An interesting career option for students not sure if they want to go to
medical school.
From: Health
Professions Advising Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Betsy M. Herman
Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2010
9:00 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [HLTHPROF] Career Profile
#2
Advisors:
Last month we sent you the first in our series of “Career Profiles” on doctors of podiatric medicine
and now we’re sending you our “second edition.”
We’re doing this so that you can get to know some of our doctors.
We created these career profiles for you to read and learn more about careers
in podiatric medicine and the doctors who have chosen this outstanding medical
career. We hope you will enjoy reading these periodically and that we can
give you some insight into how and why your students should consider careers in
podiatric medicine. We hope that you will pass these profiles along to
your advisees as well, by either including them on your website or by sending
them out through your internal list serve. Thank you and have a great
day.
Betsy
Today’s Podiatrist: Lt. Kittra Owens, DPM
Military Doctor
Athlete,
doctor, and lieutenant: as an officer in the U.S. Navy, Kittra Owens, DPM
“has it all.” Based at the Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, North
Carolina, Dr. Owens never considered being a podiatrist, let alone joining the
military, but she has parlayed these two components into a perfect career.
“As
a young adult, I was an athlete. I knew I wanted to be a health care
professional, but I didn’t know specifically what I wanted to do. I
knew it would have to be consistent with staying active, being agile, and being
healthy,” says Owens. So throughout undergraduate and graduate school at
Tuskegee University, Owens considered her options. After completing her
Master’s degree in Biology, Owens was still unsure of the health care
profession she wanted to pursue. It wasn’t until one summer when she was
teaching a course to high school students in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama,
that she discovered podiatric medicine. “My students were given the
opportunity to shadow different health professions, and podiatric medicine was
one of the areas we rotated through.” After further investigation, Owens
decided that podiatric medicine was going to be the best profession to fit her
lifestyle.
Dr.
Owens graduated from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine.
Upon completion of a three-year surgical residency at Oakwood Healthcare System
in Dearborn, Michigan, she entered the U.S. Navy and is now one of 13 active
duty U.S. Navy podiatrists. As a doctor and an officer, Owens has a dual
role – she must treat patients but also uphold the duties of an officer
in the Navy. “You have to go to work and see your patients, but you also
have a higher expectation to lead by example; to display military decorum and
understand what’s best for the service men and women who give their lives
so readily to protect our freedom.”
For
over a year and a half, Dr. Owens has worked in the Department of Orthopedics
at the Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune. She is the foot and ankle podiatrist
and the only podiatric surgeon. She has recently taken over as the
Division Officer for the Department of Orthopedics. “This is a big step
for podiatric medicine and an honor for me.” Being on a Marine Corps
military base, Dr. Owens is responsible for the treatment of over 30,000
service men and women. “My primary focus and responsibility is making
sure the active duty service men and women are ready for deployment,”
says Owens. Dr. Owens spends 3½ days in the clinic with the remaining
days scheduled for surgery. “I see roughly 80 patients a week and
perform approximately 30 surgical procedures a month.”
For
Dr. Owens, all of her hard work has paid off and she is now reaping the rewards
of military medicine – it has provided her financial stability, job
security, and an opportunity to travel around the world. Dr. Owens reflects on
her decision to become a podiatrist and join the U.S. Navy: “I am
completely satisfied with all my career choices.”
For
more information, contact the APMA at [log in to unmask]
or call 301-581-9280. To view our career “music” video, use
this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHSbeTJUcCM
Betsy M. Herman
Marketing & Career Development Specialist
American Podiatric Medical Association
9312 Old Georgetown Rd.
Bethesda, MD 20814
800-275-2762 ext. 280
301-581-9280 (direct)
301-530-2752 (fax)