Podiatry at Boulder Medical Center
Foot and ankle clinics in Boulder and Louisville, Colorado
Please call to schedule an in-person or telemedicine appointment: 303-440-3036
The podiatry team at Boulder Medical Center provides comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. Treatment may include palliative care, biomechanical modalities, physical therapy, surgical intervention, and the prescription of both systemic and topical medications.
We provide board-certified, top-quality care for:
- Foot, Heel, Arch, and Calf Pain
- Common Foot Disorders — Toenail Disorders (ingrown/fungus); Hammertoes; Neuroma; Plantar Fasciitis; Warts; Callous Formation
- Bunions and Tailors Bunions
- Including Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction
- Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery — Flatfoot Deformities; Ankle Instability; Arthritic Disorders
- Foot and Ankle Trauma — Fractures, Sprains, Achilles Tendon Ruptures
- Sports Medicine and Biomechanics — Orthotics and Bracing; Gait Analysis
- Diabetic Limb Salvage — Wound Care; Charcot Arthropathy
What is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)?
A Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) has spent a minimum of four years in an undergraduate institution and must hold a Bachelors Degree before taking the Medical College Admission Tests (MCAT). Contingent on undergraduate grades, board scores, and rigorous interviews, the candidate is selectively chosen to enter a College of Podiatric Medicine.
Podiatric medical school requires four years of study, during which the student receives a general medical education comparable with that of the American Medical Association and Osteopathic medical schools. The student also takes specialty courses that focus on lower extremity anatomy, biomechanics, podiatric medicine, sports medicine, and surgery.
Upon completing medical school and the National Podiatric Medical Board Examination, a two to three-year residency program is required. Then, the podiatrist may elect to undergo the certification process in Foot and Ankle Surgery. This involves taking the American Board of Podiatric Surgery (ABPS) board qualifying exam in Forefoot Surgery and Rearfoot and Ankle Surgery.
The candidate may sit for the ABPS board certification exam only after passing the board qualifying exams and appropriate case documentation after residency.
Is a podiatrist a doctor?
Yes, a podiatrist is a licensed physician and/or surgeon who specialize in the evaluation and treatment of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. Treatment can be medical, surgical or biomechanical. DPM stands for Doctor of Podiatric Medicine.
Do podiatrists perform surgery?
Yes, podiatric surgeons are qualified to perform surgery for bone, joint, muscle, ligament, and tendon pathology of the foot, ankle and lower leg. Levels of surgical services do vary amongst DPM’s based on their training; this is true among MD’s and DO’s as well. Some DPM’s treat only the forefoot, some focus on the rear foot and still others specialize in the entire foot and ankle. Likewise, there are general orthopedists who treat only foot and ankle and those who treat neither. Because of the large diversity in this specialty, patient research is crucial. It is advisable to inquire about a doctor’s training, to obtain references and to seek second opinions.
What type of surgeries do podiatrists perform?
Podiatric surgeons perform surgeries to repair such ailments and injuries as: Achillies tendon ruptures, foot and ankle fractures, ankle instability, arthritic disorders, flatfoot deformities, Neuromas, toenail disorders, bunions and hammertoes.
What other services does a podiatrist provide?
Podiatrists treat corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, bunions, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, and arch problems; ankle sprains, Achilles tendonitis, deformaties, and foot complaints associated with diabetes and other diseases. To treat these problems, podiatrists prescribe drugs and physical therapy, set fractures, and perform surgery.
Podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon?
A podiatrist (DPM) is a doctor with the same undergraduate prerequisites as an MD or DO physician and who attends a four-year medical school preparation in diagnosing and treating the foot, ankle, and lower leg. Orthopedic surgeons study for four years in a college or university, four years in medical school, five years in a postdoctoral residency program studying the whole body. Podiatrists study for four years in a college or university, four years in medical school, and typically 2-3 years in a postdoctoral residency program where they receive advanced training in podiatric medicine and surgery and serve clinical rotations in anesthesiology, internal medicine, pathology, radiology, vascular surgery, infectious disease, emergency medicine, and orthopedic and general surgery. The major difference is that while orthopedic surgeons are trained to operate on the entire muscle and skeletal system, podiatrists focus solely on the foot and ankle. So while an orthopedic surgeon may have a better general medical background, a podiatrist has spent more time studying the foot and ankle. DPM’s generally are better educated in regard to lower extremity anatomy, surgery, biomechanics, and bracing. DPM’s chose their specialty (foot and ankle) from day one, thus giving focus toward the specialty years before MD’s.
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