For Methodist Hospitals' Director of Podiatric Services and Residency Program Site Coordinator Dr. Mark Jones, educating young doctors is not only a necessity but also a pleasure. Methodist Hospitals is an affiliate training site for the Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago’s Podiatry Residency Program, so residents of the program rotate between a network of hospitals including Methodist Hospital through the four-year medical program.
One of the first things residents learn at Methodist Hospitals is the wide-range of services podiatrists can offer to patients.
“Our program can handle anything orthopedic in nature,” Jones said. “We do anything from advanced reconstruction surgery, pediatric care to adult care, nerve surgery and treatment, and diabetic treatment. They learn that podiatry is so multi-faceted. It is not what it was originally thought to be. We can handle anything for the lower extremity below-knee.”
Jones spends time with each resident in a hands-on capacity through clinical and surgical rotations. Methodist Hospitals takes on only a couple of residents in the program at a time. Jones prefers to spend time focused on just one or two residents at a time rather than a large group. This way, as he is going through his rotation with them, he can focus on the residents on a more individual basis to ensure they are engaging and understanding.
This focused attention and genuine care for the success of residents stood out to resident Tommy McCain. Of all the hospitals involved with the program, McCain stated his belief that Methodist Hospitals is the strongest part of the Podiatry Residency Program.
“What I love most about working with Dr. Jones, Dr. Brincko, and Dr. Smith is they’re very knowledgeable and they know how to apply their knowledge appropriately,” McCain said. “They’re always quizzing us, asking us questions about different scenarios, and reviewing cases with us. They’re really involved which is what you definitely need in a strong program. I would say the best thing about that program is the volume and variety of surgical cases that they do.”
“Dr. Jones was a godsend at this point in my training because I was not feeling as confident as I would have liked,” McCain continued. “Working with him helped tremendously. I know my co-residents felt the same way and said they learned more in one week with him, Dr. Brincko, and Dr. Smith in comparison to what they learned in several months elsewhere.”
While the Podiatry Residency Program is intended to provide residents with a thorough, hands-on education, that was not the only benefit that resulted from the program. Jones said the program has also benefited the doctors working with the residents.
“It rejuvenates us,” Jones said. “We’ve been in practice for a long time and have so many years of experience that we can lend them. The residents are constantly tested, and they constantly test us. It feels really good to give back to these doctors who are just getting started in their careers. It keeps us energized, especially in today’s healthcare where burnout is such a big issue as well as the pressure coming down from insurance companies. The care-service models are changing. This keeps us engaged in healthcare. It continues to foster our growth and development.”
To learn more about the excellent care and services provided at Methodist Hospitals, visit https://www.methodisthospitals.org/.
