Talking Feet with Future GPs – a little behind the scenes
From Clinic to Classroom: Sharing Foot Wisdom
Not an actual image from the day, but AI is really useful!
Earlier this month I was invited to give a talk to GP trainees about podiatry. Feet don’t usually get much of a mention in medical training, so I was curious to see how it would go down.
The room was full, the slides were up, and off we went. I talked through the common things we see in the clinic – corns, bunions, heel pain, the usual suspects – and what GPs could do to help patients before they end up at our door. It was a lively group, lots of nods, a few smiles, and a couple of questions that made me stop and think (always a good sign).
When the feedback came through afterwards, I had a read. For quite a few of them it was the first proper teaching they’d had on podiatry. That surprised me. We all live on our feet, but in training they barely get a look in. Some said the session made them feel more confident dealing with foot problems in primary care, which made me happy because that was exactly the aim.
One comment really made me laugh – someone said the advice helped them when buying shoes for their children. I didn’t expect my teaching slides to end up in the shoe shop, but I’ll happily take that! My own friends who are avid runners (with plenty of injuries between them) definitely roll their eyes when I start talking about running trainers, so it’s nice to know somebody’s listening!
It reminded me of my time in the ward days too. I used to make a big point to the female trainee doctors about their shoes – those flat ballet pumps on a twelve-hour shift just can’t be good for anyone. I’d joke, “Please, for the sake of your feet, wear something supportive!” I probably sounded like a broken record, but honestly, the right shoes can save a lot of pain (and a lot of podiatry appointments).
It also made me smile because I actually have a clinic room inside a shoe shop. That’s no coincidence – I’ve always believed in working closely with others, whether that’s skilled shoe fitters, physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons, or consultant radiologists. Good foot health isn’t just about what I can do in the clinic; it’s about a whole team working together. The right shoes, the right support, the right diagnosis – it all adds up. Collaboration really does make the difference!
The nicest bit for me was reading that people found the explanations clear and the tips practical. I’ve sat through enough talks myself to know how easily things can drift off into theory and leave you none the wiser. So if people walked away with ideas they could actually use, then I count that as a win.
There were also some suggestions for next time – more pictures, a few less words on the slides, and apparently I need to speak up a bit louder. My husband would find that very funny, because he thinks the opposite is true!
That was my day with the GP trainees. Feet made it onto the curriculum, and if a few more people feel confident looking after them, then I think we did alright.
And it left me wondering – how often do we underestimate the role of feet in our daily lives until something goes wrong?
Maybe it’s worth paying them a little more attention, whether that’s choosing shoes wisely, getting niggles checked early, or simply not ignoring what they’re telling us.
What do you think?