Podiatrists
Prevent, diagnose and treat disorders that affect feet, ankles and lower limbs.
A clinic day with a visit in the afternoon
You are a podiatrist in a regional town, seeing patients at your clinic in the morning and visiting an aged care home in the afternoon. It is 8:30am. Your first patient has been waiting since 8:15, the diary is full, and the aged care home has just rung to add one more resident to this afternoon's visit.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
I've had this little sore on my foot for a few weeks. It doesn't hurt, so I haven't bothered. I only came because my daughter nagged me. It's nothing, is it? I don't want a fuss.
Look at it closely, say honestly that it needs attention and offer to call her doctor
She is anxious, but you explain calmly and without frightening her. Her doctor sees her the next day, and the sore gets the care it needs while it is still small.
Reassure her it is probably nothing, dress it and ask her to come back next month if it is still there
A sore that does not hurt can be a sign that something is wrong. A month is a long time to wait, and by the time she returns, it has not improved.
Treat the area as you normally would and tell her to watch it closely
You do the usual treatment, and she goes home. But you have asked her to watch something she can barely see, and she is not sure what she's looking for.
My feet are killing me after games. Mum says I need orthotics. But I only wear these fashion shoes, and I'm not changing them. Can you just give me the inserts and not make me change the shoes?
Give him the inserts, since it is his choice and he will not change the shoes he wears to games
He wears them in the fashion shoes, where they fit poorly. The pain barely changes, and he decides orthotics do not work.
Tell him he has to change his shoes first or you will not treat him
He rolls his eyes and leaves with his mum, and he does not come back. A hard line can end the conversation just when you needed it to continue.
Ask what he likes about the shoes, then find a pair that suits his feet and his style
He admits that the shoes matter to him because of his friends. You find a style he likes that works better for his feet, and he agrees to try both.
I know this afternoon is already full, but one of our residents, Mr Wu, has become really uncomfortable with his feet. Can you fit him in even if it makes you late for the others?
Say yes and see him first, then do the rest as time allows
Mr Wu is looked after, but three other residents wait, and one misses a dressing change. Putting one person first without a plan creates new problems.
Ask how urgent it is, check with the nursing staff, and plan the afternoon around who needs you most
You find that Mr Wu can be seen in the middle of the visit, and the rest are not delayed much. It takes careful planning, and you finish late but without anyone being missed.
Tell her you are fully booked and cannot fit him in this time
Mr Wu waits another month, and his discomfort grows. Fully booked can be true and still not be the most helpful answer.
How it went
By evening your feet ache more than your patients'. Podiatry is practical and detailed, and involves noticing what a person does all day and what a small sore might mean. Would you enjoy being someone whose work helps people stay on their feet?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The boots that were fine, and the ones that were not
A fictional case set in a podiatry clinic in a regional town, and monthly visits to a local aged care home.
The situation
Keith was a sheep farmer who came to Ruth's podiatry clinic because his heels hurt every morning. He wore his boots all day and had done for thirty years, and he was proud of them. He told Ruth he'd been to two other clinics and each had told him to buy new footwear. He expected her to say the same thing. Ruth had a booking after his, and the easiest thing would have been to repeat what the others had said and send him off with a handout.
What they did
Ruth asked Keith to walk across the room, then asked about his day. She learned that the pain was worst after he'd been standing on concrete in the shearing shed, and not in the paddock. She checked his boots and agreed they were good, solid boots. Her suggestions were different: a cushioned insole that fitted inside them, a mat for the shed, and some stretches for his calves. She told him he did not have to give up the boots he loved.
How it turned out
Keith tried the insole and the mat. The mornings improved over a few weeks, though he said the heels still grumbled in winter. He recommended Ruth to his neighbour, and told him that she was the first to ask where he stood all day.
What would you do?
- Why did Ruth ask about Keith's day before looking at his boots?
- How would you feel if someone told you to change something you loved?
- What does it mean to treat the person and not just the foot?