Get started now – with a podiatry training course

Our feet do a fantastic job! They carry us step by step throughout our entire lives. Most of the time, we only pay attention to them if problems arise. Pain caused by pressure, ingrown toenails or Athlete's Foot – this is when the help of real foot experts is needed: podiatrists.

Podiatry is a highly new profession. The Podiatry Act and the associated training and examination regulations only came into force in 2002. So that a new medical healthcare profession could be established, the state recognised podiatrist was created.

Foot care or podiatry? It is important to distinguish between podiatry treatment and purely beauty-oriented foot care.

Cosmetic foot care is a self-employed profession with no legally regulated training requirements. It primarily involves the care and beautification of healthy feet. The focus is on actions such as trimming and filing nails, callus removal, massages or skin care.

Podiatry, on the other hand, is also described as ‘non-medical treatment of the foot’ or medical podiatry. Above all, feet that are damaged or at risk of damage, particularly in high-risk patients (diabetes, rheumatism, vascular diseases), belong in the hands of a podiatrist. The medical focus of the profession has an outward expression in the diverse and interesting range of tasks:

• Specialised courses of action for nail disorders, e.g. orthonyxia – i.e. the setting of nail correction braces, nail reconstruction, and support for treatments due to nail fungus (mycoses)
• Specialised course of action for skin conditions, e.g. actions for calluses (hyperkeratosis), corns (clavi) and warts (verrucae)
• Pressure and friction protection
• Orthotic technology for the manufacture of customised pressure relief devices
• Special bandaging techniques and pressure relief (taping, compression)
• Foot and lower leg massage as a therapeutic action
• Mobilisation exercises and foot exercises for malalignments and deformities

The training is governed thanks to the Podiatry Act and the associated training and examination regulations. Whether it’s two years full-time or part-time over a period of three to four years – there are many options available. Podiatry training is a school-based programme, so the approximately 2,000 hours of tuition are found at a state-recognised specialist college. So that practical experience is not neglected, a podiatry placement (720 hours) must be completed particularly. The course culminates in a state examination, which, upon successful completion, qualifies the graduate to practise the profession.

Tuition fees have now been waived entirely or in part in almost all federal states. Unfortunately, Baden-Württemberg is one of the laggards. Our school management is available to advise all prospective students on financing and the possibility of state funding.

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The formal requirements are a secondary school leaving certificate along with a medical certificate confirming suitability for the profession. Those who have a lower secondary school leaving certificate can qualify thanks to completing an additional vocational training course lasting at least two years.

A positive attitude towards work with feet and a desire to care for and treat foot conditions are especially important. Empathy and sensitivity, an interest in people and medical issues, along with manual dexterity, are also key competencies.

Excellent prospects

Whether as an employee, in an outpatient setting or running your own practice (perhaps even with NHS accreditation) – podiatry is a profession with excellent future prospects. Demographic change, the rising number of people developing diabetes and the shortage of skilled workers play a crucial role in this.

“It’s simply a great profession, versatile and varied,” says podiatrist Mirjam Maier, who works as a teacher at the Neuenbürg School of Podiatry.

Please contact our school secretary, Derya Sauer, directly on +49 (0)7082 944 22 66 or use our contact form.

Registration for the autumn intake is still possible until 30 September 2023