Reflections on Becoming a Sports Podiatrist

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In 1976, when I was 19 years old and in my summer break between my freshman and sophomore years at the University of California at Davis, I first became a podiatric patient. My initial visit was for treatment of chronic running injuries sustained while competing as a long-distance runner in high school and in my first year of running for the UC Davis Aggie cross country and track teams. In this initial podiatric encounter, I requested treatment with custom foot orthoses, devices which I had previously read about in Runner’s World magazine.

My reasoning behind wanting custom foot orthoses was that, if these in-shoe devices worked well for my running injuries, this would allow me to continue training without interruption so my performances could more readily improve. Thankfully, after receiving my foot orthoses, for the next 3 years of distance training and racing, which included a 2:31 time at the 1979 Boston Marathon, I was able to run injury-free. As a result of my very positive experience with custom foot orthoses and the podiatric profession, I then decided that being a sports podiatrist, specializing in the treatment of injured athletes, would be a good career choice.

Now, reflecting back on my 38 years of building a busy sports podiatry practice, the seeds of which started with my own running injuries, it may be helpful to offer some observations and advice to other podiatrists who who wish to take a similar career path.  

One of the most obvious factors in pursuing a sports-oriented practice is one’s ability and desire to understand and deal with the psychology of competitive athletes. For me, as a former competitive distance runner, I had no problem understanding the psychology of the injured athlete because I had personally experienced running injuries many times before I even entered podiatry school. Injured athletes, in general, do not want to be told to give up their sport, like so many non-sports-oriented physicians often advise. These athletes just want to find a way to get back into the sport that they love as soon as possible since daily participation, along with the social benefits of training with their fellow athlete-friends, is a very important part of their lives.  

Another important factor in becoming a successful sports podiatrist is taking the time to learn as much as possible about the specific biomechanics of various sports activities, the etiologies of common sports injuries, and the best treatments for these injuries. As a podiatry student and during my podiatric surgical residency and fellowship, I continually read about sports injuries, their biomechanics, and their treatment. Attending scientific meetings of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine, and discussing specific patients with more experienced sports podiatrists, are also excellent ways to become more knowledgeable in sports podiatry.  

One of the most helpful things that I did when I first started my sports podiatry practice in 1985 was to make certain that I became well-known within the local running community. I joined the largest local running club and, more importantly, I started doing a monthly “free screening clinic” at the largest specialty running shoe store in Sacramento. In these mini-clinics, held once a month on Saturdays, the running shoe store would advertise that I would be in the store for two hours to answer questions regarding running injuries. Not only did this allow me to personally meet many potential patients and help them with their injuries, but it also resulted in additional referrals to my practice from the running shoe store personnel who knew me and trusted my professional skills as a sports podiatrist. This type of win-win relationship for the sports podiatrist and running shoe store is an excellent way to become more well-known and respected within the local sports community.

In order to become a successful sports podiatrist, one must have a desire to work with injured athletes, understand their psychology, and master their injury biomechanics. These skills will help the podiatrist better keep their athletic patients active and can help them avoid future injuries. In retrospect, becoming a sports podiatrist was truly a career path that I was destined to follow due to my many years as a competitive distance runner. For the right individual, sports podiatry can be a very rewarding medical subspecialty career, which has the potential to be a valuable part of any active and athletic community.

Dr. Kirby is an Adjunct Associate Professor within the Department of Applied Biomechanics at the California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, Calif. He is in private practice in Sacramento, Calif.

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