Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
Practice Perfect Editor
Assistant Professor,
Dept. of Podiatric Medicine,
Surgery & Biomechanics
College of Podiatric Medicine
Western University of
Health Sciences,
St, Pomona, CA

Father's Day and Mentorship

This past weekend was a quiet one at the Shapiro household. We had a nice Father's Day celebration with family and kids and a relaxing trip to the beach (one of the benefits of living close to the coast). Father's Day provides us with an opportunity to appreciate the men who were either our biological fathers or those that acted as father figures in our lives. To all of you who have played that role, I wish you a most happy Father's Day.

There's another aspect to this holiday: thanking our professional "fathers." These are the people who have taught us the fundamental knowledge and skills and demonstrated the attitudes of successful physicians and surgeons – our professional mentors.

For me, my professional "father" was Marshall Solomon, DPM. Dr. Solomon was my residency director as Botsford General Hospital in Michigan (he's still the program director). He may have been the administrator of my residency program, but he went far beyond the basic requirements of a director. Dr. Solomon first and foremost demonstrated the involvement, leadership, and caring of a podiatric physician. He was a surgical mentor, teaching us surgical principles, but, more importantly, he was a life mentor, teaching his residents over many years what it meant to be a quality person.

Tonight's Premier Lecture is
NPWT for Closed Incisions
Lee Rogers, DPM

This mentor taught us by example, every day demonstrating the daily habits we needed to adopt in our own lives (he worked, and continues to work, more hours than his residents). From a personal standpoint, he has always been incredibly generous. For example, when I was in Washington D.C. on a pediatric orthopedics rotation, my wife and newborn son were staying in Michigan. During a storm, a tree fell on a powerline near the house. When Dr. Solomon found out my family had to evacuate, he opened his home for a week while repairs were made. This is a generosity of heart that goes beyond being someone's teacher.

I bet the vast majority of us have similar stories about our professional fathers. I'm sure there are also many stories about our professional "mothers." But today's blog falls on Father's Day (sorry moms!). Either way, father or mother, take a moment and think about all the work your mentor put into helping to create the doctor and person you are today. Let's all try to live up to their example, and let's write about the great impact they had on our lives in the eTalk we have dedicated to this Topic. Happy Father's Day.