podiatry [key], science concerned with disorders, diseases, and deformities of the feet, also called chiropody. Podiatrists treat such common conditions as bunions, corns and calluses, and ingrown toenails. They may also perform minor surgery and prescribe medicines or orthopedic devices. In the United States a practitioner must hold a degree from an accredited college of podiatry and pass a licensing examination; some states require a period of internship as well. Training is similar in most respects to that of medical students with the exception that it is largely limited to a single area of the body. The National Association of Chiropodists was founded in 1912. In 1958 its name was changed to the American Podiatry Association. It maintains local societies and licensing boards in each of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
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