Podiatry

Check out our articles on pre-podiatry, podiatry school, and profiles of practicing podiatrists (DPM) to learn about the practice of podiatric medicine.

Q&A with Javier La Fontaine, DPM, MS, Limb Salvage Specialist

by

Javier La Fontaine, DPM, MS, is a professor in the Plastic Surgery Department at UT Southwestern and an attending physician at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas, TX. He specializes in limb salvage, using his surgical and wound healing expertise to help patients—especially those with diabetes—who have been told that amputation is the only course of action available to them.

Originally hailing from Puerto Rico, Dr. La Fontaine earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. He earned DPM degree from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in 1995 and completed his residency in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1999. He has been widely published, holds leadership roles in multiple professional societies—including the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, where he serves as a regional president, and the American Podiatric Medical Association—and has been named one of the “Most Influential 175 Podiatrists in the US” by Podiatry Magazine.

Read more

A Day in the Life of a 2nd Year Podiatric Medical Student

by

As a podiatric medical student, I often get asked about my daily life and the ins and outs of how our curriculum differs from a DO or MD program. I hope I can help those of you reading this come to know what it is like to be a student in podiatry school.
Our schooling is not all about feet! We spend our first two years of school learning about the entire body and its processes just like MD and DO students. We do get extra podiatry-related classes tossed into our schedule early on, but most of our time is spent learning about the body and how systematic diseases and pathology can affect the lower extremity.

Read more

The Other Medical School: A Detailed Look at a Podiatric Medical Training

by

Hi! My name is Courtney, and I am currently a third year Podiatric Medical student from Indiana, studying in Ohio. I hope that I can help those of you reading this learn a little more about the field of podiatry and what it is like to be a Podiatric Medical student.

Read more

20 Questions: Jeffrey M. Whitaker, DPM, FACFAS

by

Dr. Jeffrey Whitaker knew at a very young age that he wanted to be a doctor, though his specialty remained uncertain until he discovered podiatric medicine as an undergraduate pre-med student. Having graduated Magna Cum Laude with his Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from California State University-Long Beach, he later completed a second Bachelor in Cell and Molecular Biology with San Francisco State University, followed by the successful completion of his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine, which is now Samuel Merritt University. Dr. Whitaker graduated from the DPM program with Honors, ranking 4th in his class, and completed his three-year foot and ankle surgery residency with Western Pennsylvania Hospital, in Pittsburgh.

Read more

Why I Chose Podiatry School

by

For many students looking for a career in healthcare, allopathic medical school is the only option that they have considered. While information exists on podiatry as a professional career choice, it can be missed behind the stacks of information on allopathic and osteopathic medicine.

Podiatry school, or podiatric medical school, is very similar to its allopathic and osteopathic medical school counterparts, with some key differences.  The biggest difference is the degree earned.  A graduate of podiatric medical school receives a doctoral degree of podiatric medicine, or a DPM.  This degree certifies the graduate to be a complete and specialized physician of the foot and ankle.

Read more