A career in podiatry is one thing that those considering their future may like to consider. Podiatry is that health profession that is focused on the prevention and management of diseases of the foot and connected structures. Podiatrists make use of a range of different medical, physical, pharmacological, biomechanical and surgical interventions to deal with just about everything which may and does go wrong with the foot. The training to be a podiatrist varies from country to country with the degree being a 4 yr undergraduate degree in most countries with post-graduate courses in areas of interest. In the USA it is a 4 yr post-graduate degree followed with a 3 year residency. The range of practice and the number of years of education does differ a great deal internationally. A simple look online ought to turn up the information required for education in every country.
The long run for podiatry is probably pretty good due to the aging populace as well as the diabetes crisis being fuelled by the obesity crisis. Those in the older age groups have a greater prevalence of foot problems, so as the population ages, so too will the requirement for podiatrists. It's the same with the obesity crisis which is leading to the greatly increased prevalence of diabetes. People that have diabetes are at a substantially increased risk for conditions of the feet and also amputation, so in these people excellent foot care and podiatry management is important to avoid and treat these issues.
Podiatrists also work in lots of other different areas such as sports medicine and paediatrics. Here they use various treatment modalities to prevent and treat disorders of the foot and leg in athletes and children. Their part is important in these groups. In rheumatology settings they are going to be working together with other health professionals to deal with all the complications which happen in the feet of those with the various arthritis type ailments.