Podiatry as a Career
- David Tollafield
- Sep 15
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 17
Are We Doing Enough?
As an old hack podiatrist, I joined a mass of other professions in a noisy primary school and a draft school gym for middle school students in 2019. I was hardly the young maverick I once was, but the project made me want to do more, especially now that I had no clinical commitments in retirement. I thought I could do something for my profession. I guess the new question is, can you?
Few podiatrists write about their profession, and those who do write do so with academic rigour, but sadly, it carries limited attraction to the vast population and only promotes our field to show our overall zeal for an important health profession. It's hard to sex up feet, but then we are focusing on those with an interest in health, people and being part of a speciality that enhances lives. Often those lost with no career to go to miss out because podiatry is seen by many as more Cinderella than Prince Charming.
There are several factors that disuade writing: we are a nation that prefers sound-bite correspondence (social media speak). Put bluntly, we are not a profession that can sell ourselves with conviction.
Before you become irrate, let me point out that there are many of you that have an excellent community presence. Like a rugby wing, we all need to carry the ball forward as one.
When the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research (JFAR) published a review of Z Generation (Whitham et al., 2021), I realised I had been on the right track. The article maybe four years old, but it still commands attention.
Writing about our career in podiatry is not one our strengths
Who has the time to write about themselves when running busy clinics? – I contacted over seventy people between April 2020 and May 2022. Suddenly, podiatrists were telling the stories that I had wanted them to write.
All the universities I contacted assisted, and students offered insights from first to fourth years, with the latter being the case in Scotland. The recording material exceeded 300,000 words, necessitating a book for school leavers, their careers teachers, and advisors - I had hoped. I still believe in the book and the people who contributed.
One University Came to the Fore
Benjamin Jones contacted me from the University of Southampton and asked if he could help. He reviewed the book, and with colleagues Professors Alan Borthwick and Cathy Bowen, we managed to shape the book with expert oversight.
Cathy assisted with the one area no one knew how to promote. We found fantastic contributors in Dr Heidi Siddle, Dr Helen Branthwaite, Hayley Edgington (University Salford) and Christopher Joyce, who could speak about podiatry and rheumatology simultaneously.
Dr Emma Cowley & Mr Benjamin Jones at The University of Southampton decided to engage with the book head-on.
Who Owns Career Promotion?
The Career dilemma around recruitment is a problem. Who owns it? The universities train the graduates who enter and become tomorrow’s professionals. The Royal College of Podiatry (RCoP) and the Institute of Chiropodists (IoCP) are the formal bodies that benefit from membership.
The (Whitham et al., 2021) paper does not appear to have been listened to or read outside academic circles. It serves as a blueprint for change for those leaving school, demonstrating a reliance on both internet sources and the knowledge provided by teachers.
The HCPC register alone tells the tale, given comparable numbers – consistently low compared to many other AHPs.
The focus shifts from making changes to examining the apprenticeship marketplace—fast-tracking and conversions from other professions into MSc and BSc courses to boost numbers.
The Risks and Benefits of the MSc course
Those who will use the fast route already are professionals. Once qualified, they will have a broader skill base than podiatry alone. This will make these professionals more valuable in a market that is suffering from clinicians with broad skills. The risks are that podiatry will be diluted and foot health practitioners will in time fill the gap.
I personally have nothing against any system that changes. It is called evolution and if we know anything of Darwinism, we know the fittes survive.
Practices that embrace these changes will do well and provide wider services in a UK system of health which is creaking at its very foundations.
Universities are struggling to maintain enrollment numbers and encounter viability problems. There are no longer dedicated teacher conferences as they once existed. Much relies on the connection through the main body, the RCoP.
Sadly, University of Southampton has now stopped their BSc course, while Bournemouth and others have opened a fast-track MSc course. This is a case of evolution. Few universities will maintain podiatry as a course if they fail to recruit.
How to turn an unhealthy image into a vibrant and exciting landscape of opportunity.
Getting the message out there
I was encouraged when Martin McGeough at Firefly stepped in to support the career project mainly as a podiatrist, businessman and he believed in the project. Many other companies did not see the potential, or were not attracted to promote podiatry, despite selling podiatry equipment.
While Benjamin Jones, his colleagues and the University immediately saw the potential and set up a programme to provide local careers teachers with free copies. The following Universities have kindly provided student and lecturer input — Cardiff, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Huddersfield, Northampton, Plymouth, Salford and Ulster.
Podiatrist on a Mission is an autobiographical novel and sets the earlier scene of podiatry and the patients we managed. This is the human story.
Foot Health Myths, Facts & Fables was intended to provide someone with an insight into the profession and conditions we deal with. This was something I needed when I left school.
Voices From Podiatry features individual career stories from clinicians across various sub-specialties. In other words, these books illustrate rather than merely describe what we do throughout the entire field of podiatry.
Promoting Podiatry in your Practice
It can be rationalised that if every practice could promote at least one copy of the book to their local schools, libraries, and career fairs, we could offer a manual guide to consider podiatry as a career in one of the healthcare professions. We need to own that promotion; the practice is a great place to achieve publicity.
Sharing in the landscape project means that you are taking a lead and ensuring podiatry is seen as a medical profession and is the primary focus for all foot health queries.
Discounted price on all career books
Buy the colour paperback version and get a free copy of Podiatrist on a Mission while stocks last.
Why not purchase the Career book and benefit from a healthy discount to use in your practice? Discounted prices are inclusive of P&P. Write to me at Busypencilcasecfp@gmail.com
Black & white (paperback) AZ (£7.99+PP) £6.50
Colour (paperback) AZ (£15.00 +pp) £9.70
Colour (hard cover) AZ (£26.25 +PP) £20.00
Discounted books are only available through Busypencilcase Communications & Publishing. E-mail direct to busypencilcasecfp@gmail.com
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