A recent commentary written by Augusto Sarmiento, M.D. in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery lauds the progress made by podiatrists in recent years. Dr. Sarmiento notes, “…they [podiatrists] have become experts in the field to the point that it is ludicrous to argue that their qualifications do not allow them to cover such a wide territory.”
Dr. Sarmiento’s analysis concludes that as the healthcare field will generate over 5.6 million new jobs in the next 8 years (due to the Baby Boomer generation growing older) podiatrists are poised to fill a vital role in US Health Care. This increased reliance on podiatrists’ specialization is backed by data collected from Thomson Reuters which shows podiatrists have perf0rmed more than 316,000 of 30 common foot/ankle procedures in 2010 while orthopedic surgeons have performed only 97,659.
While Dr. Sarmiento’s claims are not part of an official statement of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, he is one of the organizations most respected members and continues his praise by noting how much podiatric training has improved, citing that podiatrists have “become doctors/surgeons who currently care for patients with all types of musculoskeletal conditions below the knee” and catalogs a variety of complex surgical procedures podiatrists are well-equipped to handle.
To download a complete copy of Dr. Sarmiento’s article, please click here.
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Sources:
American Podiatric Medical Association
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
