NOC 31209: Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating

Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating, who are not elsewhere classified, diagnose and treat the diseases and injuries of patients. This unit group includes doctors of podiatric medicine, naturopathic medicine and osteopathic medicine, and also includes chiropodists and podiatrists. They work in private practices, clinics and hospitals.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 1.
• Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): no. No high-wage add-on, and a job offer in it earns no CRS points.

TEER 1: Occupations that usually need a university degree. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

• Healthcare and social services

  At least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in this occupation within the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 31209

Skilled Canadian work in this occupation earns the standard points, the same before and after November 3, 2026, with no high-wage add-on:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Doctors of podiatric medicine
• Diagnose diseases, deformities and injuries of the human foot and communicate diagnoses to patients
• Treat patients using braces, casts, shields, orthotic devices, physical therapy, or prescribed medications
• May also perform surgery on the bones of the forefoot and the subcutaneous soft tissues of the foot.
• Chiropodists and diploma or first-degree trained podiatrists
• Diagnose diseases, deformities and injuries of the human foot
• Treat patients using braces, casts, shields, orthotic devices, physical therapy and subcutaneous soft-tissue foot surgery.
• Doctors of naturopathic medicine
• Diagnose patients' diseases and disorders
• Employ natural methods of healing such as acupuncture and acupressure, spinal manipulation, reflexology, hydrotherapy, herbal medicines, biochemical therapy, clinical nutrition, homeopathy and counselling in their treatment.
• Doctors of osteopathic medicine
• Diagnose disorders and injuries of the musculoskeletal, circulatory and nervous systems
• Treat patients with manipulative therapy, medications or surgery.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• chiropodist
• doctor of naturopathic medicine
• doctor of osteopathic medicine
• doctor of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.)
• foot specialist
• naturopathic doctor (ND)
• osteopathic physician
• podiatrist

Employment requirements

• Doctors of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.)
• A four-year doctoral degree program in podiatric medicine available in the United States and in Quebec, normally following completion of a bachelor's degree program, is required.
• A medical residency is required in Alberta and British Columbia.
• A doctor of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.) degree is required to practice podiatry in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
• Chiropodists and podiatrists
• An advanced three-year diploma program in chiropody (DCh) obtained in Canada or a first-degree program in podiatric medicine (D.Pod.M.) obtained abroad (United Kingdom) is usually required.
• A licence is required in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
• Doctors of naturopathic medicine
• A university degree in pre-medical science is required.
• Completion of a university program in naturopathic medicine, obtained abroad or a four-year program in naturopathic medicine from a private institute is required.
• A licence is required in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
• Doctors of osteopathic medicine
• A bachelor's degree is required for admission to a doctor of osteopathic medicine program.
• A four-year program in osteopathic medicine leading to a doctor of osteopathy degree and a minimum three-year medical residency are required. These qualifications are obtained in the United States.
• Completion of certifying examinations of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and licensing by the provincial or territorial licensing authority are required.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 31201Chiropractors
• 31102General practitioners and family physicians
• 31303Orthoptist
• 32209Osteopathic manual practitioner
• 32209Osteopathic manual therapist
• 31100Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
• 31101Specialists in surgery