Written by By Emily Cziraky, PPMA TUSPM [Class of 2023] Student Rep

My name is Emily Cziraky, and I am a second-year student at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM). I started my journey with the vision of a career in medicine, but was undecided on the exact route I would take post-graduation. Even though I grew up in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, I traveled down to North Carolina to pursue my undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill.

To increase my exposure and understanding of the healthcare system, I studied Health Policy and Management at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. The program was selective and small, and we collaborated on a multitude of projects from health behavior change program planning to a significant audit of a hospital’s financial reports. Through this program, I volunteered at local health centers and viewed patient encounters. I knew that while I enjoyed the business side of medicine, my future would focus on the clinical side of medicine.

While I was in school and studying for the MCAT, I suffered from an ingrown toenail during my marathon training. I visited Chapel Hill Foot and Ankle Associates for my treatment, and I had the most wonderful experience there as a patient. That prompted me to ask my podiatrist if I could return to shadow her and her colleagues, and that encounter is what sparked my interest in podiatry.

Once I finished at UNC-Chapel Hill, I wanted to gain more shadowing experiences before pursuing my podiatric education. I continued my public health training by completing an accelerated Masters in Public Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. I believe having my MPH gives me a good background in population-based medicine and identifying risk factors in vulnerable populations, which can help improve my treatment plan for future patients.

This program in Philadelphia was extremely advantageous to my interest in podiatry because I could visit TUSPM to shadow third-year students in clinic. I also developed a great relationship with a local TUSPM alumnus that practices at an orthopedic practice I visited for a past running injury, Delaware Orthopedic Specialists.

At her practice, I saw the direct impact she had on patients, the plethora of cases she saw daily, and her happiness as a provider. When pursuing a career option, I think it is critical to gain perspective from current practitioners. Seeing her enthusiasm for the profession truly solidified my decision to apply to podiatry school. I knew that TUSPM was where I wanted to study, so as soon as I was admitted into the program, I accepted my position in the class of 2023. When I first informed my family and friends that I would be attending podiatry school, they had a few misconceptions I had to “stomp” out right away. The first was a snicker followed by the comment, “You want to work with feet?!” Most individuals, my family included, hear the word podiatry and think immediately of nail care and cosmetic foot care procedures.

When I shared with them the broad spectrum of care that falls under podiatry, including surgery, they were astonished! They also did not realize the long journey ahead to becoming a podiatrist, and that podiatry school is four years alone plus an additional three to four years of residency. Despite the cloudiness surrounding the profession, my family and friends were incredibly supportive, which helped me excel during my first year at TUSPM.

At TUSPM, I was fortunate enough to live within walking distance to class (I kept the apartment that I had while at Jefferson, which was so lucky!), and spent many fall afternoons in the cadaver lab on campus. It took a week or two to transition to the course load, but adhering to a strict schedule helped me manage my time and balance my studies with exercise, social events, and extracurricular activities at TUSPM.