By Associate Professor in Podiatry Caroline Robinson (pictured, inset) in the Charles Sturt School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences.

In Podiatry Week 2023 (Monday 9 to Sunday 15 October) a new course at Charles Sturt University provides an opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds to consider a career in podiatry.

In Australia and New Zealand over the past eight years, there has been a 17.3 per cent decline in commencing enrolments for podiatry programs.

According to unpublished data from the Australasian Council of Podiatry Deans, from 2022 to 2023 the number of new students enrolling in a podiatry course has decreased by 5.9 per cent and there has been an associated 4.9 per cent decrease in the total number of students. These podiatry students are enrolled at 10 universities in Australia and New Zealand (Podiatry Board of Australia).

This decline in student enrolments poses a threat to future sustainability of the podiatry workforce.

In New Zealand, it has been calculated that an additional 578 podiatrists are required to maintain an adequate level of healthcare to the population.

There is steadily growing support for the value of allied health assistants ‘to meet the increasing demands on the health system and enhance the quality of life of the Australian population’ (AHANA). This includes podiatry assistants.

The scope of practice for a podiatry assistant is dependent on the range of competencies included in a relevant qualification and/or as directed by the supervising podiatrist.

Generally, a person working as a podiatry assistant can treat ‘low risk’ clients under the delegation of a registered podiatrist.

The supervising podiatrist is always accountable directly for the scope of practice of the assistant, the care provided to the client and for the conduct of the assistant.

The new Undergraduate Certificate in Foot Health at Charles Sturt will commence in 2024 and is designed to provide students with foundational knowledge relevant to a podiatry assistant role.

This course provides students with the flexibility to live at home, maintain their employment, and be mentored by a registered podiatrist in their home location.

Students enrolled in the Undergraduate Certificate will study four online subjects across one year and attend the University in Albury-Wodonga for a total of 15 days on-campus intensive.

The industry partner collaborating on this initiative is Healthia, a leading diversified allied healthcare provider across Australia and New Zealand. Mr Dean Hartley is the Chief Technology Officer at Healthia and is a Charles Sturt podiatry alumnus.

A focus on building the podiatry assistant workforce is important to address sustainability of the podiatry profession, allowing podiatrists to work to their full scope of practice and improving retention in the health workforce.

The Undergraduate Certificate in Foot Health also provides a pathway into the Bachelor of Podiatric Medicine, providing an opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds to consider a career in podiatry.