A medical scholarship offered by a growing business is investing heavily in attracting Bermudians into the field.

Atlantic Podiatry marked its first anniversary in April 2024 by offering a $47,000 industry scholarship to promote the next generation of healthcare providers.

Matthew Francis, head of the business, does a Talking Toes radio show on the first Tuesday of each month educating the public on the importance of podiatry — the branch of medicine catering to the feet and lower limbs.

Podiatry has special importance to diabetes patients, because the condition, which is rampant in Bermuda, can damage nerves and blood vessels, harming blood circulation, particularly to the legs and feet, which can make them vulnerable to infections.

Atlantic Podiatry’s scholarship fund, which had no takers in its first year, now stands at $94,000 to be split between two contenders to join the business.

“Two scholarships at close to $50,000 each for a business that’s still just opened is a lot,” Dr Francis said.

“But at some point, I’m going to need another podiatrist and it would be great to have a Bermudian.

“For the newness of the business and the revenue I’m making, close to $100,000 is quite a lot of money, but I figure in the long run it’s worth it. It’s a bit of a gamble but I’m hopeful it will pay off.”

Dr Francis said that “historically, other practices and professions have not been very good about advertising” the benefits of podiatry, which can head off potentially serious conditions before they worsen.

“I sit on the podiatry board and, as far as we know, there are no current Bermudians studying away to become podiatrists,” he said.

“When we opened in 2023, it was just me. I added Megan Kelly, a senior podiatrist, last December. But I need to start thinking about our longevity.

“It’s in my best interests as a healthcare practitioner to get more people and to have Bermudians.

“It’s a great opportunity. We will pay for students to go to the UK and study for a podiatry degree and cover the costs. At the end, there’s a guaranteed job.”

He added: “For a lot of people, when you go away to study, that’s the big worry, so I figure this is a win-win.”

Details are available at the company’s website as well as the bermudascholarships.com site.

Building the industry comes with benefits for the broader community, Dr Francis added.

“Podiatry covers all kinds of things but at our practice we focus not only on routine podiatry, but also diabetes wound care,” he said.

“The Government is talking about the cost of healthcare and making things more affordable. Podiatrists are the foot experts.”

Complications from foot ulcers can lead to amputations, which are expensive to the healthcare system and distressing for the patient.

Dr Francis said: “What I tell all my patients is prevention is better than the cure. With the healthcare system, sometimes the push is not so much towards preventive medicine but now a lot of insurers are using those buzzwords.”

Amputations can cost an insurer in the realm of $10,000 to $15,000, while regular podiatry care comes at a fraction of the expense.

Dr Francis said his philosophy was to “fix a problem while it’s small” — but the podiatry business, in an island where diabetes is one of the top chronic illnesses, needs more people on the treatment side.

“I’m always happy to chat with people,” Dr Francis said. “It may turn out that podiatry is not the profession for them. I didn’t know when I started that I wanted to be a podiatrist.”

The company said its scholarship programme “not only reflects our dedication to advancing healthcare education but also underscores our deep-rooted commitment to fostering local talent and supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals”.