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Promotion of our Profession Begins with You

I have the opportunity to speak with prospective students and current students on a daily basis. And I ask a lot of questions about why they have chosen to pursue this specialty. Nearly all of the students mention a shadowing experience as one of most significant reasons they chose to become a DPM. Their experience with a podiatrist – in the office, clinic and OR – has been so impactful that they have chosen to follow in our footsteps.

I am asking you to consider mentoring prospective students by allowing them to shadow you and experience all that our profession has to offer. To that end, APMA has developed , a website designed to showcase our great profession and encourage pre-health students to learn more about the field. One aspect that I would strongly encourage any alumnus to consider is becoming a DPM Mentor. By becoming a Mentor, you will welcome pre-health students into your office/practice so they can experience what day-to-day life is like as a DPM. You can opt-in through your account profile on APMA.org, making the process easier than ever:

• Log in to
• Click “My Account” on the top of the screen
• Click “Update Contact and Mentor Info”
• Scroll down; select the box next to “Become a Podiatry Mentor”
• Click “Save”

When talking with prospective and current students, they often ask me about whether or not I am happy in this profession. My answer is always the same: Pursuing podiatry has been the greatest decision I have made and I would do it all over again. I know many of you feel the same way. Please consider becoming a mentor and sharing the greatest decision you made with the next generation.

Thank you,

Allan M. Boike, DPM