Posted By Peter Smith, DPM,
Thursday, May 22, 2025
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PPMA has several members for whom podiatry has become a family affair. This Father's Day, we are proud to pay tribute to these members.
Member Pete Smith, DPM, and his son Pete Smith, Jr., DPM
It is often said that children learn by watching you. In the Smith household, this is certainly true.
As a child, Pete E. Smith, DPM (TUSPM 2015), saw a few patients visit his father at home and receive care for everything from ingrown toenails to injections. During this experience, young Pete saw the immediate gratification that it brought the patient and his father, as he was able to provide immediate treatment. He appreciated that his father was not only a respected member of the community but could help those in need. He adds, "Seeing how my Dad was able to help those in the community, whether it be a neighbor's grandmother or one of my buddies on the soccer team, from his 'home office' really drew me towards the profession."
As a child, he also benefited from podiatry's flexibility for family life. Pete (PCPM 1988) was able to attend his children's events and have an excellent work-life balance. His schedule allowed him to take off work and enjoy his fair share of three-day weekends with his family. During this time, young Pete and his siblings made memories of participating in recreational activities that included hiking, canoeing and enjoying the outdoors. Both enjoyed the outdoors and podiatry allowed the flexibility to spend quality time with each other, contributing to many good times. It was the appreciation of having these experiences and that work-life balance that motivated younger Pete to go into podiatry.
During one of these outdoor recreational trips, the younger Pete decided to pursue podiatry. At the time he was enrolled at Penn State University, majoring in Information Technology, which was great but not as fulfilling as he would have liked. After talking to Dad during that trip he made that final decision to switch majors senior year and complete the requirements needed to go to Podiatry school.
When a 21-year-old Pete approached his Dad about the career pathway he was exploring, the proud podiatrist and father were honored to talk to him about how wonderful the podiatric profession is.
As an independent practitioner, the older Pete, was able to share with his son that he appreciated seeing immediate results in his work and that it was a very fulfilling career—one that he would recommend to his beloved son.
He added to these discussions the variety and different scopes that podiatry offered. He shared that seeing about 30 patients per day gave him plenty to keep his interest and never get boring.
So when younger Pete made the final decision to apply to podiatry school, he encouraged him to do so but also counseled him on the fact that a few classes, including Organic Chemistry, were not so enjoyable.
Ultimately, Pete's choice was his, and it was made because he appreciated his father's ability to manage his career while still investing in memories with Pete and his siblings. The not so young anymore Pete states, "I wanted that same experience for my family, and that is why I ultimately chose podiatry over Tech. It has been a wonderful career so far and even came with the added bonus of being able to talk shop with my old man."
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