The Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine is located
near the heart of Philadelphia's
historic section.
Temple U. News
The TU Medical School (above), located on the Health Science Campus, opened its new $160 million medical school building this past August. TUSPM students have access to this phenomenal facility, including the Institute for Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety (below), classrooms, and library.
TUSPM students react to a simulated patient in a hospital setting. The patient's vital signs and ailments are controlled from a panel in an adjacent observation room where faculty gauge students' responses.
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Twice was a charm when David Lee ‘10, returned to his true ambition of pursuing a career in podiatric medicine, following nine years as an entrepreneur and project manager for various corporations. Originally, Lee considered helping others through social work. Now, fourth year student Lee is thankful that he made the decision to return to his first love of medicine.
As the youngest of nine children from humble begin-nings, his tenacity will come in handy. His oldest brother, a pediatric intensive care physician, will not be the only doctor in the family if Lee can help it. Before enrolling at TUSPM, Lee worked for Boeing, via Volt Management, as project manager; Thomas Regional, as a marketing consultant; and Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group, as installation and maintenance
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David Lee, Class '10
administrator.
He has served on the Board of Directors of the Community Bible Fellowship, an inner-city non-profit organization with a focus on underprivileged youth. There he also developed and managed a major tenant improvement project that was completed under budget and on time.
Lee received his undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, with minor concentra-tions in Sociology, Anthropol-ogy, Chemistry and History, from Eastern Washington Univ-ersity in Cheney, Washington.
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He is highly proficient in several computer software programs but has traded in the computer for medical books and clinical lab supplies.
“I see physicians as coaches of sorts. In order to be good at what we do, we need to first develop a relationship with our patients, tap into the heart of the matter. Treat the person, not just the symptoms. I think that is crucial when I am providing wound care to my patients. They trust in my decisions more when I give them the respect that they deserve,” said Lee. “These are people that I grew up with,” he added, referring to patients he gets to visit during clinical classes. “They have the same obstacles that I had. Because of that, I feel a sense of compassion and obligation that, I believe, will make me a better doctor,” added Lee.
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In a year that marked an historical national election, Mary Crawford, POD ’88, made her own presidential history: she began serving as the first female president of the board of directors for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. A Temple University Alumni Fellow, she also appeared on campus to present the George A. Sonneborn M.D. Memorial Lecture at the School of Podiatric Medicine’s Rite of Passage ceremony and lectured at an educational program for students and alumni. Crawford was a podiatric student in the 1980s, in what was then known as the Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine. (The school merged with Temple in the 1990s.)
She believes her education
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supplied her with the know-ledge she needed to succeed in the podiatric field. “I gained the basic knowledge and foundation of medical science and surgery that allowed me to excel in my post doctorate education in surgical recon-struction of the foot and ankle,” she says. As an under-graduate, Crawford visited an Orthopedic surgeon and observed patient care and surgery. During that visit, she found that podiatry “allowed for extensive training in recon-structive foot and ankle surgery, but also forced the surgeon to consider the functional and biomechanical consequences of altering the foot.” Since 1990, she has been a partner in the Ankle & Foot Clinic of Everett in Washington. “I focus mostly on pediatric and adult recon-structive surgery of the foot and ankle, lower extremity derm-atology and complex revisional foot surgery,” she explains. Only four years after joining the practice, she became director of the Waldo Podiatric Surgical Residency Program—where she had gone for her surgical residency in 1988—and remained in that post until 2001. Crawford’s expansive knowledge, tenacity and dis-cipline have greatly contributed to her achievements, but being an educator is what truly
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motivates her. “The most gratifying aspect of my career is teaching someone something new, maybe a new concept or a new technique, and seeing the excitement in their response,” she explains. “That is how I know I really have made a difference.” Her passion for education is what drives her to deliver approximately 25 to 30 conference lectures per year. And while the breadth of her published work might lead one to think writing is another of her passions, Crawford views it as an exten-sion of her desire to educate. Along with writing numerous articles for publications in her field, she has co‐authored two books, Color Atlas of the Foot & Ankle Dermatology and Lower Extremity Soft Tissue and Cutaneous Plastic Surgery, with Gary L. Dockery. Crawford’s own hunger for knowledge has fueled her success. “There are many events and projects that can greatly add to your overall education and better prepare you for residency and practice,” she advises. “[Expanding] outside your profession to interact with other professionals and disciplines can greatly enhance your education.”
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