Classes have come to a close here at Western University of Health Sciences.  The winter 2010 semester’s over, and the previously frenetic pace of academic medicine, with its rush to finals and preparations for the next semester, has now become a slow heart beat, as the majority of the University takes the end of the year off.  This quiet two weeks is just another part of the yearly cycle of academic medicine – one of the benefits of being an academician. 

This was my first semester teaching podiatry, and after coming from private practice, I find it difficult — undesirable? — to fully take this time off.  Perhaps I’m a workaholic.  Perhaps I’ve just spent too much time working the long hours necessary to build and maintain a private practice, which has its own rhythms.  Luckily for me we still have so much work to do in completing the Spring 2010-2011 curriculum that I’ll have no shortage of work during the “break”!

For me, this past 5 months of being an assistant professor teaching podiatric medicine, biomechanics, and surgery have been professionally the most fulfilling months of my career thus far.  The challenges are significant, the opportunities immense, and the people incredible.  I can’t wait to see what the next semester brings.

	Tonight's Premier Lecture is Topical Medications In The Podiatric Dermatology Practice by Joel Morse, DPM

For those of you in the podiatric residency and practice environments, I hope your past year has been as enlightening, uplifting, and profitable as mine has been.  I hope you'll all also consider teaching as part of your professional development.  Podiatry does have a strong tradition of mentorship, with more experienced colleagues sharing that experience with young clinicians.  It is an important part of what has continued to allow our advancement in the medical hierarchy. 

I wish you the happiest of holidays with many more to come. 

Keep writing in with your thoughts and comments. Better yet, post them in our eTalk forum.

Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT Practice Perfect Editor
[email protected]

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