Around the turn of the century, M.J. Lewi, M.D., then the Executive Director of the New York State Medical Society, felt there was a tremendous need for a specialist trained in the care and treatment of the human foot. He then went about opening the first school for the training of such medical specialists.

For many years thereafter, foot care specialists were trained in the proper way to cut toenails, learned how to construct a beneficial arch support and received instructions on how to relieve such common disorders as painful Corns and Calluses. Through the years, these people were known as Chiropodists, and some who were trained throughout this period are still in practice today.

After 1950, a greatevolution took place which resulted in the upgrading of these medical men. Podiatry grew out of the profession of Chiropodist. In 1957, the American Chiropodity Association was changed to the American Podiatry Association, and its membership today is no longer limited to those with pre-surgical type training but includes a multitude of those who practice far more sophisticated surgical procedures, and who, like any other type of physician or surgeon, earn their degree as a D.P.M. (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine).

At the present time, there are approximately 14,000 practicing podiatrists in the United States, all functioning in an individualistic style in accordance with their educational background and the nature of their specialization. There are those who confine themselves to such tasks as properly trimming toenails, and others who excel in the insertion of artificial ankle joints.