This month, our founder, Samantha, has started a degree in Podiatry at Edinburgh University, which will enable her to join HCPC (the Health and Care Professions Council). The course will involve four years of self-study assignments and practical assessments.
Launching Treat Your Feet in 2014, after offering mobile podiatry appointments for a period, Samantha recently expanded the business from its original clinic in Wombwell, Barnsley—opening a second one in Morley, Leeds. Studying for a podiatry degree is the natural next step in her career.
Could podiatry be a career for you?
Podiatry is a stable career, and a private service that’s increasingly in demand as more and more public healthcare services are cut. Even if opening your own practice doesn’t appeal, there are plenty of podiatry roles available within the NHS—in hospital, at a GP practice, or covering home visits in the local community.
Treat Your Feet’s customer base is made up of people of all ages, who collectively suffer from a wide range of complaints. From treating ingrown toenails to offering relief from painful bunions, from helping sufferers of plantar fasciitis to dealing with the fallout of sporting injuries, there’s never a dull day in our clinics.
Not everyone can be a podiatrist—some people would find it difficult or off-putting to touch strangers’ feet, for example. We see the feet as just another part of the human body.
Podiatrists have to gain their patients’ trust
Concerning elderly people and individuals with limited flexibility, reaching the feet isn’t something they’re able to do. Conditions that may arise do not stem from wilful neglect. Patients put a lot of trust in their podiatrist, as they can feel embarrassed about their ailments; podiatry practitioners may have to put their clients’ minds at ease and help them feel relaxed before they even begin to treat their feet.
That feeling…
Most people take the functioning of their feet for granted—it’s only when they develop a condition that needs treating that they realise just how important it is to look after them.
Samantha insists that it can be incredibly rewarding to know you’ve helped someone, that you’ve increased their mobility or decreased their pain. Podiatry is her passion.
Contact 01226 492 412 to book an appointment with our Barnsley office, or 0113 238 0330 for an appointment at Morley.
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