31 Key Attributes Podiatrists Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Ethan Jones

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Podiatrists diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot.

The core tasks that podiatrists are likely to carry out include:

Surgically treat conditions such as corns, calluses, ingrown nails, tumors, shortened tendons, bunions, cysts, and abscesses.
Diagnose diseases and deformities of the foot using medical histories, physical examinations, x-rays, and laboratory test results.
Prescribe medications, corrective devices, physical therapy, or surgery.
Advise patients about treatments and foot care techniques necessary for prevention of future problems.
Treat bone, muscle, and joint disorders affecting the feet and ankles.
Refer patients to physicians when symptoms indicative of systemic disorders, such as arthritis or diabetes, are observed in feet and legs.

In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that podiatrists would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

Having a strong preference for investigative work environments. Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 100%

Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 95.4%

Being honest and ethical.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 94.2%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 93%

A willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 93%

Being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 89.8%

Persistence in the face of obstacles.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 89.4%

Maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 88.6%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 87.2%

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 86%

Establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 85.8%

Analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 85.8%

Having a strong preference for social work environments. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 85.71%

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 85.6%

Accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 84.8%

Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83.4%

Developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83.2%

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 82.4%

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 82.4%

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 82.4%

A willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 81.8%

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 80.2%

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 80%

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 80%

Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 80%

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 80%

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%