What a Podiatrist Is and How to Check a License and Board Certification
How podiatrists (DPMs) train, who licenses them, which two boards certify them, and how to verify each one yourself before a visit.
A podiatrist is a doctor who focuses on the foot, the ankle and nearby parts of the lower leg. Podiatrists hold a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree rather than an MD or DO. This guide explains how podiatrists are trained, who licenses them, which boards certify them, and how to check each of these yourself. It also explains what a listing in this directory does and does not tell you.
What a DPM is
The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) describes a podiatrist as a physician and surgeon who treats the foot, ankle and related structures of the leg. According to APMA, the usual path is four years of undergraduate study, four years at a college of podiatric medicine and a three-year, hospital-based surgical residency. Many podiatrists then complete a fellowship for more training. APMA names areas where podiatrists may focus, including surgery, sports medicine, wound care, pediatrics and diabetic foot care.
Podiatric medical schools are separate from MD and DO schools. The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine says it represents the eleven accredited U.S. colleges of podiatric medicine, each of which teaches a four-year DPM curriculum.
Who accredits podiatric training
Podiatric residencies are approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (CPME), which is part of APMA. The American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine explains on its residencies page that CPME approval is the recognition given to a residency program that meets the profession's educational standards. AACPM describes the Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR) as three years of postgraduate training in medical and surgical care, in both hospital and outpatient settings.
If a podiatrist's website names a school or a training hospital, you can ask whether the residency was CPME-approved. CPME does not certify individual podiatrists. That is the job of the certifying boards described below.
Step 1: check the state license
Podiatrists are licensed by the state where they practice, and the agency that does it differs from state to state. A state lookup will usually tell you whether a license is active, and it may show public disciplinary actions. Search by full name in the state where you will be seen, and compare the license number with the one the podiatrist gives you.
Example: Texas
In Texas, podiatrists are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The TDLR podiatry program page says a person who uses the title podiatrist, foot specialist or similar wording must hold a TDLR license. TDLR offers:
- a license search;
- a search of disciplinary orders, which covers orders from the current and the two most recent fiscal years, with podiatry as one of the programs;
- a page on podiatry penalties and sanctions; and
- a way to file a complaint.
For Texas podiatrists, this directory may show a license status taken from TDLR's public license file. That status is only as current as our last data refresh, so check the TDLR search before you rely on it.
Step 2: check board certification
A license is the legal minimum to practice. Board certification is a separate, voluntary credential. APMA names two certifying boards for podiatrists:
- American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS). ABFAS certifies podiatrists in foot and ankle surgery. Its Find a Surgeon search lists podiatrists who are board certified or board qualified, by area, such as Foot Surgery and Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery. ABFAS says "board qualified" means a podiatrist has passed Part I, a knowledge exam, while "board certified" means he or she has also passed Part II, which includes review of the podiatrist's own surgical cases. Its page on why ABFAS certification matters explains the process.
- American Board of Podiatric Medicine (ABPM). APMA lists ABPM as the second recognized certifying board for podiatrists. Use the board's own website to confirm a podiatrist's status and area of certification.
Neither podiatric board is one of the 24 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties, which certify physicians in medical specialties. That is expected for a DPM and is not a warning sign. What matters is that the board is one of the two podiatric boards, that the area of certification fits your problem, and that the status is current.
When someone tells you a podiatrist is "board certified," ask three things: which board, in which area, and whether the certification is current. Then look it up yourself. Membership in a professional association such as APMA is a separate thing. It is not a license or a certification.
What a listing in this directory shows
Listings come from the federal NPPES registry, where health care providers register for a National Provider Identifier (NPI). Each provider picks one or more specialty codes from the Health Care Provider Taxonomy Code Set. A podiatrist appears here because he or she chose Podiatrist or a podiatry subspecialty code, such as Foot & Ankle Surgery, Foot Surgery, Primary Podiatric Medicine or Sports Medicine.
Those codes are self-reported, and nobody checks them against a board. A "Foot & Ankle Surgery" code is not the same thing as ABFAS certification. No listing on this site means a podiatrist is certified, vetted or recommended. The license number on a listing is shown as the provider entered it, which is why you should confirm it with the state.
Where CMS data is available, a listing also shows whether the podiatrist is enrolled in Medicare, whether he or she accepts Medicare assignment, a telehealth indicator, group practice details and the year of graduation from professional school. You can confirm the basic NPI record on the official NPI Registry. The Compare tool on this site lets you view up to three listings side by side.
Questions to ask before your first visit
- Where did you train, and was your residency CPME-approved?
- Are you certified by ABFAS or ABPM? In which area, and is it current?
- Did you complete a fellowship, and in what?
- How often do you see problems like mine?
- If surgery comes up, where would it be done, and do you have privileges there?
- Are you enrolled in Medicare, and do you accept assignment? Our guide to Medicare and foot care explains what that means.
If you have diabetes, read our guide to diabetes and foot health. If you are weighing a podiatrist against an orthopedic surgeon, see podiatrist vs orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon. To start a search, go to the home page.
General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Podiatrist Index is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor, nurse, discharge planner or other qualified professional. Do not use it to make decisions about diagnosis or treatment. If you have a medical emergency, call 911. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.