What is Podiatric Sports Medicine?
As a formal specialty within the podiatry profession, Podiatry Sports Medicine (PSM) is relatively new and still in its infancy. Historically, clinicians have referred to themselves as Sports Podiatrists due to their association with sportsmen as their patient group, but they have had no formal qualifications or training in PSM.
Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM)
In the UK, Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) exists as a speciality in medicine and an academic qualification in SEM has been offered for the last four decades in the UK. In order to identify and differentiate from SEM, which is primarily practised by medical doctors, sports Medicine practised by a podiatrist has been termed Podiatric Sports Medicine in order to have our own identity.
Scope of practice
Membership of the Podiatric Sports Medicine Specialist Advisory Group
The Podiatric Sports Medicine Specialist Advisory Group (PSM SAG) is open to all Members/Fellows of the College of Podiatry that possess one of the following:
- Post-graduate certificate (PgC), Dipoma or an MSc in PSM or equivalent qualification that is related to sport
- Employed or affiliated to a sports team or organisation
- Have part of their working week devoted to looking after sportsmen and women
- Involved in teaching or lecturing in sports related subjects
- Work within a mulitdisciplinary sports medicine, clinic or team
Organisation structure
| Chair | Professor Nat Padhiar |
| Vice Chair | Mr Trevor Prior |
| General Secretary | Ms Maire Murphy |
| Membership Secretaries | Mr Jon Barber |
| Mrs Fiona Rigby | |
| Vasyli Award Coordinator | Mr Greg Kilner |
Post-graduate education
Podiatric Sports Medicine PG Cert
Queen Mary offers PgC, Diploma and an MSc in PSM. The website is being developed with access to some information:
For more information contact:Sports and exercise medicine courses
There are 22 universities in the UK that offer sports and exercise medicine (SEM) courses, including University College London, see:
Awards and conferences
Vasyli Award
This award, which is presented annually, was created after the founder of the Vasyli Foundation and world-renowned podiatrist, Phillip Vasyli, passed away in 2015. As part of his legacy, he wished to further the education of podiatrists in the field of podiatric sports medicine.
The successful applicant will be awarded a maximum of £1,500 towards the cost of gaining one of the following qualifications - Post-graduate certificate, Diploma, or an MSc in Podiatric Sports Medicine - at Queen Mary University of London. To apply, you must be a current HCPC registered member of the College of Podiatry and be a UK resident.
This year, the closing date for applications is 15 May 2021. Short-listed candidates will be invited to a virtual interview. Find out more about this year's Vasyli Award.
Annual Podiatric Sports Medicine Conference
This is a valuable part of the specialty and all members involved in musculoskeletal care of patients will benefit. This is usually a two-day conference which includes lectures, workshops and informal discussions delivered by experts from across Europe and the world.
This year the conference will take place at The Hallam Conference Centre in London, 2-3 December 2021. Find out more.
For more information samantha.womack@aesculap-academy.com