A unique, rare, and exciting opportunity exists to join the team at Sportsmed – South Australia’s largest multidisciplinary sports clinic. This position will see you join Sportsmed’s team of 10 podiatrists and be a part of their Foot and Ankle clinic; a multidisciplinary clinic, working directly alongside orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons. As part of the role, gain access to a full gym, VALD testing and be working alongside practitioners who service some of South Australia’s leading sports teams.  The position will be up to full-time, based both at Sportsmed’s main site at Stepne ..read more

Are you a former AAPSM Fellow? Get your Fellowship transferred to SEPA Are you a former Fellow of the Australasian Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM)? Sports and Exercise Podiatry Australia (SEPA) is currently undergoing the process of formally recognising and transitioning AAPSM Fellows to SEPA Fellowship. Frequently asked questions Who is eligible? All former AAPSM Fellows are eligible to have their Fellowship transferred to SEPA if you are a current financial member of SEPA. See if you’re on our list of confirmed AAPSM Fellows here. Great, I’m on the list? What next? Please send ..read more

Nominations are now open Sports and Exercise Podiatry Australia (SEPA) is calling for nominations for Board State Directors in South Australia (SA) and Western Australia (WA). What’s involved? Being a State Director is a great opportunity to give back to the podiatry profession. Offer your expertise to help drive the strategic direction of the organisation, provide input on CPD and network with like-minded podiatrists from across the country. The approximate time commitment involved is 2-8 hours per month and a teleconference every 2nd month. This is a voluntary position and counts towards ..read more

The sudden switch to telehealth patient consultations due to COVID-19 provided a challenge for a profession with human contact at its core. The lessons learned demonstrate the opportunities for podiatrists. Measures designed at containing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic prompted an almost overnight change from seeing patients in-person to using phone and video conferencing platforms. Beyond emergency interventions and care for patients with serious problems that would escalate without our care, face-to-face contact was restricted, leaving thousands of allied health professi ..read more

Rebirth. Renewable. Rebuild. Call it what you will, just don't call it a rebrand. For the past four decades, podiatrists in Australia have had something of an identity crisis. From the profession’s origins in chiropody, shorthand for cutting toenails, podiatry has struggled for recognition for its crucial role in diagnosing and treating issues with the feet, ankles, and lower limbs. For podiatrists with a special interest in sports, there has been the added objective of building a presence in the world of elite and high-performance sport. For many years, the Australasian Academy of Podiatric ..read more

Damir Metljak SEPA member, Damir Metljak has successfully completed the Certified Sports Podiatry Pathway. Read more about Damir’s career and his journey to certification as a sports podiatrist. Why did you choose a career in podiatry?  I had quite a broad interest in subjects at school so during matriculation, I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to pursue. I was fond of the sciences, particularly physics, but I had a great love of English literature, as well as cooking and the outdoors. Ultimately, I think the curiosity and the enjoyment I found in physics and the human body sent me in ..read more

Tim Pain SEPA wouldn't be where it is today without the contribution of its members. Over the years, Tasmanian-based sports podiatrist, Tim Pain, has helped shaped SEPA into the organisation it is today. Read more about Tim's career and his contribution to SEPA. Why did you choose a career in podiatry and in particular, why sports podiatry?  Podiatry was bit of a last-minute career selection for me. I did not know a lot about the podiatry profession but it did tick 3 key criteria for me: Health related: I wanted to work in the health field because I participated in multiple ..read more

Laura Hutchison Laura Hutchison (University of Sydney) is the very first recipient of SEPA's Research Scholarship. In this Q&A, read about Laura's journey in podiatry so far, as well as her research into knee osteoarthritis. Tell us about your career in podiatry so far   I have had a varied and rewarding podiatry career and have been lucky to work with many wonderful people in most areas of podiatry (including teaching and research). I began my career with a graduate position in high risk at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Although this is a different area to where my career has ..read more

A research paper in a high-profile sports medicine journal has stoked the debate about the value podiatrists provide in treating plantar heel pain. But should practising podiatrists be worried? Plantar heel pain is no stranger to any medical profession dealing with foot complaints. The common and disabling problem affects between 4% and 7% of the population at any one time, accounting for up to 15% of foot complaints that receive medical care. Given that the complaint can prevent people from engaging in sports and exercise, and the duration of recovery, it’s an area of great interest for res ..read more