Learning how to choose a podiatrist in Katy TX is very important process. To assist, we’ve defined the speciality of podiatry, services provided and explained the qualifications a physician must obtain to become a board certified or board qualified podiatrist below.
What Is a Podiatrist?
Podiatrists are a doctors of podiatric medicine (DPM), also known as a podiatric physician or surgeon. Podiatrists treat conditions of the foot and ankle.
What problems do foot and ankle surgeons treat?
Podiatrists are qualified to detect the early stages of diseases that exhibit warning signs in the lower extremities, such as diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease, and they can manage foot conditions which may pose an ongoing threat to a patient’s overall health.
What Are the Qualifications of a Podiatrist Katy TX?
After completion of an undergraduate degree and a four-year post-graduate education at an accredited podiatric medical school, a degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) is awarded. Although identical in length to programs at medical schools for medical doctors (MDs), the podiatric physician specializes in conditions of the foot and ankle.
After podiatric medical school, a post-graduate residency in podiatric medicine and surgery is required. These residencies are often integrated with residencies for MDs and provide similar training. The main difference is the larger volume of cases and intensive focus on the foot and ankle. Click on the names of our board certified podiatrists in Katy TX below to view their education, work history and medical society affiliations.
Podiatrists can become board certified with additional training and clinical experience. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) and the American Board of Podiatric Surgery (ABPS) are the certifying boards. All of our doctors are either board certified or board qualified from the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. The extensive process leading to certification includes completion of an approved residency, four years of clinical experience, demonstrated surgical experience representing a range of foot and ankle procedures (submitting surgical case logs), and completion of an intensive two-part examination. ABPS is recognized by the Joint Committee on the Recognition of Specialty Boards of the Council on Podiatric Medical Education.
Certification in Foot Surgeryindicates that a podiatrist has demonstrated competence of podiatric surgery, including the diagnosis of general medical problems and surgical management of foot and ankle conditions.
The current qualifications include:
Completion of a four-year doctoral training at a CPME-accredited podiatric medical school.
Completion of residency training program approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME).
Submission of a list of procedures through Podiatry Logging Service for Surgery demonstrating a diversity of surgical experience in foot surgery.
Approval by the ABFAS Credentials Committee of complete foot surgery case documentation of procedures selected by ABFAS from the list of procedures.
Passing Part I and Part II of the Certification in Foot Surgery Examination
Diplomates certified in Foot Surgery must recertify every ten years.
What is the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons?
Foot and ankle surgeons who have achieved certification by ABPS are eligible to become Fellows of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS). This 6,000-member specialty medical society provides continuing medical education programming to its members, and serves to educate patients and consumers about foot health and the conditions that foot and ankle surgeons treat.
