Podiatrist

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I work as a podiatrist and mainly treat nail and skin lesions. Nail lesions include, for example, ingrown nails and cuticle infections. Skin lesions are usually calluses, warts, and corns. I also provide customers with instructions for foot care and advice on selecting suitable shoes. If necessary, podiatrists also examine hips, knees, ankles, and feet.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I worked as an optician for ten years, but the work never felt like it was for me. I started looking for new options and decided to study as a podiatrist. Already at the beginning of my studies, I was sure that my choice was right, as I have always been interested in anatomy and I want to work with people.

Describe your typical working day or week.

On a typical working day, I have five customers. I do, for example, four foot treatments and one foot examination. I make house calls approximately 1 to 2 times a week.

My work also includes reporting, i.e. I enter the information on patient visits in the My Kanta health care system. In addition, I take care of the tidiness of the clinic after each customer meeting. At the end of the day, I do instrument maintenance, i.e. disinfect instruments in an ultrasonic cleaner and finally sterilize them in the oven.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

Me and my colleague have a clinic in the centre of Hyvinkää. I also do house calls, for example, for customers whose mobility is impaired.

I work on weekdays. I start work at 9:00 and usually finish between 16:00 and 17:00. I usually do one evening shift a week.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

A podiatrist must be able to examine, rehabilitate, and care for the lower limbs, as well as be able to advise customers on how to promote foot health. For example, you need to know how to correct an ingrown nail and know how to make silicone supports to correct the malpositions of toes. In addition, the profession requires good interaction skills and empathy.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best part about working as a podiatrist is to help people with various problems. It is rewarding to see a satisfied customer.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

Podiatrists often work as entrepreneurs, which poses challenges especially in the early stages of the career. For example, the amount of income may vary greatly before the customer base becomes established.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a podiatrist?

If you don't like people, this isn't the right profession for you. Theory and practice can be learned in the training, but the desire to work in a customer service profession must come from the heart.

How do you see the future of your profession?

I believe that there will be plenty of work for podiatrists in the future. The feet carry the whole body weight, so they are subjected to stress, and people suffer from the ailments associated with them during their lives. In addition, it is difficult for many older people to care for their feet themselves.