Podiatry career development map

What the career development map shows

The Podiatry Career Development Map is a draft visual framework designed to show how podiatrists can develop their careers beyond initial qualification across clinical, educational, research and leadership domains.

Commissioned by the Royal College of Podiatry, this early-stage concept aims to support individual professionals, employers and system leaders by making visible the depth and breadth of podiatry career options.

Unlike most frameworks which stop at entry or registration, this tool focuses on lifelong progression from graduate practitioner to consultant-level roles and beyond.

How career development works in podiatry

The map integrates key concepts from national workforce and education frameworks and reflects the diversity of modern podiatric practice. It recognises that career development is not linear.

Instead, podiatrists may build capability across one or more of the four pillars of practice, often moving between them as their role evolves:

• Clinician – developing specialist clinical skills and patient-facing expertise

• Researcher – contributing to evidence, innovation and knowledge generation

• Leader – shaping services, teams and strategic direction

• Educator – teaching, mentoring and supporting professional development

The framework shows progression across four career stages:

1. Education and core skills – undergraduate training and foundation knowledge

2. Early career – including support worker roles, newly qualified podiatrists and preceptorship

3. 2–5 years after qualification – enhanced and advanced practice roles

4. 5+ years after qualification – consultant-level practice and strategic leadership

Understanding skill clusters

Within the map, coloured circles connect the pillars and career stages to represent different skill clusters you can develop throughout your career:

• Professional practice and practice education

• Specialist practice and patient education

• Advanced anatomy and professional education

• Imaging and diagnosis and academic education

• Medicine management, consultant-level education and academic qualifications

These clusters show that podiatry careers are multi-directional. You can grow across clinical, research, leadership and education roles over time, with each pillar interconnected and supported by the others.

Who this framework supports

For qualified podiatrists exploring next steps

Use the map to identify which skills and capabilities you want to develop next. It helps you see the full range of options available beyond clinical practice alone, whether you're interested in teaching, research, service leadership or advancing your clinical expertise.

For employers and workforce planners

The framework helps you understand the breadth of podiatry roles and plan career development opportunities that retain experienced staff. It supports workforce planning by making visible the different pathways podiatrists can follow within your organisation.

For education providers and strategic partners

See how your programmes and CPD offerings fit within the wider career landscape. The map helps align educational provision with the profession's need for leadership, research and teaching capability alongside clinical excellence.

The future of this tool

The tool is in draft form and offers a promising foundation for a more visual and user-led approach to learning and workforce planning. Future development could include:

• Interactive digital versions with filtering by pillar or career stage

• Integration with CPD resources and training pathways

• Case studies showing real career journeys across the four pillars

• Links to relevant guidance, frameworks and development opportunities