Case studies: Podiatrist: Meleri Saer

Meleri graduated from the University of Salford with a BSc (Hons) in Podiatry in 2010, having previously gained a degree in health and physical recreation from Liverpool Hope University in 1999. She is now employed as a podiatrist at Bridgewater Trust and also works in a local private practice.

I only became a podiatrist by chance and luck. I initially graduated 13 years ago, having done a degree in health and physical recreation, due to my passion for sport, and became a GP receptionist while I found my perfect job. Within five years of working there, I was practice manager and loved the job as no day was ever the same. 

However, something was missing. I decided an office job wasn’t what I initially dreamed of doing; I wanted to help people but not in an office environment. So I took the plunge, and after much soul searching, decided to retrain as a podiatrist, with the help of a very supportive partner. I firstly looked into a number of healthcare professional posts and found that podiatry and physiotherapy had so many different avenues (private, NHS, sport and specialist fields). I obtained my diploma in reflexology to ensure I had no issue working with feet and started researching which local universities offered a course in the field of podiatry.

I obtained a place at the University of Salford as a full-time student and continued to work part time as a receptionist in a medical centre. Many of the students were mature with families, or like me, wanted a change in career, with around 30% of the students being school leavers. During the three years, we learned so much about lower limb osteology and were exposed to a number of different fields within podiatry. As Salford had a newly refurbished state-of-the-art clinic, we could treat patients for routine nail care in our first semester. 

When I qualified in 2010, my first full-time post was at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in North Wales. I was fortunate to be offered a post before qualifying, while many other students decided to practice privately, work in Australasia, Singapore or other NHS posts around the UK.

After commuting to work for eight months in North Wales, a post on the NHS Jobs website was advertised, which was based three miles from home. I was successfully appointed to this full-time post and now work as a podiatrist at Bridgewater Trust in Warrington.

Working as a podiatrist within the centre of a busy town, you are exposed to many different walks of life and every day a new challenge presents itself.

I work in a large but close-knit team and I’m very fortunate to have exposure to a number of different clinics within the working week to continue with my professional development. These clinics vary from routine nail and skin treatments, nail surgery, biomechanics, diabetic screening and dressing clinics. Every day is very fast-paced and support is on hand from my senior colleagues when needed.

In terms of my own career progression, I would like to continue working within the NHS and perhaps move into the acute sector in rheumatology, specifically pain relief management through acupuncture treatment.

If you are considering a career in podiatry, be mindful that there are a variety of avenues to specialise in and if you enjoy helping people, then it could be the career for you. Take the opportunity to undertake some work experience in the field, which will allow you to see all aspects of the role and enable you to see what specific areas you could specialise in.