Started when I visited my current mentor Dr. Stephen A Monaco in Havertown, PA as a college student. As a biochemistry / microbiology major the possibilties were endless. As a high school student I was exposed to Osteopathic Medicine and the holistic approach to wellness during my 2 years at the Pennsylvania School of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia as a medical explorer. Always in the back of my mind, D.O. was my path for my future. The premedical club at my university had a tour of Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, I figured I would attend and explore for up until this part of my education I had no idea what Podiatry was and now the rest is history after being accepted for admission as the youngest student to matriculate that year after 3 year of undergraduate work.
Always like being on the cutting edge in the field. As a resident in training I always gravitated towards the more difficult cases. The ability to transform someone's life by realigning their foundation either via orthotic therapy, padding or surgery is very gratifying. Protocols are set in the office to give patients the optimal care, for those that don't respond to our typical protocols advanced testing /imaging can be done for more aggressive care. Conservative care will always be an option that is explored and exhausted prior to surgery.
- Teach with a lesson—using rich, authentic stories?
Always giving the patient the correct advice , thorough picture of their condition. Sometimes the correct solution may not be the easiest solution. I had a patient that required a severe bunionectomy at the base of the bone rather then the regular type at the head of the bone, this required 6 wks off the foot to recovery. She went to another surgeon who gave her what she wanted a simple fix with no time off her feet. 6 months later the bunion returned as did she to the office for a revision. The moral of the story is that the simple answer may not always be the correct answer. Some surgeons / doctors will do things to appease the patient's request, hence doctoring themselves and using the doctor as a vehicle to achieve such. My goal is to always give the Best answer whether it is difficult or not.
Vision is that one day the profession of podiatry fulfills the quest to have all DPM's trained equally and have the profession as a whole recognize the true value of our services.
Often I hear, what would a foot / ankle orthopedic surgeon do that is different from what you propose? Why would I have you do the surgery vs an orthopedist? My answer is seek out the one that does most of these procedures, not the title. Foot and ankle Orthopedist spends 1 year on the foot / ankle after orthopedic residency while reconstructive podiatrist spends 4 years in podiatric medical school building a strong foundation in biomechanics and foot medicine, then 3 years of surgical residency with concentration on the foot / ankle and now many are going for a 1 year fellowship after such for a total of 4 years of concentrated foot /ankle surgery concentration. Both professions have great doctors and some not so great ones. Choose based on reputation , # cases and not the initials would be my best advice. Check with hospital OR nurses, etc to ask who does more foot / ankle surgeries and who is most successful at them. Anesthesiologists see the good, bad and ugly in the OR, they can give you an excellent recommendation if you happen to know one.
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