KEY POINTS:
My Job
Name: Monique Ujdur, 33
Job title: Podiatrist and owner of Bigfoot Podiatry
Qualifications: Bachelor of Health Science (Podiatry) from Central Institute of Technology. (This qualification is now only offered at Auckland University of Technology.)
Hours: Average 50 hours a week, of which 20-25 hours is with patients and at the orthotic clinic. The rest is business practice and education.
Starting salary: $45,000 increasing to $80,000 in three to six years. "I earn $60,000 plus a profit share of my business."
What do you do?
I'm in a partnership at Bigfoot Podiatry. There are three podiatrists in our team. Bigfoot is based at Flexaclinic, a multidisciplinary health group including physios, nutritionists, midwives etcetera.
We run a general practice so I see anything involving pain from hip to foot, including injuries of heel, shins, knees and hips. We do minor surgery, such as ingrown nail removal and wart removal.
Often as part of treatment I look at footwear. This can be sports shoes, work boots, or the dress shoes someone stands in all day.
I do gait re-training, improving walking and running styles. I also use orthotics to alter underfoot pressure and alter muscle firing patterns in the legs, thus reducing strain on injuries.
I speak at a lot of conferences and consult to groups dealing with feet, such as beauty therapists. I also consult for Asics, helping their sports shoe technology development by providing feedback about New Zealand's marketplace requirements, trends and injuries.
Why podiatry?
Dad gave me a pair of running shoes when I was 13 and I ran and ran and ended up with an overuse injury.
I went to a physio who referred me to a podiatrist. I had intended to do physiotherapy, but after seeing the podiatrist I changed my mind. I liked the boutique involvement in health and people and the specialisation of concentrating on the hip to foot.
Your background?
I graduated 11 years ago and initially worked in a general podiatry practice to get experience with the routine work of podiatrists, such as callous management and cutting nails.
I then went to a sports medicine practice and also taught at the podiatry school, lecturing in clinical practice and biomechanics.
I started my own orthotics lab 10 years ago in my dad's shed. He joined me in the lab three years ago. There are only four labs in the country, so we make orthotics for other practices too.
How can you test whether a shoe is good?
A good shoe doesn't have to be an expensive shoe but it does need key things.
It needs flexion. It should always bend easily at the ball of the foot. The heel should be firmer to hold the foot in place. If you look at school shoes, they often don't flex where the foot flexes which makes the foot's job extremely hard. You see kids walking home with very fatigued legs - scuffing feet is a sign of this. It is like carrying a big brick on your foot.
What skills and qualities are required?
Science knowledge, particularly of biomechanics, injury management and dermatological issues. You need that knowledge base to recognise symptoms and undergo investigative testing.
You also need to analyse things quickly and provide short and long-term management plans.
Communication skills and the ability to gain people's trust are also really important.
Most satisfying parts of the job?
Meeting people from completely different walks of life is very satisfying. Inspirational people motivate me, but not just sporty types. I work with a range of people, from elite athletes to people training for their first marathon, women returning to activity after having babies and people who are training fatigued.
It is very satisfying when you help people back into exercise.
Because it is a young, evolving profession, there are always new ideas and techniques to consider. I have a hungry mind for research and this fulfils that.
I also enjoy creating orthotics. It is where science meets art in podiatry.
The down side?
Not achieving the outcome desired with a client, that is, not being able to fix an injury quickly. We apply principles based on research and clinical evidence, but because our bodies aren't machines, clients don't always react the same to treatments.
Advice to those interested in podiatry?
Sit in with a number of clinicians so you understand what the work and private practice is about. Sole practitioners do a lot of routine foot care for which there is a big need, particularly with our aging population.
There are also specialty areas that are expanding, such as surgery and diabetic management. It is an exciting, evolving profession.
Aspirations for the future?
We've just bought a second practice so I'm looking at developing that. This year I'm attending four overseas conferences in three different countries which is exciting. I'm also interested in looking further into shoe technology and design development.
