The median annual income for a podiatrist in the Rochester area is $111,720.
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
If you want to pursue a medical career and enjoy hands-on patient care and a variety of delivery methods and possibilities of care venues, podiatry could be for you.
Podiatrists complete a four-year undergraduate degree, followed by four years of podiatry school and then a three- to four-year residency. After completing these, the licensed provider is able to practice.
Lawrence E. LaRussa, doctor of podiatric medicine with Finger Lakes Podiatry in Geneva, became interested in podiatry after receiving podiatry care for his flat feet.
“I had insoles that made a major change in my ability to walk and stand without pain,” he said. “That let me down the pathway.”
He likes that he has “the ability to create a lot of immediate satisfaction in situations where we say, ‘Limp in, leap out.’ There are a lot of things I can do that can help someone with significant pain feel better.”
Podiatrists work in private practice, as part of a hospital system, for orthopedic practices and sometimes in settings such as long-term care facilities. They work with all ages, not only older adults.
The types of problems podiatrists address include creating orthotics, treating wounds, providing patient education about health habits that affect the feet and lower legs, administering injections, treating pain and addressing problems with surgery.
“We care for a lot more problems than just nails,” LaRussa said. “We look at how the mechanics of the foot cause problems in your foot, which is why the internet doesn’t often identify foot problems.”
A big part of his work is patient education about things like footwear (he’s not a big fan of Crocs and other “squishy” footwear), remaining active and seeking prompt treatment.
“A problem you have for a month might get better by itself, but in two months or more, it is not going to get better without help,” LaRussa said.
For the past 34 years, James Broderick, podiatrist and owner of Broderick Podiatry in Canandaigua, has provided care. He plans to retire in December.
“I’ve really enjoyed my practice; it’s been a wonderful career,” he said. “The most fulfilling thing is that it’s one of the few areas of medicine that people come in in pain and oftentimes leave feeling better.”
In addition to his private practice, he also works for Thompson Health as an on-call surgeon and provides podiatry services for nursing homes in the area.
The New York State Board for Podiatry requires 50 hours of continuing education every three years to maintain licensure. Broderick said that some hospitals and other organizations have their own requirements for continuing education.
The outlook for podiatrists looks good. The aging Baby Boomer generation will continue to need more healthcare, including podiatry. The obesity epidemic also contributes to the demand for podiatry, as carrying excess weight negatively affects the health of the lower extremities and increases the risk forType 2 diabetes.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for podiatrists in New York will grow by 12% between 2020 and 2030. The median annual income for a podiatrist in the Rochester area is $111,720.