Podiatric medicine is the branch of medicine which medically and surgically manages care of the lower extremity. The podiatric physician is a health professional who is involved with examination, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of foot disorders by physical, medical and surgical means. A doctor of podiatric medicine is trained to detect the signs of systemic disease which may appear first in the lower extremity, such as diabetes or circulatory disorders. When such diagnoses are made, the podiatric physician consults with the patient's family doctor concerning the systemic disease. A career in podiatric medicine can include the areas of primary care, surgery, orthopedics, sports medicine, geriatrics and pediatrics. The College of Podiatric Medicine has partnered with the College of Education, Health and Human Services to provide a combined Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree. This combined degree will allow Kent State undergraduate students majoring in Exercise Science to seek admission to the DPM program with the potential benefit of receiving a bachelor's degree upon successful completion of 12 credit hours once accepted and enrolled in the DPM program. For more information about the program, please contact the Office of Enrollment Management at the College of Podiatric Medicine at 216-231-3300 or podiatry@kent.edu.

Employment of podiatrists is expected to grow 14 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Continued growth in the demand for medical and surgical care of the foot and ankle will stem from the aging population. Podiatrists will also be needed to treat patients with foot and ankle conditions caused by chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.