Dermatology and Podiatry Collaboration Expands Clinical Insight and Professional Opportunity

“I would love to reach out to all dermatology APPs and let them know there are so many opportunities for advancement of your career and or just different avenues for career development,” said Shanna Miranti, MPAS, PA-C, in an interview at the 2025 Elevate-Derm Fall Conference.

Miranti, a physician assistant at Riverchase Dermatology in Naples, Florida, and a Dermatology Times editorial advisory board member, was joined by her sister, Larissa Schmidt, DPM, a podiatrist at Celebration Foot & Ankle Institute, who also presented at Elevate.

In the first part of their interview, Miranti and Schmidt specifically discussed the value of cross-disciplinary conversations in managing complex cutaneous and nail disease. In their next interview, the sisters discuss the growing clinical and professional intersections between dermatology and podiatry, emphasizing how cross-specialty collaboration strengthens patient care, education, and career development.

Both clinicians highlighted that both dermatology and podiatry manage a shared subset of skin disorders, particularly dermatoses of the foot, and increasingly rely on similar therapeutic classes, including advanced topical agents, biologics, and JAK inhibitors.

Schmidt noted that podiatry has benefited greatly from integrating outside expertise, including dermatology speakers at podiatry conferences. Miranti, who was initially “voluntold” to present at podiatry meetings, has since been invited multiple times to teach updates on inflammatory skin disease, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and immune-mediated conditions commonly encountered in lower extremity practice. She emphasized that podiatrists are eager for practical dermatologic updates, as much of their original dermatology training predates the rapid therapeutic expansion of the last decade. Sharing current data on topical innovation, systemic therapies, and immune pathways has helped podiatrists refine diagnostic accuracy and modernize their management strategies.

PA and NP Opportunities

Beyond clinical overlap, Miranti encouraged dermatology PAs and NPs to consider the broader professional opportunities that can emerge from specialty intersections. She reflected on how teaching, publishing, digital media, industry roles, and interdisciplinary education can serve as natural extensions of clinical expertise. She views dermatology knowledge as highly transferable and believes it can generate meaningful pathways for career diversification.

Schmidt echoed this sentiment from a podiatry perspective, describing a specialty that has evolved dramatically over the last 50 years. She explained that many podiatrists expand their careers by engaging in patient education, state and national advocacy, or the growing trend toward cash-based models that incorporate biologics, regenerative therapies, and comprehensive foot and ankle care. She emphasized that legislative and regulatory involvement shapes daily practice and that seasoned clinicians often take on political or organizational roles to ensure the profession continues to advance.

Both sisters agreed that dermatology and podiatry share similar challenges as non-physician or non-MD/DO specialties within medicine, and that collaboration—whether through conferences, shared educational resources, or state societies—creates stronger clinical communities. Their experience demonstrates how cross-specialty dialogue not only enhances patient outcomes but also expands professional growth for clinicians invested in evolving models of care.