The key difference between podiatrist and orthopedic surgeon is in their basic qualifications. That is, an orthopedic surgeon is a doctor of medicine. But a podiatrist is not a doctor of medicine because they do not graduate from a medical school.
A podiatrist is a professional passing out from a podiatric school as a specialist in ankle and foot care. Thus, a podiatrist is not considered as a doctor of medicine. An orthopedic surgeon, on the other hand, is a graduate of a medical college who receives extensive training in clinical practice related to the musculoskeletal system of the human body.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. Who is a Podiatrist
3. Who is an Orthopedic Surgeon
4. Similarities Between Podiatrist and Orthopedic Surgeon
5. Side by Side Comparison – Podiatrist vs Orthopedic Surgeon in Tabular Form
6. Summary
Who is a Podiatrist?
A podiatrist is not a medical graduate and is therefore not a doctor of medicine. They receive a standard four-year training in the podiatric school. Podiatrists specialize in treating the conditions of the ankle and foot. This region actually is their only focus. Due to the lack of any proper medical knowledge and training podiatrists are not capable of addressing other related health issues.
Although the podiatrists can manage trivial problems in the foot such as small ulcers and callosities, they lack the expertise, knowledge and sometimes even the authority to provide the patient with holistic care while keeping an eye on the other associated comorbidities.
Who is an Orthopedic Surgeon?
An orthopedic surgeon is a graduate passing out from a medical college who receives extensive training in clinical practice related to the musculoskeletal system of the human body. They are well capable of managing any sort of abnormality, either acquired or congenital anywhere in our musculoskeletal system.
Any other doctor, an orthopedic surgeon is a doctor of medicine and surgery. Therefore they have the ability to look at the broad impact on the general health of the patient rather than just treating an abnormality as an isolated injury. Of course, they have to pass some of the toughest exams in the world to reach the pinnacle of their career. Orthopedic surgeons may specialize in other subspecialties of orthopedic surgery such as sports medicine, depending on their interest and facilities available in different countries.
What are the Similarities Between Podiatrist and Orthopedic Surgeon
- Both are professionals involved in the treatment of patients with problems in the musculoskeletal system.
What is the Difference Between Podiatrist and Orthopedic Surgeon?
Podiatrists receive a standard four-year training in the podiatric school. Thus, they are not doctors of medicine. In contrast, an orthopedic surgeon is a graduate passing out from a medical college who receives extensive training in clinical practice related to the musculoskeletal system of the human body. Therefore, they are doctors of medicine. Moreover, podiatrists specialize in treating the abnormalities in the ankle and foot whereas orthopedic surgeons specialize in treating any abnormality anywhere in the human musculoskeletal system. However, podiatrists are not capable of taking care of other related health issues while orthopedic surgeons have the training and the expertise in managing all the related health issues.
Summary – Podiatrist vs Orthopedic Surgeon
A podiatrist is a graduate from a podiatric school specializing in ankle and foot care whereas an orthopedic surgeon is a graduate from a medical school who is an expert in managing almost all the problems of the human musculoskeletal system. An orthopedic surgeon is a doctor of medicine but a podiatrist is not a doctor of medicine because they do not graduate from a medical school. This is the principal difference between podiatrist and orthopedic surgeon.
Reference:
1. Kumar, Parveen J., and Michael L. Clark. Kumar & Clark clinical medicine. Edinburgh: W.B. Saunders, 2009.
Image Courtesy:
1. “My foot all wrapped up at the podiatrist office (3575720153)” By Stacey (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “McDonald Army Health Center orthopedic surgeons care for military ‘family'” by Army Medicine (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr