License to Practice
Before admission to practice, graduates must pass an examination conducted by the State Board of Medical Examiners in the state in which they desire to engage in practice. The conditions as to admission for licensing examination vary in the different states, as there is at present no reciprocity in chiropody licensure.
Requisites for Success
The requisites for success in podiatry study and practice are not trifling. Primarily the student should have the feeling that he is engaging in a calling in which he can be of service to his fellowman. The draft and the war itself have proved that the foot has been a very much neglected factor in the physical care of humankind. Draft statistics show a large percentage of rejections because of foot defects, and the casual lists in actual warfare are filled with the names of those who have fallen out of the ranks because of impaired locomotion.
A large part of podiatry instruction is devoted to the prevention of foot lesions, so that the child from its first step will be safeguarded against the conditions which have led to the creation of such a large percentage of foot cripples. This in itself is a humanitarian task and those contemplating entering upon a career in podiatry should be sympathetic with that particular and all-important phase of the work. Again, the podiatrist in his daily practice is called upon to relieve suffering and that aspect of his activities should be a heartening influence to the developing practitioner as it will prove a consolation to him when once he is licensed to pursue his calling.
Desirability of Mechanical Knowledge
As much of the actual practice, both preventive and curative, has to do with surgical endeavors, the prospective student should have an aptitude for mechanics.
Physical Qualifications
The practice of medicine presumes a vigorous body as well as a virile mind, and it is best for every man in every life engagement to be so equipped; but those whose physical condition is impaired so that locomotion and other normal functions are impeded can readily engage in podiatry because most of the work is carried on in the office and can be done while seated and during limited hours.