Summary

A young athlete’s injuries led to a fascination with medicine, ultimately guiding him to a fulfilling career in podiatry.

Highlights

  • Early Athletic Influence: Engaged in various sports, leading to multiple injuries.
  • Fascination with Medicine: Inspired by a doctor repairing his severe ski accident fracture.
  • Introduction to Podiatry: Discovered the field during a college lecture from a podiatrist.
  • Hands-on Experience: Shadowed several podiatrists, intrigued by the variety of treatments.
  • Medical Education: Attended podiatric medical school in California and completed training at Yale.
  • Residency in Miami: Gained diverse experience, handling a wide range of podiatric cases.
  • Comprehensive Scope: Podiatry encompasses everything from basic care to complex surgeries.

Transcript

So, why did I choose podiatry? As a young man, I was an athlete and participated in several different sports. I was injured multiple times in both upper and lower extremities. I had a severe fracture and almost lost my arm in a ski accident. I was fascinated by the fact that the doctor could put my arm back together and that it worked again. I think I’ve always been interested in medicine. As I got older and was ready to make some decisions about my career, I was introduced to podiatry during a class in college.

One of the speakers was a podiatrist. I had never heard of podiatry and didn’t even know it was a field. I was fascinated because, at the time, I was recovering from an ankle injury. After speaking with the podiatrist after the lecture, I was encouraged to visit and spend time with some podiatrists in my local area in Oregon. After that, I worked with three different podiatrists and found it very fascinating. The scope of their work ranged from trimming toenails to treating severe infections and trauma, and even performing reconstructive surgery on the leg and ankle.

That’s what got me involved in the field. I attended school in California after graduating from college and spent my last year of podiatric medical school in Connecticut, at Yale University and the VA hospital there. Then, I completed a four-year residency in Miami. There wasn’t much we didn’t see there in Miami—it was fascinating.