What is the Difference Between a Podiatrist and an Orthopedist?
Dr. Mireille Blanchette is a podiatrist practicing in Bronx, NY. Dr. Blanchette is a medical doctor specializing in the treatment of the foot, ankle, and related parts of the leg. As a podiatrist, Dr. Blanchette diagnoses and treats conditions of the feet. The feet are key body parts that give a person stability, absorb... more
As a podiatrist, I get this question a lot. What is the difference between a podiatrist and an orthopedist? Let’s review the differences and similarities between both professions.
1. They are both highly trained medical providers
Their education is different but they are both highly trained. Orthopedists get their medical degree either from MD or DO school. Podiatrist get their medical degree from Podiatry School. They both learn about general medicine and go through the basic courses in healthcare like biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, pathology etc. The podiatrists will also have classes that are field surgical. For example, we learn about biomechanics, lower extremity specific dermatology (example: warts, ingrown toenails, ulcers, calluses, etc), sports medicine, foot and ankle surgery, trauma, podopediatry (kid’s feet), podogeriatry, and so much more.
After medical school, they both go to residency. Residency for podiatrist is 3 years; residency for orthopedists is 5 years. The orthopedist will learn about surgical techniques for the whole body. They will rotate through different rotations including trauma, peds ortho, sports medicine, hand, spine, oncology etc. While podiatrists will also have go through different rotations (vascular surgery, ortho, infectious disease, internal medicine, etc) the main focus will be on podiatry specific rotations where we practice surgeries and take care of hospital inpatients, etc.
A foot and ankle orthopedist will also complete a 1 year fellowship where they focus on the foot and ankle. Podiatrists also can do a fellowship after residency if they want to specialize even more; some example would be in reconstructive surgery or podopediatrics to only name a few.
2. Scope of practice
While both a podiatrist and a foot and ankle orthopedist will specialize in treating the lower extremities, the orthopedist will concentrate their practice more on bone and joint problems. The podiatrist on the other hand can help you with pretty much any of your foot and ankle ailments from an ankle fracture to your flatfoot to an ingrown toenail or a wart! We are knowledgeable in both conservative and surgical management of lower extremity pathologies. I personally like to try conservative approaches with my patients before going to the surgical route.
3. Who should you consult?
As mentioned above, the reason for your consultation will dictate which doctor you would see. If you have bone or joint pain, you can see either an orthopedist or a podiatrist. If you have an ingrown nail or want an orthotic, your best bet would be to see a podiatrist.
I hope this was helpful! If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment!
Dr. Mireille Blanchette, DPM, FACFAS
