Welcome Message From Our Residency Director

To Prospective Podiatric Residents:

The accelerating evolution of the great medical/surgical enterprise has required a continual evaluation and reformation of both pre and post graduate medical education as an effort to maintain current knowledge during an exponential expansion of science and technology. The problem is immense even if the focus is concentrated upon individual physician education and his/her patients, and the qualitative aspects of individual physician's performance. Important considerations for the role of the physician/surgeon in the health care system, the physician/surgeon's contributions to society, productivity of the individual physician and the effects of formal organization on physician performance is often ignored for the purpose of time resourcefulness. Universally, the strategy for medical education is specialization and increased commitment to the time period necessary for completing the education process.

Two concepts were introduced to the Podiatric Residency Program which are consistent with this improvement of education processes under the present restraints of scientific knowledge doubling every three years. These educative concepts are:

• The chief objective of this residency is the graduation of the most advanced and sophisticated podiatric surgery to date. This will be accomplished through a four year residency in reconstructive and traumatological surgery of the foot and ankle.
• The establishment of a four year Residency means expanding the education period, recognizing the podiatric surgeon must acquire the unique combination of scientific knowledge, humanistic characteristics, psychomotor skills and technical know-how in order to practice quality podiatric surgery.

Residency training involves increasing the standard of education by expanding a program to four years. This provides for a foundational study in General Surgery corresponding with the increased responsibility of the podiatric surgeon. The resources available at University of Pennsylvania Medical Center – Presbyterian provide an environment that has a tradition of pursuit of academic excellence. The environment is suited to the long-term goals and objectives of this Residency Training Program.

Alan J. Mlodzienski, DPM, FACFAS
Director, Podiatric Surgical Residency Program
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center