Promote the Profession
Promotion of our Profession Begins with You
I have the opportunity to speak with prospective students and current students on a daily basis. And I ask a lot of questions about why they have chosen to pursue this specialty. Nearly all of the students mention a shadowing experience as one of most significant reasons they chose to become a DPM. Their experience with a podiatrist 鈥 in the office, clinic and OR 鈥 has been so impactful that they have chosen to follow in our footsteps.
I am asking you to consider mentoring prospective students by allowing them to shadow you and experience all that our profession has to offer. To that end, APMA has developed , a website designed to showcase our great profession and encourage pre-health students to learn more about the field. One aspect that I would strongly encourage any alumnus to consider is becoming a DPM Mentor. By becoming a Mentor, you will welcome pre-health students into your office/practice so they can experience what day-to-day life is like as a DPM. You can opt-in through your account profile on APMA.org, making the process easier than ever:
- Log in to
- Click 鈥淢y Account鈥 on the top of the screen
- Click 鈥淯pdate Contact and Mentor Info鈥
- Scroll down; select the box next to 鈥淏ecome a Podiatry Mentor鈥
- Click 鈥淪ave鈥
When talking with prospective and current students, they often ask me about whether or not I am happy in this profession. My answer is always the same: Pursuing podiatry has been the greatest decision I have made and I would do it all over again. I know many of you feel the same way. Please consider becoming a mentor and sharing the greatest decision you made with the next generation.
Thank you,
Allan M. Boike, DPM