Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Julia Tolin, TUSPM '23
By: Sarah Brown, KLN '24
Having recently graduated as part of the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine’s Class of 2023, Dr. Julia Tolin is now preparing for the next step in her medical journey as a surgical resident at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) - Mercy.
Dr. Tolin’s initial interest in medicine stemmed from not only wanting to constantly meet new people in a team environment, but also wanting to help those people utilizing her unique expertise. During high school, after shadowing doctors from various fields, Dr. Tolin eventually narrowed her interests to both surgical medicine and podiatry.
Describing her time at Temple University, Dr. Tolin said the podiatric medicine program made her feel well-prepared for entering her residency. In particular, the curriculum’s externship opportunities and clinic work were significant learning experiences for her.
In addition to being invested in her studies, Dr. Tolin also held leadership positions in multiple student organizations. Club involvement served as a great way for her to get to know her classmates as a first-year student and later network with medical professionals as an upperclassman.
As president of the American Society of Podiatric Surgeons on campus, she took pleasure in facilitating a variety of surgical topic discussions from national specialists in the field. As part of the university’s American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine chapter, she served as secretary and helped volunteer at various sporting events like the Boston Marathon medical tent and Philadelphia Rocky Run. During her second and third year, she served as secretary and vice president for the Sterling Hartford DiPrimio Anatomic Honor Society respectively, where she created a mentorship program pairing student members with professional podiatrists.
Outside of Temple University, Dr. Tolin has also been active in the Philadelphia community. For two years, she volunteered alongside other classmates within the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA), a nonprofit organization that prepares and packages meals for people suffering from chronic illnesses.
Moving forward, Dr. Tolin hopes to gain more research experience through surgical and clinical projects during her upcoming residency at UPMC - Mercy. She already has some background in research from her time as a student as she was recently published in the National Foot and Ankle Review, a student-centered podiatric research publication.
Even though she has now graduated from Temple University, Dr. Tolin hopes to return to education. Her goals going forward include honing her skills in the fields of limb salvage, trauma and rearfoot reconstructive surgery during her residency and beyond. In the future, she hopes to continue her love of education through teaching residents as part of a residency program leadership team.