In short, YES. They are referred to as Doctors of Podiatry. Originally, Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) were by definition the only "true" doctors, as the word doctor comes from the latin for teacher....
Yes, Podiatrists are real doctors, but not exactly the same as some other medical specialties. Instead of getting an MD or DO degree (the two types of fully licensed physicians recognized in the US),...
Podiatrists attend 4 years of podiatry school and receive a doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM) degree. Medical doctors attend 4 years of medical school and receive a doctor of medicine (MD) degree....