Podiatrists prevent, diagnose, and treat disorders of the feet.

Skill Level

1

Specialisations

• Podiatric Surgeon

Unless you are exempt in very limited circumstances, you are required to have a positive Skills Assessment to apply for the visas listed above.

Skills Assessment authority for Podiatrist is Podiatry Board of Australia (PodBA). To have a positive skills assessment, you must meet the following criteria:

• According to PodBA, the Department of Home Affairs accept a Certificate of General Registration as a Podiatrist as a suitable skills assessment
• The requirements for General Registration are as follows:
  • Continuing Professional Development
    • Complete at least 20 hours of CPD registration each year
    • Maintain a portfolio to demonstrate your CPD activities, reflections on the activities and how they will improve your practice and detail your learning goals
  • Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines
    • Pathway A – Approved Qualification
      • Applicant must have an approved qualification for endorsement for scheduled medicines or equivalent
    • Pathway B – Supervised Practice
      • Applicant must provide evidence that they have successfully completed:
        • Qualification – approved qualification in podiatric therapeutics or equivalent
        • Online case studies – completion of 15 approved online case studies
        • Supervised practice – complete a minimum of 150 hours of supervised practice over 12 months; and
        • Portfolio of evidence – demonstrates the required prescribing competencies and that the applicant has met the Board’s supervised practice requirements
  • Criminal History
    • Criminal history will be assessed by the Board to consider its relevance by a consideration of:
      • Nature and gravity of offence
      • Time period since the offence
      • Finding of guilt or conviction
      • Sentence imposed
      • Age of the offender and any victims
      • Current status of the crime i.e. decriminalised
      • Health practitioner’s current behaviour
      • Future threat
      • Information provided by health practitioner
      • Any other relevant matter
  • English Language Skills
    • English is the applicant’s primary language AND all primary and secondary education taught and assessed in English in a recognised country AND tertiary education in the relevant professional discipline; OR
    • Applicant has at least two years of secondary education taught and assessed in English in a recognised country AND tertiary qualifications in the relevant professional discipline taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country; OR
    • Applicant has completed at least six years continuous (full-time equivalent) education taught and assessed solely in English in any of the recognised counties; OR
    • English skills assessed through an English Language Test with the applicant achieving the following minimum scores:
      • IETLS – minimum 7.0
      • OET – minimum score of B in each component
      • PTE Academic – minimum 65 in each communicative skills
      • TOEFL iBT – minimum 94 and the following minimum scores in each section: 24 in listening and reading, 27 in writing and 23 in speaking
  • Professional Indemnity Insurance Arrangements
    • Applicants must be covered by your own or a third parties professional indemnity insurance that:
      • Encompass all aspects of your practice
      • Cover all locations of your practice
      • Whether you are working in the public or private sector
      • Whether you are practising full time, part time, self-employed, employed or in an unpaid or volunteer capacity
  • Recency of Practice
    • Applicants must have completed a minimum of:
      • 450 hours of practice in the previous three years; OR
      • 150 hours of practice in the previous 12 months

Prevent, diagnose and treat disorders of the feet.

Tasks

• Examining patients’ feet to determine the nature and extent of conditions, deformities and injuries
• Examining and treating foot disabilities caused by diseases such as diabetes, peripheral vascular disorders, rheumatoid arthritis and other neuropathies
• Prescribing and arranging the fabrication of footwear to correct foot abnormalities
• Performing minor surgery to remove and improve abnormal conditions
• Prescribing and fitting replaceable pads, palliative and functional supports and other devices for the protection and correction of foot abnormalities
• Advising patients about continued treatment and foot care
• May provide rehabilitation services to the physically handicapped
• May refer patients to or have patients referred from Medical Practitioners

Skill Level

Occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

Registration or licensing is required.

Occupations in this Group

• 252611 Podiatrist