Podiatrist Duties and Responsibilities: Podiatrists, also known as chiropodists, diagnose and treat ailments, injuries and diseases of the foot, ankle and lower leg. They are doctors with medical degrees who perform several major duties. Salary: The median salary for a Podiatrist is $124,830. Education: In addition to earning bachelor's degrees, podiatrist are required to attend 4- year, podiatry schools followed by residency programs. Demand for this particular career: Podiatrists confront fewer emergency situations than many other doctors, but they still must be willing to work on an on-call basis at times. Good communications and people skills will ensure that aspiring podiatrists will work well with patients, other specialists and medical office staff. Reflection: I would not want to be a podiatrist because they have to deal with everyone's feet and I find that nasty.