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Meet a Podiatrist

Nicole Martin

Head of Podiatry
Hunter New England Area Health (Southern Region)

Head of Podiatry for Hunter New England Health (Southern Region), Nicole Martin, is a great ambassador for the profession. She takes people by surprise that someone so young has such depth of experience and professional responsibility.

At 28, she is a practitioner of what she describes as 'quite a young profession' and one growing in importance. In charge of a busy clinic based at the Royal Newcastle Hospital and supervising seven Podiatrists, Nicole says most of their clients are 'high risk'. It's a trend she sees increasing with not only Diabetes, vascular disease and arthritis, but also because Australia's population is ageing.

Nicole says the increase in chronic conditions such as Diabetes and Peripheral Vascular Disease means that Podiatrists will be in demand."It's rewarding work," she says. "Often a Podiatrist can intervene to avoid foot problems or at least manage them. Quality foot care can reduce the risk of infections spreading throughout the body. If untreated or treated poorly, local infections can spread throughout the body and have very serious consequences. Often input from a Podiatrist can help to prevent amputations and further developing problems," she says.

For Nicole the decision to become a Podiatrist was a natural one. "My Grandpa had Diabetes and as a result lost most of his toes. I often accompanied him to the Podiatrist and he used to joke that I should become one. I guess I became very aware of their role in overall health care and decided very early that it was what I wanted to be," she says.

Nicole grew up in country South Australia and studied for her Podiatry degree in Adelaide. Graduating just before her 21st birthday, she worked in a number of clinics, liaising closely with orthopaedic and paediatric medical staff.

"As well as clinical work, my role is very much as an educator."We conduct training for medical practice nurses and also provide education for clients, their families and health colleagues. I always ask myself 'Why am I here?'. And the answer is always - to convey the importance of feet and good foot care."

Nicole says she is very excited to see the Podiatry degree introduced at the University of Newcastle. "There are not enough Podiatrists to cope with the demand." The graduates from this degree will increase our numbers and the opportunities for a satisfying career are excellent."

In answer to this growing problem and also to address shortages in the profession, the University of Newcastle is introducing a Podiatry degree next year. News of the three-year program with a case-based learning philosophy has already sparked a strong response from people wanting to find out more about it.

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Phone: 02 4921 5000 or 02 4348 4030
Email: EnquiryCentre@newcastle.edu.au or podiatry-enquiries@newcastle.edu.au
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