing the 4 years of Podiatric Medical School and passing the required two national boards, the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree is given. ( www.samuelmerritt.edu ) The new doctor of podiatric medicine is then required to complete a residency program, which allows the doctor-in-training to refine his/her clinical skills while diagnosing and treating a host of podiatric problems. It is this experience that prepares the podiatric physician with the knowledge necessary to embark upon this highly specialized field of medicine. In order to obtain a license to practice podiatric medicine, one must take and pass a national and state exam.