New Podiatry School in California

Larry Harkless, DPM, is the ideal selection to serve as the founding dean of the new podiatric medical school in the growng academic health center at Western University of the Health Sciences in Pomona. His long career heading the podiatric medical program in the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio provided him the opportunity to work in a complicated, interdisciplinary, and world class environment where he headed one of the finest comprehensive and most sought after podiatric medical residency programs in the nation where he also provided an environment for training students from many of the colleges of podiatric medicine. This new school represents another step towards bringing podiatric medical education into universities with academic health centers that have medical schools (both allopathic and osteopathic) and other health professional programs. I still remember when as dean I interviewed him for admission to the then California College of Podiatric Medicine prior to his entrance in 1971 and how even then he performed as one of my most exceptional students that I have had in my career as an academic. Indeed he has made me feel personnaly proud and I wish him and the new school great success.

Leonard A. Levy, DPM, MPH
Associate Dean for Education, Planning and Research
Professor of Family Medicine/Professor of Public Health
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

Dr. Levy:

Why do we need another podiatry school in the United States when most of the podiatry schools are having a difficult time filling their classes with top-notch students? Nothing against Dr. Harkless since he has a great reputation and I'm sure his name may attract some students to this new school. However, I don't understand the need to add yet another podiatry school when most of the respected podiatrists that I speak to around our country do not think that we need more podiatry schools, but that we do need more quality students to fill the currently existing podiatry schools.

 

Dr. Kirby I am sure is among many DPMs who feel that there are too many podiatric medical schools when voicing what I am sure is his sincere conceren about the new school under development in Pomona. However, one of the reasons for relatively few applicants to podiatric medical schools is the lack of a critical mass of schools in our profession. Not too long ago osteopathic medicine only had five schools and, because of the relative invisibility of DOs, few students thought about applying to become part of that profession. Today the number of DO schools is approaching 30. But besides that, we have a rapidly growing aging population in this nation and a growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes that now has even extended its spectrum to children. In addition, as a result of successes in biomedical science and health care, there also is a huge and continuing growing increase in the prevalence of chronic disease in the nation, so many of which have significant manifestations in the pedal extremity. While many if not most poditric physicians may not agree and while it may be a parodox, we need more not fewer podiatric medical schools in carefully selected areas of the country. Furthermore, these schools need to be integral parts of academic health centers. While this may be difficult to see now, I believe that this will prove to be true for the foreseeable future. You can also be sure that the leadership at Western University for the Health Sciences in Pomona, a very successful health science education operation, were very much aware of these phenomena when making the decision to invest in establishing the new podiatric medical school.

Leonard A. Levy, DPM, MPH
Asociate Dean for Education, Planning and Research
Professor of Family Medicine/Professor of Public Health
Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine