Externship Program

Residents who participate in the SSM Health DePaul Hospital Podiatric Residency Program can anticipate using each rotation they complete as a building block for their career. They will be exposed to a variety of podiatric situations, enabling them to learn to perform the following skills:

1. Preoperative evaluation and assessment of a patient for elective foot/ankle surgery; this would include a history and physical, differential diagnosis, selection and rationale of appropriate procedures and the ordering/interpretation of lab testing and imaging studies
2. Postoperative care of patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery
3. Comprehensive neurological and vascular examinations needed for podiatric care
4. Aspiration/injection techniques and immobilization techniques
5. Biomechanical evaluation and assessment of the lower extremity
6. Management of common complications of surgical or conservative care and application of appropriate corrective treatment
7. Ordering and interpretation of laboratory tests and imaging studies
8. Appropriate documentation for all types of podiatric surgical and non-surgical patient care

The podiatric externship program at SSM Health DePaul Hospital – St. Louis is a one-month, hospital-based program offering students exposure to hospital and office/clinic-based podiatric medicine and surgery. The extern will be expected to be at the hospital every weekday for semi-weekly lectures, workshops in the evening and rounding at least one weekend per month. He or she will be under the supervision of the director of podiatric medical education, but they will receive their assignment of daily duties from the chief resident.

The program outlines goals the extern is expected to achieve:

1. Become familiar with hospital charting and protocol.
2. Be able to clinically evaluate a podiatric patient and design a treatment plan suited to the needs of the patient.
3. Become familiar with operating room protocol, function as part of the operating room team and develop simple technical skills in the operating room.
4. Develop skills in podiatric medicine.
5. Be academically prepared to interact with physicians of podiatric medicine and other medical specialties.

He or she will participate in the management of inpatients admitted post-operatively for a variety of medical conditions. The extern also may rotate with the resident in specialties such as internal medicine, emergency medicine, radiology and anesthesiology.

The student will have the opportunity to spend time in the offices of the program directors to gain experience in patient care through direct participation and observation. He or she will be observing and working in an academic environment, be expected to participate in case discussions and must research and present a topic at the completion of the program. All of this will be accomplished as a result of their observations and participation.

Externship Program Application Process

Externs are selected through the DPM clerkship site. Prior to the start of the student's externship, we send all required documentation to the student directly via email. This will allow the extern to become familiar with his or her responsibilities, the dress code and contact information.