Why I made the switch to podiatry

I hadn’t considered being a podiatrist – at the time, I was working as a medical receptionist at a radiology clinic. I really enjoyed the anatomy and science aspects of that job, and because of my interest, the radiographers often shared fascinating cases with me. This got me interested in the healthcare field. Then I broke my foot and had to see a podiatrist for the rehab.

I had no idea that this podiatry appointment would change the course of my life. Until then, I thought podiatry was mainly dealing with just toenails, but I soon realised that it involved so much more.  The podiatrist had me doing all this rehab work – transitioning out of my moon boot, changing footwear and getting into orthotics.

This is when I realised, ‘There’s so much more to podiatry than I thought.’ I would encourage anyone considering a similar change to take the plunge and study podiatry, no matter what age and stage you’re at; just go for it! It’s worth making the leap, even if you’re not coming from a traditional career background. I didn’t have a defined career path before, but I’m so happy with my decision to study podiatry. I feel good about what I do every day, and I have a great support system at work, with fantastic mentors.

So, I made the decision to study podiatry – never an easy choice once you’ve got that mortgage with a young family. While the degree itself is four years, I completed it over five, with my third child being born in my final year of study. My daughter was born in October, and my final practical exam was at the start of November. It was an intense time! I made it through and since then, I’ve never looked back.

We really need podiatrists – the demand is huge. During every uni placement I went on, the clinics were asking, ‘Do you need a job? What are you doing when you finish?’ I really valued knowing my degree could lead to a job from day one. Being older, job security was such an important factor in deciding to study.

Podiatry is not just about fixing ingrown toenails or doing routine foot care – there’s so much problem-solving involved. Once you really understand that anatomy, it’s like having a puzzle with a head start. It’s important to understand this – that podiatry isn’t only about the instant gratification of relieving someone’s pain, but also that problem-solving aspect. If you are interested in a career in the allied health sector and this is something you enjoy, consider podiatry. Podiatry needs problem solvers.

There’s so much to love about podiatry. For example, if you’re working with a patient who presents with a biomechanical issue – once you take into consideration the physics of it and think about how those forces are applied and just tilt their foot a few degrees with an orthotic – suddenly you can see a change. There’s got to be that curiosity where you wonder, “Well, how does this work?”. From a biomechanical perspective, once you’ve learned the anatomy, it’s about putting all those pieces together and thinking, “Okay, well, ‘this means this’ so ‘we can do that’ to fix it.”

Patients are often shocked that these seemingly small changes can be life-changing. The changes we make as podiatrists not only make a difference to their pain levels, but our interventions can enable them to be active and happier within themselves. There’s a real ‘a-ha’ moment for patients when they realise how much difference small adjustments can make.

You’re really putting all the pieces of anatomy together to figure out how to solve someone’s long-term foot or leg issues. Even a callus or corn, which in simplest terms, develops from pressure. A redistribution of that pressure from somewhere higher up in the body or even an adjustment in their orthotics can help with that too. You see it often with high-risk patients in the clinic when you’re making those accommodations to shoes – to try and stop those neuropathic ulcerations. It’s so rewarding.

Your patient may have been in a car accident, or they’ve had joint replacements, and they’ve been limping around in pain for far too long. It’s affected everything – their mental health, their connections to other people, their overall physical health and wellbeing.  So, I’m like, “All right, well, let’s put a lift in this shoe, or let’s build an orthotic”. Or “Let’s work on this exercise rehabilitation plan together.” Suddenly they’re feeling better again, and they say, “Oh, I should have done this forever ago.”

Every patient is different, and no two days are the same. One day you may see a child who’s mad about playing soccer, but they haven’t been able to play because they’ve got a sore heel, and you can help get them back on that field. Or you have someone who comes in with arthritis that impacts how their foot functions, or a neuroma and they’ve been contemplating surgery. In quite a few cases we can intervene beforehand and help to alleviate their pain before taking that surgical step. And of course, you also have that person who comes in with an ingrown toenail, in a lot of pain – you fix it on the spot, and they feel great.

Podiatrists are a down-to-earth bunch of people, and we look out for each other. Being new to the industry, I was genuinely amazed at how welcoming and supportive other podiatrists have been. Generally, we are ‘people’s people’ since you need to be a good communicator in this role.

You get to build meaningful relationships with your patients. Since you often see these people every eight to ten weeks, you become part of their life. You know their grandkids’ names, their dog’s name, and where they’re going on holidays. From a care perspective, you’re really forming these wonderful long-term relationships.

The job satisfaction I get is incredible. I am happy going to work and happy coming home. It’s not something everyone gets to experience. In fact, if I had to sum up what I love about being a podiatrist – and why I am so happy I came into this career despite making the change later in life – is that I am a people-loving, problem-solving, genuinely curious type of person who wants to help others and make a difference. I also want flexibility, a work life balance, and time with my family. Podiatry ticks all these boxes for me, and so much more.